You just can’t teach an old petro-dog re-new-able tricks.
The UK’s Guardian reports:
BP has shut down its alternative energy headquarters in London, accepted the resignation of its clean energy boss and imposed budget cuts in moves likely to be seen by environmental critics as further signs of the oil group moving “back to petroleum”.
Sad, but not terribly original or surprising (see “Shell shocker: Once ‘green’ oil company guts renewables effort“).
But Tony Hayward, the group’s chief executive, said BP remained as committed as ever to exploring new energy sources and the non-oil division would benefit from the extra focus of being brought back in house….
“It saves money and brings it closer to home … you could almost see it as a reinforcement [of our commitment to the business],” he said.
Paging Dr. Cal Lightman!
Seriously, they gut the program and claim it is “reinforcement” of their commitment. Perhaps BP stands for “Beyond Prevarication” or “Beyond Pinocchio.”
In the business world, “money talks, bullsh!t walks” — so let’s follow the money (as it departs the BP clean energy biz):
BP Alternative Energy was given its own headquarters in County Hall opposite the Houses of Parliament two years ago and its managing director, Vivienne Cox, oversaw a small division of 80 staff concentrating on wind and solar power.
But the 49-year-old Cox -– BP’s most senior female executive, who previously ran renewables as part of a larger gas and power division now dismantled by Hayward -– is standing down tomorrow.
This comes alongside huge cuts in the alternative energy budget – from $1.4bn (£850m) last year to between $500m and $1bn this year….
More… ➡