Energy Days 2025
2025-11-03 10:00 - 2025-11-04 17:00 (Europe/London) | Redhills Durham Miners Hall, The Miners Hall, Flass St, Durham, DH1 4BE, United Kingdom
Energy Days 2025
Monday 3 – Tuesday 4 November 2025
“The Carbon Past We Inherit. The Green Just Future We Build”
The Durham Energy Institute (DEI) and Redhills will host leading industry experts, ministers and academics, at ‘Energy Days 2025’ on 3-4 November, at the newly-restored Redhills, the home of the Durham Miners’ Association.
Energy Days 2025 marks four decades since the end of the 1984/85 miners’ strike, and will showcase cutting-edge research on how Durham’s rich industrial heritage can once again drive the region’s transformation into a leader in clean energy. The communities of County Durham will be represented, with pioneering intergenerational workshops led by primary school children.
Energy Days 2025 will receive a range of keynote addresses from political, industry and academic leaders, including:

Chris McDonald MP, Minister for Industry
Chris Stark CBE – Head of UK’s Mission for Clean Power at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, former CEO of the UK’s Climate Change Committee
Dr Fiona Hill, Chancellor of Durham University and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, daughter of a County Durham coal miner

The conference will examine new opportunities to utilise Durham’s rich coal seams for a sustainable future, providing clean heating from mine water and new hydrogen technology for power, transport and energy storage. The future of offshore wind development, clean shipping and sustainable energy for the NHS will also be addressed by industry leaders and academics.
Energy Days 2025 will focus on the needs and aspirations of local communities, with workshops led by pupils from Prince Bishops Primary School, creative writing on climate crisis, and community energy consultations. It will also showcase the work of the Durham Energy Council, made up of 30 County Durham residents who have explored where our energy comes from and what we wish to pass on to future generations.
“The Durham coalfield once powered a nation. Today, it holds remarkable potential for our clean energy future. This conference brings together world-leading research with the voices of communities who understand what transformation means. Together, we’re charting a path that honours our industrial heritage while building a green, just future.”
– Professor Simone Abram, DEI Executive Director
“This is a vital conference for the energy sector in County Durham and the United Kingdom. For many decades the Durham coalfields were recognised across the globe for world-leading innovation in coalmining. Forty years on from the strike, Redhills is focused on building a clean and just future for our communities, with new technology and sustainable energy, from our rich coalfield. This conference brings everyone together – young and old, industry leaders and local communities, inspired by the miners’ motto- ‘The Past We Inherit, The Future We Build’.”
– Andrew McIntyre, CEO of Redhills said,
Conference Highlights:

Keynote addresses from leading experts in renewable energy, just transition, and cultural heritage
Interactive workshops exploring geothermal energy innovations and creative responses to climate change
Exhibitions showcasing artistic interpretations of Durham’s industrial past and green future
Networking opportunities with researchers, policymakers, community leaders, and industry innovators
Collaborative sessions to develop actionable strategies for regional regeneration
Ask the experts about climate and energy science

We are offering 30 Bursaries for students to attend this event for free. To apply for a bursary, please email dei.events@durham.ac.uk

Download the Conference Programme Here

Learning and Democracy: Community and Trade Union Education
2026-04-17 10:00 - 15:30
Our DEMOCRACY under threat?
Whatever happened to Community Education or Life Long Learning?
Who controls Learning now?
How can adult education strengthen democracy?

A major North East conference with guest speakers and the chance to share ideas for adult education for a democratic society

Speakers and panel members:
Dr Sharon Clancy, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham
Jim Sutherland, former head of learning at NUPE and UNISON
Liz Blackshaw, former TUC Northern Region Secretary and global TU campaigner
Gavin McCann, UNISON Learning and Development Organiser, East Midlands
The conference will be highly interactive, with opportunities to ask questions and join in group discussions to share ideas. The main topics for the speakers and the conference will be how adult education can increase community cohesion, encourage critical thinking and develop the confidence and skills to participate fully in democracy . Ideas generated will be used in ongoing campaigning to widen and improve adult education.
The conference is organised by Never Stop Learning, a voluntary group of community and Trade Union adult education advocates, based in the North East of England. Their latest publication, on the positive impact of Trade Union education, will be launched at the conference.
A light buffet lunch will be provided.
There will be a guided tour of Redhills after lunch
This conference and the new publication have been supported by the Lipman Miliband Trust and the Raymond Williams Foundation.
To reserve a spot, Click Here
