Abstract

This case explores strategic decision-making in an energy sector characterized by intensive government regulation and environmental sustainability concerns. The Drax facility was the largest electrical power plant in the United Kingdom, providing 7% of the country’s electricity. It was also the largest coal-fired power producer – and therefore greenhouse gas emitter – in the UK. In response to governmental policy changes and rising concerns about climate change, Drax management began a conversion away from coal to a renewable source of energy, biomass, and the plant quickly became the single largest biomass-powered facility in the country. The company was making expansive public claims that the plant was generating environmentally sustainable power, but the strategy was not without its critics. A growing set of experts was reconsidering the assertion that biomass was consistent with efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These shifts in scientific understanding and, potentially, policy threatened the long-term viability of the Drax biomass conversion strategy.

Teaching
Students will learn about:
1. The importance of government policy in influencing business strategy in the energy sectors and how policy changes can alter strategic directions.
2. The varying definitions of “sustainable” energy.
3. Discussions on climate change and energy choices.
4. The impact of technological innovations on business models in the energy sector.
Case number:
A03-23-0001
Year:
Setting:
United Kingdom
Length:
11 pages
Source:
Published sources