Thirty one years after the founding of the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), 5 years after it started representing companies from the wave and tidal energy sector, and 12 months after the start of the rebranding consultation process, the members of BWEA have approved a name and logo change. The Association will now be called RenewableUK. The blue logo consisting of three wavy lines will be replaced by the ‘green spark’ logo.

Maria McCaffery MBE, BWEA Chief Executive said: “There have been a number of important steps we have taken in the past as an Association, to ensure the highest level of service to our members. We have expanded our policy, communications and events teams in line with growth and diversification of our membership base. We rose to the challenge of becoming the foremost UK champion of the wave and tidal energy sector, while increasing our influence as the key stakeholder and advocate in the development of onshore and offshore wind. We have recently moved offices to Westminster, and continued to engage at the highest level with Government and media. The new name and logo will enable us to become more instantly recognised, more memorable and stronger in terms of identity and perceived purpose.”

The vote for the new name was overwhelmingly in favour by all categories of the Association’s membership at the Annual General Meeting on the 17th of December. The timetable for the full implementation of the name and logo change includes a transitional period which will be completed by the Wave and Tidal Energy Conference at the QE2 Conference Centre, on the 4th of March 2010.

Adam Bruce, BWEA Chairman and Global Head of Corporate Affairs at Mainstream Renewable Power said: “This development is essential and will aid us in implementing our vision to be the voice of authority for the renewable power sector and a credible source of information and knowledge for our members, the industry, Government, media and the public. By 2040 when we celebrate the 30th anniversary of RenewableUK, it is very likely that we would be living in a different world, the seeds of which were sown by the work of BWEA: a world of decarbonised energy generation, electric vehicles and offshore installations and grids spanning the continent of Europe. We aim to be at the forefront of this revolution.