First meeting of Great British Energy board members

Great British Energy’s start-up board members will meet in Aberdeen today (Monday 17 March) to discuss scaling up the company and kickstarting investments, to deliver the government’s Plan for Change and clean energy superpower mission. 

Great British Energy is owned by the British people, for the British people, and will own and invest in clean energy projects across the UK to create good, skilled jobs and growth.    

Energy Minister Michael Shanks will convene the meeting alongside Start-up Chair Juergen Maier and interim CEO Dan McGrail to discuss next steps for the organisation and building up an investment portfolio that will return a profit for the British people. 

Great British Energy has already begun engaging with the market on potential collaborations to ensure it can quickly start delivering for the British taxpayer once it is fully established, backed by £8.3 billion over this Parliament.  

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: 

We now have a fantastic team in place to lead Great British Energy and establish the company in Aberdeen. 

By unlocking homegrown clean power projects, Great British Energy will support thousands of well-paid jobs in Scotland and across the country, and deliver energy security for the British people. 

Today’s meeting of the new board members marks another step forward for the company as it gears up to make its first investments. 

Great British Energy Start-up Chair Juergen Maier said: 

We are working on a plan to invest in and deliver homegrown clean power, supporting the next generation of energy jobs.  

We are already engaging with industry on exciting investment opportunities so we can hit the ground running once Great British Energy is fully established. 

Together we will back British innovation and support the creation of thousands of jobs in clean energy projects and their supply chains in the North East of Scotland alone. 

Interim Great British Energy CEO Dan McGrail said: 

Great British Energy is perfectly placed to take advantage of the clean energy revolution for the benefit of the British people. As I take up post as interim CEO today, I’m pleased to bring our new board members together in Aberdeen to discuss our plans to invest in secure, homegrown clean power – unleashing jobs and crowding in private investment. 

It follows the appointment of the interim CEO, five non-executive directors, and chair to the company’s start-up board. On Tuesday 18 March, Juergen Maier will convene a skills roundtable to work with industry to help oil and gas workers in north-east Scotland access opportunities in clean energy jobs. The roundtable is due to be attended by organisations including Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Trades Union Congress, Green Free Ports Cromarty and Leith, ETZ Ltd and Aberdeen & Grampian Chambers of Commerce.  

Background

Great British Energy start-up board members include: 

• Chair of Great British Energy Juergen Maier 

• Interim CEO of Great British Energy Dan McGrail 

• Minister for Energy Michael Shanks 

• Non-Executive Directors of Great British Energy: 

• Frances O’Grady  

• Frank Mitchell  

• Kate Gilmartin  

• Dr. Nina Skorupska CBE FEI  

• Valerie Todd CBE