Great British Energy permanent CEO appointed

Dan McGrail has been appointed as the permanent Chief Executive Officer of Great British Energy, a company owned by the British people, to help drive forward the government’s Plan for Change and make the UK a clean energy superpower. 

His appointment brings world-class private sector experience to Great British Energy, with the former Chief Executive of RenewableUK and CEO of Siemens Engines now leading the UK’s publicly-owned clean power revolution.  

Under his stewardship as interim CEO for the last 4 months, he has helped rapidly set up the company. This includes announcing £1 billion for Great British Energy to invest in clean energy supply chains such as electric cables and floating offshore wind platforms to ensure the clean energy revolution is built here in Britain. 

Meanwhile hundreds of schools and hospitals are already set to benefit from lower bills thanks to Great British Energy investment into rooftop solar. Around 200 schools and 200 hospitals will install solar panels that could power classrooms and hospital operations, with hundreds of millions in savings to be reinvested in schools and the NHS. 

This follows the appointment in January of five new non-executive directors to join Chair Juergen Maier on the company’s start-up board, bringing a wide range of experience across different sectors, with knowledge on workplace rights, building UK supply chains and driving investment in clean energy.  

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

Dan has been a visionary leader as Great British Energy’s interim CEO, and will bring world-class private sector experience to our publicly-owned clean power company 

Great British Energy is at the heart of our clean power mission and Plan for Change and is investing in clean energy supply chains to create manufacturing jobs here in Britain.  

I look forward to working with Dan to unleash the benefits of clean energy, driving growth and new jobs in communities.

Great British Energy CEO Dan McGrail said: 

It is a privilege to take on the CEO role permanently and lead Great British Energy from our Aberdeen HQ at such a pivotal moment. 

We are already delivering for British people, with schools and hospitals set to benefit from cheaper energy bills. 

We will now focus on scaling up as Britain’s publicly owned energy company, making strategic investments that drive forward the government’s clean power mission and give people a stake in clean energy. 

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Jane Cooper said: 

We wish Dan all the very best in his crucial role leading Great British Energy, which he has spent the last few months setting up so successfully. Although he will be greatly missed by everyone at RenewableUK, his leadership skills and vision, backed by a highly capable team, have left us in the strongest possible position to thrive as we continue to expand our membership and champion the sector. Great British Energy’s ambitious plans to invest in vital new renewable energy projects, including an initial £300 million in offshore wind, will help to create tens of thousands of new jobs all over the country in innovative industries with world-class supply chains which we are proud to represent.  

Dan will be based in Scotland, working from the Aberdeen headquarters, on a permanent contract with Great British Energy. He took up the post of interim CEO of Great British Energy in March on secondment from RenewableUK.