Dan McGrail has been officially appointed as the permanent Chief Executive Officer of Great British Energy, the UK's publicly-owned clean power company.

His appointment aims to accelerate the government's Plan for Change, with a core mission to establish the UK as a clean energy superpower. Mr McGrail will be based in Scotland, working from Great British Energy's headquarters in Aberdeen.

Bringing world-class private sector experience to the role, Mr McGrail previously served as Chief Executive of RenewableUK and CEO of Siemens Engines. Over the past four months, as interim CEO, he played a pivotal role in rapidly establishing the company. This initial period saw the announcement of a £1 billion investment by Great British Energy, earmarked for clean energy supply chains, including crucial components such as electric cables and floating offshore wind platforms, ensuring that the clean energy revolution is developed within Britain.

Beyond large-scale investments, Great British Energy's early impact is already being felt locally. Hundreds of schools and hospitals across the UK are set to benefit from reduced energy bills through Great British Energy's investment in rooftop solar installations. Approximately 200 schools and 200 hospitals will install solar panels, potentially powering their operations and leading to hundreds of millions in savings that can be reinvested into public services.


This leadership appointment follows the earlier establishment of the company's start-up board in January, with five new non-executive directors joining Chair Juergen Maier. These additions brought diverse experience spanning workplace rights, UK supply chain development, and clean energy investment.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband expressed his confidence in the appointment: "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."

Dan McGrail, now permanent CEO of Great British Energy, commented on his new role: "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."

Jane Cooper, Deputy Chief Executive of RenewableUK, extended her well wishes: "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." She added that Great British Energy's ambitious plans, including an initial £300 million in offshore wind, are set to create tens of thousands of new jobs across the country.

Mr McGrail's permanent contract with Great British Energy will see him continue to lead the company from its Aberdeen headquarters. He initially took up the interim CEO post in March, on secondment from RenewableUK.