Kier Starmer and Ed Miliband have announced that the former chief executive of Siemens UK Juergen Maier will chair the state-owned company GB Energy.
Maier fronted the UK arm of the renewables giant until 2019 and has since then worked with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and has been chair of Digital Catapult for over five years.
The Manchester-based boss spent 33 years with Siemens UK where he started out as an engineer.
Before leaving the firm he spent six years as chief executive.
The incoming GB Energy chair said following the announcement: “Great British Energy will be a publicly-owned national clean energy champion, ensuring British people reap the benefits of clean, secure, home-grown energy.”
The legislation to create GB Energy was introduced at Westminster on Thursday, with ministers saying it will secure Scottish industries like offshore wind and hydrogen.
It was announced that an “unprecedented partnership” between GB Energy and The Crown Estate had been set up.
© PAA government statement explained that this has the potential to utilise up to £60 billion of private investment into energy independence for the UK.
Energy security and net zero secretary Ed Miliband commented: “The agreement with The Crown Estate will lead to more investment, cleaner power, more energy security, and is a statement of intent that it will be a permanent and transformative institution for our country.”
The Crown Estate has estimated that this partnership will lead to between 20 and 30 gigawatts of new offshore wind developments reaching seabed lease stage by 2030.
Taking to Twitter, Maier wrote: “The opportunity is huge, creating lots more cheaper renewable energy, doing it faster and creating many jobs in this exciting sector.”
Speaking ahead of GB Energy legislation’s announcement in parliament today, prime minister Keir Starmer said his plan will allow Scotland to “lead the clean energy revolution.”
Chief executive of the Crown Estate Dan Labbad said: ”With new powers and by partnering with government, we can drive greater investment into this future for our country, and with it support nature recovery and job creation.”
Where in Scotland will GB Energy be based?
The base for GB Energy is yet to be confirmed, however, Starmer’s Labour Party has confirmed that it will be set up in Scotland.
There has been speculation as to where in Scotland it will be set up with Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce arguing for the oil and gas capital of Europe, Aberdeen, to be up for consideration.
Others have pointed to Glasgow where Labour managed to secure more seats in the recent general election and highlands business owners have called for GB Energy to set up shop close to the Inverness and Cromarty Firth green freeport.
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