GB Energy, a publicly owned clean energy company, is struggling to find a CEO for its Aberdeen HQ.
The company was launched in October 2024 by the Labour government. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to decarbonise the UK’s power sector by 2030 and put energy security and energy bills at the centre of its manifesto.
Key aims of GB Energy include focusing its investment on offshore wind, hiring 1,000 people in the next 20 years, working with the private sector to co-invest in emerging technologies and transitioning towards its Local Power Plan.
Given Scotland’s historical commitment to energy production, the HQ base in Aberdeen puts Scotland in the spotlight for the government’s plan and highlights the importance of the country and its local communities to GB Energy.
Jonny Alvarez-Buylla, President of the Edinburgh Labour Students Society, said that GB Energy puts “us on a clear path toward energy independence.”
This is the first time the industry has been funded publicly since its privatisation in the 1990s. The government has invested £8.3 bn throughout its premiership. GB Energy is truly focused, as profit is not extracted for private gain but instead reinvested in local communities to spark the green transition.
There has been difficulty finding a CEO for the company for three main reasons: Firstly, the individual needs the correct credentials to have responsibility over such a large sum of public spending. Secondly, they must agree to a civil servant’s salary, and lastly, the base is in Aberdeen.
Alvarez-Buylla claims that “such a large, transformative organisation comes with hurdles,” but despite this, he is certain that “Labour remains focused on delivering its clean energy mission.”
“GB Energy vision statement” by Scottish Government is licensed under CC BY 2.0.