Ex-BP stalwart Dan Bates is launching a new challenger utility company, on the basis of digitalisation.
Today, Rebel Energy – as the new company has been named – has announced it is partnering with Blue Prism to leverage its automation platform to reimagine complicated industry processes.
The company will use a Software as a Service (SaaS) digital workforce allowing the company to act as efficiently as possible, giving it an edge in the highly competitive UK utilities sector.
Bates, who worked at BP for 17 years prior to launching Rebel Energy, said it will be a company “founded on strong moral foundations, that cares about society and the people within it”.
“Our aim is to create sustainable profits by helping people and the environment. Incorporating a digital workforce from day one helps us to achieve our big goals. By employing digital workers to carry out the repetitive processes common to the energy industry we can create more fulfilling and engaging roles for our highly skilled ‘Rebels’, whilst also helping them to develop skills in AI and systems design, setting them up for the jobs of the future.”
Digitalisation is set to be a key enabler in the energy sector, with consumers already turning to digital solutions. This has seemingly been sped up by the COVID-19 pandemic, with companies like OVO announcing redundancies as consumers moved to using digital services.
This is further supported by energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng stating that energy data will be critical to a transition to a net zero economy.
“We are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of business leaders who understand the full potential of embracing intelligent automation to devise entirely new business models,” says Terry Walby, chief executive, Blue Prism Cloud.
“Building the flexibility of a digital workforce into the fabric of their operations, they are preparing to disrupt markets and deliver exceptional value for customers. Dan is at the front of that change with his inspiring leadership mindset and vision. We are proud to play a key role in his mission to establish an energy company that has a positive impact on society, protects the environment all whilst delivering growth.”