Secretary of State for Energy Ed Miliband has been appointed as co-chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), the first time a secretary of state has taken on the role.
The role of co-chair of OWIC is usually taken on by an Energy Minister, a more junior political figure. With Miliband taking the top spot, Energy Minister Michael Shanks will be taking on the role of vice-chair.
The OWIC is an industry body designed to boost the expansion of the offshore wind industry by bringing together key figures from the sector with government officials.
Energy Secretary Miliband said: “Offshore wind is officially back in business in UK waters, as proved by the numbers of investors lining up in our most successful auction yet to deliver almost 5GW of new capacity. This is the backbone of our mission for clean power by 2030 and that’s why this council is so important.
“I look forward to working with its members and industry to go even further, boosting our energy independence to protect families and businesses for long into the future.”
Co-chair of OWIC Richard Sandford said he was delighted to welcome the Energy Secretary and Minister to their roles, commenting that Miliband’s historic appointment “sends a strong signal of the Government’s firm commitment to our sector.”
He added: “To achieve our joint goals, we will work closely with Ministers on measures to attract billions of pounds in private investment despite intense international competition, create new jobs, boost Britain’s energy security and help the UK to achieve net zero.”
The most involved Energy Secretary in recent history?
Milband’s tenure as Energy Secretary so far is demonstrating that the new Labour government is taking the energy transition far more seriously than its predecessors. Miliband appears to be making good on the “message of intent” his appointment was intended to send, as he has also taken up leadership roles in other renewable energy industry bodies.
As reported on our sister site Solar Power Portal, Miliband is now the co-chair of the Solar Taskforce, as well as the Mission Board, a ministerial forum tasked with accelerating clean energy investment across the UK.
Crucially, Miliband has been proactive in seeking advice from energy industry and climate experts from outside Parliament, recently asking the Climate Change Committee (CCC) for advice on carbon emissions targets ahead of COP30 in Brazil next year. Additionally, it has recently been revealed that the UK’s energy system operator (ESO) will begin advising the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), providing “practical advice” on how to achieve clean energy by 2030.
