Hugh McNeal is stepping down as CEO of trade association RenewableUK, with the Board announcing it will begin to look for his replacement.
The association highlighted the uncertainty of the renewables sector in 2016, the year McNeal joined, with the government’s support scheme for onshore wind coming to an end and offshore wind still to achieve the dramatic cost reductions we’ve since seen.
RenewableUK said during McNeal’s time the industry has gone from strength to strength, pointing to the return of the Contracts for Difference auctions, the 40GW of offshore wind by 2030 target and the development of technologies like floating offshore wind and marine renewables.
McNeal said his time as CEO of RenewableUK had been the “most enjoyable work I’ve done in my entire career”.
“I’m immensely proud of the work our members are doing to transform the UK’s energy system, and our industry is leading the fastest low carbon transition of any major economy.
“We have a long way to go to achieve net zero but we’re making extraordinary progress, driven by a sector which is achieving breakthroughs that no one expected even a few years ago. My successor will have the support of a fantastic team and Board at RenewableUK to take us even further in making renewables the backbone of our future energy system”.
McNeal will stay on till next year when his successor is in place to ensure a smooth transition. The Board will lead the recruitment process, advised by Taylor Hopkinson.
RenewableUK chair Stephen Bull said: “The Board and I are incredibly grateful to Hugh for his superb leadership through a period which has seen a real transformation in the industry. Hugh will leave a fantastic legacy to build on at RenewableUK, and the next CEO will be at the heart of industry’s efforts to shape the transition to net zero”.
“Our industry is at the forefront of the green recovery, delivering the world’s largest renewable energy projects, investing in green hydrogen technologies and creating jobs and capacity in the UK supply chain. It’s an incredibly exciting time for the sector as we scale up to meet the challenges of the 2020s”.
Earlier this week, RenewableUK launched a new report calling on the government to bring in a green hydrogen strategy.