RenewableUK has announced the results of the association’s latest annual Board election, including two new members and one who has been re-elected.

Alice Barrs, Mary Thorogood and Paul Cooley

The Board of Directors supports RenewableUK’s senior management team in formulating strategy and setting priorities for the association, as well as ensuring that targets are successfully achieved.

One of the new members is Alice Barrs, Head of UK Policy and Public Affairs at RWE. Before joining RWE in 2015, she spent a decade working as an economist for the UK Government and the Climate Change Committee, specialising in energy and the power sector.

Alice Barrs said: 
“I’m delighted to be joining the Board of RenewableUK. The association has been crucial in putting renewables at the forefront of the UK’s journey to Net Zero. As a Board member I will strive grow our industry to its full potential, via increased deployment, jobs and supply chain investment”.

The other new member is Mary Thorogood, Director, Public Affairs at Vestas. Mary has worked at the heart of the UK renewables industry for the last 10 years. She joined Vestas from Vattenfall, one of the world’s largest offshore wind developers, where she led UK Government and Stakeholder Relations. Mary is a member of the Offshore Wind Industry Council and co-workstream lead of its Supply Chain and Clusters Working Group, as well as a Director of the Aldersgate Group.

Mary Thorogood said: 
“It’s a real honour to be elected to the RenewableUK Board, particularly in the context of such an esteemed and talented field of candidates - a great sign of how strong our industry is. I can’t wait to get started working with RenewableUK, the Board and most importantly, our members, to ensure we are fit for the opportunities the journey to Net Zero will bring for our businesses and our people”.

The re-elected member is Paul Cooley, Director of Capital Projects at SSE Renewables where he is responsible for the growth of the company’s renewable portfolio including onshore and offshore wind, hydro, solar and storage projects. Prior to joining the energy industry, he held senior positions within the chemicals and manufacturing industry in the UK, Ireland and overseas, including roles at DuPont, Koch Industries and the Quinn Group.

Paul Cooley said: 
“I’m really delighted to be re-elected on to the board of RenewableUK and I will continue to support the critical work that the organisation is doing in enabling policy which supports both near term decarbonisation targets and ultimately Net Zero.  We have a great team and under Dan McGrail’s leadership, I’m sure they will go from strength to strength.  In the run up to Global Offshore Wind and COP26, the UK will once again be centre stage and RenewableUK is well placed to be a key voice of the renewables industry in front of a world stage”.

RenewableUK Chair Stephen Bull said: 
“Our Board of Directors plays a crucial role in setting the agenda for RenewableUK to ensure that we continue to grow from strength to strength. The calibre of all those who took part in this election was exceptionally high and I’m delighted that the three successful candidates will bring a wealth of expertise to the next phase of our work. 2021 is a crucial year for our sector with the UK hosting the biggest international climate change summit for years, and the Government determined to build back better after the pandemic with the renewable energy industry in the vanguard. Our member companies are creating tens of thousands of highly-skilled jobs and attracting billions in private investment to the UK, especially in parts of the country which need fresh economic opportunities”.   

RenewableUK’s Board of Directors consists of 17 members. The newly-elected Board members will begin their roles in September.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: RenewableUK