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Latest news

As a result, the company has recommended a final dividend of 12p per share for 2025. If approved at the AGM in June, it will be paid to shareholders in July 2026*.
Building blocks to continue growing our impact
One of the big highlights of the year was the addition of a 10MW ground mount solar farm in Essex, which we acquired through the Fair Play Clean Energy joint venture with TopCashback Group Ltd, supporting our diversification strategy as we look to derive value from across the technology mix.
We also celebrated the first investment by Community Energy Catalyst, our joint venture with Better Society Capital, with the community-owned turbine in Kilbirnie now generating clean power and unlocking a revenue stream to fund other local initiatives. This includes a new Employment Hub, offering employment and training opportunities for local people, sustainable transport opportunities and help to address health and educational inequalities locally, as well as upgrading local sports and recreational facilities.
Also in Scotland, we made significant progress on our largest project to date, a 57MW onshore wind farm, with the foundations for the 14 turbines now poured, and construction about to get underway. A further 25.1MW of wind is currently in development.
It was great to see these achievements recognised on a global stage too, with Thrive taking home the gold for Responsible Investor of the Year at Reuters Global Sustainability Awards in October.

As well as building and acquiring new projects, we are actively pursuing life extension and repowering opportunities across our older sites. In 2025, we announced our joint venture Burgar Hill Renewables (representing the local landowner), with plans to breathe fresh life into the Burgar Hill site – a pioneering testbed for onshore wind in the UK. Subject to obtaining necessary planning consents, the repowering project is expected to have an installed generation capacity of up to 30MW which would deliver an estimated £150,000 in annual community benefits each year.
In February we took a key next step in the proposed repowering project, with Burgar Hill Energy (the joint venture between Thrive and Burgar Hill Renewables) acquiring two Nordex N80 wind turbines that were previously owned by RWE.
Supporting local communities
As part of our mission to connect as many communities as possible with renewables, we are now pledging to provide an opportunity for the local community to purchase a share of every new project we acquire.
Through our Community Benefit Programme, we awarded £33,000 to eight community hubs across the UK – helping them to make important energy efficiency improvements such as lighting and heating upgrades, insulation, double glazing and more. Stuartfield Village Hall, based near our Clayfords wind turbine in Aberdeenshire, were one of the grantees from 2025. To help manage their energy costs, they used their £4,300 grant to overhaul their lighting system.
You can read our annual report in full <a href="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Thrive_Annual-report-2025_Web-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
*  Please remember that past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future returns.
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[1] Impact Portfolio describing Thrive’s share of projects owned plus 
the projects Thrive is funding (adjusted proportionally where Thrive’s 
funding is a minority of a project’s overall funding).
[2] Homes equivalent is calculated using the most recent statistics 
from DESNZ showing that annual GB average domestic 
household consumption is 3,323kWh (as of December 2025, 
updated annually). <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6945728a033693d5d50eb83d/subnational-electricity-and-gas-consumption-summary-report-2024.pdf">Subnational Electricity and Gas Consumption Statistics, 2024</a>.
Average residents per household 2.35 (<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2024">Families and households in the UK &#8211; Office for National Statistics</a>), Population of Southport is 
93,902 (<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/understandingtownsinenglandandwalespopulationanddemography">Understanding towns in England and Wales: population and demography &#8211; Office for National Statistics</a>).
[3] Carbon reduction is calculated by multiplying the total amount of 
renewable electricity generated by Thrive’s impact portfolio each year by 
the number of tonnes of carbon which fossil fuels would have produced 
to generate the same amount of electricity. We have used DESNZ’s “all 
non-renewable fuels” emissions statistic of 448 tonnes of carbon dioxide 
per GWh of electricity supplied from the Digest of UK Energy Statistics 
(July 2025) Table 5.14 (“Estimated carbon dioxide emissions from 
electricity supplied”). Additionally, we include a conservative 
estimate of the carbon saved through operating our BESS projects.
[4] This includes £5.1m set-off against financial assets repaid.

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Beavers-47

As profit levels returned to pre-energy crisis levels in line with forecasts, we have already acquired the projects we need to meet our 2028 growth target. 

Annual results 2025: Acquisition of new projects and progression with development and construction of two onshore wind farms helping to lock in impact for next 30 years

Featured

We’ll be enabling organisations to install solar arrays that are owned by Thrive, on or near their premises, so they can purchase the electricity generated at a fixed and discounted rate compared to the grid, with zero upfront capital investment. This agreement is sometimes referred to as a “direct wire” PPA.
The partnership specifically targets the Commercial and Industrial (C&amp;I) sector, public sector bodies, water utilities and education, empowering them to transition to clean energy through more accessible funding models.
The collaboration combines Plugyy’s expertise in developing, installing and operating solar and battery storage infrastructure with Thrive’s 30 years’ experience funding clean energy projects across the UK.

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plugyy-launch

Plugyy launch

Making electricity generated by solar power more accessible and affordable. 

Scaling up solar: We’re partnering with Plugyy Energy Solutions to connect businesses, industry and public sector directly to clean electricity

Thrive was recently asked to speak at an event hosted by The Grantham Institute, bringing people together from across sectors to explore how businesses depend on and impact nature. And once again it reminded us of the need for continued, collective transformation if we’re to protect the UK’s biodiversity into the future.  
Biodiversity is everyone’s business 
Biodiversity is intrinsically linked with climate change – a challenge that is more widely acknowledged. That’s because biodiversity acts as the Earth’s natural defence system, with our oceans, forests, wetlands, swamps and other ecosystems helping to neutralise carbon emissions. In fact, research by The Nature Conservancy found that <a href="https://www.sweco.co.uk/transform/nbs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nature-based solutions</a> will provide up to 37% of the emission reductions needed by 2030 to keep global temperature increases under 2°C, potentially saving an estimated 11.3 billion tons of CO2e from being released into the atmosphere. This includes everything from building green roofs, using plants to absorb rainwater and cool buildings, to encouraging beavers to build dams to help stop flooding. 
From a business perspective, nature loss significantly disrupts supply chains, while also exposing companies to severe regulatory and reputational risk. Enhancing biodiversity should therefore be a top priority for companies looking to remain resilient, profitable and – quite frankly – do the right thing in a changing world. 
The opportunities in renewable energy 
We talk a lot about biodiversity net gain (BNG), which is a mandatory planning framework in England that requires developers to ‘leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than beforehand’. 10% BNG is the base line but there’s a real opportunity to go above and beyond this, for example we encourage creativity when working with ecologists – like creating an adjacent nature garden at our Bristol battery project. There are also opportunities to improve public access to the ecosystems close to sites – at Whitelaw Brae in Scotland, we’re planting thousands of native trees and establishing a new network of paths that will form part of the new River Tweed walking trail.  
Actively engaging with and promoting a circular economy can also protect against nature loss. There’s a growing opportunity for low carbon and recycled steel in development projects, while focus should also be given to how technologies like wind turbines are maintained – such as repurposing materials that have been historically hard to refurbish. For example, at our Sigurd turbine in Orkney we worked with a Scottish company called Reblade to repurpose the blades into EV charging points and bus shelters. This effectively reduces our waste related risks whilst also reducing supply chain related risks for other organisations.    
How we approach nature and biodiversity when building new clean energy projects  
As a renewable energy investment company, the risk we think about most is the potential impact to habitats and species during the construction and operational phases of a project. We mitigate any impact through extensive ecological surveys, which inform what we build and where. We also develop an ongoing biodiversity management plan for each site with specific targets – committed to implementing at least 10% biodiversity net gain while identifying any additional voluntary, site-specific enhancements that could be made.  
Due to the nature of our work, we also need to think about how we influence the supply chain. Thrive does thorough due diligence on suppliers and their products, but it’s important that we continue using our voice to advocate for greater transparency and standards within the industry. One thing we’re particularly proud of is feeding into the development of the Solar Stewardship Initiative ESG standard, which is now being used to assess solar manufacturers. The standard includes requirements for responsible biodiversity management and going forward we can see which manufacturing facilities have been assessed against this standard. Although there’s much more that can and should be done, if buyers like us demand products that protect and enhance nature, suppliers will have no choice but to adapt.

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Feeder_Rd_19_June_24-27

In a changing word, biodiversity is everyone's business. 

Wild world: How business is contributing to a nature positive planet

This means we have now raised over £70 million to date (most of that via crowdfunding), empowering thousands of people to take a stake in clean energy projects that tackle climate change and benefit communities.
Triodos Bank UK’s corporate finance division acted as lead adviser and promoter in respect of the bond offer, with the retail portion raised through the Triodos Bank crowdfunding platform.

The capital raised will support the development and construction of two new wind farms in Scotland and Wales and provide funding to enable communities to build and own their own local projects.
Construction is already underway at Whitelaw Brae wind farm in the Scottish Borders, which – with 14 turbines and 57MW capacity – is our biggest project to date. Once operational, it will be capable of generating up to 149,400 MWh of clean electricity per year, the equivalent of powering around 45,000 average UK homes, and delivering 65,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions reductions annually.
Funding will also be used for the development of Abergorki wind farm in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The three-turbine project is expected to begin operating in 2028 and will be capable of generating up to 40,000 MWh of clean electricity per year, the equivalent of powering over 12,400 average Welsh homes.
We are continuing to make an impact by investing in community energy, with capital also going into community-owned wind and solar, providing the flexible funding to get local projects built and operational. Last year we announced our new joint venture, Community Energy Catalyst (CEC), which will invest up to £40 million in new community projects, and have committed to offering community groups the opportunity to buy a share of any new projects we acquire.

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HY report cover 1

Investment from The Archbishops’ Council and Rathbones will help us fund new renewable energy projects, including community-owned wind and solar.

New funding from institutional investors brings total bond raise to £7 million

Net zero economy is booming 
Net zero is already one of the UK’s most productive and geographically distributed sectors in the UK. <a href="https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/net-gains-the-uks-net-zero-economy-in-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recent analysis</a> by Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Energy Climate &amp; Intelligence Unit (ECIU) shows net zero is now a £105 billion sector, supporting 1.1 million jobs and underpinning 23,500 businesses – surpassing the direct economic contribution of the UK’s entire architectural and engineering sector. Scotland is a particular hotspot, supporting over 105,000 jobs and representing nearly 5% of Scotland’s total economic output. 
Wind and solar outpace gas 
In April, wind and solar combined generated more electricity than gas globally for the first month ever. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/global-wind-solar-power-outpace-gas-first-time-april-report-shows-2026-05-20/?mc_cid=6cd3d6751b&amp;mc_eid=4bbe8a52ea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fresh data from Think Tank Ember</a> shows that together wind and solar generated 22% of global electricity in April, compared with 20% from gas. Combined wind and solar output is estimated to have grown 13% year on year across the globe. And in the UK, renewables reached a new quarterly record, <a class="Hyperlink TrackedChange TrackChangeHyperlinkInstruction SCXW243298903 BCX8" href="https://www.renewableuk.com/news-and-resources/press-releases/renewables-hit-new-quarterly-record-and-generate-majority-of-uk-s-electricity-as-wind-leads-the-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">generating 53% of UK’s electricity</a> in the first few months of 2026, driven largely by a significant increase in wind generation. 
The public back renewables for energy security 
<a href="https://www.renewableuk.com/news-and-resources/press-releases/polling-shows-british-public-places-higher-importance-on-new-infrastructure-to-boost-energy-security-and-cut-bills-rather-than-visual-impact-of-new-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New polling</a> across England, Scotland and Wales shows the public place higher importance on new infrastructure to boost energy security and cut bills rather than the visual impact of new projects. Just 11% of respondents selected visual impact as a main consideration for energy needs, with significantly larger portions of the public prioritising industrial competitiveness (39%), reducing air pollution (37%) and protecting existing jobs (25%). Another <a href="https://www.renewableuk.com/news-and-resources/press-releases/public-backs-clean-power-to-strengthen-uk-energy-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new report</a> has also found that almost two-thirds (63%) of the UK public think clean power strengthens energy security.

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Net zero economy is booming and the public want more renewables - latest good news from the sector. 

We’re in the clean energy era – here are the facts to prove it.

This year’s Better Business campaign is focused on highlighting the need for modern business law to keep pace with a society that has evolved significantly over the past couple of decades. As you can see, we at Thrive have certainly changed a lot, but we remain true to our mission which is even more relevant in today’s volatile world.  
20 years Thrive-ing – 2006 vs 2026 
In 2006, we were growing a small but ambitious clean energy portfolio– having just purchased Caton Moor and Sigurd wind projects. In total the portfolio had a capacity of just under 23MW.  
Fast forward 20 years, Thrive has built and funded over 45 clean energy projects across the UK, including investing in pioneering projects like the UK’s first geothermal power plant and England’s largest onshore wind turbine. Today we have £121 million of assets under management, with a combined portfolio capacity of 175MW.

Modern business law isn’t keeping up 
It’s fair to say a huge amount has changed for our business and the wider sector too, but modern business law isn’t keeping up. Together with thousands of businesses across the UK, we’re supporting the Better Business Act campaign to change that by calling on the UK government to amend Section 172 of the Companies Act. This will legally require UK businesses to balance the long-term interests of people, planet, and profit.  
Why better business is better for business   
Having already embedded Section 172 into our Articles of Association, Thrive is living proof that it is possible to prioritise social and environmental impact alongside profit. We’re proud to be recognised in the top 3% of UK B Corps for our ongoing commitment to environmental and social justice.  
UK B Corps like Thrive have spent years proving that this type of governance doesn’t just benefit people and planet – it’s better for business too. B Corps’ turnover growth is almost 7 times higher than all UK SMEs, and over the past decade they have attracted 18% more growth funding from external investors than comparable UK businesses.   
On 9th June for Better Business Day, we’ll be joining the call for the government to upgrade to better business now. Find out how you can get involved with the campaign <a href="https://betterbusinessact.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

avonmouth-flowers

Avonmouth flowers

 Thousands of UK businesses are calling on government to modernise business law so that all companies prioritise people, planet and profit.

2006 vs 2026 – Renewables have moved on, but according to the Better Business coalition the Companies Act is stuck in the past

There’s lots of buzz on site at the moment, with around 70 people a day working hard to unload the components as they arrive and get ready for the next stage of construction. The concrete bases for the turbines have already been laid ready for the tower sections, blades and other key components to be erected.   
Whitelaw Brae will make a crucial contribution to the rollout of clean, homegrown energy that the UK needs to boost energy security and help lower energy bills. Once operational, it will be capable of generating enough clean electricity to power around 45,000 average UK homes, delivering over 66,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions reductions.   
We are committed to ensuring the project delivers more than just megawatts and benefits the local community, as well as nature on site. We aim to plant tens of thousands of native trees like birch and willow, and are planning to create a new network of paths through the site which will form part of the new River Tweed Trail. The project will also provide a community benefit fund of £285,000 a year and we are committed to offering an opportunity for the local community to purchase a stake in the project.   
We can’t wait to see the blades start spinning!

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Blades, tower sections and nacelles are being delivered to the site in Scotland ready for the next stage of construction to begin. 

Key components touch down at Whitelaw Brae wind farm 

Recently, Thrive’s operations team visited our Dunmow solar farm to get hands-on with the biodiversity management on site. With support from our ecology consultant, Wychwood Biodiversity, the team had a productive couple of days preparing soil berms (raised areas of soil) for the creation of a new wildflower-rich grassland habitat. This involved lots of raking to prepare the soil’s surface, before sowing with a seed mix rich with wildflowers, and then compacting the seed.

We are looking forward to seeing the new habitat establish in the coming months as the wildflowers start to germinate. Once established, this diverse grassland habitat will benefit a number of invertebrates and other important wildlife. Alongside other measures on the main site and neighbouring skylark area, the new habitat will will contribute to the site’s overall biodiversity net gain objectives.
Thrive’s biodiversity policy commits us to supporting long-term sustainable development, aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 15: ‘Life on Land’. We intend to go above and beyond legal requirements with voluntary initiatives tailored on a site-by-site basis and outlined in individual Biodiversity Management Plans.
We acquired Dunmow solar farm in May 2025, and it became operational shortly after, generating enough electricity to power over 8,000 average UK homes in a particularly sunny June. The 10MW solar farm can generate up to 14,500 MWh of clean electricity a year and deliver emissions reductions of 6,337 tCO2e. It is the third project to be funded by which brings together a combined £80 million in capital to fund new clean energy projects in the UK.

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Thrive’s operations team visited our 10MW solar farm to help implement biodiversity measures aiming to enhance the nature on site. 

Sowing the seeds for new wildlife habitats at Dunmow solar farm

We’re blown away by the reaction to our latest bond offer! Together we raised £5 million – hitting our target and welcoming over 800 new investors to our community.  The money raised will help us develop and build two new onshore wind farms in Scotland and Wales, and fund more community energy projects. <span class="EOP Selected SCXW29796238 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}">

Thrive has raised over £68 million to date via crowdfunding – empowering thousands of people to take a stake in clean energy projects that tackle climate change and benefit communities.  
Funds raised in the latest offer will help fund the construction of our biggest project yet – a 57MW onshore wind farm in Scotland which will be capable of generating enough clean electricity for around 45,000 average UK homes a year. The money is also helping fund the development of our 12.6MW wind farm in South Wales which will be capable of producing up to 40GWh of clean electricity a year once operational.  
We are continuing to champion community energy to enable more people to benefit from renewables in their area. Last year we announced a new joint venture, Community Energy Catalyst (CEC), with social impact investor Better Society Capital which will invest up to £40 million in new community projects. Thrive will also offer community groups the opportunity to buy a share of any new projects it acquires.

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Chris Watt Photography_87

Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, for good 

£5 million raised in people-powered crowdfund for new clean energy projects

The problem today  
Even though a lot of the UK’s electricity is now generated cheaply from renewables (<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69cd1451b5210036050bc625/Energy_Trends_March_2026.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over half of total demand last year</a>), the price we all pay for our electricity is still largely set by gas. This is because our electricity system works on a marginal pricing system (48 auctions per day) which means the last power station needed to meet demand (often a gas power station) sets the price for all electricity. So when global gas prices rise, electricity bills jump too – even if most of our power didn’t come from gas. The link between gas and power prices is  weakening but we need more progress in order for billpayers to benefit. [1] 
Breaking the influence of gas 
The government’s latest announcements aren’t going to fix anything overnight, and they aren’t proposing to reform how the electricity market itself works. But what the measures should do is help reduce the influence of gas on the cost of our electricity, primarily by increasing fixed price contracts for electricity.  
At the moment, around one third of UK electricity comes from renewable projects with an older type of contract under the “Renewables Obligation” scheme (RO). Electricity from RO projects is sold on the wholesale market, at prices frequently set by gas power.  
The government plans to move some of these projects on a voluntary basis onto fixed-price contracts known as Wholesale Contracts for Difference (WCFDs). This would lock in stable prices for these projects that don’t rise when gas prices spike, providing certainty for investors and bill payers alike.  
Government also plans to increase the Electricity Generators Levy (windfall tax) from 45% to 55%, using some of the additional revenue to support businesses and households.  
Next steps 
Thrive has been calling for the decoupling of gas from electricity prices for 10 years and so we’re really pleased to see the government now taking steps to make this happen. Breaking the link will help create a fairer system for billpayers by better protecting them from price shocks caused by gas. It also paves the way to accelerate the rollout of renewables, potentially strengthening the investment case for clean energy projects. Clean power sources like wind and solar are the cheapest ways to generate electricity. So the less gas dominates the price, the clearer the advantage of cheaper renewables. 
As part of the latest announcements, the government also confirmed plans to take forward proposals to deliver the pace and scale of network buildout required to support the Clean Power 2030 target. Plus plans to unlock up to 10GW of clean energy capacity by expanding the deployment of renewables across the Public Estate, including hosting wind and solar farms on brownfield land, industrial sites and railway sites.  
Renewables are already playing an important role in helping to protect consumers from fossil fuel price shocks. In March, record wind and solar saved the UK from gas imports <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-record-wind-and-solar-saved-uk-from-gas-imports-worth-1bn-in-march-2026/?utm_source=cbnewsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=2026-04-02&amp;utm_campaign=DeBriefed+Countries+revive+energy-crisis+measures+Record+UK+renewables+Plug-in+solar+savings&amp;mc_cid=4d5c1ca8df&amp;mc_eid=UNIQID" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worth £1 billion</a>. While we await further details, we hope the government’s latest measures will help billpayers to benefit further from the transition towards renewables.  
 As ever, our focus remains on working with the wider sector to build new clean energy projects that will support the UK’s long-term energy security and benefit communities. 
&nbsp;
[1] <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-why-does-gas-set-the-price-of-electricity-and-is-there-an-alternative/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q&amp;A: Why does gas set the price of electricity – and is there an alternative? &#8211; Carbon Brief</a>

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We unpack what the latest announcements mean for energy bills and the future of renewables.

Breaking the gas-electricity price link – what do new government measures really mean for billpayers?

Historically we’ve been caught up in a cycle of investing in more fossil fuels as a knee jerk reaction to problems caused by  disruption to fossil fuel supplies. This creates an unhelpful loop of dependence in which UK billpayers are left exposed to price hikes determined by unpredictable international oil and gas markets. And despite calls from some politicians to drill more at home, doubling down on UK oil and gas production won’t save billpayers a penny as gas prices are set on global gas markets regardless of where the gas is produced.
To build a truly resilient power system, protected from price shocks, we need to break the cycle of reinvesting in fossil fuels, and focus on increasing homegrown clean energy here in the UK. Unlike fossil fuels, wholesale prices for wind and solar aren’t tied to international commodity markets, offering a stable cost for electricity. The Climate Change Committee has found that the UK Government can deliver its long-term net-zero target <a href="https://www.edie.net/ccc-uks-net-zero-transition-can-cost-less-than-managing-one-energy-price-crisis/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=edie_daily_news_alert_11-03-2026&amp;utm_content=edie_daily_news_alert_11-03-2026+CID_d5ec660957e5cecd9adbeda7da88dad7&amp;utm_source=campaign%20monitor&amp;utm_term=CCC%20UKs%20net-zero%20transition%20can%20cost%20less%20than%20managing%20one%20energy%20price%20crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for less than it spent responding to the energy price crisis</a> in 2022 resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war.
But delivering “net zero” is much more than just wires and turbines. Community-led clean energy projects enable local people to take control of their power in the face of global crises. Profits from the sale of electricity from local renewables projects go into the pockets of local people, not large corporates. Take the Ambition Community Energy wind turbine in Bristol which Thrive helped fund – as well as generating enough clean electricity to power around 3,000 homes, all profits from electricity sales (around £100,000 a year) go to the community. Projects like this that are built locally have a big impact nationally – strengthening energy security and reducing UK carbon emissions.
We’ve got a long way to go to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and boost energy security. But together we are already making progress in delivering a cleaner, more resilient energy system – last year, renewables generated nearly half of the UK’s total electricity demand.  For 30 years Thrive has been leading the charge on renewables, helping to fund over 45 wind, solar and hydro projects and investing over £21 million into community energy projects that put people in control of clean energy in their area. But we’re not stopping there. The need for reliable, homegrown energy in the UK is greater than ever. And in times like these, a proactive response isn’t doom-scrolling or wishful thinking, it’s getting on with building proven, homegrown solutions.
<a href="/newsletter">Join our newsletter</a> for more insights on energy and climate, plus the latest Thrive news.

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ACE_June_2024-6

We have the solution to the energy crisis: cheap, reliable, renewable power. But we need to break the fossil fuel cycle.

The Iran war has brought home the need for clean, homegrown energy

Earlier this month you were awarded an OBE at Windsor Castle, which is an amazing achievement. What did that mean to you? 
It was a huge honour. It was just the most fabulous day and to share it with my family was amazing. The whole experience has been surreal, but the thing that has really blown me away has been the support in response to me getting the OBE, which actually has meant more to me than the award itself. I&#8217;m now in the space of, OK, now I&#8217;ve got it, how do I use it productively for further good? So it&#8217;s a real mixed emotion piece but fundamentally just surreal and a huge, huge honour.
You were awarded the OBE for services to net zero and diversity in the energy sector. Can you tell us a bit more about your work supporting women in energy? 
I&#8217;m one of the co-founders of the Women&#8217;s Utility Network (WUN) which we started eight years ago. And it started from a group of us sat around the lunch table recognising that whilst we all had senior roles in our organisations, the statistics were woeful in terms of female representation throughout the whole utility sector, particularly in senior roles We were all determined to do something to improve those statistics Right from that first lunch, the guiding lights were that whatever it was it had to be practical support for women and it had to be freely accessible &#8211; you shouldn&#8217;t have to pay because you&#8217;re a woman. So that set the business model and it&#8217;s really chimed with so many people. And I&#8217;m just beyond proud that we&#8217;ve now grown to 11,000 members and we&#8217;re now really being able to have an impact, even at government level.
What do you think are the biggest challenges that women face in the sector and what do you think needs to be done about it?
I think the energy sector can be quite a lonely place to be as a woman. The further up an organisation you go, the tighter the pyramid, and I think a lot of women get to a certain level and then step out of the sector because actually it&#8217;s exhausting if you&#8217;re the only woman in the room on a consistent basis. That’s why finding support &#8211; finding your tribe &#8211; is so important. I’m a massive believer in inclusion and diversity because different thoughts and different perspectives bring real benefits to a business. You can see it and you can feel it where that actually works. Thrive being a really good example.
What developments in the sector are you most excited about right now?
We&#8217;re recording this in a really difficult time when the Iran war is really quite scary. But I think if you take a step back and you look at where the sector is, we now have clear signals in terms of renewables.
The evidence is there in spades, in terms of we have to get off fossil fuels, and it feels like the snowball is now unstoppable. And that for me, from where I started 30 years ago to now, is hugely positive. I think the interweave of energy, of heat, of transport, of housing, is becoming increasingly important because the solutions come from bits of all of them. And I think that&#8217;s where I can see, particularly with the growth of technology and AI, those things beginning to accelerate and really move forward together.
What do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing the sector right now?
I think policy certainty is always the biggest challenge and has been throughout my 30 years in the sector. Policy pace is also incredibly frustrating. We often spend so long consulting and developing policy, that actually the market has moved on in the meantime. I think from a regulation perspective, it&#8217;s just a fact that regulation was designed for the old energy system when we had few players and just large fossil fuel fired generation. And we&#8217;ve tinkered ever since then, but we&#8217;ve not fundamentally changed. That causes a lot of unintended consequences in the market, which are not necessarily helpful. Geopolitics too is a massive challenge, both before the Iran war and increasingly so now. I mean, it really is quite terrifying how interlinked geopolitics and our energy landscape is. And so it&#8217;s one that we need to keep a really, really close watch on.
As the Chair of Thrive’s Board, could you share with us how you feel about working with Thrive?
I have the absolute privilege of being the Chair of the Thrive Board, which is a joy. And I work with some really great people on the board. What makes the board really successful, is that it&#8217;s very diverse. So we&#8217;ve got a real range of age, experience, male, female and different nationalities contributing. But we all share a common purpose. We&#8217;re all very driven in terms of Thrive&#8217;s mission and bringing energy and people together. And I think that gives us real strength and momentum. Whilst we have this really clear purpose and action, we&#8217;ve also got very strong governance, risk management and commerciality. So it&#8217;s that balance between doing the right thing but doing it well. And I think the results speak for themselves.
What advice would you give to somebody looking to pursue a career in renewable energy?
Number one, do it. I&#8217;ve been in this industry for 30 years and I originally thought it was going to be quite boring, but actually it&#8217;s the most fascinating place to be. I think it&#8217;s really important to remember that renewables is not just about STEM. We really need STEM expertise in the sector, but actually there are so many different roles within the sector that you can find opportunities whatever your skill set. And actually, really importantly for me, the transition to net zero gives a real sense of common purpose whatever discipline you work in. And I think there&#8217;s a common theme among people who work in the sector that we&#8217;re doing something that&#8217;s good, both for people and planet. And that has huge personal reward. So do it and be curious. Go and ask lots of questions. Go and get stuck in. Have a go and see where the path takes you.

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