Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has been appointed as the new co-chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), a role that was previously held by an Energy Minister.
Michael Shanks, Energy Minister with responsibility for renewables will serve as the vice-chair of the senior government and industry forum.
The OWIC aims to speed up offshore wind development and maintain the UK’s leadership in this technology.
Mr Miliband highlighted the importance of offshore wind in achieving the UK’s clean power goals by 2030 and expressed his enthusiasm for working with industry leaders.
Energy Secretary Ed 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.”
The Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council Richard Sandford said: “This is the first time an Energy Secretary has formally co-chaired OWIC, as previously this has been done by an Energy Minister – this sends a strong signal of the government’s firm commitment to our sector.”
