Appointment details

Clean Power 2030 - Commissioner

Summary

• Organisation: Clean Power 2030
• Sponsor department: Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Energy
• Skills: Technology / Digital
• Number of vacancies: 8
• Time commitment: 24 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £500 per day
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: 4pm on 16 September 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   19 August 2025

2. Application deadline

   4pm on 16 September 2025

3. Sifting date

   26 September 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   2 October 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

About DESNZ

About the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is the lead department delivering the Prime Minister’s mission to make the UK a Clean Energy Superpower. That mission is divided into two pillars:

• Clean Power by 2030, and

• Accelerating to net zero.

DESNZ is responsible for delivering the security of energy supply, ensuring properly functioning energy markets, encouraging greater energy efficiency, and seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries. The Department’s priorities are to:

• enhance energy security;

• protect bill payers;

• create economic growth in the UK and generate and protect jobs; and

• reduce the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information about DESNZ please visit the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero page on GOV.UK

Appointment description

This is a high-profile opportunity for eminent senior leaders, experts in their field to be at the heart of one of Government’s five priority missions and be directly involved in informing key decisions made by DESNZ on its delivery. Members will be required to draw on their expertise and experience to advise the Head of Clean Power, Ministers and senior officials across a breadth of clean power policy and delivery issues. This will include working collaboratively to reach innovative, creative, and practical recommendations. The Head of Clean Power will have the option to convene meetings for specific areas of focus and/or task appropriate experts for timebound pieces of work as required. Therefore, Advisory Commissioners are required to be individuals who have the authority and standing that, once commissioned, could provide independent expertise and credible advice on specific topics.

Members are expected to:

• Support the development of robust advice to DESNZ, including examining the assumptions on which policy and delivery is formulated and engaging with Ministers, Head of Clean Power 2030 or Senior Officials to communicate advice on policy and delivery. The format of advice requested may include, but is not limited to, written advice, verbal advice, or feedback on papers, data, consultations or proposals. Commissioners will also act as sponsors for project work conducted by the Clean Power Unit, providing expertise and insights on key challenges for achieving the 2030 goal.

• Prepare for, attend and contribute to Advisory Commission meetings, with additional work conducted outside these meetings, including participating in sub-meetings (arranged as necessary) or in response to additional requests for support and advice (filtered by the Secretariat as required). In the case of the Commissioner focused on Flexibility, this additional work will involve chairing a specific flexibility delivery board (focused on consumer-led flexibility) and attending other, less frequent Clean Flexibility Roadmap governance.

• Act collaboratively and cooperatively with other Advisory Commission members to ensure that the Commission fulfils its responsibility to provide impartial, balanced, and evidence-informed advice to DESNZ. This may include drawing on individuals’ networks to consider the wider context in which their expertise is employed and the impact that advice may have on wide-ranging stakeholders.

• Suggest future areas for Advisory Commission advice and proactively share ideas and knowledge where it could be considered to add value.

• Raise awareness of the importance of industry and analytical evidence within and beyond DESNZ to inform policy and delivery of the Clean Power 2030 mission.

• Interact with government transparently and openly, in an unbiased and independent manner.

• Act in accordance with the published Seven Principles of Public Life (the Nolan Principles) and the Code of Practice for Science Advisory Committees.

Person Specification

The department is seeking applicants with expertise in line with Government’s Clean Power 2030 action plan and remit, which includes:

• Electricity Networks: The upgrade and expansion of GB electricity networks are a critical component of Clean Power 2030 delivery. We require someone with a deep understanding of electricity networks with the ability and expertise to constructively challenge DESNZ and partners on delivery

• Engineering and developer expertise: We require a deep understanding of, and expertise in, delivering clean power infrastructure on the ground, from distinct perspectives. Applicants should be able to provide challenge on real world delivery schedules and provide advise on how to remove barriers to delivering infrastructure in time for 2030.

• Markets and Commercial expertise that can be brought into discussions on future changes to electricity markets, as well as to specific issues such as Contracts for Difference design and implementation and other market mechanisms. We need deep expertise that can advise DESNZ on the commercial drivers that would influence the delivery of Clean Power by 2030, and on how the energy markets might react to departmental policies.

• Expertise in the development of nature recovery infrastructure and clean power developments and engagement with the nature community.

• Forecasting and industry analysis expertise: technical industry expertise that can support the DESNZ to drive and develop the underpinning data and assumptions that sit below our forecasts for Clean Power 2030.

• Innovation / Research: expertise in the latest research and innovation on relevant clean power subject matter areas.

• Expertise in Flexibility, both industrial and consumer: this is critical to support the DESNZ in the development of the 10-12 GW consumer-led flexibility capacity range in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, and also relevant for the 23-27GW of battery storage to be delivered. We would look for someone with deep understanding of, and ability to help us overcome, the market barriers to flexibility services. This criterion, as well as the markets and commercial expertise referenced above, is particularly relevant for the specific Flexibility Commissioner to be appointed.

Commissioners will be required to work effectively with, and command the confidence of, Ministers, the Head of Clean Power 2030, and senior stakeholders across the energy landscape. They will be expected to draw on their extensive experience and take a broad view of the current landscape to provide independent, strategic advice, support, constructive challenge and assurance to the department across its Clean Power 2030 remit.

The Department welcomes applications from both eminent senior leaders from a wide range of backgrounds. We are seeking to achieve a balance in the Advisory Commission membership profile of gender, ethnicity, disability, life experience and career stage, alongside the technical criteria for membership.

Members will be appointed in their individual capacity the role of Commissioner and have a duty to act in the public interest. Members are not appointed as representatives of their profession, employer, or interest group. Members must always observe the highest standards of impartiality, integrity and objectivity in relation to the advice they provide.

Organisation description

About the Clean Power 2030 Advisory Commission

The Clean Power Advisory Commission, chaired by Chris Stark as Head of Clean Power 2030, occupies a unique role. It brings together a group of senior, independent experts to advise on delivery of the clean power 2030 limb of the mission, directly advising senior civil servants and Ministers on the decisions needed to make this goal a reality.

The Advisory Commission will fulfil this role by providing expert, robust, and high-quality advice and recommendations to inform policymaking, delivery, operational and strategic decisions across the department’s remit on all areas of the Clean Power 2030 mission.

The Advisory Commission aims to bring together a wide-ranging and balanced group of experts, with diversity of backgrounds and experience, to support across the department’s remit to deliver a decarbonised power system by 2030, with at least 95% of generation coming from clean power, in a way that is consistent with accelerating to net zero by 2050, maintaining security of supply and keeping costs affordable for businesses and consumers.

We are seeking applicants for 6-8 positions on the Clean Power Commission, with a range of expertise as set out below. Within that group, we are looking to appoint one position as a dedicated Consumer Led Flexibility Commissioner to provide leadership and drive delivery in particular of the Consumer Led Flexibility ambitions for Clean Power. More details of this role can be found in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap.

Advisory Commission Objectives

The objectives of the Advisory Commission are to:

• Understand and monitor the pipeline of projects out to 2030.

• Convene meetings that host empowered decision-makers from across government and other key institutions to resolve problems and reach shared solutions, to minimise the cross-government procedural delays.

• The Commission can also consider individual projects that are crucial to achieving the 2030 goal and whether there are blockers to that project coming online on time.

• Support and challenge the Clean Power 2030 Unit within DESNZ to act as a centre of excellence by encouraging and curating open discussion amongst experts and innovators and acting as a space for open discussion, idea sharing and prototyping radical new ideas.

The Advisory Commission are supported in their objectives by the Clean Power 2030 Unit, established within DESNZ to support the Head of Clean Power 2030 in delivery of the 2030 limb of the clean energy superpower mission.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The department is seeking senior leaders with expertise in all or part of the remit of the Clean Power Advisory Commission, as detailed above, whether from academia, industry, public sector, third sector, or international). Membership will reflect the need to respond to the department’s current and future challenges and opportunities.

Applicants must have the personal stature and credibility to represent a body that advises Ministers and Senior Officials.

Essential criteria

In addition to the specific sector expertise, we expect all candidates to clearly demonstrate the following:

• Excellent understanding of the Clean Power 2030 mission

• A proven track record of delivery of project-based work across public/private/voluntary sectors

• Ability to build effective relationships with key stakeholders across the energy landscape, including Ministers.

• Lead criteria: Proven credibility in senior leadership at national level, and an outstanding track record in thought, intellectual, and strategic leadership.

• Strong interpersonal, communication, collaboration, and influencing skills, with the ability to command the respect and confidence of Ministers, Head of Clean Power 2030, Senior Officials, established networks across government, relevant stakeholders, and senior stakeholders across the energy landscape. This includes a strong ability to convey technical information accurately and clearly to non-technical audiences.

• Be well connected to an established and broad network, have proven experience of representing a diverse set of views, and have sufficient authority and ability to mobilise other professionals across a range of specialisms to engage in subject-specific meetings as required.

• An ability to operate with proficiency at the interface between disciplines, with significant breadth and depth of expertise that can be drawn upon to consider different perspectives, critically analyse and evaluate options in an impartial way, and develop evidence-informed advice on key issues.

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply, you will need to submit your application by no later than the 26th of September 2025. To submit your application, you are asked to submit the following documents:

A completed cover letter that:

• Indicates how your expertise, qualifications, or positions held are of direct relevance to the policy, technical, and analytical remits detailed in the advert, and indicates whether you are applying for the specific Flexibility Commissioner role.
• Includes a short supporting statement (maximum 500 words) detailing how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the criteria in the person specification of this advert.
• Please also include a bullet list of any potential conflicts of interest on that letter.
• A concise CV (maximum two sides A4, minimum 11 font) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, professional qualifications, and achievements.

Please submit your application to cp2030secretariat@energysecurity.gov.uk.

Overview of the application process

This competition is based on a written application, followed by interviews (if candidates are successful at sift stage).

Those interested in this appointment are asked to submit your cover letter (including conflict of interest bullets) supporting statement, a CV before the closing date. After the competition closes, the panel will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘person specification’ section.

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to attend a panel interview to have an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence. This could be in relation to any of the criteria set out in the vacancy description, including key responsibilities detailed in the role description and criteria listed in the person specification. This interview will take place on 1st or 2nd October 2025 and can take place in person or online using MS Teams; candidates must ensure their availability on this date. Interviews can take place in person or virtually, please note that we do not pay expenses for the purpose of attending an interview.

Prior to interview, you may have the opportunity for informal conversations with key individuals to improve your understanding of the organisation.

Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates.

Ministers will be informed of appointments following completion of the recruitment competition. The timeline outlined in this advert indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

Please note: Due Diligence searches will be undertaken on shortlisted candidates and references may be taken up prior to interview.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Chris Stark, Head of Clean Power 2030

Ben Golding, Director Clean Power 2030

Duncan Stone, Deputy Director, Electricity System Flexibility

Emily Bourne, Director, Energy Systems and Networks  

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact cp2030secretariat@energysecurity.gov.uk

Security clearance

We may request for members to undertake additional Security Clearance in the future. Where this applies, discussions will be held with the Clean Power 2030 Secretariat.  

Full guidance on National Security Vetting clearance levels can be found on the GOV.UK website

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert. When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

The Clean Power 2030 Advisory Commission has Expert Committee classification, and appointments to the Advisory Commission are unregulated Public Appointments. Appointments will be made by the Secretary of State and Head of Clean Power 2030, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The post holder would be an officeholder and will not become a member of the Civil Service or be subject to the provisions of employment law.

This appointment does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Applicants should have a right to work in the UK. We will not sponsor visas as part of this appointment process.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointment term Members will be appointed for a term of 3 years, with the possibility of pre-appointment for a further term. 

Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory performance during the first term in the post and skillset required to deliver on the Clean Power 2030 mission. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, considering several factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Members are expected to commit approximately 24 days per annum to Advisory Commission business. This will include attending and preparing for quarterly plenary meetings, time to input into Advisory Commission workstreams and outputs, and attending and preparing for additional ad-hoc meetings as required.

This figure is provided as a guide only to help members manage their time alongside other positions they hold. Given the nature of the work of the department, its changing priorities, and the availability, expertise, and interests of individual members, it is likely the actual work and time committed by each member will vary from month to month. The additional responsibilities of the flexibility-focused Commissioner will mean that this individual will be expected to commit to at least 12 additional days per annum.

We also ask members to be willing to participate in activities at short notice or during emergencies.

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Members will be eligible to receive a quarterly honorarium in recognition of their commitment to the Advisory Commission.

The eligible honorarium payment is £500 per day for members. The quarterly honorarium payment will be calculated using the actual quarterly time commitments detailed above.

Reasonable travel and subsistence expenses will also be paid to those who incur costs whilst acting in their capacity as an Advisory Commission member. Reimbursement must only be claimed for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact cp2030secretariat@energysecurity.gov.uk in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

The Departments privacy policy is attached.

Contact details

cp2030secretariat@energysecurity.gov.uk

Attachments

• Privacy Policy

• Applicant Information Pack