Chris Stark is to step down as head of the Government’s Clean Power Mission Control in the new year, raising questions over who will take charge of the machinery designed to deliver Britain’s 2030 clean power target.
Stark was appointed in July 2024 to lead Mission Control inside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, bringing together government, developers, NESO and Ofgem to unblock projects and drive progress across the electricity system.
His departure comes at a critical point, with barely four years remaining until 2030 and major decisions still needed on grids, connections, renewables, storage and flexible generation.
Stark said: “I’m very proud of what we have achieved over the past two years, bringing together developers, government, NESO and Ofgem behind a clear goal that has put the country’s energy system back on the right path.
“We’ve secured enough new clean power to meet the needs of over 20 million homes, delivered record-breaking renewables auctions and removed barriers that have held Britain back for years, from the onshore wind ban in England to the grid connections queue.”
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh described Stark as a “driving force” behind the Government’s clean power plans: “I want to thank Chris for his dedication, expertise and public service. He leaves strong foundations as we press ahead with our drive to clean power, to make energy affordable, create good jobs and protect families from global fossil fuel price shocks.”
The big question is what happens to Mission Control once he goes?
DESNZ has reaffirmed its commitment to Clean Power 2030 but has yet to confirm who will replace Stark or whether Mission Control and the wider Clean Power Unit will continue in their current form.
The unit was deliberately created to be more than another policy team. Its job was to track delivery across the whole electricity system, monitor critical infrastructure and intervene where projects were being held up.
The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan put Mission Control at the centre of the Government’s delivery model, working across Whitehall and alongside regulators and industry to keep the programme moving.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks has said the Clean Power Unit had broken new ground in how government delivers complex projects and works across Whitehall, with the original ambition deliberately set at the outer edge of what was thought possible.
With Stark now leaving, DESNZ faces a simple but important test: whether the delivery structure built around one of the Government’s most high-profile energy officials remains intact and who ultimately becomes responsible for keeping Clean Power 2030 on schedule.
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