Alderney Electricity MD stepping down at end of year
ALDERNEY ELECTRICITY’S managing director James Lancaster is stepping down at the end of this year.
The announcement comes as the utility has been ramping up plans for renewable energy in the island, a project spearheaded by Mr Lancaster.
He and the company had hoped to provide at least a third of the island’s power from renewable technology by May 2026, using three 60m-high wind turbines and a large solar array.
At the moment the island is 100% reliant on imported diesel.
The news was announced at the company’s annual general meeting of shareholders.
‘The AEL team have transformed the fortunes of the company over the last decade,’ said Mr Lancaster.
‘I am enormously proud of them and what we have achieved. We have uprated all our systems providing better service for the Alderney community and delivering a safe, modern and stable electricity network.
‘We are embarking on a journey to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning towards a truly sustainable energy future. We have laid the foundations, but the full journey may take decades. The board and I agree that now is the time to hand over to the next generation.’
Mr Lancaster is a professional engineer with a background in the industrial process industry and the aerospace sector.
He oversaw the development plan for renewable energy in the west of England, before relocating to Alderney for his job at AEL in 2014.
While in the top job he has overseen a major upgrade to the distribution grid, rebuilt the power station and modernised the power system in preparation for renewable energy.
He had originally been looking at stepping down before the pandemic, when his wife moved to the UK. He now lives in the south of England, commuting to Alderney and working remotely.
He said he was now looking towards retirement and wanted to give a good handover period to his successor.
Work has been progressing well on preparing for renewables, with a positive response from the public to having a solar array, he said. A planning application is being prepared.
If successful, the project would be handed to a specialist contractor. Mr Lancaster said if everything went smoothly, a solar garden would start producing power in early 2026. But realistically it may take slightly longer.
Plans for wind turbines have proved more controversial.
‘There were a lot more concerns,’ Mr Lancaster said.
‘We felt it [the decision] should come from the next generation.’
Mr Lancaster will continue to work on an interim basis until a new MD can be appointed.
He said that while he may not see the renewables installed while he was in charge, he would look forward to seeing them when he returned on visits in the future.
Company chairman Matt Birmingham said Mr Lancaster had been a huge asset to the business over the last 10 years.
‘Both the company and the island owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his work in improving the island’s electrical infrastructure,’ he said.
‘He will be sorely missed.’
The recruitment process for Mr Lancaster's successor will get under way shortly.
