National Grid CSO Rhian Kelly to Join SSE

SSE has appointed Rhian Kelly as its next Chief Sustainability Officer, taking the place of Rachel McEwen, who has held the position for more than a decade.

Rhian is currently Chief Sustainability Officer at National Grid and will make the transition later in 2025. 

SSE says: “At a pivotal time for the energy transition, Rhian’s leadership will help shape the next chapter of SSE’s sustainability journey - ensuring we continue to deliver for people, planet and shareholders.”

Rhian Kelly’s career so far

Rhian currently oversees the entirety of the National Grid’s sustainability activities as its Chief Sustainability Officer.

She invests in the communities National Grid serves, sets strategic objectives around reducing emissions and creates internal alignment and external understanding of what National Grid is doing.

Rhian has held several roles since joining National Grid in 2017, including being the lead of its UK and EU Public Affairs and Policy team, Head of UK Corporate Affairs and the Head of NGV Corporate Affairs.

Before joining National Grid, Rhian held roles at the Confederation of British Industry, including Head of Climate Change and Director of Business Environment. 

She has also worked for the EU Chamber of Commerce and spent time in Taiwan and Beijing during her tenure.

Sustainability at SSE

SSE is committed to being operationally net zero by 2050 and has set four 2030 business goals aligned with the UN SDGs. 

It is working on a range of renewable energy projects including Dogger Bank Wind Farm, set to contribute significantly to the UK’s sustainability goals. 

Each turbine at this wind farm will have the capacity to generate enough electricity to power a home for two full days with just a single rotation.

However, in May 2025 the company said it is not likely to meet its renewable output goal of 50 TWh a year by 2030.

The company plans to cut its investments by £3bn (US$4bn) over the next five years, including a £1.5bn (US$2bn) cut to its SSE Renewables business.

These cuts, it said, are due to the “changing macroeconomic environment and wider delays to the planning processes” over the last year.

Alistair Phillips-Davies, CEO at SSE, said: “SSE continues to prove the benefits of a portfolio that is built to withstand risk and uncertainty and a strategy that is focused on creating sustainable value.

“We have met our financial goals for the year and evolved our investment plans to reflect the changing world around us – leaning into the opportunities presented in networks and redoubling our capital discipline across our energy businesses.”

Longer term, SSE plans to increase its renewable energy output fivefold by 2050 to at least 50 TWh per year. 

Rhian Kelly’s work at National Grid

National Grid plans to commit nearly £60bn (US$76bn) across five years to accelerate the energy transition.

However, 2024 saw increases in emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 for the company. 

National Grid’s 2024-2025 Sustainability Report shows that more than 92% of global added capacity in 2024 came from renewables.

In the UK, the company has submitted its £35bn (US$47.3bn) business plan to Ofgem for 2026–2031, described as the largest overhaul of the transmission grid in generations. 

This transmission includes building 700km of high-voltage subsea cables through the ASTI initiative, enabling more offshore wind to connect faster and more efficiently.

“The UK Government’s bold mission to achieve clean power by 2030 requires a once-in-ageneration ‘rewiring’ of the country’s infrastructure,” said Paula Rosput Reynolds, Chair at National Grid, in the report.

“The US, by contrast, is focused on energy as a key enabler of economic growth, with an emphasis on driving the AI revolution and reshoring of manufacturing. 

“Both approaches will require substantial new energy supplies and infrastructure.”

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