Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is a Secretary of State in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.^[3]

United Kingdom Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent Ed Miliband since 5 July 2024
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Style	Energy Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth)
Type	Minister of the Crown
Status	Secretary of State
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council
Reports to	The Prime Minister
Seat	Westminster
Nominator	The Prime Minister
Appointer	The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term length	At His Majesty's Pleasure
Formation	8 January 1974
First holder	Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington (as Secretary of State for Energy)
Salary	£159,038 per annum (2022)[1] (including £86,584 MP salary)[2]
Website	Official website

The incumbent Secretary of State is Ed Miliband of the Labour Party.^[4]

History

Between 1974 and 1992, the post was known as Secretary of State for Energy.

Under the Conservative government of Sir John Major in 1992 the Department of Energy was merged into the Department of Trade and Industry.

The position of Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 when then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown reshuffled his Cabinet. Immediately prior to the creation of the new department, energy policy was the responsibility of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband was the inaugural secretary of state at DECC. After Labour lost the 2010 general election and the Cameron–Clegg coalition was formed, Chris Huhne was appointed as his successor. On 3 February 2012, Huhne resigned from the post after it was announced that he would be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice, in relation to accusations that he passed on speeding penalties to his ex-wife to avoid losing his own licence. The post was taken over by Ed Davey on the same day, and served until the Liberal Democrats left government, and Davey lost his seat, in 2015.^[5]

Amber Rudd was the final secretary of state at DECC, until she became Home Secretary. The post was formed into the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy by new prime minister Theresa May in July 2016.

On 7 February 2023, a government reshuffle meant that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy was split up into separate departments.^[6][7] The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero took on the energy portfolio and policy functions from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.^[7]

Grant Shapps was appointed the first Secretary of State for the department, having previously been the last holder of the office of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2022 to 2023.^[8] The department was tasked by the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, with "securing our long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and halving inflation".^[7]

List

Secretary of State for Energy (1974–1992)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative   Labour

Secretary of State			Term of office		Political party	Ministry
	Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington		8 January 1974	4 March 1974	Conservative		Edward Heath
	Eric Varley		5 March 1974	10 June 1975	Labour		Harold Wilson
	Tony Benn		10 June 1975	4 May 1979	Labour
							James Callaghan
	David Howell		5 May 1979	14 September 1981	Conservative		Margaret Thatcher
	Nigel Lawson		14 September 1981	11 June 1983	Conservative
	Peter Walker		11 June 1983	13 June 1987	Conservative
	Cecil Parkinson		13 June 1987	24 July 1989	Conservative
	John Wakeham		24 July 1989	11 April 1992	Conservative
							John Major
Department abolished 1992. Functions transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry.

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (2008–2016)

Colour key (for political parties):
   Labour    Liberal Democrats   Conservative

Secretary of State			Term of office		Political party	Ministry
	Ed Miliband		3 October 2008	11 May 2010	Labour		Gordon Brown
	Chris Huhne		12 May 2010	3 February 2012	Liberal Democrats		David Cameron (Coalition)
	Ed Davey		3 February 2012	8 May 2015	Liberal Democrats
	Amber Rudd		11 May 2015	14 July 2016	Conservative		David Cameron (II)
Department abolished 2016, merged into Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (2023–present)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative   Labour

Secretary of State			Term of office		Political party	Ministry
		Grant Shapps MP for Welwyn Hatfield	7 February 2023	31 August 2023	Conservative		Sunak
		Claire Coutinho MP for East Surrey	31 August 2023	5 July 2024
		Ed Miliband MP for Doncaster North	5 July 2024	Incumbent	Labour		Starmer

Timeline

See also

• Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change – ministerial position from 2008 to 2016.
• Minister of State for Energy