After 18 years, the Smart Energy Council (SEC) Chief Executive John Grimes will step into the role of Renewable Energy Council Asia-Pacific (RECAP) Chief Executive to drive industry, government and community collaboration on clean energy deployment across the Asia-Pacific (APAC).
Leading the growth of SEC in Australia to 1,000 corporate energy sector members, Grimes leaves a legacy of notable energy policy and reform wins that include securing the member-designed Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) and defending the Renewable Energy Target (RET).
Grimes said the time to move to RECAP is right, as he leaves the SEC in an impactful, financially secure and influential position.
“I have always been motivated by mission and impact. Accelerating the energy transition across the Asia Pacific is essential to securing a sustainable and liveable planet,” Grimes said.
“This work will also complement my tenure as incoming Chair of the Global Solar Council in 2027 and 2028.”
Image: Smart Energy Council
Other notches in Grimes’ belt include protecting the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), advocating for and helping deliver the $7.1 billion (USD 5 billion) Cheaper Home Batteries Program (CHBP), and “driving policy certainty underpinning large-scale renewables and storage investment”, an SEC statement notes.
Grimes also oversaw the launch of the Zero Carbon Certification Scheme (ZCCS) for renewable hydrogen, ammonia and renewable metals; supported the establishment of Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA); and led the creation of the Positive Quality (PQ) manufacturing assurance program.
SEC Chair of the Board Professor Don Henry said Grimes has been one of the most impactful clean energy leaders in Australia’s modern history.
“For nearly two decades he has led from the front – defending the Renewable Energy Target when it was under threat, helping secure the Capacity Investment Scheme, championing the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, and relentlessly advocating for policy certainty that unlocked billions in private investment,” Henry said.
“He has grown the Smart Energy Council into the peak independent body for Australia’s smart energy industry and elevated its voice nationally and internationally.”
Grimes will relocate to the Asia Pacific region to lead RECAP while continuing to represent SEC members internationally and remain closely engaged with the organisation, providing strategic support to the organisation and the board.
Indonesia-headquartered RECAP is a standalone organisation created by, and a strategic partner to, the SEC, which was launched in 2024 at COP29, Baku, Azerbaijan.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.