1Energy has today announced the appointment of John Hartley as Chief Executive Officer, marking a pivotal milestone as the company enters a new phase of growth and accelerates the deployment of low-carbon heat networks across UK towns and cities. 

John joins 1Energy with more than 20 years’ experience in the energy sector, bringing a strong track record of building and scaling businesses focused on low-carbon technologies.

He will lead the company at a pivotal moment, as 1Energy advances a development pipeline worth over £700 million with projects progressing in cities including Bradford, Milton Keynes, Exeter, Oxford, Derby and Sunderland, and plans to deploy £1 billion of capital into heat network infrastructure over the next eight years. 

Most recently, John served as Chief Executive Officer of Levidian, a UK-based climate technology company and one of the fastest-growing climate tech businesses in the country. Prior to this, he held senior leadership roles within Centrica’s Distributed Energy and Power business, delivering clean energy solutions to major organisations globally. His career spans a wide range of sustainable technologies including grid-scale battery storage, electric vehicles, wind and solar, alongside early experience in consulting with McKinsey. 

John Hartley, Chief Executive Officer at 1Energy, said: 

“Heat networks are about taking control of energy – giving cities and organisations the ability to manage costs, reduce carbon and build more resilient, future-proof energy systems.

Now is the time to accelerate the transition away from hydrocarbon-based global supply chains towards cleaner, more localised infrastructure. 1Energy has built a strong platform, and I’m excited to lead the business as we scale delivery and unlock the full potential of heat networks across the UK. 

With the recent appointments to the leadership team and the continued backing of Asper, we are doubling down on our commitment to this technology and to delivering it at pace.” 

Emma Tinker, CIO at Asper Investment Management, and 1Energy Board member said: 

“We are delighted to welcome John to 1Energy at such an important point in the company’s development. His experience of scaling low-carbon energy businesses, combined with his strong leadership track record, makes him ideally placed to lead 1Energy through its next phase of growth. 

We see a significant opportunity for heat networks to play a central role in the UK’s energy transition, and we remain committed to supporting 1Energy as it builds a market-leading platform to deliver this infrastructure at scale.”

The appointment comes at a time of increasing policy and market momentum behind heat networks, as the UK looks to both decarbonise urban heat and reduce reliance on global energy supply chains.  

John’s arrival follows the recent additions of a new Chair and Chief Financial Officer, further strengthening 1Energy’s leadership team and underlining its ambition to build a scalable platform capable of delivering heat networks at pace across the UK.