Ed Miliband established Great British Energy following the previous election, with the chief executive set to earn up to £525,000 annually, which is more than three times the salary of Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister. The significant compensation was unveiled in a job advertisement from Miliband's Energy Department to attract candidates for the position. The selected candidate will receive a base salary of £350,000 per year to lead the clean energy organization, along with a possible bonus of £175,000 – surpassing Sir Keir's £172,153 salary. Additionally, the CEO will have the option to work from home two days a week.

GB Energy recently appointed interim chief executive Dan McGrail, former Renewable UK trade body leader, for a six-month term, with expectations that he will apply for the permanent role. The recruitment advertisement emphasizes the need for a visionary leader with substantial board-level experience to drive the strategic vision and growth of Great British Energy within the energy sector.

Established by Miliband post-election, GB Energy aims to invest in clean energy projects across the UK with an initial budget of £8.3bn. The goal is for the government funding to attract significant private sector investment. However, concerns have been raised about potential budget cuts. Miliband envisions job creation and reduced household bills through the organization, but challenges have already arisen. Juergen Maier, GB Energy's chairman, cautioned about the slow pace of job creation and uncertain savings on bills.

Critics, including Conservative energy spokesman Andrew Bowie and Reform Party's Richard Tice, have raised objections to the high CEO salary, labeling it as wasteful spending of taxpayer money on a quango that may not efficiently deliver on its promises. They criticize the dependence on foreign energy sources and the financial burden it places on taxpayers.