Energy Local is a Community Interest Company (a type of not-for-profit). Mary Gillie is a director.
Dr Mary Gillie - Founder and Director
Founder of Energy Local, Mary is an applied physicist by training but her career has been as an engineer. She loves new ideas and has run numerous field trials and feasibility studies to make our energy systems more efficient and to connect more renewables. She enjoys working with science and people to make our society and environment better for everyone. She has been bringing together the different components for Energy Local for a number of years.
After gaining a first class masters in applied physics from the University of Edinburgh and her PhD at the University of Strathclyde, she has managed, led or been a team member in high profile technical innovative energy projects from a few thousand to millions of pounds.
Her main area of expertise is the development of smartgrids for the electricity distribution system to increase efficiency and to easily integrate renewable generation. Notably she lead Low Carbon Network Fund (LCNF) ‘Smart Village project’ working with Ashton Hayes, been technical engineer for LCNF Customer Lead Network Revolution and My Electric Avenue. She managed Ashton Hayes ow Carbon Communities Challenge (LCCC) Project and Local Energy Assessment Fund project and worked on Elexon funded investigations in local energy markets.
Amy Charnley-Parry - Community Engagement Executive
Amy is our Community Engagement Executive. She has a background in business and communities, including running an events business and developing a community wealth building business. She has always had a passion for working with communities and developing innovative approaches.
Amy’s role with Energy Local is to manage the recruitment of clubs and support their development alongside the Energy Local team. If you’re interested in starting an Energy Local Club, get in touch with Amy to find out how.
Ali Jay - Club Advisor
Ali is based in Dorset and will be the Advisor for the Bridport and Bethesda and Cumbria Clubs.
Jo Sparke - Administrator
Jo lives in Chester and will be working as our administrator. Jo is a chartered accountant who is keen to use her skillset to support small social enterprises like our own, here, with Energy Local. Having worked previously with small, innovative businesses, she is a real asset.
Robbie Short - Communications and Admin Support
Robbie is based in Bethesda and joins us to help with communications, tech support and admin.
He has a degree in Philosophy and is keenly interested in Photography/Film. He and has made use of this background to motivate pro-environmental artwork.
Luke Farrar - Software Development
Luke lives in Bethesda and has been involved in the Club there from the start.
He is working with Megni to develop systems to give people a helping hand to schedule appliances for the best times of day. As well as working on Energy Local's bespoke app to help users save money and make the most of being a member of their local energy Club, Luke can offer tech-based energy solutions for your household.
Tor Cavanagh - Admin and Marketing Assistant
Tor is based in Preston and joined us in January. As our Administration and Marketing Assistant, she has already started whipping us into shape, taking on the role of organising the team, overseeing the Social Media accounts, writing blogs and a spot of translation on the side. She has extensive experience in administration and it currently developing her skills as a Project Manager for Energy Local.
She is an avid CrossFitter and loves open water swimming
Beth Holloway - Energy Local Club Engagement
Beth is based in the North East and is joining the team to support clubs and member engagement. She has a background in community energy generation and sustainable food systems, and is passionate about creating an equitable climate transition with communities at its heart. She has a degree in geography from Durham University, which included research at COP26 and at the Arctic Council, and is motivated by a desire to ensure that people benefit from the transition to renewables.
She loves spending her time going on muddy walks and writing short stories!
Holly Tomlinson - Associate
Holly Tomlinson joined the Energy Local team in late 2017 as Regulation and Supplier Manager. She is responsible for resolving regulatory queries and working with Energy Suppliers and other energy industry participants on developing current and new projects.
She was inspired to join Energy Local because it is a novel way to solve multiple problems in our energy system, whilst building community cohesion and giving people a stake in local renewables. She is particularly enthusiastic about the potential of local balancing, which is at the heart of Energy Local, to make renewables work.
Prior to Energy Local, Holly worked for 6 years for renewable energy company, Ecotricity, as regulatory and policy analyst and regulatory team manager.
Holly is a Director of Tyddyn Teg, a cooperatively run organic veg farm. She gets involved in various environmental campaigns and is a Wales branch coordinator for small and sustainable farmers union the Landworkers’ Alliance Cymru, which advocates for a fairer and more sustainable food system. She has a degree in international politics and economics and a graduate diploma in law, and continues to be interested in all these topics.