UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Shining a Spotlight on Energy People: Kate Harvey FEI
11/6/2025
5 min read
Comment
The Managing Director of offshore wind health and safety body G+ describes how she got into the industry, her love for project management and the positive role that the Energy Institute has played in her career.
Q: Tell us your background and when you first became interested in energy?
A: I have worked in energy since I graduated from university, over 20 years ago. I was choosing graduate schemes, and I had a choice between a train company and an energy company. My mother advised me that there would always be interesting work in energy, and so far that seems like a good tip! I came with no knowledge of the industry and a degree in economics.
Q: You started in energy in the finance department, but you didn’t stay there for long. Within a couple of years you had moved into project management. What attracted you to that particular area?
A: I’m a natural project manager. I have always got one running in every walk of my life. I like to start them more than anything; I like kicking off projects, getting everything together – the people and the resources, and seeing them through to their conclusion. I felt that working in a finance department was hard work, the monthly reports, never-ending tables (although it was interesting to see how companies budget and how they spend their money).
At RWE, working in projects, we were deciding what form of energy we’d use for the next 50 years. I got good exposure to different levels of the business and had lots of exciting tasks. I don’t know how I got into it, but it was a brilliant opportunity for me personally. And then it started me in this field, where I’ll always work – I can never imagine anything else.
Being a project manager, you get obsessed with your project, and it’s all that you care about. I got married a year later than planned because of a project.
Q: How did you first hear about G+ and The Energy Institute, and what motivated you to join?
A: I was working as an asset manager for SSE on a joint venture. Equinor was one of the joint venture partners and they actually put me forward to lead G+. The organisation was looking for someone from a member company to be seconded so that industry expertise was brought into the secretariat – that was nearly 10 years ago.
At G+, we connect people to learn together, because with health and safety everyone wants to learn and share. It can also be efficient and doesn’t duplicate work. We might say: ‘Here is one another company did earlier; you’re welcome to do it.’ And members are so supportive, with a positive attitude. It’s lovely to work with them; they are there for you, if you need someone to speak at a conference or to review some work.
Q: How has being an FEI benefitted you in your career?
A: I was made FEI in 2022. For me, it’s good because it shows I have the backing of the Energy Institute; and not just if I’m working here, but if I change companies, I have a connection with the EI, which I would always want. And credibility too; I have worked all my career in energy, and this verifies that as well. It offers me validation and allows me to network with other FEIs at a similar level, with similar experiences.
Q: Your professional life has grown up in and around offshore wind. How does the industry of today compare with that which you entered more than 20 years ago?
A: It is crazy. I started my career at RWE working on North Hoyle, which was a 30 MW site, a couple of turbines, barely offshore. That was constructed in 2002. To go from that to Dogger Bank, which I was working on when I left in 2016, and is now under construction, was such a vast difference. When we were developing the zone its capacity was up to 13 GW [although that figure has since dropped to 8 GW] and had the option to connect both to Norway and the UK. I believe it was also one of the first projects to share grid connection corridors between projects, and transmit power using an HVDC technology.
I feel really lucky to have been in offshore wind from the beginning. It’s so inspirational. Not only are we producing zero-carbon energy, but it’s energy we need as well; plus it’s a fascinating sector because it’s young and vibrant, never dull, there are always new developments.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.
If you’re keen to follow in Kate’s footsteps, click here to find more about how to become a Fellow of the Energy Institute (FEI).
