Cathy McClay facts for kids

Catherine Isabel McClay is an important engineer. She works as the Head of Futures at the National Grid. Her main focus is on making our energy cleaner. She helps the UK move towards using less carbon. She was recognized for her work. She became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2019. She also received an Order of the British Empire award in 2021.

Growing Up and School

Catherine McClay grew up in Northern Ireland. She went to Limavady_Grammar_School. A teacher suggested she study electrical engineering. She then went to Imperial College London. In 1990, she made history there. She became the first woman to lead the City and Guilds College Union.

After that, she studied at the University of Cambridge. She researched how to make motors work better. These are called cage induction motors. After finishing her studies, McClay returned to Imperial College London. She worked there as a teacher.

Her Career in Energy

Catherine McClay started working in the energy industry in 1999. She first joined Edison Mission Energy. There, she helped with business plans. In 2006, she moved to British Energy. She then joined EDF Energy in 2009. At EDF, she managed different energy projects.

In 2015, McClay became Head of Commercial at National Grid. She worked on how the energy system operates. She focused on future energy markets. She also worked on making energy carbon-free. She was interested in "demand side response." This means providing electricity when people need it. She believes this helps use clean energy when it's most available. In 2019, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Later in 2019, McClay moved to Sembcorp. She became their Optimisation Director. Her work there focused on making energy assets flexible. This helped them work well in the British market.

Awards and Special Mentions

• 2016 Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering
• 2022 Order of the British Empire