WindEurope has appointed a new CEO at what it calls ‘a critical time’ in Europe for energy security, industrial competitiveness and climate commitments.
Tinne Van der Straten served as Belgium’s Energy minister from 2020 to 2025, overseeing Belgium’s wind energy expansion and chairing the North Sea Energy Cooperation in 2020 and the European Energy Council in 2024.
Source: WindEurope
New WindEurope CEO: Tinne Van der Straten
“It’s a responsibility I take on with determination at a defining moment for Europe,” said Van der Straten. “Wind energy is central to Europe’s energy independence, industrial competitiveness and climate ambitions. Wind is a home-grown and scalable technology. It delivers affordable power, strengthens energy independence and sustains a competitive industrial base with high-quality jobs across Europe.
“The wind sector is at a turning point. The industry is ready to accelerate and to provide more than 600,000 jobs by 2030. But it is held back by permitting issues and infrastructure delays. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to help unlock the full potential of wind energy for Europe.”
Her job will not be easy: geopolitical uncertainty and a growing scepticism in the market will also have to be overcome, as well as the growing demand for electricity as the world digitises.
“Today wind energy generates 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe. With the right policies, this will rise to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050,” said a spokesman. “But Europe is not building enough new wind energy. The EU installed 13GW of new capacity in 2025. This is less than half of what Europe needs to deliver its 2030 energy security and climate targets.”
Van der Straten, who will officially start on February 2, replaces Giles Dickson, who has been at the helm of the organisation for 10 years.
“The development of WindEurope would not have been possible without his dedication,” the spokesman said.
