Former private secretary to chancellors of the exchequer Nigel Lawson and John Major, and later prime minister Major’s private secretary, Decc said Wallace would take brief sabbatical before taking up another job. She has been with the department for the last four years.
Decc said it would start looking for a new permanent secretary via a tender next week. Wallace’s successor will quickly have to get to grips with complex issues such as decarbonisation, security of supply, affordibility, smart metering, the green deal, renewable electricity and heat subsidies, and electricity market and broader retail and wholesale reforms in conjuntion with regulator Ofgem, whose role Decc must clearly define.
Wallace earlier this week gave evidence to the energy and climate change committee, alongside colleague and erstwhile Treasury director Phil Wynn Owen, secretary of state Ed Davey and Decc director Simon Virley. They were questioned by the committee on policies including the Green Deal, smart smetering and consumer bills.
Watch the session here.
See what Wallace said about the smart meter rollout here.