Skea will take on the role in June next year for the period 2015-2017, and succeeds former SSE chief executive Ian Marchant in the role.
He is currently the Research Councils’ UK energy strategy fellow and professor of sustainable energy at the centre for environmental policy at Imperial College, and has a particular research interest in energy, climate change and technological innovation.
He is also a founding member of the UK’s committee on climate change and is vice-chair of one of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s working groups.
Speaking on the appointment, EI’s chief executive Louise Kingham said: “Jim has supported the EI for many years, joining the EI Council in 2013. It is an honour for us to have someone with such credentials steering our work at a time of great challenges and opportunities for the energy industry, and we are looking forward to his presidency.”
Skea will be officially nominated for appointment at the next EI AGM in June 2015.