Orsted onshore chief executive Declan Flanagan will chair the board of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) from June, the organisation said.

Flanagan, who is also an executive vice president at Orsted, will succeed David Giordano, head of renewable power at investment giant BlackRock, who has held the post for two years at ACORE, the peak US lobbying group covering all renewables.

Flanagan joined Orsted in 2018 when Lincoln Clean Energy, the developer he founded and led, was acquired by the Danish offshore wind giant in a deal that marked its return to the onshore sector. He was also previously CEO of the North American business of E.ON.

Flanagan said: “It is an honour to be elected the chair of ACORE’s board of directors and I look forward to working with my board colleagues and the ACORE executive team to accelerate the realisation of a more secure and sustainable US energy economy.”

The Orsted executive will take up his post during a pivotal period for US renewables, with issues such as the landscape for wind and solar as federal incentives wind-down and the challenges of transmission and grid infrastructure – not to mention the implications of a US presidential election.

ACORE chief executive Gregory Wetstone said: “ACORE is fortunate to be able to turn to such a widely-respected leader in our industry to chair our board following David’s tenure. Declan Flanagan’s leadership will help take the organisation to the next level as we work to accelerate America’s transition to renewable energy.”