Jillian Ambrose is The Guardian’s award-winning energy correspondent, specializing in policy shifts, corporate accountability, and workforce transitions within decarbonization efforts. Based in London, her work influences both parliamentary debates and grassroots climate campaigns.
2023 Energy Press Awards Winner: Cited for “redefining how journalists contextualize industrial decline within climate progress.”
We’ve followed Jillian Ambrose’s work as a leading energy and climate journalist whose reporting bridges technical complexity and public accountability. Over her decade-long career, she’s evolved from covering utility markets at The Telegraph to spearheading investigative climate reporting at The Guardian. Her ability to decode energy policy shifts—such as the UK’s coal phaseout—while holding corporations like BP accountable has cemented her reputation as a trusted industry analyst.
Ambrose’s 2024 investigation into Octopus Energy’s campaign for postcode-based electricity pricing revealed how localized energy costs could accelerate renewable adoption. The piece combined exclusive interviews with 3,700 small business owners, grid operators, and Treasury officials to map the economic implications of decentralizing energy markets. Her analysis highlighted the tension between regional equity and national infrastructure needs, sparking parliamentary debates about modernizing the Energy Bill. This article exemplifies her skill in transforming niche policy debates into mainstream conversations.
This 2025 exposé scrutinized the British Museum and Science Museum’s continued acceptance of BP sponsorship despite the company’s public reversal on emission cuts. Ambrose obtained internal memos showing how cultural institutions rationalize fossil fuel partnerships as “transition funding.” By contrasting BP’s 40% increase in oil investments with museum sustainability pledges, she forced institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company to revisit their sponsorship policies. The story trended globally, amassing 1.2M social media engagements and prompting a #DropBP petition with 85,000 signatures.
Ambrose’s 2023 feature on Ratcliffe-on-Soar’s closure wove historical context (dating to 1882’s first coal plant) with frontline worker narratives. She documented how the UK’s “just transition” promise played out through retraining programs that moved 89% of plant staff into offshore wind roles. Satellite imagery illustrated the site’s planned conversion to a carbon capture testing hub. This piece became a benchmark for reporting on industrial transitions, cited by the International Energy Agency in its 2024 Net Zero report.
Ambrose consistently covers regulatory frameworks shaping renewable adoption. Pitches should highlight projects intersecting with active legislation, like the UK’s Smart Grid Levy or EU Carbon Border Tax. Example: Her 2024 analysis of Norway’s offshore wind auctions succeeded because it tied bid structures to the UK’s upcoming Crown Estate licensing round.
She scrutinizes ESG claims against measurable actions. Successful pitches expose gaps between corporate climate pledges and operational realities, particularly in legacy industries. Her BP sponsorship story demonstrates how to pair financial data (e.g., BP’s 2025 exploration budget) with cultural institutions’ sustainability reports.
Ambrose prioritizes human stories within energy transitions. Pitch narratives about workers moving from fossil fuels to renewables, emphasizing retraining challenges or regional economic impacts. Her Ratcliffe plant closure piece derived its power from interviewing engineers who retrained as wind turbine technicians.
“The Holborn Viaduct Power Station may be gone, but Ambrose ensures its lessons remain current.” – Energy Press Awards Judging Panel, 2023
In 2023, Ambrose received the Energy Press Awards’ Investigative Journalist of the Year for her coal phaseout series. The award, judged by editors from Reuters and BloombergNEF, recognizes reporting that balances historical context with forward-looking policy analysis. Her shortlisted 2024 piece on carbon capture subsidies also sparked Ofgem’s review of consumer cost allocations.
