KEITH Anderson, head of ScottishPower's green power operation, has been appointed as chief corporate officer of the overall ScottishPower business, nine months after the departure of chief executive Nick Horler.

ScottishPower said the change of job title did not indicate a downgrading of the position.

“It is a more important and broader role,” a spokesman said.

Mr Anderson will take on Mr Horler’s Glasgow-based role, overseeing power generation, provision of gas and electricity to homes and businesses and its maintenance of power lines.

On top of this he will remain chief executive of ScottishPower Renewables.

Mr Anderson will also oversee ScottishPower’s nuclear interests. It formed a consortium with Perth-based Scottish & Southern Energy and France’s GDF Suez which is looking at building a new nuclear power station at Sellafield.

The restructuring follows a decision by ScottishPower’s Spanish parent Iberdrola to bring back in-house its renewable arm Iberdrola Renovables, which included ScottishPower Renewables, after floating 20% of it in 2007.

Mr Anderson said: “This is a tremendous opportunity to represent Iberdrola’s UK businesses at a crucial time for the UK energy industry.

“Key to this will be developing regulatory and legislative frameworks that will allow us to deliver the investments that will build a cleaner energy future that will protect customers from volatile wholesale markets.”

The rejig will also lead to the heads of ScottishPower’s various businesses seeing their roles placed higher within the Iberdrola hierarchy.

Mr Anderson’s appointment comes at an important time for the company. Profits fell 7% last year to £1.2 billion as ScottishPower was squeezed between declining demand and rising wholesale prices.

It has recently attracted criticism by announcing that from August 1 gas prices will rise 19% and electricity by 10%.

It is also understood that consolidation of Iberdrola’s various UK interests under Mr Anderson is intended to help it respond more effectively to reforms of the UK energy market and a drive by the Scottish Government to boost renewable energy production.

Mr Anderson joined ScottishPower in 1999. He was appointed as the first chief executive of ScottishPower Renewables in 2004. Mr Horler left in October with a £1.3 million package, including £840,000 in lieu of 12 months’ notice.

ScottishPower chairman Ignacio Galan said: “Keith has done an outstanding job at ScottishPower Renewables.”