Donald Miller

Sir Donald John Miller, engineer who played a major role in the development of the electricity supply system in Scotland

Engineering Achievements

Donald Miller is one of the foremost power systems engineers of his generation. Between 1966 and 1992 he had a central role in the development of the Scottish electricity system that has been a reliable and cost effective resource for the people of Scotland for many decades. He is an engineer who has combined a very high level of attainment in both technical and business expertise. Although the Central Electricity Generation Board was effective in managing the electricity system in England and Wales, it was recognised that the management of the system in Scotland resulted in better productivity and lower costs for consumers. Sir Donald Miller's leadership for innovation and excellence was an important element in this achievement.

Donald Miller was brought up on a farm on Deeside, Aberdeenshire, and studied engineering at the University of Aberdeen. Following graduation he accepted an offer of a graduate apprenticeship at Metropolitan Vickers, Manchester. At MV he was selected for an extended apprenticeship covering design and manufacture of all types of electrical plant and protection as well as systems analysis. He was appointed as a design engineer for large hydro-electric generators and the development of special purpose machines such as those for naval destroyers. From Manchester he moved to be Technical Planning engineer for the high voltage system with the South Eastern Division of the British Electricity Authority.

In 1955 he joined the Consulting Engineers Preece Cardew and Ryder where he worked with the noted engineer Francis J Lane on the technical and economic assessment and design of generation and transmission schemes worldwide, including Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Nigeria, Canada and the USA. It was to F J Lane that he credited his mastery of the art of presenting his proposals to non technical audiences and politicians in a straightforward but persuasive manner, training that would prove invaluable in later years.

In 1966 he was appointed Chief engineer of the North of Scotland Electricity Board and became responsible for the design and construction of new pumped storage and thermal generating stations as well as all engineering operations.

In 1974 he was invited to join the South of Scotland Electricity Board as Director of Engineering, responsible for all engineering operations including the completion of the Longannet coal fired station, the Hunterston nuclear and the Inverkip oil fired stations. He was appointed General Manager/ Deputy Chairman in 1977 and Chairman two years later. As such he was closely associated from the beginning with the successful Torness nuclear station which was completed to time and budget using British technology and British contractors.

Donald Miller argued strongly in the privatisation of electricity for a structure that would allow the enormous talent within Scottish electricity to be deployed for the benefit of Scotland and Scottish consumers while retaining the benefits of vertical integration.

In 1990 the SSEB became Scottish Power and he was appointed the Company's first Chairman. He retired in 1992.

His Life

1. 1927 Born in London on 9th February
2. 1938 Age: 11 Entered Banchory Academy
3. 1944 Age: 17 Matriculated, University of Aberdeen
4. 1947 Age: 20 Graduated Bsc (1st Class Hons) in engineering, University of Aberdeen
5. 1947 Age: 20 joined Metropolitan-Vickers, Manchester
6. 1953 Age: 26 Technical Planning Engineer, high voltage system, British Electricity Authority-SE Division
7. 1955 Age: 28 Consulting engineer, Preece, Cardew and Rider. Fellow of Institution of Electrical Engineers. Fellow of Institution of Mechanical Engineers
8. 1966 Age: 39 Chief Engineer, North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board
9. 1974 Age: 47 Director of Engineering, South of Scotland Electricity Board
10. 1977 Age: 50 Chairman, Power Division, IEE (now IET)
11. 1979 Age: 52 Deputy Chairman, SSEB
12. 1981 Age: 54 Fellowship of Engineering (now Royal Academy of Engineering)
13. 1982 Age: 55 Chairman, Scottish Power
14. 1990 Age: 63 Knight Bachelor for services to industry
15. 1992 Age: 65 Honorary Doctorate of University, University of Strathclyde
16. 1993 Age: 66 Chairman, Premium Trust
17. 1997 Age: 70 Honorary Doctorate of Science, University of Aberdeen
18. 2015 Age: 88 Inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame
19. 2015 Age: 88 Honorary Fellow of IESIS
20. 2023 Age: 96 Died on 19th September at his home in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire

His Legacy

The technical and managerial abilities of Donald Miller were fully deployed to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the Scottish electricity system, a legacy which endured for many decades.

More Information

Foyers pumped-storage project. D.J. Miller, A.T.L. Murray, C.C. Marshall, G.G.R. Argent. Proceedings of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Vol. 122, No. 11, November 1975.
Download: DonMillerAcceptanceSpeech Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame, James Watt Dinner, 2 October 2015

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