Energy Ireland 2025 Conference Programme

Focusing on implementation and delivery

Day 1 Wednesday 11th June 2025

08.15 REGISTRATION AND MORNING COFFEE

09.00 Chair's welcome and introduction:
  • J Owen Lewis, Chair
    IIEA Working Group on Climate and Energy


09.05 IRELAND’S ENERGY FUTURE
  • MINISTERIAL ADDRESS: Ireland’s energy policy priorities
    Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy (Invited)
  • MINISTERIAL ADDRESS: The path to net zero energy
    Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Minister for the Economy Northern Ireland
  • A regulatory framework for a secure, decarbonised energy system
    Tanya Harrington, Commissioner
    Commission for Regulation of Utilities
  • Creating a cleaner energy future for Ireland
    William Walsh, Chief Executive Officer
    Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
  • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

11.00 COFFEE/ EXHIBITION NETWORKING BREAK

    11.30 IRELAND’S ENERGY TRANSITION IN A FRACTURED WORLD
    • The return of Trump: Implications for EU climate and energy policy
      Cecilia Trasi, Research Analyst
      Bruegel

    PANEL DISCUSSION: IRELAND’S ENERGY TRANSITION IN A FRACTURED WORLD
    • Ronan Galwey, Interim CEO, Gas Networks Ireland
    • Klair Neenan, Managing Director, SSE Airtricity (Invited)
    • Denis O’Sullivan, Assets Director, Bord Gáis Energy
    • Cecilia Trasi, Research Analyst, Bruegel
    • Senior representative, EirGrid

    13:00 LUNCH AND EXHIBITION NETWORKING BREAK

    14:00 MEETING THE CHALLENGES IN DELIVERING IRELAND’S ENERGY TRANSITION
    • CHAIR:
      Úna Nic Giolla Choille
    • Regulatory challenges in delivering the energy transition
      John French, Chief Executive
      Utility Regulator
    • Legal aspects of implementing regulation and project delivery
      Niamh McGovern, Partner
      Arthur Cox
    • Financing Ireland’s energy transition
      Linda Clake, Deputy Director, Corporate Finance
      Goodbody
    • Meeting the challenges in delivering Ireland’s energy transition
      Colm O’Neill, Partner
      KPMG
    • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

      14:00 DEVELOPING IRELAND’S OFFSHORE ENERGY RESOURCES
      • A regulatory framework for developing Ireland’s offshore energy resources
        Laura Brien, CEO
        Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA)
      • Regulatory framework for offshore wind development
        Richard Murphy, Partner
        Pinsent Masons
      • Environmental considerations in offshore wind licensing
        Caroline Roche, Offshore Environment & Consents Manager
        Energia
      • Offshore renewable energy: emerging technologies
        Aisling Greene, Head of Offshore Environment and Future Development
        Department of Environment, Climate and Communications
      • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

      16.30 ENERGY IRELAND DRINKS RECEPTION

      Day 2: Thursday 12th June 2025

      08.30 REGISTRATION AND MORNING COFFEE

        09.00 Séischomhrá

        • Paddy Hayes, Chief Executive
          ESB

        • In dialogue with


        • Jude Webber, Ireland Correspondent
          Financial Times
        09:30 ELECTRICITY NETWORK AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT
        • CHAIR:
          Stacy Feldmann, Senior Regulatory Manager
          SSE

        • Electricity market design: 24/7 PPAs and implications of REMA for Irish market
          Andy Kelly, Director
          AFRY
        • Our zero e-mission future
          Dara Lynott, CEO
          Electricity Association of Ireland
        • Higher Ground: long duration storage and the energy transition
          Paddy Larkin, Chief Executive Officer
          Mutual Energy
        • Solar energy development in Ireland: opportunities and challenges
          Eva Barrett, Director of Policy and Regulation
          Irish Solar Energy Association
        • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

        09:30 GAS MARKET AND NETWORK
        • CHAIR:
          Úna Nic Giolla Choille

        • Biomethane: Towards a carbon-neutral gas network
          Karen Doyle, Head of Business Development
          Gas Networks Ireland
        • Unlocking European biogas and biomethane
          Marzia Sesini, Research Team Leader
          Florence School of Regulation
        • The role of green hydrogen in Ireland’s future energy mix
          Aodhan McAleer, Hydrogen and Gas Storage Manager
          ESB
        • The French biomethane ladder: progress to date and looking to the future
          Nicolas Spilliaert, International Project Manager
          GRDF (Invited)
        • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

        11.00 COFFEE/ EXHIBITION NETWORKING BREAK

        11:30 ELECTRICITY NETWORK AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT
        • CHAIR:
          Stacy Feldmann, Senior Regulatory Manager
          SSE

        • Redefining energy security in the age of electricity
          Cillian O'Donoghue, Policy Director
          EirGrid
        • Future grid: looking beyond the 2030 network plan
          David Noronha, Head of Future Networks and Strategic Offshore Planning
          Eurelectric
        • The role of the energy user in the transition to net zero
          Sean Casey, Partner, Consulting and Head of Energy and Assets
          EY Ireland
        • Electricity interconnection: supporting the development of renewable sources
          Simon Ludlam, Chief Executive Officer
          MaresConnect Interconnector
        • Small can be beautiful: small modular nuclear reactors
          Tony Roulstone, Department of Engineering
          University of Cambridge
        • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

        11:30 SUSTAINABLE HEAT AND HEAT NETWORKS

        • Decarbonising Ireland’s heat demand
          Brian Carroll, Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency Built Environment, Retrofit and Heat Policy
          Department of Environment, Climate and Communications
        • Accelerating the deployment of thermal energy storage to support the grid
          John O’Shea, Heat & Electricity Lead
          Codema
        • Implementing a strategy to decarbonise industrial heat
          Ronan Coffey, Global Energy Lead
          Boston Scientific (Invited)
        • The role of cogeneration in delivering sustainable heat
          Alexandra Tudoroiu-Lakavičė, Head of Policy
          The European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration
        • Geothermal energy‘s role in a sustainable heat transition
          Michiel Harings, Manager Asset Management Gas Transition
          Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) (Invited)
        • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

        13.00 LUNCH AND EXHIBITION NETWORKING BREAK

          14.00 THE AI REVOLUTION AND THE ENERGY SECTOR
          • CHAIR:
            Neil Walker, Director
            Walker Energy Consulting
          • The AI revolution in the energy sector
            Speaker TBC
          • Ireland’s energy demand and data centres
            Paul Deane, Energy Researcher
            University College Cork
          • AI as a tool for the energy sector
            Craig O’Mahony, Energy & Utilities Lead, Ireland
            Amazon Web Services

          PANEL DISCUSSION: AI AND THE ENERGY SECTOR
          • Paul Deane, Energy Researcher, University College Cork
          • Susan Leavy, Assistant Professor, University College Dublin, and Member, Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council (Invited)
          • Michael McCarthy, Director, Cloud Infrastructure Ireland
          • Craig O’Mahony, Energy & Utilities Lead, Ireland, Amazon Web Services
          • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

          16.00 Conference close