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
  • 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
  • A cleaner energy future: the transition to a low carbon grid
    Cathal Marley, Chief Executive
    EirGrid
  • Creating a cleaner energy future for Ireland
    Declan Meally, Director of Business, Public Sector and Transport
    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
    • Redefining energy security in the age of electricity
      Cillian O'Donoghue, Policy Director
      Eurelectric

    PANEL DISCUSSION: IRELAND’S ENERGY TRANSITION IN A FRACTURED WORLD
    • Edwina Nyhan, Director of Strategy and Regulation, Gas Networks Ireland
    • Stephen Gallagher, Managing Director, SSE Airtricity
    • Andrew Mullins, Assets Commercial Director, Bord Gáis Energy
    • Cecilia Trasi, Research Analyst, Bruegel
    • Cillian O'Donoghue, Policy Director, Eurelectric

13:00 LUNCH AND EXHIBITION NETWORKING BREAK

14:00 MEETING THE CHALLENGES IN DELIVERING THE 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 and Energy & Renewables Sector Lead
    Arthur Cox
  • Financing Ireland’s energy transition
    Linda Clarke, Director, Corporate Finance
    Goodbody
  • Meeting the challenges in delivering Ireland’s energy transition
    James Delahunt, Partner, Head of Energy & Natural Resources
    KPMG
  • Meeting the challenges of moving to our zero e-mission future
    Dara Lynott, CEO
    Electricity Association of Ireland
  • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

    14:00 DEVELOPING IRELAND’S OFFSHORE ENERGY RESOURCES
    • CHAIR:
      Neil Walker, Director
      Walker Energy Consulting
    • A regulatory framework for developing Ireland’s offshore energy resources
      Laura Brien, CEO
      Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA)
    • Offshore Wind CfDs in Ireland – designing for success
      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 Climate, Energy and the Environment
    • 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, Chair,
        EAI Markets Committee

      • Electricity market design: 24/7 PPAs and implications of REMA for Irish market
        Stephen Woodhouse, Director
        AFRY
      • Price Review 6 for electricity networks
        Fergal Mulligan, Commissioner
        Commission for Regulation for Utilities
      • 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
      • Turning waste into renewable natural gas
        James Manley, Country Manager Ireland
        Cycle0
      • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

      11.00 COFFEE/ EXHIBITION NETWORKING BREAK

      11:30 ELECTRICITY NETWORK AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT
      • CHAIR:
        Stacy Feldmann, Chair,
        EAI Markets Committee

      • Future grid: looking beyond the 2030 network plan
        David Noronha, Head of Future Networks and Strategic Offshore Planning
        EirGrid
      • The critical role of the active customer in driving the energy transition
        David Cashman, Business Consulting Director
        EY Ireland
      • Battery energy storage systems
        David Minnis, ESS Solution Director
        Huawei Europe
      • 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
      • CHAIR:
        Pauline O’Reilly, CEO
        Irish District Energy Association

      • Decarbonising Ireland’s heat demand
        Brian Carroll, Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency Built Environment, Retrofit and Heat Policy
        Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment
      • Accelerating the deployment of thermal energy storage to support the grid
        John O’Shea, Heat & Electricity Lead
        Codema
      • The role of cogeneration in delivering sustainable heat
        Alexandra Tudoroiu-Lakavičė, Head of Policy
        The European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration
      • Decarbonising the residential heating sector
        Philip Hannon, Chief Executive
        Alliance for Zero Carbon Heating
      • Implementing a geothermal energy project
        Sara Lynch, Head of Sustainability
        Queen’s University Belfast
      • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

      13.00 LUNCH AND EXHIBITION NETWORKING BREAK

        14.00 THE AI REVOLUTION AND THE ENERGY SECTOR
        • CHAIR:
          Claire O’Sullivan, Business and Technology Journalist
          Irish Times
        • AI as a tool for the energy sector
          Craig O’Mahony, Energy & Utilities Lead, Ireland
          Amazon Web Services
        • Ireland’s energy demand and data centres
          Paul Deane, Energy Researcher
          University College Cork

        PANEL DISCUSSION: AI AND THE ENERGY SECTOR
        • Paul Deane, Energy Researcher, University College Cork
        • Michael McCarthy, Director, Cloud Infrastructure Ireland
        • Craig O’Mahony, Energy & Utilities Lead, Ireland, Amazon Web Services
        • Rodney Doyle, Managing Director Energy Transition, KPMG
        • Question & answer session / Panel discussion

        16.00 Conference close