#WattsNextEU
We are the Electrification Alliance: 10 leading European organisations united by one goal – accelerating Europe’s electrification. As strong believers in this mission, the European Association of Electrical Contractors, E-Mobility Europe, Eurelectric, the International Copper Association Europe, the European Heat Pump Association, smartEn, SolarPower Europe, T&E, Renewable Grids Initiative and WindEurope have joined forces to push for a cleaner, more efficient, and decarbonised future.
The Electrification Alliance is pleased to invite you to “Watt’s Next: The Electric Pathway to a Competitive, Secure Industry in Europe”—a high-level conference bringing together policymakers, industry pioneers, and innovators. Our speakers will discuss how to break down persistent barriers and unlock Europe’s potential for secure, competitive, and sustainable growth.
Throughout the day, discussions highlighted what’s needed to scale industrial electrification. Breakout sessions turned strategy into action, and the day closed with a live recording of the Watt Matters podcast.
The keynote presentations are available below:
A standout moment of the day was the unveiling of the Electrification Staircase, created by co-authors Dr Silvia Madeddu from Schneider Electric, Thomas Butler from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) and William Drake from Liebreich Associates, and presented by co-authors Michael Liebreich and Adrian Hiel. This new framework provides a clear, structured way to understand where electrification can deliver the highest impact now, in the future and how Europe can prioritise solutions that replace fossil fuels effectively. Derived from the Hydrogen Ladder, the staircase will hopefully become a reference point for how we can electrify fast and efficiently.
You can access the Staircase here. Please do not hesitate to send comments and questions to staircase@electrification-alliance.eu.
Participation is limited to 150 attendees. Please click here to register now:
Register now09:00 - 09:30
Arrival and registrations
09:30 – 10:45 WELCOME & OPENING PANEL - PLENARY
Welcome and Introduction by Master of Ceremony, Adrian Hiel, Director of the Electrification Alliance
Keynote Address and Panel Discussion
Moderation
Interactive Audience Q&A
10:45 - 11:45 SESSION #1 - PLENARY
Tailor-Made Solutions for Industrial Electrification: Watt’s Needed?
Panel Discussion
Moderation
12:15-13:15 SESSION #2: BREAKOUT GROUP DISCUSSIONS
New Tools & Mechanisms to Fast Forward Electrification
14:15 – 14:45 SESSION#3 - PLENARY
Presenting the Electrification Ladder
A Conversation with Michael Liebreich
14:45 – 15:45 SESSION #4 - PLENARY
A panel discussion on EU member states that have implemented the most comprehensive existing energy regulations, and the associated benefits for each member state.
Presentation by Climact
Panel Discussion
Moderation
Reactions and reflections
16:00 – 17:00 SESSION #5: PODCAST RECORDING & CLOSE - PLENARY
Watt Matters: The FORESIGHT Energy Transition Podcast
Moderation
Kingsmill Bond is an energy strategist at Ember. He runs the energy futures intiative at Ember, analysing the future of the energy system as it rises from the ashes of the old. He sees the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables as an unstoppable technology shift, driven by the forces of efficiency, cost and energy security. For the last decade his focus has been on the energy transition, working as a strategist for Carbon Tracker, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Ember. He has written dozens of reports on different aspects of the energy transition.
Recent work
Laurence Tubiana is CEO of the European Climate Foundation (ECF) and a professor at Sciences Po, Paris. She previously chaired the Board of Governors at the French Development Agency (AFD), as well as the Board at Expertise France (the French public agency for international technical assistance). Before joining the ECF, Laurence was France’s Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21, and as such a key architect of the landmark Paris Agreement. Following COP21 and through COP22, she was appointed UN High-Level Champion for climate action.
Seán Kelly is a member of the European Parliament for Ireland South. As a member of Fine Gael, Seán is in the European People’s Party which is by far the largest and most influential group in the European Parliament. Among the most active MEPs of the Parliament, Seán has been honoured as MEP of the Year for Research and Innovation in 2012 and 2020 and MEP of the Year for Digital Agenda in 2014. Seán is a former President of the GAA and former Executive Chairman of the Irish Institute of Sport.
Recent work
Adrian Hiel is the Director of the Electrification Alliance. A former journalist with extensive experience in energy and climate communications and public affairs, Mr Hiel is leading the Alliance’s work to advance the uptake of direct, smart electrification in support of Europe’s energy transition.
Recent work
Kristian Ruby is the secretary general of Union of the Electricity Industry (Eurelectric) since 2017. He joined Eurelectric from Wind Europe, where he served as Chief Policy Officer from 2015 to 2016 and was in charge of development and implementation of the political strategy. Before that, he served as Assistant of the former Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard from 2010 to 2014.
Jozefien Vanbecelaere manages EHPA’s policy team in the role of Policy Director. She worked for four years at the Organisation for Sustainable Energy (ODE), the Flemish heat pump association which is a member of EHPA. Before that she worked at Friends of the Supergrid, an EU association representing the electricity transmission sector.
Jos Dings is an independent consultant specializing in European clean industry policy. He previously led the traffic department at CE Delft (1994-2004), served as director of Transport & Environment, the European environmental organization for clean transport (2004-2017), and as European director of policy and business development at Tesla (2017-2024), where he helped establish the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, among other things.
Keith Allott is Executive Director at European Climate Foundation. He is part of the wider ECF leadership team, and has a particular responsibility for supporting ECF’s work to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels in power generation and heating.
Keith joined the ECF in 2013 to manage its UK initiative, and more recently has led the foundation’s work to support a rapid and just transition to a clean, renewables-based power sector. Before joining the ECF, Keith led the climate change team at WWF-UK. He worked for the UK’s Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and contributed to its influential 2000 report on Energy and the Environment, and has also worked as a journalist covering science and environmental issues.
Frauke Thies is Co-Director Europe at Agora Energiewende and leads the European policy work in tandem with Émeline Spire since September 2025.
Before joining Agora, Thies was responsible for the climate portfolio of the Open Society Foundations in Europe. Earlier, she held leadership roles in European associations for eight years, including as Executive Director of the European business association for digital and decentralised energy solutions, smartEn, from 2015 to 2020, and as Policy Director at SolarPower Europe from 2012 to 2015.
Philippa Nuttall is the editor of Sustainable Views. She was previously environment editor at the New Statesman, founder and editor-in-chief of Energy Monitor, and editor-in-chief of Foresight Climate and Energy. Philippa has also been published in the Financial Times and Prospect Magazine, and is an experienced speaker and moderator. She is based in Brussels and reports on EU regulation related to ESG, with a particular interest in the politics of the energy and food and farming transitions, and the biodiversity crisis. You can connect with Philippa on LinkedIn and email her at philippa.nuttall@ft.com.
Recent work
Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral is a Member of the European Parliament - Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Recent work
Martin Wojczik is Business Development Manager at HEATEN, and focuses on industrial companies, municipal and utility companies and public utilities turning waste heat into business value. Based on high-temperature heat pump technology, Martin supports market transformation strategically by identifying industrial and municipal prospects and driving lead generation in order to provide our clean EnergyTech solution for emission-intensive industries.
Recent work
Marta Navarrete Moreno is European Policy and Regulatory Manager at Iberdrola. The Iberdrola Group is a global leader in grids, storage and clean energy. Today, it is present in dozens of countries with an innovative, efficient and sustainable business model.
Recent work
Chiara Di Mambro is the Director of Strategy Italy and Europe at ECCO. Chiara has extensive experience in both Italian and European public administration, having worked in various capacities with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) since 2005 and having been seconded to the European Commission’s DG Climate between 2010 and 2012. Chiara’s experience began with a comprehensive understanding of the Emissions Trading Directive following its initial national implementation, as a member and later as coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the ETS Committee in 2015.
Recent work
Since 2007, Climact is empowering governments and organisations to act on climate change, towards a sustainable zero-carbon society by 2050. As a leading-edge consultancy in Europe, a team of 50+ with an entrepreneurial culture fully aligned with our values empowers both public and private organizations to achieve targets and policies on climate and environmental challenges.
Recent work
Giles Dickson is CEO at WindEurope.
Recent work
Michael Villa is the Executive Director at smartEn - Smart Energy Europe. smartEn is the European association of the Flexible Demand Management Industry. We aim to create opportunities for every company, building, and car to support an increasingly renewable energy system.
Recent work
Nicolai Romanowski is Senior Energy Manager of the EU chemical industry association, focusing on energy policy and its interface with competitiveness issues in the transition towards climate neutrality. Prior to joining Cefic, Nicolai has been working on energy policy and mobility issues with the European refining industry association in a number of roles. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations with a focus on energy security from King’s College London.
Agnese Ruggiero is Senior Manager, Climate & Food at FoodDrinkEurope. FoodDrinkEurope works for all consumers to enjoy a safe, sustainable and healthy diet and promotes the ideas and policies that enable the European food and drink industry to make products that are not only safe but also contribute to a greener planet, healthier living and a thriving economy.
Recent work
Michael is an acknowledged thought leader on clean energy, mobility, technology, climate, sustainability and finance. He is Co-Managing partner of EcoPragma Capital and CEO of Liebreich Associates. Michael is also co-host and founder of 'Cleaning Up' a podcast and YouTube Series. Former roles include member of the UK’s Taskforce on Energy Efficiency, chairing the subgroup on industry and an advisor to the UK Board of Trade, an advisor to the UN on Sustainable Energy for All, and a member of the board of Transport for London. He is also the founder of and a regular Senior Contributor to BloombergNEF.
Recent work
Dries Acke is the Deputy CEO at SolarPower Europe
Nick Bitsios is the head of Brussels Office at Metlen Energy & Metals.
Cinzia Alberti Mazzaferro is Senior Public Regulatory Affairs Advisor at Sympower.
Louise Sunderland is Director of the Europe Programme within the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), a global clean energy transition ngo. Louise is an energy policy expert with almost 20 years’ experience in demand-side energy policies, energy system integration and energy justice. Louise is also Chair of the Advisory Board of the UK’s Energy Demand Research Centre and a member of the smartEn advisory council.
Recent work
Senior Economist at Compass Lexecon
Paula Rey García is Head of the Unit for Renewables and Energy System Integration Policy at the European Commission DG Energy. She joined the European Commission in 2005, with roles first in DG Environment, and later in DG Health and Food Safety. She works in DG Energy since 2012, having held positions in the areas of energy efficiency and financing, and as Deputy Head of unit for buildings and products, and subsequently as Deputy Head of Unit for renewables policy. Prior to joining the European Commission, she worked for the United Nations Environment Programme, and earlier on in the private sector as consultant.
Matthis auf dem Graben is Sales Manager and Public Funding Manager for High-Temperature Heat Pumps at HEATEN. Matthis is a mechanical engineer with Master’s degree in Fluid Mechanics and a background in R&D and German/EU-Funding programmes regarding Decarbonization/HTHPs.
Axelle Gortz is Energy and environmental advisor for Fevia, the Belgian food & drink industry association.
Rheanna is Senior Policy Advisor EU Energy Transition at E3G.
Session Title: Planning for Success: Industrial Grid Connections
Lead Organisation: E3G
Facilitator: Rheanna RJ. Johnston, Senior Policy Advisor EU Energy Transition, E3G
As Europe accelerates the electrification of industry, grid congestion and unequal access to capacity are emerging as major barriers—delaying final investment decisions and slowing the clean transition. This session will examine the governance and planning reforms needed to improve industrial grid connections, with a focus on smarter queue management and more coordinated spatial energy planning.
Bringing together policymakers, industry representatives, and network operators, the discussion will highlight practical strategies to deliver fair, fast, and future-proof grid access. The session will also explore how these solutions can support the objectives of the upcoming EU Grids Package and the Industrial Accelerator Act.
Speakers:
- Nicolai Romanowski, Senior Energy Manager, Cefic
- Marta Navarrete Moreno, European Policy and Regulatory Manager, Iberdrola
- Malgosia Rybak, Climate Change & Energy Director at Cepi
- Axelle Gortz, Environment & Energy Advisor at Fevia
Session Title: The Role of Flexibility in Electrifying Energy-Intensive Industries
Lead Organisation: smartEn
Facilitator: Michael Villa, Executive Director, smartEn
This breakout session will explore how smart and flexible electrification can boost both the competitiveness and decarbonisation of Europe’s energy-intensive industries (EIIs).
It will begin with a concise presentation of smartEn and Compass Lexecon’s new study quantifying the value of smart electrification across five key sectors: aluminium, steel, concrete, paper, and glass. An Insight Panel will then showcase practical applications, featuring an aggregator demonstrating industrial flexibility in action and a representative from a European EII association discussing the opportunities and challenges from an industry perspective. The session will conclude with a moderated Q&A, engaging participants on how flexible electrification can advance Europe’s clean energy goals while strengthening the long-term competitiveness of its industrial base.
Speakers:
- Michael Villa, Executive Director, smartEn
- Florian Bourcier, Senior Economist – Energy Practice, Compass Lexecon
- Cinzia Alberti Mazzaferro - Sympower, showcasing industrial flexibility in action
- Nick Bitsios - Metlen Energy & Metals, highlighting opportunities and challenges from an EII perspective
Session Title: The Industrial Decarbonisation Bank beyond the Pilot Auction
Lead Organisation: WindEurope, DG CLIMA and other stakeholders
Facilitator: Giles Dickson, CEO WindEurope
WindEurope, together with DG CLIMA and other stakeholders, will host a session moderated by CEO Giles Dickson to discuss how the EU’s forthcoming €100 billion Industrial Decarbonisation Bank (IDB) can drive large-scale industrial electrification. With up to 60% of industrial heat demand already technically electrifiable, the IDB represents a major opportunity to reduce emissions—if it addresses barriers such as high CAPEX/OPEX, energy price uncertainty, and limited de-risking.
This interactive session will ask participants to contribute views on:
1. How the IDB can go beyond the Innovation Fund Heat Auction?
2. Which funding tools best unlock electrification investment?
3. How the IDB complements — rather than duplicates — existing EU and national schemes?
4. Governance and accountability
Session Title: The Power of Hybrid Assets
Lead Organisation: SolarPower Europe
Facilitator: Dries Acke, Deputy CEO SolarPower Europe
Hybrid renewable assets—combining solar or wind with battery storage under one grid connection—offer a fast, cost-effective pathway to Europe’s energy transition. They lower system costs, reduce curtailment, ease grid bottlenecks, and provide clean, reliable power for households and industry. Although the technologies are mature, regulatory barriers still limit deployment.
This 60-minute session will present new insights from SolarPower Europe’s 2025 report and convene policymakers, industry, and system operators to discuss what policy and financing reforms are needed to scale hybrids. Through breakout discussions, participants will explore making hybrid projects bankable, using hybrids to drive affordable electrification, and leveraging them to relieve grid constraints, before reconvening for a brief plenary wrap-up.
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