Grid & Networks Conference 2025 Speakers

Kudakwashe P. Chinyani

Associate, CMS

Kuda is an Associate at CMS, specialising in renewable energy projects. Her experience spans project development, project finance, corporate transactions and regulatory advice. She has worked with a wide variety of renewable technologies, with particular experience in onshore wind, battery storage and solar projects. Kuda has been with CMS since 2022 as part of the Infrastructure and Project Finance team and was a part of SR’s first cohort in their New Voices Campaign. She is currently completing 2050 Climate Group’s Climate Action Leadership Programme and is heavily involved in the CMS’s DEIB initiatives and is at the forefront of discussion on DEIB matters in the renewables and legal sector in Scotland.

Catherine Cleary

Grid Connections Specialist, Roadnight Taylor

Catherine is a grid connection specialist and has been delivering connections for onshore and offshore projects in GB for over 14 years. Working for Roadnight Taylor since 2019, Catherine was previously head of the grid connection team at the power systems consultancy TNEI.
Catherine has a particular interest in the regulatory and technical process surrounding the Distribution and Transmission connections regime. Over the years she has provided technical expert support to Ofgem and Government. She currently sits on National Grid ESO’s Connections Reform implementation group (CPAG).

Ben Golding

Director, Clean Power 2030 Unit, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Ben is the Director of the Clean Power 2030 Unit at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, leading the unit tasked with ensuring we deliver on the government’s goal of low carbon electricity by 2030. Prior to taking up that role, Ben was the Department’s Director of Strategy and has held a number of other senior roles within Government including leading the response to the energy price spike over winter 2022 as Director of Energy Affordability, Director of Strategy for the Vaccine Taskforce during the Covid-19 pandemic, and acting Director General for Net Zero Buildings and Industry, leading work on the decarbonisation of buildings including through energy efficiency and heating measures. Ben has also spent time as strategy director for a renewable electricity company, working on development of a number of renewable energy and interconnector projects.

Claire Mack

Chief Executive, Scottish Renewables

Claire has been Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, the representative voice of Scotland’s renewable energy industry, since October 2017. She is responsible for leading the organisation’s work to grow Scotland’s renewables sector and sustain its position at the forefront of the global clean energy industry.

Claire is a member of the First Minister’s Energy Advisory Board and is co-chair of the Renewable Energy Strategic Leadership Group. She is also co-chair of the Scottish Government Marine Energy Industry Group.

Claire is a member of SSEN’s Network for Net Zero Stakeholder Group and a member of the Centre for Work-Based Learning in Scotland Advisory Group.

Claire was awarded the University of Strathclyde’s STELAR award for executive leadership within the industry in 2021 and is also an honorary fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

Before joining Scottish Renewables, Claire was Director of Policy and Place at the Scottish Council for Development and Industry. She has previously worked in various roles at Ofcom in Scotland, focusing on economic regulation of telecoms, radio spectrum and the mail market while also looking at developing digital participation of individuals and businesses.

Adam Morrison

Country Manager UK, Ocean Winds

Adam is the UK Country Manager for Ocean Winds. He has two decades of experience across the renewable energy industry, initially working in the wave and tidal sector before moving into developing large scale onshore and offshore wind projects.

His previous roles include various project positions whilst at RES Offshore and EDP Renewables, then Project Director for Ocean Winds’ Moray West Offshore Wind Farm before moving into his current role.

Eibhlin Norquoy

Head of Trading, Community Energy Scotland

Eibhlin manages Community Energy Scotland’s Trading subsidiary which has a 1/3rd share in the Fishermen Three Windfarm. Eibhlin has been working in the renewables sector for eight years, and in community energy for the last five. Eibhlin’s career has always been interlinked with the electricity network from drafting G98 and G99, working on innovative flexible network projects, and supporting community groups to connect renewable generation and low carbon technologies.
Eibhlin's dedication to the renewable energy sector and her contributions to community-based projects underscore her commitment to sustainable development and the advancement of green energy solutions in Scotland.

Kayte O’Neill

Chief Operating Officer, NESO

Having been appointed as COO in January 2024, Kayte oversees NESO’s delivery across energy networks and markets and the real time operation of the electricity transmission system. As the ESO transitioned to become ‘National Energy System Operator’ (NESO) in Autumn 2024, Kayte’s focus is on building and embedding a ‘whole system’ approach to the strategic planning and delivery of GB’s energy transition.
With more than 20 years of experience in the energy sector, Kayte was most recently accountable, on behalf of ESO, for the design and delivery of NESO. She has previously led the Strategy and Markets teams and spent 3 years in Boston with National Grid’s US electricity distribution businesses.
Kayte is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Jersey Electricity.

Dr Graham Pannell

Head of Grid and Electricity Regulation, BayWa r.e. UK

Twenty years of electricity regulation, grid connections, renewable energy system integration and grid charging policy, primarily in GB. Twice Chair of RenewableUK's Networks and Charging Group, eight years' Vice Chair and lead customer voice in ENA's DER Connections Steering Group, driving best practice for connections with all UK network companies. Expert group member with Ofgem's transmission charging task force and a number of significant code reviews - including Access and Forward-Looking Charges, Balancing Services and distribution charging. Current roles include the Connections Policy Advisory Group, delivering on the Ofgem 2023 Connections Action Plan. Degrees in Power Electronics and Astrophysics.

Fraser Stewart

Energy Justice and Just Transitions Lead, Regen

From a working-class community in the North-East of Scotland, Fraser Stewart is the Just Transition and Communities Lead at Regen. His focus is on making sure the clean power transition works actively for low-income, working-class and marginalised communities across the country.

Fraser has been directly involved in various community-level energy and social justice initiatives, including as a founding director of Glasgow Community Energy, and works with typically excluded communities on engagement and support around energy bills, just transition and wider climate issues.

Alongside this, Fraser also sits on the Scottish Government's expert Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel, scrutinising and driving Scottish policy to eradicate fuel poverty by 2040. He holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde, which explored the role of local and community energy approaches in delivering a just transition in Scotland, and is a previous winner of Scottish Renewables' Young and Inspiring and Academic awards

Lisa Woolhouse

Head of Energy Transition, SSEN Transmission

Lisa is Head of Energy Transition at SSEN-Transmission. She graduated from the LSE and went on to complete a PhD in energy economics. She has extensive experience of energy markets, regulation and network development, including cost benefit analysis, financial and economic evaluation, strategic market advice and policy development. Lisa has worked with regulators, developers, OFTOs and supported SSEN-T through a variety of network developments. Lisa is heading development of SSEN-T’s energy transition strategy.