Achieving Ireland's ambitious decarbonisation goals and meeting climate action targets requires massive investment and innovative engineering solutions across the energy sector. This is compounded by the increasing digitisation of our infrastructure and the need to deliver reliable power to a growing economy.This conversation explores the strategic response to the climate and energy crisis, examining the future makeup of the Irish power system, the explosive growth of solar power, and how data and artificial...
Achieving Ireland's ambitious decarbonisation goals and meeting climate action targets requires massive investment and innovative engineering solutions across the energy sector. This is compounded by the increasing digitisation of our infrastructure and the need to deliver reliable power to a growing economy.
This conversation explores the strategic response to the climate and energy crisis, examining the future makeup of the Irish power system, the explosive growth of solar power, and how data and artificial intelligence are revolutionising asset management. We also look at the evolving role of engineers, the importance of complementary commercial skills, and how to advance your career in the sector.
Joining the discussion is Siobhán McHugh, Director and the Energy and Utilities Consulting Lead at PwC Ireland, and the current Chairperson of the Energy, Environment and Climate Action Division at Engineers Ireland. Her experience spans regulation, grid operation, and strategic consulting.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Career progression diverse energy roles
AI data transforming asset management
Solar generation exceeded cost projections
Infrastructure delivery policy advocacy
Human skills complement technical expertise
GUEST DETAILS
Siobhán McHugh is a Director and the Energy and Utilities Consulting Lead at PwC Ireland, where she advises clients in the electricity, water, and gas sectors on large-scale digital and energy transformation projects. Her expertise draws heavily on her deep operational background from EirGrid and a regulatory background from the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), giving her a rare whole-system view of the industry. She also serves as the current Chairperson of the Energy, Environment and Climate Action Division at Engineers Ireland.
Connect with Siobhán:
PUBLIC CONTACT DETAILS
www.pwc.ie/industries/energy-and-renewables/team.html
Social Media:
www.linkedin.com/in/siobhanmchugh/?originalSubdomain=ie
MORE INFORMATION
Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/
Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.
QUOTES
So I'd say a lot of the challenges probably have a hidden positive in them, in that it's an advancement in technology, but it's just about figuring it out. - Siobhán McHugh
You're always working with people, and so that is the piece of experience. I think you need to help build your younger colleagues. - Siobhán McHugh
If I think of solar energy when we would have been modelling it, it was completely different cost basis, solar was quite expensive. That cost has come down now. - Siobhán McHugh
KEYWORDS
#EnergyTransition #IrishGrid #EngineeringCareers #DataAndAI #ClimateAction
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