Last week, Alicia Carrasco, CEO of olivoENERGY invited me to the FEL2050 Foro Español de Energía Limpia, the Spanish Forum for Clean Energy. This event aimed at sharing best practices, ideas, and innovation on the present and future energy systems ahead of the upcoming Spanish presidency of the EU.
Niccolò Fattirolli brilliantly led the discussion on European market designs, while Guillermo Amann and Laura Luna Moreno Morales steered the debates on energy market designs and opportunities in Spain.
I had the immense honour of ending the event, not with any conclusions but with some thoughts and inspirations on the storm we are facing, the place and mobilisation of consumer-citizens in the energy transition, the massive challenges of electrification, and the importance of teamwork to break down silos.
But why did I put giraffes in my slides?
Energy is an ecosystem where everyone plays a specific role in maintaining balance, like these giraffes in the savannah. Energy is more than a technical issue. It is a legal, commercial, cultural, and weather forecasting issue. It is deeply political.
What we see today is an imbalance, leading to a crisis of confidence. And large and small companies, DSOs and TSOs, regulators and policymakers are an essential part of the ecosystem needed to restore stability. But this can only work if we bring the people who foot the bills to the table – that’s #democratisation.
How can we do that?
To create engagement, humans need
1. Trust because it is essential to harnessing passion and effort. Trust is about connection, love, about knowing that everything will be okay.
2. Hope – by leading the way and sharing positive stories. It lets us know that we can safely aim for and do more extraordinary things to thrive. Leaders are dealers of hope.
3. Recognition and reward for our value and skills. It is about being rewarded for our actions and abilities. It’s about feeling respected and listened to, about understanding that there are things we can do.
And these giraffes are also a nod to my daughter, who accompanied me on this trip (and, as some of you know, thinks her mum is a vet!). I would never have been able to participate in this event if Alicia Carrasco had not shown such empathy and human intelligence in facilitating our trip and allowing me to balance my professional and personal lives. This elegance is proof of a very great leader. This is true inclusiveness.
¡Enhorabuena al equipo de OlivoEnergy!
