25.09.2025
On September 25, the “Resilience and Transformation: Balancing Ukraine’s Energy System in a New Reality” forum, organized by Energy Club, took place in Kyiv. The event brought together leading experts from the energy industry—representatives of system operators, the regulator, generating companies, and innovators—for a frank conversation about the challenges and practical solutions for strengthening Ukraine’s energy system.
Ukraine’s energy system is operating under unprecedented conditions unknown to any other country in modern history. Constant attacks on infrastructure, the need for rapid recovery, and the global trend toward decarbonization present Ukraine with extremely complex challenges. As emphasized by the organizers, the forum was not a platform for discussing hypothetical risks, but for sharing real experience and finding solutions that are needed here and now.
“Old instructions and approaches no longer work. We need new solutions,” this statement became the main theme of the entire event.
The forum’s program focused on two key panel discussions, moderated by journalist and media expert Andriy Kulykov and the club’s Vice President, Artem Martyniuk.
The first panel, “Resilience Under Attack: Operational Challenges and Realities of the Ukrainian Energy System,” was dedicated to the practical lessons from blackouts, the physical protection of facilities, decentralization, and the role of distributed generation in maintaining local stability. Speakers discussed the interaction between TSOs, DSOs, and military-civil administrations during crisis situations and the challenges of working with unstable renewable energy generation in a damaged grid.
The second panel discussion, “Reconstruction and the Future: Technologies, Investment, and Regulation for Ukraine’s New Energy Sector,” focused on the “Build Back Better” strategy. Experts discussed priority technologies for reconstruction, the role of battery energy storage systems (BESS), ways to attract investment, and overcoming regulatory barriers. Special attention was given to the issue of human resources—training thousands of engineers and technicians for a new, more flexible, and decentralized energy sector.
Among the forum’s speakers were Energy Club Vice Presidents Valerii Bezus and Ivan Grygoruk, as well as executives from leading energy companies: Mykhailo Bubnov (Schneider Electric Ukraine LLC), Yehor Zakharchenko (D.TRADING), Ksenia Kovalenko (Rayton), Volodymyr Smolii (Prykarpatenergotrade LLC), Yurii Podoliak (IKNET LLC), Oleksii Hnatenko (Juscutum), and Artur Korobov (PowerU LLC).
An important part of the event was the official certificate ceremony for the graduates of the “Communications and Interaction in the Energy Sector: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR, and Lobbying in Ukraine” course. This program, developed by Energy Club, is designed to strengthen the communication capabilities of companies in the energy sector, which is a key factor in managing reputation and building stakeholder trust amid market transformation.
The forum served as a key professional discussion that demonstrated the readiness of Ukrainian energy professionals not only to overcome unprecedented challenges but also to build a sustainable energy future for Ukraine.
