29.01.2026
Energy Club is launching the second stream of the training course “Communications and Interaction in Energy: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR and Lobbying in Ukraine” (2.0). The updated course program, revised taking into account the feedback of the participants of the first batch and the current challenges of 2025, focuses on applied tools for effective communication in the context of deepening European integration, decentralization of generation and increased security risks.
One of the lecturers of the course was Nataliya Korobenko, Regulatory Affairs Manager of the company “Elementum Energy“, who in her modules will reveal the issues of the regulatory environment, the roles of key state institutions and strategies for interacting with stakeholders.
In an interview with the Energy Club media department, Natalia Korobenko shared her own vision of key changes in the regulatory environment in 2025, typical mistakes in communicating with the regulator and practical approaches to interacting with stakeholders in the context of decentralization of generation and growing public sensitivity to energy issues.
– Ms. Natalia, the regulatory environment in the energy sector of Ukraine is extremely dynamic today. What key changes in 2025 are it critically important for PR, GR and communications specialists to understand?
– 2025 showed that the regulatory environment in the energy sector has ceased to be a “background” — it has become an active factor of risks and opportunities for businesses in any field, and not only for classic energy companies. In fact, today almost every large business is forced to “deal with energy” in one way or another — due to security of supply, own generation, consumption or investments in energy efficiency.
It is important to understand several key things here.
First, regulation is increasingly being formed in a crisis management mode — due to the security situation, resource shortages and constant attacks on the energy system. This means that decisions are often made very quickly and do not always go through a full cycle of discussions. A vivid example is the decision on price caps in January this year.
Secondly, in 2025, the influence of the European regulatory agenda has significantly increased: EU directives, market requirements, balancing, decarbonization and energy security. It is worth mentioning separately the requirements related to obtaining financing within the Ukraine Facility – they directly affect regulatory decisions.
And thirdly, it is critically important to understand the real distribution of roles between institutions – the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Utilities of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy, the Cabinet of Ministers, the system operator. Not only as it is written “on paper”, but as it works in Ukrainian realities. Often, communication problems arise not because of the content of the position, but because of the incorrectly chosen addressee. Orientation in regulatory processes today is no longer a purely legal competence, but a basic tool for effective communication.
– What typical mistakes do you most often observe when communicating with the regulator and how can you avoid them in practice?
– The most common mistake is expecting the regulator to “understand everything by itself.” Companies often submit formally correct requests, but without explaining the real context, consequences for the system or industry, and sometimes without clear and specific proposals or proposals that are disconnected from reality.
The regulator works with dozens of requests at the same time, and the obvious advantage is given to the one who is able to clearly formulate the problem in the language of solutions, and not just describe their own difficulties. In practice, this means explaining not only “what is not working,” but also “what exactly can be changed” and “what effect will this have on the market or the system as a whole.”
– How to properly build interaction between the state, communities, investors, media and associations in the context of decentralized generation and increased public sensitivity?
– The key to effective interaction is the recognition of different roles and motivations of stakeholders. A universal message “for all” has long ceased to work in the energy sector.
The state thinks in terms of energy system stability and security of supply. Communities – in terms of specific local benefits and risks. Investors – in terms of predictability and clear rules of the game.
Therefore, an effective strategy should be built not around a single message, but around a single narrative adapted to each audience. This is especially important in the context of decentralized generation, when energy projects are physically present in communities and become part of their daily lives.
– What practical outcome will participants gain from your modules and how will this knowledge help them in their daily work?
– My key focus is on practical tools and applied skills that can be immediately applied in their daily work. Participants will learn better ori to operate in the regulatory environment, understand the logic of state institutions’ actions and build systemic interaction with stakeholders.
I am sure that this knowledge will be useful regardless of whether a person works in a company, industry association or consulting, because this is not about abstract theory, but about daily work with real challenges of the industry.
The regulatory environment, interaction with stakeholders and work with public institutions in the energy sector today require not only expertise, but also a clear understanding of the logic of processes and roles of all participants. As Nataliya Korobenko emphasizes, effective communication in the industry is a combination of a systemic approach, correctly formulated messages and the ability to speak to each audience in its language.
It is precisely on such applied skills that the course “Communications and Interaction in Energy” (2.0) from Energy Club is focused. The knowledge and tools that participants will receive will allow them not only to better navigate regulatory processes, but also to build more effective interaction with the state, communities, investors, and media in the face of constant changes in the energy sector of Ukraine.
