24.04.2026
The Energy Club team continues to systematically strengthen its expert component by attracting professionals with deep practical experience in the energy sector. Iryna Dmytrotsa has joined the Club — an executive with over 20 years of practice in energy, combining experience in corporate governance, regulatory policy, and commercial activities in the electricity market.
Her arrival comes at a time when Ukrainian energy is undergoing one of its most difficult transformation stages — amidst wartime challenges, the need for infrastructure restoration, adaptation to European rules, and the search for a balance between regulatory requirements and the financial stability of companies. In these conditions, not only rapid decisions but also the ability to form systemic, economically sound approaches to market development are of particular importance.
As an Advisor to the President of Energy Club, Iryna Dmytrotsa will contribute to the preparation of analytical materials, the formulation of the club’s positions on key issues of energy market development, the processing of regulatory initiatives, and the enhancement of expert support for communication with government authorities and market participants. Strengthening the Energy Club team with specialists of this caliber is part of the club’s systematic work aimed at improving the quality of professional dialogue in energy and protecting the interests of transparent business.
In an interview with Energy Club journalist Olena Karvachova, Iryna Dmytrotsa outlined the key challenges currently facing the industry, explained why the predictability of the regulatory environment is critical for investment and stable operations, and emphasized the need to move from declarative dialogue to the preparation of professional solutions that consider both business interests and state priorities.
The expert paid special attention to the financial sustainability of energy companies, the transformation of corporate governance, the development of new market models, specifically energy storage systems, and the role of Energy Club as a center for consolidating expertise, a platform for professional dialogue, and a catalyst for practical market changes.
– Ms. Iryna, you have joined the Energy Club team at a time when the energy sector is going through a difficult stage of transformation. What was your main motivation for accepting this offer?
– For me, this is a logical step in my professional development. Throughout my career, I have worked in both business and the sphere of regulatory policy, so I understand how important high-quality dialogue between all market participants is. Energy Club is precisely the platform where this dialogue can be practical and productive rather than just declarative. I am interested in joining such a large community and contributing to the formation of solutions that will benefit the entire industry.
– Your professional experience combines corporate governance, regulatory policy, commercial activities, and operational processes. How does this diverse background help you better see the real needs of the market?
– This experience gives me a comprehensive, systemic vision. When you know how the engineering component works, understand the logic of commercial operations in markets (from Day-Ahead to Balancing), and then look at it through the lens of strategic management, you see the system as a whole.
I know how a regulatory resolution looks on paper in an office, and how it sometimes “hits” the real operational processes of DSOs or other market participants. This allows me to propose solutions that are not only legally correct but also viable for business. I understand how regulatory decisions are formed, how they affect the operational activities of companies, and what challenges arise at the implementation level. This helps not just to analyze the situation, but to propose solutions that are realistic and implementable.
– Having worked both in distribution system operators and in structures related to regulatory policy, which systemic problems in the energy market require the most attention from the professional community today?
– I would speak not of problems per se, but rather of areas for development. Today, the keys are the balance between regulatory requirements and the economic sustainability of companies, the predictability of rules, and increasing management efficiency. Currently, we are talking about the need to develop energy storage systems, smart grids, and decentralization, but we often encounter archaic approaches to tariff setting and tangled PSO mechanisms.
The number one systemic problem is the financial depletion of companies against the backdrop of colossal needs for restoration and modernization. The gap between the technical needs of the power system — including the very urgent issue of the physical protection of critical infrastructure — and the financial-regulatory capabilities of companies requires the most attention right now. These are issues that require the joint effort of all market participants and the state.
– To what extent do Ukrainian energy companies currently lack not just regulatory changes, but specifically the predictability of the “rules of the game”?
– They lack it catastrophically. Predictability is a key factor for the investment attractiveness of the industry and stable, projected operations. Business is ready to adapt to changes, but it is vital that these changes are clear, consistent, and have a sufficient planning horizon. Investments, whether in new generation or various IT platforms, are calculated for years ahead. Without stable rules of the game, it is impossible to attract external capital or plan internal budgets. Today, Ukrainian energy needs not so much “perfect” rules as clear and unchanging ones, at least in the medium term.
– In your new role as Advisor to the President of Energy Club, what do you plan to focus on first (analytics, regulatory issues, positions for dialogue with the state, support for Club members)?
– Primarily, it will be the combination of analytics and practice. For me, it is important to form balanced market positions, strengthen dialogue with state authorities, and help Club members find solutions that work in reality. Creating a high-quality analytical base for an argumentative dialogue with the state will help shift the focus from emotional discussion to the realm of figures, strategies, and concrete proposals.
My recent education in public administration provides me with the necessary tools for this. We must move away from the format of simply voicing market problems and focus on preparing professional documents that propose specific regulatory changes and models that account for both the business interests of Club members and national resilience priorities.
– Which topics do you consider the most sensitive for energy businesses right now: regulatory pressure, public procurement, corporate governance, financial sustainability, or relations with government authorities?
– Right now, it is not just one topic, but a combination of them — financial sustainability, the regulatory environment, and the quality of corporate governance. All these factors are interconnected. For example, if we highlight financial sustainability, it suffers directly from unbalanced regulatory pressure. Also, the issue of public procurement under martial law is extremely acute. Companies need flexibility for rapid recovery, but at the same time, transparency to maintain the trust of society and donors.
– You have practical experience in transforming internal processes in accordance with NEURC requirements. In your opinion, how ready are Ukrainian energy companies today for a modern management model where regulatory requirements are combined with business efficiency?
– They are ready! Ukrainian companies have already taken a significant step forward. The market is maturing. Most companies already realize that compliance with NEURC requirements is not just paperwork for an audit, but the foundation for legal and profitable operation. However, the balance between strict regulation and business efficiency is still being sought. Often, companies lack internal flexibility and modern IT solutions to automate processes and free up resources for strategic planning.
– A separate part of your expertise is related to corporate governance. What mistakes in this area are most commonly made in energy companies today?
– Most often, it is a formal approach to implementing practices, insufficient attention to processes, and a gap between strategy and operations. When Supervisory Boards are created only “because the law requires it” rather than as a real tool for risk management and strategizing — that is, of course, ineffective. Another problem is the blurring of responsibility between shareholders, the Supervisory Board, and management. Effective corporate governance begins where there is a clear division of roles.
– What, in your opinion, is most lacking today in communication between business, the regulator, and state authorities: trust, professionalism, systematicity, or the ability to hear each other?
– The ability to hear each other and systematicity are what’s lacking most. Very often, communication looks like a set of monologues. Business comes with survival problems, the regulator — from a position of social protection or macro indicators. We lack a common denominator — the understanding that without a healthy business, there will be no reliable energy system for the consumer. It is important that communication be result-oriented and conducted from a position of dialogue.
– How do you see the role of Energy Club in current conditions? Is it primarily a platform for dialogue, a center of expertise, an instrument for protecting market interests, or a combination of all these functions?
– Energy Club is a combination of all these functions, a model of an energy cluster. In particular, it is a platform for dialogue, a center of expertise, and a tool for consolidating market positions. But above all — a center of intellectual leadership. We must turn energy into an attractive sector for young talents. Energy Club should become a platform where students of specialized universities can engage with real cases, receive mentorship from market leaders, and form a new vision for the industry.
I see Energy Club as a place of synergy, where energy experts set technological challenges and the IT sector develops innovative tools to increase market transparency and efficiency. We must become a center of expertise that helps member companies implement the most advanced technological solutions, combining technical necessity with regulatory compliance and business logic.
– Which areas of Energy Club’s work do you consider most promising in terms of real market impact in the coming months?
– If we talk about real impact on the market in the coming months, several strategic directions for Energy Club can be highlighted that will allow us to become a true catalyst for change.
In particular, the development of new market models (Energy Storage Systems and commercial trading). One of our priorities is helping to create a favorable environment for the deployment of energy storage systems (ESS) and the development of modern supply and trading models. Energy Club should act as an expert platform that helps businesses structure these processes, calculate effective business plans for new market entities, and propose and lobby for the necessary regulatory conditions for their operation.
The integration of the IT sector and digital transformation are also very important. Modern energy is about data. Our direction is to create strong synergy between energy businesses and IT specialists.
In addition, energy needs “fresh blood.” Therefore, forming a talent reserve (youth and students) is also a necessary perspective. Energy Club should become a bridge between the academic environment and business, where students receive mentorship from top managers and companies find new startups.
As we move toward full synchronization with European markets, we must unite the efforts of players to adapt to European rules (for example, the implementation of REMIT), helping Ukrainian companies remain competitive and transparent.
– Broadly speaking, what is the main prerequisite for the resilience of Ukrainian energy today: technical restoration, quality management, fair market rules, or the ability of the state and business to act in coordination?
– The ability of the state and business to act in coordination based on fair rules. Technical restoration is a consequence of having resources. Quality management is a tool for the efficient use of those resources. But without fair market rules and trust between stakeholders, the system will not work stably.
– What would you like to say to Energy Club members and the broader energy community at the start of this new page of your professional work?
– There is a lot of work ahead, and it requires us to move from competing for survival to cooperating for development. Our shared experience is a huge capital. I invite everyone to an open professional dialogue. Only together can we form an energy sector that not only stands firm but becomes the foundation and driver of economic growth.
For me, it is important to join this work so that together we can form solutions that will be beneficial for the development of the industry!
Today, Ukrainian energy is entering a phase where the key role is played not only by restoration but also by the quality of decisions that will determine its development for years to face. In these conditions, market demand is shifting from situational reactions to systemic work — with clear analytics, predictable rules, and responsibility for results.
The approach declared by Iryna Dmytrotsa is about moving from stating problems to forming solutions that can be implemented in practice. This very logic — the combination of expertise, dialogue, and applied analytics — forms a new quality of interaction between business, the regulator, and the state.
In this context, Energy Club is gradually establishing itself as an environment where market challenges are not only discussed but where tools for their solution are developed. And the ability of Ukrainian energy to move from survival mode to a model of sustainable development depends on how effective this work will be.
