FREE Ireland event press release

Published: 13.03.2026

On 4 March, the FREE Initiative hosted the third high-level policy breakfast on rural energy, focused on Ireland, and titled “Local energy: Europe’s competitive edge”.

The debate brought together diverse stakeholders to discuss how different energy solutions can strengthen rural businesses’ competitiveness while advancing the energy transition in Ireland and Europe.

The discussion panel featured policymakers from the European Commission, representatives of EU institutions, business organisations, and energy providers, who exchanged perspectives on the challenges faced by rural businesses and communities in Ireland and the EU, and on the policy solutions needed to ensure the transition to a low-carbon energy system.

We had the pleasure to engage in a meaningful discussion with a high-level panel:

• Eero Ailio, Adviser for the Energy Transition and Local Governance, Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER), European Commission
• Stoyan Tchoukanov, President of the Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT) Section, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
• Neil Willoughby, Head of EU Policy, Ibec
• Duncan Osborne, CEO, Calor Ireland

A few key takeaways from the discussions can be found below:

• Competitiveness and decarbonisation must go hand in hand: Ensuring affordable and reliable energy will be key to maintaining the competitiveness of rural businesses.
• A diversified energy mix is essential: While renewables remain the long-term objective, a mix of solutions will be needed in the short and medium term to ensure energy security.
• Rural areas offer strong potential: With available space and resources, rural regions can play a major role in deploying renewable and local energy solutions.
• Simplification and infrastructure investment are needed: Administrative barriers, grid capacity constraints, and slow implementation of legislation continue to delay energy investments.
• An inclusive transition is critical: Policies must ensure rural businesses and communities are supported and not left behind in the energy transition.

We look forward to continuing this conversation and working together to support rural communities and businesses across Europe in the energy transition. The next event, focused on Poland, will take place in July 2026.

The FREE Initiative will continue to foster dialogue on the future of rural energy and the role local solutions can play in strengthening Europe’s energy resilience and competitiveness.