On 15 September the 11th Business & Legal Energy Forum took place, bringing together government officials, energy business executives, regulators, industry associations, and market experts. UWEA served as the media partner for the forum. At the core of the discussions were the future of Ukrainian energy, power system resilience, the development of RES and Energy Storage, investment attraction, and the practical challenges of implementing energy projects in Ukraine.
Andriy Konechenkov, Chairman of the UWEA Board, participated in a strategic discussion on the role of RES and distributed generation in the future power system model, which was moderated by Olha Savchenko, Senior Partner at Altelaw&Sempra and Head of the UWEA Legal Committee.
Andriy Konechenkov outlined the current technical and regulatory boundaries for integrating new capacities and explained how to create the necessary conditions to unlock the investment potential of renewable energy. In his address, the Chairman of the UWEA Board noted:
“In 2026, Ukrainian wind energy may deliver the best performance in the entire history of the industry: as of early September, about 588 MW of wind capacity has already been connected to the grid, and by the end of the year, this figure could rise to 750–800 MW. The current surge is the result of pent-up demand and the gradual recovery of investment activity, which virtually came to a standstill following the outbreak of the full-scale war.
Interest in decentralized generation is also growing – from small-scale solar installations to multi-megawatt projects. Its key advantage is the ability to engage local communities and municipal investments in the energy sector. In my view, what communities currently lack most is information on the opportunities and specific nuances of such projects.
At the same time, grid connection, land acquisition, and financing remain among the industry’s primary bottlenecks. Green auctions are set to become the next vital milestone: the first of these, offering 700 MW, is scheduled for 30 September. Once issues surrounding flexible connection are resolved, investor interest in such projects is poised to increase further.”
According to the UWEA, under favorable conditions, Ukraine could significantly scale up its wind capacity by 2030. At the same time, Andriy Konechenkov highlighted the resilience of wind energy to war risks, noting that fewer than 1% of wind turbines have been damaged out of roughly 2.5 GW of wind turbine capacity installed in Ukraine.
Particular attention at the forum was devoted to BESS. In an open interview between Ihor Retivov, Head of the UWEA Committee on BESS Development and Implementation and Partner at Altelaw&Sempra, and Oleksandr Havva, Acting CEO of JSC “Market Operator”, the discussion centered on the regulatory framework, the economics of storage assets, market growth prospects, and the prerequisites for attracting capital.
The advancement of renewable energy was reflected not only in the discussions, but also in the forum’s operational practices. The electricity consumed during the event was fully certified through the redemption of Guarantees of Origin for electricity generated by wind power plants, redeemed on behalf of the forum by UWEA member company and leading wind producer Elementum Energy, thereby granting the forum carbon-neutral status.
