Solar Connection: a joint Eurelectric and SolarPower Europe event

Maria da Graça Carvalho is currently a member of the European Parliament. She is vice-chair of the Fisheries Committee (PECH), a full Member of Industry, Research and Energy committee (ITRE) and a substitute member of Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and Women’s Rights (FEMM) committees. She was a senior advisor to Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, from November 2014 to December 2015. Previously, she was a member of the European Parliament between July 2009 and May 2014. In that capacity, she was one of the rapporteurs of Horizon 2020. She was also Principal Adviser to President Barroso in the fields of Science, Higher Education, Innovation, Research Policy, Energy, Environment and Climate Change from 2006 to 2009. She served as a Minister of Science and Higher Education of the XV Constitutional Government of Portugal and Minister of Science, Innovation and Higher Education of the XVI Constitutional Government. She is a Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico (University of Lisbon).

Seán Kelly has been a member of the European Parliament for Ireland South since 2009. He is the current leader of Ireland's Fine Gael (EPP) party in the European Parliament.

 Mr. Kelly sits on the European Parliament's Committees on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), International Trade (INTA) and Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). He is a member of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the United Kingdom and of the Delegation for relations with countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In 2015, MEP Kelly led discussions in the ITRE committee as a rapporteur ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement at which the historic global agreement was finalised. He also attended COP 27 in Egypt last year as part of the European Parliament delegation. In 2016, he worked on a New Deal for Energy Consumers, which highlighted the ways to ensure a consumer-focused energy transition.

 MEP Kelly worked as EPP shadow rapporteur for the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive in the last Parliamentary Term, which reached an agreement with the Bulgarian Presidency on an EU Renewable Energy target of 32%, along with other important provisions that will see more renewables in heating and cooling and transport. The legislation also empowers citizens to participate in the transition to renewable energy.

In 2018, MEP Kelly was appointed ITRE Committee rapporteur on the new InvestEU programme which will use a budgetary guarantee to mobilise investment into Sustainable Infrastructure, Research and Innovation, SMEs, and social investment and skills.

MEP Kelly was Rapporteur of an Implementation Report on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which the Parliament voted in favour with an overwhelming majority in December 2021. Currently, MEP Kelly is EPP Rapporteur for the recast of the same Directive, which is currently being discussed in inter-institutional negotiations, and remains very active in the ITRE Committee in relation to the "Fit for 55" package.

Kerstin Jorna is a German national and a civil servant at the European Commission where she has held various positions, amongst others as Head of Cabinet of several Commissioners and different Director posts. Mrs. Jorna is the Director-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

Before, Mrs. Jorna was Deputy Director-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. Mrs. Jorna also held positions on the Board of the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund as well as the European Innovation Council Fund.

Joachim Balke has been Head of Unit for Infrastructure and regional cooperation in DG Energy since November 2019. He held previous posts in the Commission in the Cabinets of Energy Commissioners Guenther Oettinger and Miguel Arias Cañete, as well as in the units dealing with Renewable Energy and Energy Taxation (DG TAXUD).

He has previous experience working in the energy sector for a utility group, as well as in the European Parliament.

He holds a Masters Degree in European Studies from the College of Europe, Natolin.

Walburga is the Chief Executive Officer of SolarPower Europe. She is responsible for the overall performance of the association. Her previous experience includes her roles as Head of the EU Representation Office at VERBUND for nine years; Advisor of Financial and Capital Markets at The Association of German Public Banks and Association of Public Banks (VÖB / EAPB); Competition lawyer at Haarmann Hemmelrath; A Parliamentary Assistant to Austrian MEP and experience in the DG Competition Merger Control Task Force. Walburga has also been a Board Member of Hydrogen Europe. 

Walburga holds a degree in Law and Business Administration from Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck. She speaks German, English, Dutch and French.

Lisa leads E3G’s Climate Neutral Energy Systems programme at E3G. She has a decade of experience shaping energy regulation and politics in Europe and globally for a faster transition - using technical and political analysis as well as convening high level conversations. Before joining E3G, Lisa worked for the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (now BEIS) on climate finance. She also worked as an Economic Adviser for the UK Department for Transport, shaping the country’s multi-billion rail investment plans and advising on the commercial negotiating of various major rail procurements. Lisa holds a MSc in Political Economy of Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies as well as a BA in International Relations from the Technical University of Dresden in Germany.

Kristian Ruby took over as Secretary General of Eurelectric, effective 1 January 2017. Prior to his appointment, he worked at WindEurope as part of the Executive Management team where, in his capacity as Chief Policy Officer, he was in charge of developing and implementing the political strategy of the association. Mr Ruby previously also held positions as assistant to the former European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard and served, for a number of years, as a public servant in the Danish Ministries of Climate and Energy as well as Environment.

Louise Rullaud is the head of the Distribution Team at Eurelectric. In this role, she oversees the policy issues related to distribution networks and Eurelectric’s business intelligence activities. She is engaged in different topics such as flexibility, digitalisation of the power system, planning and investment or grid integration of distributed energy resources.  Before that and for 3 years, she worked in the legal department of the French Energy Regulator (“CRE”). She holds a master’s degree in Business Law & Business Administration with a specialisation in sectoral regulation from Paris Dauphine University.

Naomi Chevillard is SolarPower Europe's Head of Regulatory Affairs. In this role, she coordinates the regulatory analysis and position developments of the association. She is also responsible for SolarPower Europe’s Advocacy Committee. Prior to joining SolarPower Europe, Naomi Chevillard has worked for in the Directorate for European Affairs for the French TSO RTE in its Brussels office. She also worked in Paris for the SGAE, the European Affairs secretariat to the Prime Minister, as well as in the offshore wind sector, for Eoliennes en Mer, the consortium gathering ENGIE, EDPR and Caisse des Dépôts.