Unlocking the Grid: How Tech and Local Planning Can Solve Europe’s Capacity Crisis.
As Europe accelerates electrification, its aging power grids face severe capacity bottlenecks, leading to connection queues, renewable curtailment, and regional price shocks.
Resolving this grid crisis requires shifting away from slow, reactive infrastructure expansion toward proactive strategic planning and local solutions. By combining digital smartgrid tools, localized demand flexibility, and integrated Local Energy Action Plans (LEAPs), energy systems can unlock “hidden” grid capacity, optimize current assets, and build regional resilience. The COPPER project is preparing European municipalities to coordinate green locally powered cities. Meet the stakeholders and introduce your company’s technology as part of the solution.
Program:
08.30 Doors open
09:00 Welcome by host Erlend Solem
09:02 Introduction by Sindre Nilsskog(H) Chair of the Committee on Environment, Business, and Transport
09:07: Key note 1 E.DSO Charles Esser Copper Europe in red - what is a LEAP
09:17 Key note 2 Sam Goodall - Are we ready for business?
09.27 Tensio’s challenges and how we are handling them v. Audhild Kvam
09:40 Panel part 1
10:05 Panel part 2
10:25 Closing statement v/Erlend Solem
The panels:
Charles Esser, General Secretary E.DSO
Audhild Kvam, CEO Tensio
Eirik Rygvold, CEO Lunera Energy
Asgeir Tomasgaard, Director NTNU Energy Transition Initiative
Sam Goodall, Cambridge Clean Tech
Thomas Bjørdal, Renergy(FI)
Charles Esser Secretary general of E.DSO
Charles Esser Secretary general of E.DSO since 2023. Before then he was with CEER for over six years and Secretary General since April 2019. Previously, he was an independent consultant and journalist, an analyst with the International Energy Agency, the International Crisis Group in Brussels and the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Audhild Kvam CEO Tensio
Audhild Kvam is the CEO of Tensio, a Norwegian regional power grid operator. She stepped into the role in March 2024. Before joining Tensio, she worked as the CEO of Sit (the student welfare organization in Trondheim, Gjøvik, and Ålesund) and held leadership roles at Enova SF and Powel ASA.
Eirik Rygvold CEO Lunera Energy
Eirik Mediås Rygvold is the CEO of Lunera Energi (formerly Statkraft Varme in Trondheim and Stjørdal). He holds a Master of Science from NTNU and has extensive leadership experience within district heating and industrial production.
