Dr Patrick Keatley Appointed CEO of EnergyCloud Northern Ireland

EnergyCloud Northern Ireland is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Patrick Keatley as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Dr Keatley is an expert on the role of citizens in future energy systems, and the value of flexibility delivered by smart, customer-owned assets. He is a lecturer in energy policy at Ulster University, and has published extensively on the economics of citizen-owned energy resources and the role of the social housing sector in providing flexibility to renewables-dominated energy systems. Patrick has also been closely involved in EnergyCloud’s work to date as a founding Director of EnergyCloud Northern Ireland. He has given evidence to the Westminster Northern Ireland Affairs Committee and supported the Northern Ireland Government and the NI Housing Executive in the development of their Net Zero Energy Strategies.

Commenting on the appointment, Jamie Delargy, Chairperson of EnergyCloud Northern Ireland said:

“I’m delighted to announce Dr Patrick Keatley’s appointment as CEO of EnergyCloud Northern Ireland at a pivotal moment for our organisation and for the wider energy transition. Patrick brings a rare combination of technical credibility, policy insight and a deep understanding of how communities and citizens can be empowered to participate in, and benefit from, a renewables led energy system.

“His experience spans academic research, real world delivery and constructive engagement with policymakers and public bodies. That blend will be invaluable as we build momentum in Northern Ireland, strengthening partnerships across the energy and housing sectors and scaling practical solutions that help tackle fuel poverty while making better use of surplus renewable generation.”

Dr Patrick Keatley, CEO of EnergyCloud Northern Ireland, added:

“I’m delighted to be taking on this role at such an exciting time for EnergyCloud Northern Ireland. I’ve been involved in EnergyCloud since its creation at Ulster University as part of the SPIRE 2 project in 2020, and it has been inspiring to see how the organisation has grown since then.

“The success of EnergyCloud Ireland and the more recent launch of EnergyCloud England, EnergyCloud Scotland and now EnergyCloud Germany shows the momentum behind the model. The core idea is simple: it’s better to use clean, local energy to help households in need, rather than waste it, but it takes real collaboration with committed partners to turn that idea into reality.

“We have serious work to do. In Northern Ireland, over the last five years alone, we have wasted wind energy with a retail value of over £750 million. At the same time, families in need have had to live with the reality of fuel poverty; cold, damp homes, having to choose between eating or heating, and poor health outcomes. So we face a major challenge, but also a major opportunity.

“I’m greatly looking forward to building on the fantastic work already done by EnergyCloud Northern Ireland with our partners in SONI, NIE Networks, National Energy Action, RenewableNI, Budget Energy, Click Energy, Share Energy, SSE Airtricity, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Radius Housing, NB Housing and Action Renewables and others, so that the benefits of free, clean energy can be shared with many more families in need.”