Kilkenny man appointed CEO of newly-established clean energy think tank

Kilkenny man Conall Bolger has been appointed as the CEO of the newly-established energy think tank Trifecta Ireland.

Mr Bolger is originally from The Rower, Kilkenny and attended Good Counsel College in New Ross.

Trifecta aims to develop a credible vision and roadmap for transforming how we produce, use and manage energy. The plan will lay out clear, practical steps to reach a zero-carbon energy system by 2050. Trifecta will deliver projects focused on shorter term decarbonisation wins, developing energy that is clean, secure, and affordable.
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Mr Bolger has worked in renewable energy for almost two decades including roles with Airtricity, Mainstream Renewable Power, Cornwall Insight and the Crown Estate. He was most recently the CEO of Solar Ireland (recently rebranded from the Irish Solar Energy Association) since 2021.

During his time as CEO of Solar Ireland, he successfully advocated for numerous changes in national policy to support solar power and renewables more broadly. Results related to this advocacy included: solar dominating Ireland’s Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auctions account for 73% of RESS capacity; the removal of planning restrictions for rooftop solar panels; and the introduction of a 0% VAT rate for solar panels. Over that time Ireland’s solar capacity grew from 3MW to nearly 1,700MW.
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 “Ireland has an abundance of natural resources and human capability to power our future through wind and solar energy," said Mr Bolger.

"This energy transformation offers a profound opportunity for everyone in our society to benefit. What needs further development is a unified vision and defined masterplan. Trifecta Ireland will work with government and industry stakeholders to build out that plan and aims to be a constructive positive voice in Irish energy policy. I look forward to leading these efforts.”