Welcome to the first edition of KPMG’s new power and utilities magazine, Plugged In, designed to be of interest to anyone with a connection to the industry.

Decarbonisation and electrification are twin trends that have come to define modern energy systems. The power and utilities (P&U) sector, particularly electricity generation, is undergoing dramatic change as a consequence. Renewable energy, both grid-scale and distributed, coupled with the digital revolution, alters the grid’s topology and adds colossal complexity to the electricity supply chain.

It’s no exaggeration to say that electricity underpins nearly every facet of modern life — without which our daily existence is threatened. To deliver the 24/7 service that society demands, P&U providers must remain solvent, efficient and secure in a volatile market with high capital and maintenance costs and talent scarcities, all while regulators place higher demands on the P&U sector to demonstrate it has done everything it can to avoid outages.

In Ireland, the Climate Action Plan 2021 has set a target of achieving up to 80% renewable energy in the national grid by 2030, and to reduce CO2 equivalent emissions from electricity generation by 62-81% in the same period. Balancing the pursuit of these ambitious targets while maintaining energy security and stabilising rising energy prices will likely prove to be a significant challenge in the coming months and years.

In this edition, we look at how companies can face up to the increasing levels of risk and resulting efforts to remain resilient and continue to power people, organisations and nations.

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KPMG Cyber Security Services

KPMG professionals have a deep industry-specific understanding of information security challenges in the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) sector, including IT and OT within power and utilities, oil and gas, renewables, chemicals and mining. KPMG’s global Cyber Security Services is an awardwinning cyber security consulting market leader. Our cyber security capabilities are truly global, with over 3,200 information security professionals working in KPMG firms across the world.

KPMG Cyber Security Services offers a four-pillar approach to present a globally consistent set of services. These services align with clients’ business priorities to provide reassurance and help them address the challenges they are tackling.

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