Energy Transition in a Digital Age: Policy, Systems, and the Future of Resilient Energy Systems

Lecture Outline

This lecture explores how the energy transition process is being redefined in an increasingly digitalised and interconnected energy system. As the global energy transition accelerates, traditional concepts of security, affordability, and sustainability are expanding to include data, system resilience, and cyber-physical risks. Digitalisation is both an enabler and a vulnerability, reshaping how energy systems are planned, operated, and governed.

The session will focus on three key dimensions:

• Energy security in transition, from fossil-based dependencies to electrified and digitalized systems
• Digitalization of energy (including non-electricity) systems, including data, smart infrastructure, and system optimization.
• Policy and governance, addressing risks, resilience, and the role of institutions in managing increasingly complex energy systems

The lecture will provide a systems-level perspective on how policy frameworks can balance innovation, resilience, and inclusivity in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

About the Lecturer

Andrei Covatariu is an international energy and climate policy expert working at the intersection of energy transition, geopolitics, and digitalization, holding multiple roles across leading international organizations and think tanks.

He serves as a Co-Chair of the “Digitalization in Energy” Task Force at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. He holds degrees in nuclear engineering, business administration, and public policy from the University of Oxford, with additional research experience at the Harvard Kennedy School.