Utilities in North America have long had a room like this. Europe has not. This October, LiveEO is convening the first European equivalent: Trees & the Grid, a closed-door forum for the people who own vegetation management and grid operations at European utilities. It is free to attend, by application, and the room is utility-only.
Why we are convening it
Vegetation management has moved from routine maintenance to a board-level concern. Climate and wildfire risk are rising, the grid is expanding under Europe's energy transition, and the calls behind reliability, cost, and liability are getting harder to make. Yet the people making them have had no dedicated European forum in which to compare what actually worked, including what did not.
So we are building one, and then staying off the stage. No product pitches, no vendor speaking slots. Sessions are presented by utility practitioners, with academics, regulators, and insurers where they add to the conversation.
What is on the programme
One evening of opening and networking on 14 October, then a full day of 30-minute sessions and hands-on workshops on 15 October. Confirmed so far:
- What if the grid had nothing to hide? Prof. Dr. Kathrin Goldammer, Director of the Reiner Lemoine Institut, on open data and the holistic energy system.
- The business case for ecological corridor management. Michael Wahl, ECM pioneer at Westnetz, on the realistic numbers and the financial mechanics behind ECM.
- Who pays for greener corridors? Monika Božíková (ZSD) and Katarína Varcholová (VSD) on the EU funding routes open to grid operators for right-of-way management and new ecological corridors.
- A view across the pond. How AEP brought satellite vegetation management into its operations at scale, and what transfers to Europe.
- Your toughest VM challenge, in good company. A small-group peer consulting workshop: bring a real problem, leave with your peers' answers.
The full programme will be published on the event website.
Who is in the room
The forum is built for the senior stakeholders who run these programmes day to day. Utilities registered so far include E-Redes, Enedis, ESB, Západoslovenská distribučná, VSE, Tensio, MEDAS and GDZ Elektrik.
Join us in Berlin
Trees & the Grid takes place at betahaus in Berlin-Kreuzberg, a minute from U Kochstraße. Places are limited and every registration is reviewed to keep the room senior and utility-only, so it is worth applying early.
Full details, the programme as it fills up, and the venue are all at treesandthegrid.eu.
Register your place
We look forward to seeing you in Berlin!
