Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), has been announced as the first speaker for the highly anticipated keynote address.

POWER-GEN Europe and its co-located event Renewable Energy World Europe, the leading conference and exhibition for the international power and renewable industries, has confirmed Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), as the first speaker for the highly anticipated keynote address.

Ms van der Hoeven took office as Executive Director in September 2011. Her work at the IEA includes implementing a new Global Engagement Strategy to deepen institutional links with the major emerging energy players of the twenty-first century, and providing both the advocacy and the analytical foundation needed to expand modern energy services to the billions of people worldwide who currently lack them.

"The power sector will experience dramatic and permanent changes as electricity comes to dominate the energy system over the next several decades," says Ms van der Hoeven. "But shifting towards electricity is not a free ride, and we must actively manage the growth of electrification if we are to meet our goals for an economic, secure and low-carbon future. This conference highlights the importance of sharing research, innovative ideas, and new product designs in order to integrate cleaner solutions with existing fuel resources."

In recognition of the IEA's efforts to address the crisis of energy poverty, Ms van der Hoeven has been invited to serve on the Advisory Board to the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative. She is also involved with other major international energy institutions, contributing to the international energy dialogue at major events at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the WEF (World Economic Forum), the Clean Energy Ministerial, the EU, and the G20 amongst other organisations.

"We are thrilled that the IEA's executive director has agreed to speak at POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe 2015," says Nigel Blackaby, Director of Conferences, PennWell International UK. "Her previous governmental positions as Minister of Education, Culture, and Science and Minister of Economic Affairs, as well as her experience in leading economic policy at a regional, national, and global level, make her the ideal authority to address the conference on the energy transition that is currently changing Europe."

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About PennWell events

POWER-GEN Europe and Renewable Energy World Europe are owned and organised by PennWell Corporation. These events form part of a series staged annually in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and provide exhibitors with an international �one-stop-shop' for penetrating markets and presenting their products and services to a global audience. For delegates and visitors, the events offer a dedicated forum tailored to their specific regional needs, putting them in touch with suppliers of solutions to their particular problems. The conferences address topical issues critical to the development of power generation in the host region. For more information please visit www.powergeneurope.com

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