The themes that defined Women in New Energy 2026

Today I attended the Women in New Energy (WiNE) by Energy Voice conference in Aberdeen, and I left with pages of notes, plenty of inspiration and one thought: the biggest challenges facing the energy sector are not technical. They’re human. Not that, that this unique to this sector…

Throughout the day, speakers explored everything from artificial intelligence and grid resilience to diversity, leadership and workforce development. Yet across every discussion, a common thread emerged: success will depend on people, communication and our ability to bring others with us.

Energy Is a People Challenge

One speaker summed it up perfectly: “It’s all a people challenge.”

As an industry, we often talk about technologies, infrastructure and investment. But the energy transition will only succeed if people understand it, trust it and see how it benefits them.

Too often, conversations about energy happen in an echo chamber, usually with the same voices. The reality is that most people (Joe Bloggs) aren’t thinking about gigawatts, electrification pathways or system resilience. They’re thinking about their bills, their homes and the future they want for their families.

That means we need to become better communicators.

We need to explain not just what we’re building, but why it matters. We need to make the topic of energy accessible, relevant and understandable. There is no silver bullet, and bringing people along on the journey will require clearer, more human conversations than ever before.

AI Is Changing the Conversation

Artificial intelligence featured heavily throughout the day, with discussions moving beyond AI as an assistant and towards AI as an active participant in decision-making and operations.

The opportunities are significant. AI has the potential to improve efficiency, strengthen grid resilience, support workforce planning and help manage increasingly complex energy systems. But alongside the opportunities come important questions.

Who controls the data? How is it used? Do organisational values align with the technology being implemented? How do we ensure governance keeps pace with innovation?

One point that particularly resonated with me was the role communicators can play in this space. Discussions around AI often focus on technology, policy and research, yet communication professionals are increasingly responsible for driving ethical adoption, managing risk, supporting implementation and helping organisations navigate change.

The future won’t be human or AI. It will be human and AI.

Diversity Is About More Than Representation

The discussions around diversity, equity and inclusion were refreshingly honest.

Several speakers spoke openly about being talked over, underestimated or finding themselves as the only woman in the room. While progress is being made, there is still work to do.

What stood out most was the emphasis on diversity of thought. The decisions being made in Scotland today will have global implications, and we need a broad range of experiences, perspectives and voices helping to shape those decisions.

Retention matters as much as recruitment. As one speaker challenged us to consider: why would we only want to recruit from 50% of the population?

Supporting women cannot begin at leadership level. It starts at the beginning of careers, through mentoring, sponsorship, relationship-building and helping people understand what success can realistically look like.

This Is the Time to Step Forward

One of my favourite reflections from the day was that now is the time to join the energy sector because it is still being built. It’s messy. It’s evolving. The answers don’t all exist yet. And that creates opportunity.

As well as attending WiNE today, I’m launching Voices That Power Change.

The aim is simple: to diversify the voices we hear at conferences, events, webinars, podcasts and industry discussions across Scotland’s energy sector.

You do not need previous speaking experience. You do not need to be a senior leader. You do not need to have all the answers.

If you have expertise, insight, lived experience or a perspective that could help shape the conversation, we (the industry!) want to hear from you.

The future of Scottish energy will be shaped by many different voices. Let’s make sure those voices are heard.

Have a read at the campaign page, sign yourself up and be sure to spread the word!