MARES Annual Conference 2025
Third Edition

Date: November 12, 2025
Venue: Hotel Limak, Skopje, North Macedonia

 

Conference Overview

The MARES 2025 Conference focuses on building a coordinated, sustainable, and low-carbon energy future in the region. Under this theme, the event brings together policymakers, regulators, investors, technology providers, and civil society to explore financial mechanisms, regulatory frameworks, smart grids, and renewable integration strategies. The goal is to turn the challenges of energy transition — market volatility, grid integration, and regulatory complexity — into opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and regional leadership in clean energy.

Agenda Highlights

Opening & Welcome Session

  • 08:30 – 09:00 | Arrivals and Registration
  • 09:00 – 09:30 | Opening and Welcome Remarks

PANEL 1:  From Chaos to Order

In a rapidly changing energy landscape, new mechanisms are shaping the path from volatility to stability. This panel will explore how Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) can bring clarity and coordination to an increasingly complex system:

  • Financial Stability through CfDs – A mechanism that secures predictable revenues for renewable projects, lowers investor risk, and accelerates clean energy deployment.
  • Regulatory Balance through CBAM – A framework that levels the playing field by integrating carbon costs into trade, promoting fair competition and low-carbon production.
  • From Chaos to Coordination – How these instruments together align policy, finance, and markets to deliver a structured, sustainable energy transition.
  • Bridging Public and Private Sectors – The role of governments, banks, and regulators in turning energy disorder into opportunity and long-term climate resilience.

PANEL 2:  Smart Grid — Powering the Energy Transition

Integrating renewable energy sources into existing grids is transforming how power systems are managed, financed, and optimized. This panel explores the key challenges and solutions driving this transformation:

  • Integration Challenges – How variable renewable generation affects grid stability, reliability, and daily balancing.
  • Aging Infrastructure – The limitations of traditional networks in accommodating new, decentralized energy flows.
  • Regional Experiences – Lessons learned from the Western Balkans and neighboring countries in overcoming grid and market integration barriers.
  • Smart Solutions – The role of digitalization, automation, and real-time monitoring in building adaptive, intelligent grids.
  • Future Outlook – How coordinated planning, investment, and innovation can turn current constraints into opportunities for a resilient, low-carbon energy system.

PANEL 3:  Panels, Wind Blades, and Batteries — The Hardware of the Green Revolution

This panel convenes leaders from wind, solar, and battery sectors to discuss large-scale renewable energy projects with an emphasis on regional impact and relevance across the Western Balkans and neighboring countries:

  • Regional Insights – Practical lessons and experiences from PV, wind, and storage projects within the region.
  • Context-Specific Challenges – Addressing technical, operational, and investment hurdles unique to regional energy systems.
  • Grid Resilience – How battery storage and hybrid systems enhance stability and flexibility.
  • Innovation & Learning – Sharing successful approaches and emerging technologies driving the green energy transition.

PANEL 4:  Navigating Policy for a Renewable Future

This panel examines how energy law and policy shape the renewable transition, highlighting the experiences of regulators, policymakers, and civil society:

  • Real-World Regulatory Challenges – Insights from those creating energy legislation in dynamic and complex markets.
  • Policy Design & Environmental Priorities – Exploring hurdles, and strategies for effective renewable energy policy.
  • Civil Society Engagement – The crucial role of NGOs and advocacy groups in influencing energy and climate policy.
  • Aligning Law with Action – How collaboration between regulators, lawmakers, and stakeholders drives a practical, low-carbon energy transition.

 

CLOSING REMARKS

14:45 – 15:00

NETWORKING LUNCH

  • 15:00 – 17:00

This event provides a platform for exchanging ideas, forging partnerships, and discussing the future of renewable energy in the region. We encourage all interested in the future of the energy sector to attend.

For further details or inquiries, please contact us at: info@mares.mk.

Note: The MARES Organizational Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to the agenda.

Event supporters

General Supporters

Platinum Sponsorship

Golden Sponsorship

Silver Sponsorship

Organizers

Contributors

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