Featured in over 90 publications including BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Financial Times, Metro, CNN, Bloomberg and Euronews

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Areas of expertise

<aside> <img src="/icons/light-bulb_gray.svg" alt="/icons/light-bulb_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Energy infrastructure management and optimisation

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<aside> <img src="/icons/globe_gray.svg" alt="/icons/globe_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Green energy, climate resilience & ESG

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<aside> <img src="/icons/laptop_gray.svg" alt="/icons/laptop_gray.svg" width="40px" /> The role of digital solutions in facilitating the energy transition

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Key facts

<aside> <img src="/icons/briefcase_gray.svg" alt="/icons/briefcase_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Taco has extensive experience in the green energy and infrastructure sector, having held senior positions at top global firms and innovative tech companies

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<aside> <img src="/icons/leaf_gray.svg" alt="/icons/leaf_gray.svg" width="40px" /> An expert on issues related to green energy, resilience, and the grid, Taco’s commentary has featured in over 90 publications worldwide including BBC, CNN, and The Guardian

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<aside> <img src="/icons/gears_gray.svg" alt="/icons/gears_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Through his working at Neara, he’s helping utilities adopt a proactive approach to infrastructure management and optimisation

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Taco Engelaar is Senior Vice President & Managing Director at Neara, one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies. Neara’s predictive modelling software harnesses AI and digital modelling technology to increase grid resilience, maximise network capacity, and bring critical new infrastructure online faster. Their solutions give utilities granular insights into every inch of their networks, allowing them to make crucial decisions quickly, and with confidence.

Taco leads Neara’s team and operations in the UK and Europe, building partnerships and developing relationships across the continent. He also oversees Neara’s international expansion in the EMEA & LATAM regions.

Having held senior positions at top international firms, Taco has extensive experience in the energy & infrastructure sector. Prior to Neara, he was the Senior Client Strategist & Industry lead for PwC and Global Business Development & Energy Sector Strategy Lead at law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.

A leading expert on issues related to energy infrastructure, network resilience and the transition to green energy, Taco’s insights have featured in major national and international publications including the BBC, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Telegraph and CNN. Please see below for an overview of his previous media and public speaking experience, including written thought leadership, broadcast and podcast interviews, and live events.

<aside> <img src="/icons/link_gray.svg" alt="/icons/link_gray.svg" width="40px" /> https://neara.com/

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Taco Engelaar

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💬Expert commentary

Yesterday evening I was able to join the BBC News' global broadcast hosted… | Taco Engelaar | 16 comments

Spain and Portugal power outage: what caused it, and was there a cyber-attack?

Majority of UK’s energy networks are 'under-utilised' - Utility Week

Blackout, Fire Warnings Flashed From Home Sensors Hours Before Crises

What could have caused the major power outage in Spain and Portugal?

London Underground crippled by substation fire

Map shows flood warnings in place with Storm Darragh set to hit the UK

How utilities can brace against wildfire risk

🗣️Speaking engagements

<aside> <img src="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" alt="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Energy Tech Summit Bilbao, Spain (April 2025) Taco was a speaker on the panel ‘The hidden power of green energy: how software is speeding up renewable deployment and enhancing asset management efficiency’, exploring how digital solutions can accelerate the shift to sustainable energy.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" alt="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Chatham House Climate and Energy Summit London, United Kingdom (March 2025) Taco participated in a session entitled ‘What does the future of climate tech look like?’, where he discussed how the grid can be both a blocker and an enabler in the energy transition alongside a panel of industry experts and journalists.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" alt="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Enlit Europe Milan, Italy (October 2024) Taco delivered a presentation exploring why a proactive approach to network optimisation is the most crucial factor in achieving a resilient energy transition.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" alt="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Global Transmission Report’s Offshore Wind Transmission Conference London, United Kingdom (June 2024) Taco was took part in the ’Solutions for Addressing Transmission Constraints’ panel discussion, which explored the complex challenges posed by transmission constraints on the path to Net Zero. He discussed the steps needed to overcome grid constraints and boost renewable energy capacity.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" alt="/icons/megaphone_gray.svg" width="40px" /> New Civil Engineer Flood Resilience Conference London, United Kingdom (April 2024) Taco delivered a presentation exploring how technology such as Neara’s AI powered digital twin for electric utilities, could improve infrastructure resilience and bolster the grid.

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