Mr John Traynor is an electrical engineer with over 30 years experience of all aspects of the electricity sector - which has evolved greatly in this period. A transmission engineer initially, his career in Ireland and overseas has also included responsibilities for energy efficiency and demand side management, renewable energies, market systems, and regulatory and competitive aspects of evolving power markets. He has been a seconded national expert (“Electricity Expert”) with the Energy Directorate of the European Commission. Until 2003, he was with EURELECTRIC, the representative body for the power sector in Europe and beyond, where he was responsible for both the Energy Policy and Generation working structure and the Networks working structure. In this role he was responsible for both SYSTINT and SYSTMED, joint working groups with UCTE and concerned with promoting electricity interconnections. Since 2004, he is a Senior Consultant with ESB International, based in Dublin, and involved in broad-scope power sector consulting internationally.