Clean energy advocate wins July award
The only Irish participant in the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader Class of 2026, has been named Cork Person of the Month for July in recognition of his work promoting the development of clean energy.
Killian Daly, Executive Director of non-profit organisation EnergyTag was chosen to join the World Economic Forum's latest Young Global Leaders Class for 2026 due to his groundbreaking work in the sustainability sector. This initiative brings together exceptional individuals under the age of 40 from a range of backgrounds to collaborate.
Through his work at EnergyTag, Killian plays a role in working towards a clean, affordable, and secure global power system that is available at all times, not just when it’s windy or sunny. The non-profit pushes for global reforms to reward the use of renewables, energy storage and flexible demand to deliver affordable, reliable clean electricity.
Killian is a passionate advocate for long duration batteries, which allow for the energy developed through solar farms or wind turbines to be stored and deployed for use when needed. He was invited to the White House along with other members of EnergyTag’s team during the Biden administration to discuss how their work can play a role in decarbonising the global economy.
From Rochestown, Killian’s potential was clear from a young age. He graduated from UCC with a First Class Honours degree in Energy Engineering in 2013. He went on to attend the University of Cambridge where he graduated with an MPhil in Energy Technologies in 2014, and gained an MBA from Paris’s Collège des Ingénieurs in 2015.
Killian said: “I am humbled to receive this recognition from my home county. Although I no longer live in Cork, it remains in my heart every day and my successes owe a great deal to my background in this city.”
Awards Organiser Manus O’Callaghan added: “Killian is a visionary whose work is playing an enormous role in creating a more sustainable future. By accelerating the transition towards renewable energy, he is building a vital legacy for future generations to inherit. It is a source of immense pride for Cork to see one of our own driving such important change on the world stage.”