Geneva Energy Forum upcoming events

GEF Monthly Luncheon. From Assets to Networks: Weather, Exposure and Risk in an Interconnected Energy System (11 Nov 2026)

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 11:00:00 GMT

GEF Monthly Luncheon

From Assets to Networks: Weather, Exposure and Risk in an Interconnected Energy System

Speaker:

Dr Rodney Garrard

Geo Energy Advisor, Arch Insurance

Presentation Title

From Assets to Networks: Weather, Exposure and Risk in an Interconnected Energy System

Synopsis

Traditional approaches to risk assessment were developed for a world in which assets could largely be evaluated in isolation, and catastrophe risk was primarily a function of geographic accumulation. Today's energy system is fundamentally different. Electricity grids, natural gas networks, data centres, communications systems, water resources and industrial infrastructure are becoming increasingly interconnected, creating new pathways through which disruption can propagate across sectors and regions.

As the industry moves beyond asset risk and accumulation risk toward understanding network risk, weather variability, infrastructure concentration and system interdependence are becoming critical drivers of resilience and loss. Drawing on examples ranging from major grid failures to the rapid growth of energy-intensive data centres, Rodney Garrard explores why the next frontier in risk assessment lies not in understanding individual assets, but in understanding the networks and dependencies that connect them.

Key Themes

1. Weather as a System-Wide Risk Driver

How extreme weather increasingly affects multiple infrastructure systems simultaneously, creating cascading impacts across electricity, gas, water, communications and industrial networks.

2. From Asset Risk to Network Risk

Why the greatest vulnerabilities increasingly emerge not within individual assets, but in the dependencies and interconnections linking modern energy, digital and industrial systems.

3. The Next Generation of Risk Assessment

Why traditional approaches based on asset and accumulation risk must evolve to better capture infrastructure concentration, system interdependence and the behaviour of complex networks under stress.

Location:

12:00–14:00, Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Hotel d’Angleterre, Quai du Mont-Blanc 17, 1201 Geneva

Speaker

Dr Rodney Garrard

Geo Energy Advisor, Arch Insurance

Speaker Biography

Dr Rodney Garrard is a geologist and energy risk specialist with more than 25 years of international experience spanning energy, geoscience and insurance.

He began his career in the upstream oil and gas industry, working across five continents on subsurface characterisation, drilling, and risk assessment. He later contributed to Switzerland's geological disposal programme for radioactive waste before joining Arch Insurance as Geo Energy Advisor.

In his current role, he advises on energy transition technologies, infrastructure resilience, and emerging risks. He is also a regular writer and speaker on energy and risk-related topics and the author of the forthcoming book Rock Hard Truths.

GEF Monthly Luncheon (9 Dec 2026)

Wed, 09 Dec 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Save the Date: GEF Monthly Luncheon

Location: Hotel d’Angleterre, Geneva

Status: Speaker Selection in Progress We are currently evaluating several high-caliber speakers for our upcoming luncheon. True to the mission of the Geneva Energy Forum, our sessions provide a balanced and insightful look into the most pressing issues in the energy space.