According to Silicon Republic, Full Stack Energy, a Limerick-headquartered energy technology company founded in 2007 by Liam Relihan, has announced its expansion into the US market through a partnership with Massachusetts-based energy market consultancy Skipping Stone. The Boston-headquartered consultancy, founded in 1996, maintains additional offices in Houston, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, bringing nearly three decades of energy markets experience to the collaboration. The partnership aims to deliver data-driven solutions targeting utilities, traders, and energy service providers facing complex challenges around decarbonization, renewables integration, and distributed energy management. Full Stack Energy CEO Liam Relihan emphasized that the partnership expands their US presence and amplifies their ability to help clients thrive in rapidly evolving energy markets, while Skipping Stone principal Eric Alam highlighted their shared non-traditional consulting approach. This transatlantic move represents a significant strategic expansion for the Irish clean tech sector.
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Strategic Timing in a Transforming Energy Landscape
The timing of this partnership couldn’t be more strategic, as the US energy sector faces unprecedented transformation driven by the Inflation Reduction Act’s substantial incentives for clean energy deployment. American utilities are grappling with integrating intermittent renewable resources while maintaining grid reliability, creating a perfect storm of complexity that requires both technological innovation and deep market understanding. Full Stack Energy brings European experience from markets that have been earlier adopters of renewable integration challenges, while Skipping Stone provides crucial navigation through the fragmented regulatory environment of US energy markets, where policies vary dramatically between states and regional transmission organizations.
Who Benefits and Who Faces Challenges
For utility companies, this partnership offers potential relief from the mounting pressure to decarbonize while managing aging infrastructure and evolving customer expectations around distributed energy resources. Energy traders stand to gain sophisticated tools for navigating increasingly volatile markets where renewable generation patterns create new pricing dynamics. However, smaller energy service providers may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage if they cannot access similar advanced solutions, potentially accelerating consolidation in the sector. The collaboration’s focus on “small teams of experienced resources” suggests they’re targeting high-value engagements rather than mass-market solutions, which could limit accessibility for smaller municipal utilities or cooperative energy providers with constrained budgets.
Broader Implications for Global Clean Tech
This move reflects a growing trend of European clean technology firms seeking growth opportunities in the massive US market, where energy transition investments are accelerating rapidly. The partnership model demonstrates how specialized technology companies can leverage local expertise rather than undertaking risky solo market entries. For the Irish tech sector specifically, this represents another validation of their growing reputation in energy innovation, following recent expansions by companies like Galetech Group into international markets. The success of this transatlantic collaboration could pave the way for similar partnerships between European technology providers and US market specialists across other sectors of the clean energy economy.
The Road Ahead: Implementation Challenges
Despite the strategic alignment, significant challenges await. The US energy market’s regional fragmentation means solutions must be customized across different RTOs and ISOs, each with unique market rules and operational requirements. Cultural differences in approach between European and American energy sectors could also create friction in solution design and implementation. Additionally, the partnership will face competition from established US energy technology firms and consulting practices that have deeper existing relationships with American utilities. Their success will depend on demonstrating tangible value quickly in a market where energy transition pressures are creating both urgency and skepticism about new solution providers.
