Emilie Quigley Sammon is a member of our legal team at Codling Wind Park and a former dancer (not to mention a qualified yoga teacher). Switching from a dancer to barrister wasn’t without its challenges, but Emilie is a strong believer that no experience is a failure; instead we learn and grow from exploring new opportunities. Read on to find out more.
Q. What’s your role at Codling Wind Park?
A. I work as Legal Counsel at Codling Wind Park and at EDF Renewables UK & Ireland. I’m employed by EDF Renewables, but I spend most of my time working on Codling Wind Park.
My current area of focus is on the project’s grid package. So I look after the legal aspects of the following:
- The grid connection: How we will connect to and export our electricity to the grid;
- Asset transfer and purchase: Under government policy for the Phase 1 offshore wind projects (including Codling), we will need to construct transmission system assets and transfer them to EirGrid, which will act in a new capacity as Offshore Asset Owner of the offshore transmission system assets.
One of the things I really enjoy about this work is that we’re interacting with EirGrid on an industry and multilateral basis. As a Phase 1 project, we’re not just developing and building the offshore wind farm, we’re helping to shape the future of the Irish offshore wind market. It’s really interesting to be part of the team developing this.
More widely, I provide legal support to Codling, as and when required. The work is always really interesting and varied, and includes negotiations for commercial and construction contracts, offshore surveys contracts, regulatory advice, and property law to name a few.
Q. What’s a typical day like in your role?
A. One thing I really enjoy about my job is how varied it is from day to day. Most of my time is taken up with meetings, and I spend a lot of time talking! But I really enjoy interacting with so many other teams on the project. Collaborating with technical and commercial specialists (and understanding how their work informs my legal advice) is stimulating and a great learning opportunity. I also spend part of my time drafting contracts, advice notes or answering shorter legal queries by email/phone.
I balance my working week between the EDF Renewables office in London and working from home in north London. I also travel to the Codling Wind Park office in Ireland quite a bit.
Q. What’s been your career path to Codling?
A. I haven’t had what you’d call a linear career path! I actually trained to be a dancer and moved to London when I was 18 to train full-time in dance (contemporary, ballet, jazz – I did it all). I trained to a really high standard and it was an incredible experience. But I found dance school very intense; I realised it wasn’t the world I wanted to work in. So I returned to Ireland and did a degree in Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin.
It was after this that my legal training began, as I studied for a Law degree at King’s Inns while working full time at a solicitor’s practice and the financial services sector. Juggling a full-time job with a degree and professional qualification was a lot of work. But I qualified as a barrister, so it was worth it in the end.
By this point I knew I wanted to work in energy or climate law, and so I moved to the Netherlands to study for a Masters in Energy and Climate Law at the University of Groningen. I loved living in the Netherlands and met some fabulous people. I did some brief training at the Council of Europe, before moving back to Dublin to work for an Irish law firm, A&L Goodbody, as part of their energy team.
I joined EDF Renewables in 2022 and have been working on Codling Wind Park ever since. My job gives me such a buzz. When I was studying law, I thought my specialism would be human rights law. But I’ve always been really passionate about doing my bit for climate change and the more I learned about renewables, the more excited I became about working in the sector.
In my role now, I love that we’re all driven by a common goal on the team to complete the project. It’s motivating to work in a job where I feel like I’m making a small contribution to fighting the climate crisis. It gets us through the difficult weeks and inevitable challenges you face on a project like this. It’s team work at its purest.
Q. Do you enjoy working in offshore wind?
A. I think I’ve really found my groove in offshore wind. What’s funny about the sector is projects take so long to develop, yet it’s such a fast-paced environment because it’s constantly evolving and changing. I like being kept on my toes. What’s cool about being part of Codling Wind Park is that I grew up in Co. Wicklow. Working on a project this close to home has a special meaning for me.
Q. What’s the best thing about your job?
A. It’s difficult to whittle it down to one thing, so I’ll pick two:
- The people: There are eight of us working on the legal team at Codling Wind Park. It’s a collection of really experienced lawyers and really sound, lovely people. The team is led by Liz McCann and she’s exceptional at her job, a real leader. The vibe she creates for the legal team is one of my favourite things about my job.
- Learning: The legal team (and the wider project team at Codling Wind Park and EDF Renewables) is made up of really experienced professionals. Collaborating with them and sharing knowledge means that every work day comes with great learning opportunities.
Q. What’s your proudest achievement?
A. I’m most proud of being offered the role of Legal Counsel in the same year that I qualified as a yoga teacher in Dublin. I did those two things in parallel and I cannot recommend a yoga practice more, particularly to those who work in high-pressure office jobs. It has changed my life, and it’s a joy to be able to share it with others through my teaching.
Q. Would you recommend a career in renewables to a young person?
A. I would wholeheartedly recommend a career in renewables. It’s really motivating to work in a sector you are passionate about, and that motivation supports you through the challenges that inevitably crop up in any role.
My advice is to apply for graduate programmes or, if possible, study a course related to the area of expertise you want to develop. The challenge for young people is figuring out what type of work they want to do. So speak with anyone working in the sector and ask about their day-to-day work, as each role on a project is so different.
But the biggest advice I always give young people is it’s ok to change your mind. I know there can be a lot of pressure on young people to decide what they want to do at a young age. But I believe part of life is trying a few things and finding one that’s right for you. I tried a few different things I was passionate about or interested in before finding the right fit for me.
So don’t be afraid to go for what you want, but if you change your mind that’s ok – you’ll learn from the experience. I strongly believe that no experience is a failure but rather a learning opportunity that you can grow from.
Q. And finally… do you still dance?
A. I do, and dance is still a big part of my life. I attend one or two classes a week, and it’s a fabulous form of exercise involving strength, cardio and creativity. I also love going to watch dance, and a big draw of living in London is being able to go to the theatre here. I was obsessed with Darcy Bussell when I was younger, and I was lucky enough to see her dance a couple of times before she retired.
Learn more about the project and meet other members of the team. Our website also has details of any job vacancies if you’re interested in working on the project.
