About Us

Climate change has become an irreversible global issue as well as one of the most urgent and severe challenges faced by human society. Countries around the world consider actively combating climate change as an inherent requirement for achieving their own sustainable development and take actions to vigorously develop renewable energy. In this context, renewable energy represented by wind and photovoltaic power generation has achieved tremendous development worldwide, bringing multiple challenges to the power system. Given the emerging trends influencing the evolving power industry landscape, IERE focuses on innovative, emerging, foresight and environmentally friendly electric power technologies and solutions, and serves its members as a unique global platform on a mission to help shape corporate strategy on R&D, evaluate innovative and emerging technologies and promote their implementation so as to realize the safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient power systems. It is my great honor to have been elected as the Vice Chair of IERE. I believe that my personnel academic background and working experience will help accomplish the above mission. For years, I have specialized in the research and engineering application of renewable energy operation and control technology and have rich experience in the stable operation and efficient accommodation of renewable energy. In the past decade, I have also witnessed that China's installed capacity of renewable energy has increased from about 125 GW to 1,350 GW, which accounts for over 43% of the global total. More experts are welcomed to join IERE's various activities. I am firmly convinced that through our joint efforts, we can further fulfill IERE’s mission, enhance IERE's global image, and contribute more to the global green and low carbon energy transition.

IERE has long provided a distinguished platform that enables experts around the world to exchange information and insights, as well as to foster collaboration on innovative technologies related to the electric power sector. Through this function, the organization has played a vital role in supporting global efforts to address the diverse challenges facing the electric power industry. Its role is expected to become even more important as energy and environmental issues continue to grow in complexity.

It is a profound honor for me to have been given the opportunity to serve as the Treasurer of IERE. Thanks to the contributions of each IERE member, along with the sound administration of the Central Office, the organization’s financial position has been maintained in a healthy and stable manner, for which I am sincerely grateful.

Wishing that I may contribute to the sound and sustainable development of the electric power industry, I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities with sincerity so that IERE may remain able to conduct its meaningful activities in the years ahead.

Dear colleagues,

I would like to take advantage of this address, to tell you why it is so interesting to be an IERE member. Our industry is at the crossroads. Several factors are playing jointly to prompt to a substantial change of the energy mix. On the supply side, tensions on the primary energy market due to the perspective of oil depletion and to local mismatch demand-offer induce a fierce competition to secure the long term access to these vital resources. Of course, the deployment of shale gas technology is providing some release in the USA and there is no doubt that this emerging option will have a great influence on the way electricity is going to be generated in a near future. However, it still requires significant extra R&D to make it cleaner and more widely accepted. In the aftermaths of the Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe citizens have lost trust in their technology leaders and energy policy-makers. As a consequence, responding to their public opinion, several countries have drastically revisited their energy policy, sometimes voting a sudden phasing-out of their nuclear fleet and banning nuclear for ever. At the moment, what will be the future of this generation type remains a matter of controversy. Anyhow, this event has put a crude light on the crucial technology challenge facing the organizations committed to the nuclear risk management and mitigation and calls for an increased international cooperation on such high stake issues.
In the meantime, climatologists are sending us red blinking warnings about global warming records. This underscores the pressing need for low-carbon electricity including cheaper renewable sources and more efficient and cleaner coal plants which remain the "draught horse" of electricity generation. Moreover, on the demand side, a new vision of the power system design and management is emerging which requires a great deal of technology development to make the distribution grid smarter enough to optimize the demand and to deal with the intermittence of renewable sources.
These are some of the heavy trends and challenges well known of each of us that put our industry under pressure. These constraints apply everywhere with some modulation of their degree of acuity. To deal with them, it is commonly admitted that R&D is the most relevant lever to handle. To meet the challenge involved, how should we proceed? I do believe that increased complexity, uncertainty, ever more pressing urgency, global dimension of the issues involved that create interrelated risks are characteristics that justify combining efforts and talents.
In this context, IERE is an ideal platform to address the critical issues facing us. It provides Utilities, OEM, Research Centers with an adequate framework for making the cross-fertilization happen. Typically, smarter technology watch and exchange of best practices among early adopters should secure companies in their technology selection and deployment. We also expect to improve the cost- effectiveness of their R&D investments by fostering collaborative research through the "R&D project Working Group". The Board of IERE is continuously pursuing the objective of delivering value added services to the members and is determined to re-orient its strategy in the aim of enhancing the support to their technology management policy. As Advisor Chair Emeritus, I am honored and committed to cooperate with IERE on this exciting mission.

With my best wishes,

The world is changing at a spectacular rate and what is undoubtedly apparent is that the energy sector is undergoing substantial transformations, from both the supply and demand side perspective. The rapid rate of technological progress from smart, self-healing, knowledge based systems and artificial intelligence and the plethora new and innovative cost effective technologies are having a substantial and significant impact on our traditional utility business.
However, what is clear is that the requirements of tomorrow is going to substantially different from today and the role of IERE needs to adapt and seek new ways to continuously meet the needs of its members.
It is my firm belief that the IERE, with one of its prime objectives being“to be the unique global platform for exchanging technologies in electric power and promoting international cooperation in order to solve common issues" is taking an important step forward in realizing its role with respect to the changing future.
The IERE celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2018, and the renewed IERE is vastly different from the past, with a more focused approach on technology sharing within global interconnectivity framework.
Electricity and in particular technology development, innovation, and leadership around electricity, is playing a profound role in assisting society in grasping the opportunities ("more electricity") and managing and considering the threats“climate change and environmental and social degradation". The concept of the "Circular Economy" in terms of energy requirements and environmental preservation is more critical today than ever before, and I believe the role of the IERE will play a substantial role and understanding of appropriate technologies.
The need to understand the challenges that face our business over the next decades is an imperative, and the sharing of knowledge, experiences, successes, and failures will indeed go a long way in framing the technology roadmap of the future.
It is with a great sense of honour that I am able to serve the ideals and values of the IERE as the Advising Chair Emeritus. The IERE has accomplished a great deal over the last 50 years or so, and I believe the sound foundation that the IERE has created, has paved a clear and an exciting path for our future and for the benefit of our members.

Dear IERE members:

It is my great honor and privilege to succeed Dr. Watanabe as the IERE Secretary General in July 2022 and to join IERE, which has a long history since 1968 and works globally as a catalyst for research, development, demonstration, and practical solution of electric power through information exchange.
The former Secretary General, Dr. Watanabe has promoted R&D Collaboration on transformer diagnostics using evolved methanol, AI application in the power sector, energy storage with batteries, and hydrogen utilization, based on the Technology Foresight TF2020 compiled in 2017. The interruption of human exchange due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been efficiently covered by holding webinars. We believe that the results obtained will be effective in addressing the urgent issue of global warming.
Currently, IERE is working to uncover more specific innovative technologies that can be realized in the 2030s and have a large social impact. What triggers and what forces accelerate the introduction of technologies that disruptively transform society? We believe that not only breakthroughs and innovations in technology, but also economics, changes in external conditions, and opportunities for conversion from existing technology will be major factors.
Before transferring to IERE, I was engaged in basic research on future technologies at CRIEPI, including the development of materials for lithium secondary batteries, evaluation research on degradation, and development of advanced synthesis methods for ammonia, which is a hydrogen carrier. Through these experiences, I also learned the importance of forecasting technologies globally from a broad perspective and of discussing with many researchers to gather useful knowledge.
IERE's Statutes express its purpose to "to solve medium and long-term issues facing the electricity service industries of the world" and its spirit of "to pay due respect to the spirit of mutual benefit and contribute to substantial R&D information exchange through the platform of IERE."
In keeping with this purpose and spirit, I will strive to further enhance communication and mutual cooperation among IERE members. I appreciate the many suggestions and requirements submitted to our office to make IERE more active and valuable.