THE ENERGY INTERVIEW
Q. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE ENERGY SECTOR?
» Honestly, a bit by chance. I was looking for a new challenge, and at the time I did not fully appreciate just how central and fascinating the energy sector is. That changed very quickly. Once you are in it, you see how everything connects back to energy and how critical it is if we are serious about climate and sustainability.
What keeps me here is the scale of the impact. We are not on the sidelines of the transition – we are right at the centre of making it happen.
Q. WHAT HAS HITACHI ENERGY’ S EXPERIENCE OF THE UNFOLDING GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS BEEN THUS FAR?
» The energy crisis has reinforced the need to accelerate the shift to renewables. It has exposed the risks of overreliance on fossil fuels – price volatility, supply disruption and geopolitical instability.
That only strengthens the case for renewables, which offer greater stability, stronger energy independence and long-term resilience.
Renewables are not only a climate solution, they are also a security solution that can support local communities and economic development.
But this transition only works if investment in the grid keeps pace. The grid needs the same level of urgency. Much of the world’ s infrastructure is ageing and not ready for what comes next, yet it is essential to an electrified future.
The crisis has made the need for grid modernisation impossible to ignore.
Electricity infrastructure is now a strategic asset, on a par with defence and telecommunications, especially as geopolitical tension, cyber risk and rising power demand put unprecedented pressure on energy systems.
Q. MANY ANALYSTS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE ENERGY CRISIS WILL HAMPER THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY. WHAT IS YOUR VIEW?
» Very simply: I do not agree. If anything, the crisis has strengthened
26 July 2026