Shaping the Future of Power Systems | Rannveig Loken, CIGRE

105 years, 16 Study Committees and 90 National Committees. That is how CIGRE turns global expertise into practical guidance for the power industry. In this event interview from Paris at CIGRE 2026, Chris Gerber, APC Media, speaks with Rannveig Loken, Chair of the CIGRE Technical Council, about how the Technical Council works, how papers are selected, and how CIGRE stays relevant on AI, data centers, standards and the energy transition. This conversation matters now because utilities, vendors and universities face the same pressures at the same time. Data center load growth, supply chain constraints for transformers, and questions around IEC and IEEE PES alignment all require unbiased, international technical work before standards are written.

Key takeaways:

• CIGRE exists to do the expert groundwork before IEC writes the standard, linking vendors, utilities and universities in one unbiased process
• The Technical Council steers 16 Study Committees covering transformers, markets, cybersecurity and more, plus 90 National Committees that submit papers
• The path to presenting in Paris starts with a synopsis to your National Committee, then Study Committee review, then full paper review and a poster session
• The Next Generation Network gives young engineers a route in, but the normal paper process is encouraged as well
• The 2026 opening panel focused on artificial intelligence and data centers, how they affect the grid and how they can support the energy transition

Harmonization of IEC and IEEE work is moving through joint working groups and task forces, built on many of the same experts working in both systems 

In this video:

Rannveig Loken – Chair of CIGRE Technical Council