Can We Fix the Grid? KONCAR CEO on the Future of Power | Gordan Kolak, KONCAR

Can We Fix the Grid? KONCAR CEO on the Future of Power | Gordan Kolak, KONCAR

by Gordan Kolak · View the channel on PSI

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought Energy THEnergy technology and engineeringTHYEnergy, power generation, distribution and storage
🎙 Gordan Kolak 👥 594 📅 September 28, 2026 ⏱ 15 min 👁 81 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-10-04
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

electrificationtransformergrid capacityutilitiesEuropean Green Deal

Summary

In this interview recorded at CIGRE 2026 in Paris, Gordan Kolak, President of the Management Board of KONCAR, discusses the future of the power grid and how his company has adapted to the electrification era. Kolak explains that KONCAR reorganized its business to break internal silos, focusing on renewable energy, transformers, and digital grid solutions. He identifies three main drivers reshaping the power sector: decentralization, decarbonization, and digitalization. He highlights the severe capacity crunch in transformer manufacturing, with lead times of three to six years being unsustainable, and stresses the need for industry-wide capacity expansion despite geopolitical risks. Kolak argues that speed of decision-making is the key differentiator, and utilities must move faster as drivers of change, investing in generation, grid capacity, resilience, and digital tools. He also addresses policy uncertainty in the US and Europe, citing the European Green Deal as a framework but noting hesitation in final commitments. Finally, he praises CIGRE as a vital platform for exchanging ideas and validating strategies in the energy sector.

168 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The interview offers valuable insights from a senior industry executive on the practical challenges and strategic directions in the power sector. Kolak’s argumentation is coherent: he links the company’s reorganization to the broader electrification trends and uses concrete examples such as transformer lead times to illustrate market pressures. He acknowledges geopolitical risks and policy uncertainty, demonstrating a balanced perspective. The discussion is persuasive in its emphasis on speed as a competitive advantage and the need for utilities to accelerate investments. However, the arguments are mostly qualitative and lack empirical data or case studies, which limits their rigor.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The scientific rigor is moderate; this is a business interview rather than a technical or research presentation. The speaker cites no specific sources or studies, relying on his professional experience. The quality of sources is limited to the company’s and platform’s promotional links, which do not provide direct references to cited works. The title ‘Can We Fix the Grid?’ is adequately reflected in the content, as the interview discusses the need to address grid capacity and modernization. Overall, the content is informative for an industry audience but not scientifically grounded.

202 words

Title / Content Match

The title is appropriate as the interview discusses grid challenges and potential solutions from an industry leader's perspective.

Quality & Reliability

6/10

The interview provides first-hand insights from a CEO, but lacks verifiable data and scientific depth; content is opinion-based with some factual claims about lead times and policy.

Chapters

Cited Sources

External References

Contribution & Novelties

The interview provides an insider perspective on the transformer industry’s capacity crisis and the strategic responses of a major European manufacturer. It underscores the tension between ambitious electrification targets and the slow pace of utility investments due to policy uncertainty. The viewpoint that speed is the key differentiator is an original take from a CEO’s perspective.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • European Green Deal — Relevant to the policy framework discussed in the interview.
  • Smart Grid — Related to the digitalization driver mentioned by Kolak.
  • Transformer — Essential component whose lead times are a central topic.

96 words

Radar Profile

The profile shows a moderate balance across all dimensions, with slightly higher scores in information quality and lower in technical level, reflecting an interview focused on strategy and opinion rather than deep technical details.

Reliability 6/10