Leonhard Birnbaum, President. Image courtesy of Eurelectric

Leonhard Birnbaum will be taking over from Jean-Bernard Lévy, chairman & CEO of EDF, whom he has assisted as vice-president of Eurelectric since June 2021.

Birnbaum will take the lead at a tumultuous time, as the war in Ukraine impacts supply and electricity prices and causes a rethink of Europe’s market design.

One of the first endeavors of Leonhard Birnbaum will therefore be to steer the industry at a time when several member states are seeking market interventions and market design reforms.

Leonhard Birnbaum said in a statement: “The electricity sector is facing unparalleled challenges. We are operating in an extreme environment with high prices, supply disruptions and frequent political interventions in the market. A key priority will be to strike a balance between customer protection and investor certainty.

“The decisions we will make in the coming months will be decisive for Europe’s future. They will determine our ability to invest our way out of this crisis to achieve cost-efficient, climate-friendly and secure energy supply and infrastructure to our citizens and industry. I am honoured to take the reins of Eurelectric at this important time.”

During his Presidency, Lévy focused on taking decisive steps to put renewable and low-carbon electricity at the core of the European Green Deal and setting in stone the electricity sector’s commitment to a climate-neutral economy.

“The past years have been extremely challenging for the industry with Covid-19 lockdowns and economic downturn immediately followed by war, supply crisis and inflation. This difficult context confirms that the way forward is accelerated electrification and decarbonisation. Efficient short-term markets combined with long-term investment signals can allow the power sector to deliver the massive renewable and low-carbon investments needed”, said Jean-Bernard Lévy.

In March, Eurelectric’s Board will elect a new Presidency team, composed of a President and two Vice-Presidents which will be effective as of June 2023.