CIGRE NGN: Discussion with Pedro Lozada
CIGRE would like to introduce a new section in Life of the Association: Interviews from Women in Engineering and Next Generation Network. A lot of focus is given to senior CIGRE members and these interviews will present younger members and let them explain what CIGRE means to them. These Q&A interviews are short but allow us to have a new, younger perspective on CIGRE membership; they tell us what interests them in their work, as well as what their projects and goals are. These are the voices of our industry’s future. Please share with young people on your teams and encourage their membership in CIGRE!
Pedro Lozada from Colombia is an Electrical Engineer with more than ten years in our industry. He is an Innovation Specialist at ISA as well as Chairman of CIGRE Colombia’s Next Generation Network WG.
What lead you to your present career or job?
Lozada: I have been at ISA for more than 10 years, all the way from the internship I completed while in college to the position I have today as an Innovation Specialist. The main driver throughout all these years and the several jobs I have had has been the desire to have a profound impact on the lives of the millions of people we serve in Latin America by proving sustainable, affordable, and reliable electric energy to them.
What are you working on now that would interest ELECTRA readers?
L.: Currently, I am part of the innovation team at ISA, the largest transmission grid operator in Latin America. We operate power grids in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Chile, and Bolivia. We constantly assess, pilot, and implement novel technologies which improve the transmission network.
What has been the biggest challenge with your work?
L.: Working at a large corporation has many challenges. I was part of the Maintenance Department and the Operations Department prior to moving into the Innovation Department. In my current position, I believe the biggest challenge is to successfully prepare the people and the grid to be the enablers of a just energy transition in the countries we connect.
What has been your biggest challenge balancing work and personal life?
L.: I think this question became more relevant after the pandemic of COVID-19. The rapid change we made to adapt to the new reality we lived in 2020 and after was very radical. I enjoy being an active member of the different organizations I belong to and that also led me to establish the NGN group in Colombia back in late 2020. The biggest challenge has been to set the proper boundaries while working fully remote, so I have time to work and also take time for my personal life.
How did you get involved in CIGRE?
L.: My first contact with CIGRE was while I was pursuing a master´s degree in electrical engineering at TU Delft in the Netherlands. There was an ambassador at the university, and he would promote CIGRE and Young CIGRE among the students. I got involved in several activities and even won a contest to participate in the Paris Session in 2018 sponsored by CIGRE Netherlands.
What do you feel is CIGRE’s ‘added value’?
L.: There are many ways in which the added value can be experienced. I have used the CIGRE network to find experts who helped me with my master´s thesis, to be sponsored to attend a conference, to get to know people with the same professional interests, to access the latest knowledge on an industry topic through e-CIGRE, and even to create the NGN group in Colombia so young engineers and professionals can take advantage of all the amazing opportunities CIGRE offers. It is really up to you how you make the most out of your membership.
Why would you recommend CIGRE membership to others?
L.: The membership is the key to the world of CIGRE and on top of the added value I have just mentioned, I would include the benefits to co-create and collaborate in a truly international environment with experts trying to find the right answers for the major challenges the power industry faces today. We make a positive impact on society and nature on a global scale!
Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
L.: It is a hard question to answer. The brisk pace at which technology is evolving today makes guessing what will happen even one year from now a very difficult task. But what I am sure of is that I will be putting all my efforts into materializing the most optimistic Net Zero scenario possible so people can have access to sustainable, affordable, reliable, and modern energy that powers their lives and allows them to thrive.
Do you have one major goal or do you have a bucket list? Are you willing to share this information?
L.: Professionally speaking, at ISA our motto is to create connections that inspire. We have a shared dream to offer electricity to all the people in the area of influence of our infrastructure who live off the grid in rural territories. And we are working to make it come true!
What would you like to see change in our industry in the future?
L.: We really need to face the fact that time is against us, and important decisions cannot be postponed anymore. We already know that there is no transition without transmission, so action is the only way forward. I would like to see a change in the speed that decision makers move, as tackling climate change on time will determine the future of our planet and species.
As a last note, I would like to invite any CIGRE community startups and companies to drop me a line here if they have great solutions to make operations safer, the grid more flexible and resilient, and electric power more reliable and more economical. This is what CIGRE is all about: sharing information to improve networks worldwide.
If you are a WiE or NGN member and wish to be featured in an upcoming ELECTRA edition, please contact ELECTRA Editorial Team. If you are reading these and wish to join CIGRE, please visit this page.
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