Bikash Pal
Candidate Statement
Climate change is already impacting the life and living in our planet. Electrification, energy access, equity -all are very pressing challenges for sustainable net zero transition for the world community. The PES as a global network of power engineering professionals has a huge responsibility to deliver this transition. Through its flagship conference, technical activities PES needs to provide a platform for inclusive engagement for innovations in net zero technologies, their developments and disseminations. Through PES we need to have our education programme that is fit for the future. I will focus on decentralising our governance and decisions through our chapter leadership, so PES is globally relevant. The PES leads in IEEE Standards, but I will work to bring PES and other related standard development entities together to develop compatible standards that enables adoption of net zero technologies globally. Through the mentoring, technical activities, outstanding volunteering programs of PES, I have immensely grown. Leveraging that legacy, let us all learn, work and deliver together to help build a sustainable society that is inclusive and works for everyone.
Biography
As Commonwealth scholar, I obtained PhD from Imperial College London. My research in electric energy system stability and control are sponsored by power companies, UK and European Research Council. I led three multi-university research consortia between UK, China and UK India. My research group has received 2016 Imperial President Award for Outstanding Research. The research outcome of my team is put in practice by Siemens and GE. United Nations have consulted me for solving technical problems in power transmission. I have graduated 32 PhDs, published about 135 IEEE journal papers, and co-authored four books.
I am Fellow of IEEE, IET and The Royal Academy of Engineering (UK). I was Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy (2012-17), IET Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2005-12) and Vice-President, Publications, PES, IEEE (2019-23). I was Mercator Professor in Germany, Otto Monsted Professor in Denmark and distinguished Visiting Professor at NCEPU and Tsinghua University.
IEEE Accomplishments/Activities
As the PES Governing Board as VP Publications for 5 years, I have worked with the board for implementing evolving publications practice from IEEE Periodical. As LRP Membership and Chapter Sub Committee Chair, I have contributed to the Long-term PES strategy for developing new visions and strategy for growth and membership benefits. Since 2019, I sat in the PES Finance Committee for strategizing funding for several new initiatives from different PES verticals and other subcommittees of LRP. I have served in the PES Bylaws committee for one term. As Chair of PES Power System Dynamic Performance Technical Committee, I supported large number of technical WGs and TFs on technical activity.
For a period 6 years as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy (2012-2017) I led the journal very successfully to transform this into a flagship journal with a high impact factor. As VP PES Publications (2019-2023), I have provided outstanding service to PES Publications. Under my leadership three new publication products: IEEE OA Journal of Power and Energy, PES Chapter of IEEE ACCESS and IEEE Trans on Electricity Markets, Policy and Regulation were successfully launched – all these are very successful periodicals. I have promoted diversity in various PES Transactions editorial boards and started a good practice to make EIC and AE appointments open, transparent, and inclusive. During my tenure as VP Publications 76 women were appointed as Editors in seven IEEE PES journals and two magazines and IEEE PES Section of IEEE ACCESS The publication in PES is more affordable (now up to 12 page is free for authors as against 8 pages earlier). I have offered more than 50 DLPs across all IEEE regions as a DLP speaker. I served in IEEE Periodical Committee (2018-2019), as Member where I contributed to the development of new publications and products.