Elenia’s new CEO Jorma Myllymäki: “Electricity networks play a key role in the electric transition and security of supply” 

In the freezing winter temperatures, citizens have been encouraged to be flexible in their electricity consumption to prevent electricity shortages. Demand response has avoided the risk of planned power outages.

“Everyone has become more aware of the importance of critical infrastructure – the electricity network – in the smooth running of everyday life. Fluctuation in electricity production and consumption emphasises the role of the electricity network in security of supply. Demand response is already made easier by services in whose development Elenia has shown the way,” says Jorma Myllymäki, the new CEO of Elenia.

Elenia Verkko Oyj’s Executive Vice President, M.Sc. (El. Eng.) Jorma Myllymäki will start on 1 April as the new CEO of Elenia Oy and Elenia Verkko Oyj. The present CEO Tapani Liuhala will become the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Elenia Oy, as the current Chairman of the Board, Timo Rajala, will resign. Liuhala will also continue as the CEO of Elenia Group Oy.

“The appointment of Jorma Myllymäki as CEO continues the long-term development of Elenia’s electricity network services. The last few years have been challenging for distribution system operators. At Elenia, we have focused on modernising the ageing electricity network and creating new, versatile electricity network services for our customers,” says Tapani Liuhala.

As the new CEO, Myllymäki emphasises that the energy market is undergoing a historic transformation, aiming for a carbon-neutral future for society and way of life. This requires electrification.

“Finland’s climate strategy guides the energy sector towards growth in renewable energy. The growth in wind and solar power places the development of the electricity network and related services into a key role. Compared to Europe as a whole, Finland has an exceptionally good starting point despite the darkness and cold climate in the North. The networks are strong, the quality of distribution is among the best in the world and electricity network service charges are the least expensive in Europe, considering the network length per the number of customers,” says Myllymäki.

He also highlights the impact of the serious geopolitical security situation on security of supply. Particular attention is now being paid to the physical security and cyber security of electricity distribution.

“Modern society does not work without secure electricity distribution. It is important that we create new opportunities for electricity consumers to easily participate in the electricity market and make a difference through their own choices. At the same time, we all can contribute to the stability and efficiency of the entire electricity system.”

“As a pioneer, Elenia has created services where people can increasingly influence their electricity consumption. In our AinaLab service, for example, the customer can control their own electrical loads, such as home or water heating. As electrification progresses, for example in transportation, we need easy services to steer electricity consumption towards low-cost hours. There is a lot of work to do to make this possible on a large scale,” Myllymäki continues.

Liuhala also underlines investments in the security of electricity supply. “In 12 years, we have reduced the extent and duration of power outages resulting from severe storms to one-fourth in Elenia's network area. This development is ongoing and it is now jeopardised due to changes in the industry’s regulatory methods,” Liuhala says.

The EU Commission’s Action Plan on Grids calls for accelerated investments in the electricity network to speed up the electric transition. Read more about this in an Energiauutiset article (in Finnish).

M.Sc. (El. Eng.) Jorma Myllymäki

• Starts as CEO of Elenia on April 1, 2024
• Born in Pirkkala in 1969
• Graduated as Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tampere University of Technology in 1993
• Previously worked at Elenia as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, at Vattenfall as Head of Operations, at ABB as Head of Product Management, Global Product Manager, R&D Manager in Sweden and Development Manager, and at Otis as Sales Manager
• Family: wife and two adult children
• Hobbies: ice hockey, gym and tennis, as well as watching sports

FACTS

• Elenia has improved the security of supply of transmission and promoted security of supply in accordance with the requirements of the act on security of supply.
• The disturbances caused by power outages to Elenia’s customers have decreased to one-fourth over the past 12 years.
• At the same time, Elenia has provided customers with new services for monitoring and controlling their own electricity consumption, as well as for planning solar panels and electric car charging points.