You have been the chairman of the Energy Regulatory Office since January 2025. What has your professional career path been like?
I have been chairman since January, but I have been working at the Energy Regulatory Office for quite a long time, having joined in 2008. At that time, I was studying for my doctorate at the Department of Electrical Power Engineering, and since my thesis, I have been interested in the reliability and quality of electricity supply. The Energy Regulatory Office responded to this and asked me if I would like to participate in the introduction of electricity quality regulation in the Czech Republic. At the same time, I also had offers from the private sector, because I won first place in the nationwide ČEZ Award competition with my thesis. In the end, however, I chose to work for the state, and I have no regrets about that decision.
What has been the most challenging aspect of this position for you so far, and conversely, what has pleased you the most?
It is very challenging to meet the expectations placed on the ERÚ across the entire market and, in fact, by all its participants. Energy is a very broad field, and individual players often have conflicting expectations. Finding a compromise is therefore difficult. In addition, I have my own expectations of myself to succeed in the position of Chairman and for the Office to fulfil the role I envisage – to be a respected, highly professional and modern state authority. I am pleased that I can work with professionals on these challenges, especially in a good working team.
The media talks about the Czech Republic's energy security and self-sufficiency. What role does the ERÚ play in this?
The Energy Regulatory Office plays an important role in this area because, through price and technical regulation, we set the environment and rules, whether in terms of system operation or market functioning, that affect security of supply. Among other things, we evaluate the quality of supply in distribution and transmission systems and try to improve it through incentive regulation. This then has a positive effect on all customers in the form of fewer supply interruptions and shorter durations. At the same time, we cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic on the creation of fundamental strategic documents.
Energy is currently the focus of attention for society as a whole, and this will continue to be the case in the future. Can you describe what we can expect in the next ten years?
I believe that the current trend will continue, both in terms of the development of energy decentralisation and its democratisation. By democratisation, we can imagine that previously passive consumers are becoming active players in the market, whether in terms of self-production, electricity sharing, or providing flexibility. As for decentralisation, we are witnessing it every day. We are seeing an enormous increase in the installation of new sources, with more than 220,000 connected to the grid, which is roughly six times the number of connections in the last five years. Energy is becoming more widely known and is a more important topic than it was in previous decades. What was once a relatively static field is now becoming dynamic.
How could FEE CTU and technical colleges and universities in general contribute to the success of this process?
Universities play their part in educating students. The labour market, especially in the electrical power industry, which I am involved in, is very tight. And there is a need to educate new graduates who will contribute to solving a number of technical issues so that the energy sector develops in the right direction. I see another important role for universities in that they can enter into dialogue about the current state of the energy sector, present expert opinions and explain complex issues calmly, with perspective and without bias. Unfortunately, this is not happening very much at the moment. Energy is a political issue and there are various opinions circulating about it, sometimes without a deeper understanding of the matter.
Why did you choose FEE?
For me, it was a natural progression, given that I studied at the Secondary Technical School in Písek and was interested in technology. Another important factor in my decision was that the faculty is located in Prague, which offers a number of advantages for student life.
How do you remember your studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University?
I think everyone has fond memories of their studies, and that's true for me as well. My studies have actually influenced my entire life, both professionally, because they led me to my current job, and personally, because I moved to another city, where I still live today.
Which teachers and classmates do you remember fondly?
My classmates changed over the years, and only a few of those who started school with me also finished it with me. As for teachers, I naturally remember those with whom I spent the most time, especially in the last few years. It was Professor Tlustý, who supervised my thesis. And then, in particular, Professor Tůma, who was my supervisor during my doctoral studies at the department and who also had a positive influence on me on a personal level. Incidentally, we still meet up with the group he created around him.
Do you use the skills you acquired at FEE in your current position? Did your studies prepare you for crisis situations?
I consider CTU to be a very demanding school in general, and I think it gave me a high-quality professional education and also taught me to work under stress, process huge amounts of information and set priorities. This is very useful for anyone in a managerial position. And, of course, the professional aspect that I can apply in managing the office is very important. If I want the Energy Regulatory Office to be a respected state institution, it requires a high level of expertise and professionalism on my part as well.
Energy and IT are fields with enormous prospects. What would you recommend to current FEE students who will one day influence the running of the state or work in regulation or energy?
I would recommend that students, or those interested in studying, take a special interest in technology and energy, because energy is the cornerstone of society as a whole. It is a dynamic environment that is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation. There are many changes and challenges taking place.
At the same time, I would also like to mention my positive experiences working for the state, which I consider to be very rewarding and interesting. Here, you can influence and change a number of things. People often talk about the negative aspects of working in the civil service, but I am convinced that the positives outweigh the negatives. For example, within our office, new employees very quickly get involved in what is going on and participate in meetings that they would only get to attend after many years in the private sector. From my position, I can only recommend working in the civil service. If any students or graduates want to influence what is happening in the energy sector, they should come and join us at the ERÚ.
If you had to sum up in one sentence what FEE has given you in life, what would it be?
It was definitely the professional education, which is very important. I think that CTU is a really high-quality university. Then it is up to each graduate to decide how to use the skills they have acquired in life.
