Stefan Kapferer

Stefan Kapferer has been Chairman of the Executive Board of 50Hertz and a member of the steering committee of the German-Belgian Elia Group (Elia Group Management Board) since December 2019. As part of the Elia Group, 50Hertz operates the transmission grid in northern and eastern Germany and is thus responsible for ensuring a reliable electricity supply for approximately 18 million people. The share of fluctuating renewable energy sources in 50Hertz’s grid area exceeds 70 percent, making it one of the highest in the world.

Stefan Kapferer has had a long career in politics and business. He served for several years as a state secretary in various departments at the state and federal levels. In 2011, he was appointed state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, where he was also responsible for energy policy.
Among other roles, he represented the ministry in the EU Energy Council and served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the German Energy Agency (dena). From 2014 to 2016, Kapferer was Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris.
From 2016 to 2019, Stefan Kapferer served as Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). During this time, as a member of the “Commission on Growth, Structural Change, and Employment,” he helped lay the groundwork for a broad-based societal consensus on phasing out coal-fired power generation in Germany. As CEO of 50Hertz, Stefan Kapferer is responsible not only for the traditional corporate staff functions but also for the energy sector, which, thanks to his technical expertise, plays an important advisory role in the company’s efforts to advance the energy transition. In addition, he has served as President of the World Energy Council – Germany e.V. since 2025.