Energy Central

What happens when you fire military-grade weapons at substation infrastructure? We don’t have to ask in theory, because today’s guest has put that question to the test. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Brent Warzocha of 3B Protection following a live-fire demonstration outside Las Vegas where Brent and his team tested ballistic substation walls against everything from World War I-era weapons to .50 caliber rifles. The event brought utility leaders face-to-face with the physical security risks facing modern grid infrastructure and made it real, both in terms of risks and what they should be doing about it. Brent provides a recap of what attendees saw, the reactions from utility professionals, and the “aha moments” that come from witnessing real ballistic testing instead of reviewing theoretical standards. This crucial conversation digs into why Underwriters Laboratories baseline testing often doesn’t reflect real-world threats, and how RLS testing is helping utilities better understand the difference between minimum compliance and true resilience. The live-fire demos showed not just dramatic visuals (be sure to watch the video version of this conversation to get a peek), but the operational reality: how hardened infrastructure can prevent catastrophic outages, reduce repair timelines, and protect critical grid assets. Thanks to 3B Protection, our sponsor for this episode. 3B Protection is in the business of helping organizations protect their people, property and critical assets. The last ten years or so has seen significant ballistic activity in and around electrical substations that are part of the United States’ critical infrastructure and 3B offers a line of product to help protect those substations from malicious attacks. 3B has tested their products to the extreme in a way that far exceeds UL minimums. And not just for ballistics – our walls are thoroughly tested against forced entry, vehicle crashes and blast as well. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

The nuclear conversation is back in a big way, but the question is whether the excitement is outrunning reality. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with author and energy commentator Robert Bryce to separate the news from the noise around what many are calling a nuclear renaissance. From bipartisan support in Washington to executive orders, plant restarts, and a wave of new interest from major tech companies, Bryce makes the case that nuclear is clearly back in the conversation—but not necessarily back at scale yet. Bryce walks through why he remains firmly pro-nuclear while still taking a sober view of the sector’s challenges. For utility leaders, his message is clear: be patient, be realistic, and be optimistic, but understand that nuclear’s comeback will be measured in decades, not quarters. Robert Bryce on Substack: robertbryce.substack.com Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

What does the pathway look like from shiny new toy to core operational tool? That’s the trajectory drones have seemingly taken in many utility operations, highlighting that the hype was real and the future is now. On this episode of Power Perspectives, host Matt Chester goes behind the scenes with three members of Skydio's utility team to show why drones have graduated from novelty to mission-critical infrastructure. In this conversation, Christina Park (Senior Director, Energy Strategy), Suchet Bargoti (Director of Inspection and Mapping), and Cooper Linn (Senior Product Manager) walk through real-world utility deployments, the field-driven product choices that mattered, and how autonomy is changing inspection workflows. Skydio’s case studies highlight how drone deployments have moved from proving concepts to operational scale: the shift to “drones as infrastructure,” the importance of engineers riding along on field missions, and the evolution from broad 3D semantic scans to efficient, asset-based inspection workflows that actually save crews time and prevent outages. Thanks to Skydio for sponsoring this episode. Skydio helps utilities move beyond outdated time based maintenance to smarter, safer and more scalable condition-based maintenance. Powered by autonomous remote operated drones, over 280 utilities trust Skydio. Because with real time aerial data and remote inspection, utilities can spot issues early, reduce forced outages and make confident, efficient, cost effective decisions. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Coal has been making headlines recently, highlighting everything from plant closure delays to retirements extended and the political rhetoric suggesting a coal comeback. But are the headlines telling the real story? In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with experts from Energy Innovation Technology & Policy, Silvio Marcacci (Senior Director of Communications) and Michelle Soloman (Manager of the Electricity Program) to unpack what’s actually happening behind the noise. Together, they break down why coal keeps resurfacing in the public conversation, what the Trump Administration can and cannot do to prop it up, and how to separate political signaling from real market and grid impacts. The discussion explores the risks of forcing aging plants to stay online, the difference between shuttered units and plants with future retirement dates, and what the latest data says about coal’s role over the next five to ten years. We explore the questions behind the headlines: Is coal actually the safe fallback it’s made out to be, or are there real operational and economic downsides to extending plant life too long? Silvio and Michelle bring a policy-focused perspective on what utilities should be watching, what the numbers really show, and what a more reliable and affordable power mix looks like in practice. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Electricity prices are rising faster than wages, and everyday customers are demanding answers. What’s causing it? What has worked to moderate prices? And where is the messaging behind power decisions and rates confused? On this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by two veteran energy modelers, Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling of Always On Energy Research and authors of the Energy Bad Boys substack, to cut through the heat-map politics and answer the question utility leaders hate to be asked: which policies are actually driving bills up, and which are convenient political cover? Isaac and Mitch walk through the data and models behind regional price moves, explain why costs show up in generation, capacity, and interconnection differently across markets (including lessons from MISO and SPP), and explain their position that the often-ignored implementation choices turn ambitious clean-energy goals into expensive real-world outcomes. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

As the future of energy accelerates towards a cleaner, more automated system, the talking points tend to focus on the technologies themselves: AI, EVs, batteries, renewables, and the T&D meant to connect them all. But behind every new technology deployed is an entire workforce to design, manufacture, install, and maintain it. As these technologies expand and new ones come into the fold, a critical question arises: will the industry have enough skilled workers to build the electric future being envisioned? To get to the bottom of this, host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by Patrick Hughes, Senior Vice President at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), to discuss the workforce challenges and opportunities emerging across the electrical manufacturing and grid infrastructure ecosystem. The conversation explores how the grid is evolving—from rapid electrification and digitalization to new infrastructure demands—and what those shifts mean for the people responsible for building and maintaining the system. Hughes dives into how industry and policymakers are working together to close the workforce gap, including efforts such as the Veterans Energy Transition Act and a focus on how emerging technologies like AI and robotics are reshaping the skills needed in tomorrow’s grid workforce. Listen in to get a forward-looking view of how the industry can attract, train, and retain the talent needed to power the next generation of energy innovation. Links Mentioned in the Conversation: NEMA's 2025 "Grid Reliability Study" (https://www.makeitelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/grid-reliability-study-nema-deck.pdf) NEMA's 2026 Electroindustry Policy Agenda (https://www.makeitelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/Documents/Site_Pages/nema2026-policy-agenda.pdf) Powering Domestic Manufacturing (https://www.makeitelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/Documents/News_Blogs/electroindustry-investment-mapping-infographics.pdf) NEMA Applauds Introduction of Legislation to Build a Future-Ready Workforce (https://www.makeitelectric.org/newsroom/news/statement-nema-applauds-introduction-of-legislation-to-build-a-future-ready-workforce/) Siemens Educates America (https://www.siemens.com/en-us/content/siemens-educates-america/) Southwire Welcomes First Class to Maintenance Apprenticeship Program (https://www.ewweb.com/news/bulletin-board/article/20923002/southwire-welcomes-first-class-to-maintenance-apprenticeship-program) Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe