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

A major shift in U.S. energy and climate policy has reignited debate across the utility industry. When the Trump administration’s EPA moved to roll back the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the scientific determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health, it set off a wave of reactions throughout the energy sector. But how do utility professionals themselves actually view the move? To start to answer that question, Energy Central posed a simple question in our daily newsletter: How does the endangerment finding rollback land with you? We got hundreds of responses, and to parse through the feedback we knew we had to pull in the whole team. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by Community Manager Matt Chester and Energy Central’s new Editor, Molly Glick to unpack the results of that poll that highlighted an industry divided. From concerns about regulatory whiplash and long-term planning uncertainty to arguments about overregulation and global competitiveness, the feedback surfaces the real debates happening inside the power sector. Kinsey, Molly, and Matt then also look ahead to what happens next. Through the voices of industry professionals and community members, this episode explores what the Endangerment Finding means not just for climate policy, but for the future of utility planning, investment, and the energy transition itself. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

For years, EVs were treated as a looming grid problem that would lead to an epidemic of transformer overloads, unpredictable peaks, and expensive distribution upgrades. But what if EVs aren’t a liability but instead an asset to building a more flexible, resilient grid? In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker speaks with John Taggart, Co-Founder and President of WeaveGrid, to learn why utilities are shifting from asking whether EVs will disrupt the grid to how they can turn EV adoption into a strategic advantage. John helps to reframe EVs as a distribution-level opportunity rather than a system-wide headache. While unmanaged charging can strain local feeders and transformers, coordinated charging can flatten peaks, defer infrastructure upgrades, and integrate seamlessly with broader grid planning. Beyond that, what does it take to turn this vision into reality and orchestrate charging across automakers, utilities, and charging providers? John shares real-world use cases, discusses how EVs interact with stationary batteries and broader grid flexibility programs, and explains why internal utility alignment across planning, operations, IT, and customer teams is critical. If EVs are “batteries on wheels,” this conversation makes clear they may be one of the most powerful flexibility tools utilities have — if they treat them that way. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Reliability has become one of the most urgent topics in the utility sector today. As aging infrastructure meets rising electricity demand and more frequent extreme weather, utilities are facing growing pressure to keep the lights on while modernizing the grid. From vegetation management to conductor fatigue and storm resilience, the question isn’t whether upgrades are needed, but how utilities can make the smartest investments to strengthen the grid quickly, effectively, and affordably. To get the answers to those questions, Energy Central’s Community Manager Matt Chester was joined live at DTECH 2026 in San Diego by Southwire’s Emily Witcher (Manager of Overhead Transmission) and Drew Pearson (Transmission Engineer), and the resultant conversation explored how utilities are tackling reliability challenges in overhead transmission systems. From conductor selection to structural design to accurate engineering models, decisions made for all grid upgrades will dramatically affect ultimate system performance under stress. This episode highlights practical solutions utilities are deploying today, including reconductoring projects that increase capacity without rebuilding entire lines and digital tools that improve engineering analysis and field decisions. With lessons drawn from real-world projects and conversations happening across the DTECH floor, this discussion offers a grounded look at how utilities can strengthen grid resilience now while preparing for the reliability challenges still ahead. Thanks to Southwire for sponsoring this episode. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

The utility industry is entering a construction boom unlike anything seen in decades. From electrification and load growth to wildfire mitigation and resilience investments, utilities across the country are racing to build and upgrade transmission and distribution infrastructure. But scaling up construction isn’t just about building faster, it’s also about rethinking the entire construction lifecycle, from planning and design to data capture and project closeout. Recorded live on site at DTECH 2026 in San Diego, Energy Central Community Manager Matt Chester sits down with Danny Petrecca of Locusview to explore how utilities are modernizing the way they build the grid. The conversation dives into how digital construction platforms are helping utilities manage massive increases in T&D projects while maintaining data quality, safety, and capital efficiency. From improving the quality of field data to ensuring ADMS and GIS systems stay accurate over time, the episode highlights how digital workflows are becoming essential infrastructure in their own right. The discussion also explores the growing role of digital tools in wildfire mitigation, workforce transformation, and the financial realities of scaling grid investment. And with Itron’s recent acquisition of Locusview adding new momentum to the space, the conversation offers a look at how utilities can modernize construction workflows today to build a safer, more resilient, and more efficient grid for tomorrow. And thanks to our partner, Locusview, for making this episode possible. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Urban grids are running out of room , especially in dense cities where rooftop solar is limited, EV charging is complicated, and peak demand keeps climbing. Modernizing and growing utilities thus need new, novel ways to unlock flexibility without massive infrastructure overhauls. In this episode, Andrew Wang of Every Electric shares with host Kinsey Grant Baker his team’s unique approach to “dropshipping” grid flexibility directly into multi-family residential buildings, deploying free home batteries that allow residents to earn money while providing short bursts of load relief during peak periods. From space constraints to split incentives between landlords and renters, Andrew highlights the challenges that urban power companies face. And while distributed energy resources have long been viewed as an answer to the city landscape, he explains that ultimately many DER strategies miss the renters and multi-family buildings that make up the backbone of major cities. Instead of expensive building-wide retrofits, he’s targeting individual apartments to prioritize speed, scalability, and customer participation. The result? New York City’s largest residential battery fleet, deployed ahead of summer heat waves in partnership with Con Edison. Listen in to hear why grid flexibility must become a core planning resource rather than a pilot program, where this model could scale nationally, and what utility leaders should prioritize if they want flexibility to be a reliable, bankable part of the grid of the future. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

The grid is aging fast, and demand is rising even faster. But while much of the conversation fixates on physical infrastructure, there's a critical, often overlooked piece of the puzzle: modeling. How utilities plan for the future—what tools they use, what data they trust, and how they stress-test their assumptions—can mean the difference between billions spent wisely and billions wasted. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Alice Yake, Head of Grid Modeling at Breakthrough Energy, to unpack why getting the grid model wrong doesn't just delay progress—it costs communities, ratepayers, and the planet dearly. Alice brings a rare mix of experience: from coding at Enron to intervening in utility rate cases to leading integrated resource planning at Xcel Energy. Now, she's helping build open-source modeling tools designed to work not just for eight U.S. states, but for the world. Alice explains why open-source modeling matters for trust, accessibility, and speed—especially in low- and middle-income countries that can't afford commercial tools but desperately need reliable planning frameworks. She also digs into the data problem: how inconsistent, inaccessible, or outdated data undermines even the best models, and what breakthrough is doing to create a global data store that reduces friction and increases transparency. From distribution system design to fusion and geothermal integration, this conversation explores how modeling helps utilities answer the hardest question of all: What does the grid need to look like in 2050, and how do we start building it today? For utility leaders navigating unprecedented load growth, regulatory pressure, and technological uncertainty, this episode offers a grounded roadmap for making smarter, faster, more equitable infrastructure decisions. And for innovators and startups, Alice shares direct advice on how to get new technologies into planning models—and why that step is make-or-break for adoption. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Distributech is the electric utility industry’s biggest annual event, and this episode of Power Perspectives breaks down what actually mattered on the ground. Host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by Energy Central Community Manager Matt Chester to recap the most important conversations, trends, and takeaways from this year’s conference. From affordability and data centers to AI and distributed energy resources, this discussion goes beyond buzzwords to focus on how utilities are defining and redefining problems and (finally) turning those into tangible action. Rather than chasing one-size-fits-all solutions, the industry is grappling with scale, coordination, and real-world constraints that affect customers, regulators, and operators alike. Kinsey and Matt unpack how affordability emerged as a central theme across panels, demos, and side conversations, and why data quality, storytelling, and collaboration are becoming just as important as technology itself. They also explore how AI and DERs are being reframed—not just as challenges, but as tools that can help utilities plan, forecast, and respond more effectively. If you missed the chance to be in San Diego with the movers and shakers of the power sector at DTech 2026, consider this conversation the antidote to your FOMO. Learnings posted by Energy Central during DTech— Keynotes are great, key relationships are better. Let’s really connect at DTech this year! https://energycentral.substack.com/p/keynotes-are-great-key-relationships Standing Room Only at DTech 2026: Day 1 Set the Tone: https://energycentral.substack.com/p/standing-room-only-at-dtech-2026 Bagels, Brainpower, and Big Questions: Kicking Off DTECH the Right Way: https://energycentral.substack.com/p/bagels-brainpower-and-big-questions AI Didn’t Steal the Show at DTech 2026 — It Powered It (Day 2 Recap): https://energycentral.substack.com/p/ai-didnt-steal-the-show-at-dtech When the Industry Starts to Jam: A Day 3 DistribuTECH Recap: https://energycentral.substack.com/p/when-the-industry-starts-to-jam-a Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

For decades, energy policy lived mostly in the background of American politics—important, but rarely decisive at the ballot box. After the 2025 election season, we have evidence of how that’s no longer the case. Rising electricity bills frustrating voters, visible grid strain they want to point to data centers as the culprit, and an overall competing narratives around affordability and climate policy have pushed energy squarely into the center of electoral politics. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker welcomes back a guest who was featured on one of 2025 hottest episodes of Power Perspectives: Andrea Clabough, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center. In this conversation, Clabough unpacks what the most recent state-level elections reveal about how voters are thinking about energy—and what those lessons signal for the 2026 midterm elections that are already coming into focus. Clabough reflects on the 2025 gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, where energy affordability, grid readiness, and future investment strategies emerged as unexpectedly salient themes, as well as how the first year under Trump 2.0 played out compared with her previous predictions. For anyone who already has November 3, 2026, circled on their calendars, this conversation will serve as your primer for which races to watch, what external factors could influence outcomes, and what the dominant energy narrative may be once the electoral dust settles. AI across AC (AIxAC) initiative: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/issue/artificial-intelligence/ Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

What’s the most notable constraint on the energy transition? It’s not generation or technology, but the biggest slowdown is coming from the grid side and the ability to plan, operate, and scale power systems fast enough to meet demand. That’s according to Sabine Erlinghagen, CEO of Siemens Grid Software, and guest on this episode of Power Perspectives. Erlinghagen joins host Kinsey Grant Baker to explore why the grid has become the new bottleneck and how digitalization is working to turn it into a backbone for electrification, AI-driven load growth, and a net-zero future. Erlingher highlights how advanced grid software, digital twins, and staged automation are changing the way utilities operate. She also digs into what “autonomous grids” really mean in practice, why trust and transparency are critical as automation increases, and how utilities can move step-by-step from operator support to closed-loop control without compromising reliability. For utility leaders navigating unprecedented load growth and complexity, this conversation offers a grounded, practical roadmap for scaling the grid to not just be bigger but also smarter. And thanks to our partner, Siemens Grid Software, for making this episode possible. Siemens Grid Software enables power utilities to accelerate and secure the energy transition. Its unique software and service portfolio empowers transmission and distribution grid operators to plan and operate the grid of tomorrow – today. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

As the electric grid faces accelerating pressure from electrification, data center growth, and extreme weather, much of the public conversation fixates on generation shortfalls and capacity additions. But beneath those headlines, some of the most consequential work is happening where customers actually experience the grid: on the wires. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker chats with Kevin Walker, President and CEO of Duquesne Light Holdings, to explore how a T&D–focused utility is redefining what leadership and innovation look like in today’s ever-evolving power sector. And while Duquesne Light may be smaller than many U.S. utilities, under Walker’s leadership they are punching above their weight and demonstrating that reliability, affordability, and resilience are earned through delivery, not scale. Walker shares how DLC thinks about resource adequacy without owning generation assets, how the utility is positioning itself to withstand the twin pressures of decarbonization and electrification, and how their unique flexibility enables smarter risk-taking. Decisionmakers across the power sector can learn a lot from Walker’s approach to leadership and perspective on navigating the urgent and competing priorities across the industry in 2026 and beyond. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

For decades, load forecasting was one of the more stable disciplines in utility planning. Growth was incremental, assumptions were well understood, and long-term investments could be made with reasonable confidence. That era is over. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Darrin Kinney, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Integral Analytics, to unpack why uncertainty—not growth itself—has become the defining challenge for grid planners. With the explosive rise of data centers and AI-driven demand introducing new load profiles and a heightened level of handwringing from planners, we’re seeing previously unseen load profiles: lumpy, opaque, fast-moving, and often speculative. During the conversation, Kinney explains why traditional single-scenario forecasting is no longer sufficient in this environment and shares examples where forecast errors are already showing up across the United States and what those missteps reveal about current planning frameworks. But all is not lost, as advanced analytics and AI tools are already being used to stress-test assumptions, model competing futures, and guide capital investment decisions. Listen in to learn how we can re-instill long-term confidence for utilities navigating an increasingly complex energy system. And thanks to our partner, Integral Analytics, for making this episode possible. Integral Analytics provides utilities with advanced load forecasting and scenario-based planning tools designed to address growing uncertainty from data centers, electrification, and emerging technologies. Their work supports more informed grid planning and long-term system resilience. For more information, or to check out their latest white paper on Data Centers and how to bubble-proof your load forecasting, visit them at https://integralanalytics.com Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe Planning for the Unknown: Data Centers, Agentic AI, and the End of One-Scenario Forecasting: https://integralanalytics.com/data-center/

Note: This episode was recorded in late November 2025. To keep up with the (many) updates to EPA policymaking, permitting reform, and more that have happened since this conversation...might we suggest the Energy Central Daily Newsletter? The clean energy transition is running into a critical constraint, and it’s not because of technology, capital, or ambition. Instead the bottleneck comes from how energy projects get approved. Permitting has become one of the most consequential—and contested—issues in U.S. energy policy. Transmission lines, renewable generation, and other major infrastructure projects are facing longer timelines, greater uncertainty, and growing political friction. At the same time, demand for electricity is rising fast, and reliability and affordability are back at the center of public concern. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker plays moderator for a friendly but critical debate between two of the country’s leading energy law scholars, James Coleman of the University of Minnesota and David Adelman of the University of Texas. While both agree that permitting is a serious bottleneck, they bring distinct perspectives on why the system looks the way it does and how far reform should go. Drawing on years of research and policy engagement, Coleman and Adelman walk through how today’s permitting framework evolved, where the biggest procedural and political bottlenecks lie, and why recent reform efforts have produced mixed results. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Physical security has become one of the grid’s most urgent and most misunderstood challenges. While cybersecurity rightly commands attention, attacks on substations and critical infrastructure are rising in frequency, sophistication, and intent. And unlike cyber threats, physical attacks don’t require advanced tools—just access, time, and opportunity. To dive into this essential area of concern for utility leaders, this episodes sees host Kinsey Grant Baker joined by Brent Warzocha, Vice President of Sales at 3B Protection. Brent helps to unpack what’s really changing in the physical threat landscape and what utilities can realistically do about it. From understanding today’s threat actors to implementing pragmatic “deter, detect, delay, respond” frameworks, this conversation focuses on scalable solutions utilities can deploy now. Brent also dives into the real cost of inaction, the friction utilities face in prioritizing physical security, and how leaders can balance budgets, compliance, and resilience without slowing projects down. And thanks to our partner, 3B Protection, for making this episode possible. 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’s 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

Utility regulation doesn’t usually light up the algorithms on social media, but it’s a topic that quietly determines how much customers pay for electricity, who benefits from new clean energy investments, and whether innovation actually reaches everyday households. In other words, the utility regulation process directly impacts every single household and business and sets the stage for what our energy system of tomorrow will be. So as utilities face rising costs, new large loads from AI and electrification, and growing public scrutiny around affordability, the question isn’t whether regulation matters—it’s whether it’s keeping up. In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker dives into that question with one of the leaders best poised to give an authoritative answer: Charles Hua, TIME100 Next honoree and Founder of PowerLines. Charles helps us to unpack how modernizing utility regulation can lower bills, build trust, and ensure the clean energy transition works for everyone. From AI-driven load growth to customer equity metrics and performance-based regulation, this conversation offers utility leaders a practical framework for embedding equity and long-term perspectives into decision-making—not as an afterthought, but as a core business strategy. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

In the current age of artificial intelligence, the challenge for utilities isn’t just how to power AI-driven data centers, it’s also how AI itself is changing grid operations, security, workforce needs, and the overall utility business model. In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker welcomes Paul Quinlan, Director of Energy Research at ScottMadden to peel back the curtain on what new areas of focus utility leaders need to be aware of as AI grows. Paul breaks down the national security dimensions of AI and energy, the limits of traditional load forecasting and capital planning approaches, and which markets are emerging as early stress points. But it’s not all bad news, as Paul also explores AI as an internal opportunity with real-world examples of how utilities are using AI for predictive maintenance, outage forecasting, and grid optimization, along with how leaders can think more clearly about measuring ROI on AI investments. Finally, this conversation turns to the workforce: how AI may reshape utility roles, what new skills are in demand, and how utilities can balance automation with workforce development and retention. And thanks to our partner, ScottMadden, for making this episode possible. ScottMadden knows energy from the ground up. Since 1983, they have served as energy consultants for hundreds of utilities, large and small, including all of the top 20. They focus on Transmission & Distribution, the Grid Edge, Generation, Energy Markets, Rates & Regulation, Enterprise Sustainability, and Corporate Services. Their broad, deep utility expertise is not theoretical—it is experience based. They have helped our clients develop and implement strategies, improve critical operations, reorganize departments and entire companies, and implement myriad initiatives. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Setting a zero-carbon target is one thing. Delivering it while keeping power reliable and affordable is something else entirely. In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by Rachel Huang, Director of Distributed Energy Solutions at SMUD, one of the first U.S. utilities to commit to a zero-carbon electricity supply by 2030. Rachel sits at the center of that effort, translating long-term climate ambition into practical electrification programs, measurable customer savings, and grid-ready investments. Listen in as Rachel steps through how SMUD defines “zero carbon” in concrete terms, where the utility stands today, and the lessons from this ongoing pursuit. For utility leaders navigating the tension between climate goals, affordability, and public perception, this conversation offers a rare, data-driven look at what it takes to move from aspiration to execution. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

What happens to communities centered on fossil fuels as the clean energy transition accelerates? Because this seismic shift is more than just technical—it'll no doubt bring economic and human impacts to communities that rely on the business of fossil fuels, from coal towns to Texas oil hotspots. With every transition-focused policy, entire regions built around the production of coal and gas must face profound uncertainty about jobs, tax bases, and long-term stability. Today on Power Perspectives, we're exploring what an equitable clean energy future can look like—for both petrostates and electrostates. Host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by Noah Kaufman, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and former Senior Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Today, Noah leads the Resilient Energy Economies Initiative, which examines how fossil fuel–reliant communities can navigate the transition without being left behind. The conversation explores the real economic risks facing coal, oil, and gas communities, the differences between petrostates and electrostates, and the warning signs policymakers and utilities should be watching for. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Business as usual? Not going to cut it in today’s energy reality. Embracing cutting-edge tech is the bare minimum to keep up with the modern needs of the modern grid. That’s according to Raiford Smith, Global Head of Power & Energy for Cloud at Google, who joins Mike this week to break down the lessons energy can learn from Big Tech—and the lessons Big Tech can learn from energy. Raiford explains Google’s strategy for big energy swings, the playbook for finding your competitive edge in a tech-enabled energy world, the new definition of “all of the above,” and so much more. Because the clean, affordable, reliable energy future isn’t just about figuring out what works. It’s about figuring out how to get tech solutions to scale quickly. And that’s where utilities and Big Tech can make the biggest dent…together.

Every utility leader wants to know: What can we do to protect an increasingly complex grid from security threats, both cyber and physical? This week on Power Perspectives, Adam Lee, Vice President and Chief Security Officer at Dominion Energy, sits down with host Kinsey Grant Baker to dissect the real, scalable strategies for defending the modern grid from today’s growing threats. And Adam is certainly an expert—complete with a distinguished security-focused background that brought him from FBI to the utility providing power to the Pentagon, naval bases, and some of the world’s most energy-intensive data centers. Listen in for a look at how Dominion is approaching cyber and physical security as a unified discipline and why partnerships across government, law enforcement, and the private sector are becoming essential to grid resilience. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

What goes through an energy CEO’s mind when thinking about the role of the customer, the fuel mix of the future, the affordability crisis, and the workforce changes shaping power? A lot, unsurprisingly. So today on The Watt & Why, host Mike Smith is bringing in Jay Stowe, founder & CEO of Stowe Utility Group, to break down what modern energy success looks like, the challenges dominating boardroom conversations today, and much more. With decades of combined utility experience, Jay and Mike offer an impactful look at meeting customers where they are, placing the right bets, balancing incentives with competition, and the reality of making decisions about large loads. Listen for a rare peek at what today’s top utility leaders are really prioritizing.

The “duck curve” has become one of the most recognizable symbols in modern energy as an illustration of both the promise and the challenge of solar power. But what if the very technologies creating the problem could also solve it? In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker welcomes Craig Lewis, Founder and Executive Director of the Clean Coalition, to explore how local solar and storage can flatten the duck curve, cut costs, and build a more resilient grid. Bringing his decades of experiences to the table, Lewis shares how California’s energy transformation can serve as a blueprint for the nation—and why the real battle isn’t just about generation, but about where and how we build it. This conversation challenges conventional wisdom about where the next wave of grid investment should go, emphasizing how “thinking local” may be the smartest way to plan globally. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe Key Links: Exploding transmission costs are the missing story in California’s regionalization debate: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/exploding-transmission-costs-are-the-missing-story-in-californias-regional/526894/ How to protect California ratepayers, expand clean local energy and avoid bailing out PG&E: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/how-to-protect-california-ratepayers-expand-clean-local-energy-and-avoid-b/554564/ How Two Simple Fixes Can Fairly Compensate the True Value of DERs in California: https://www.tdworld.com/distributed-energy-resources/article/21132853/how-two-simple-fixes-can-fairly-compensate-the-true-value-of-ders-in-california Transmission Access Charges Wasteful electricity transmission spending is hurting California communities. Our reforms will fix this: https://clean-coalition.org/policy/transmission-access-charges/ Flattening California’s Duck Curve with Local Solar: https://clean-coalition.org/news/flattening-californias-duck-curve-with-local-solar-and-battery-storage/

How can we engage with an energy transition without massive swings in power reliability? Is climate change really just a big cop-out for utility leaders? Or is it a larger predicament that we need to strategize around? What’s the best means of reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience for an energy industry in flux? Today on The Watt & Why, host Mike Smith welcome renowned climate scientist Dr. Judith Curry for a wide-ranging conversation about the intersection of energy abundance and climate stewardship. From the challenges to wind and solar proliferation to the timing of pulling off the energy transition to all of the above vs. best of the above…Mike and Judith are breaking it all down in this insightful, provocative conversation.

The grid of tomorrow is being built today—and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is at the center of that transformation. That transformation is being spearheaded by Lanny Nickell, President and CEO of SPP, and host Kinsey Grant Baker welcomes him to this week’s episode of Power Perspectives. This conversation features an exploration of how one of the nation’s most collaborative regional transmission organizations is managing record load growth, integrating renewables, and planning for a future of reliability, affordability, and resilience. Listen in to hear Lanny unpack the key trends shaping the modern energy landscape, from data center demand and electrified oil fields to the $18 billion in infrastructure investments that will define the next era of grid reliability. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

For years, capacity markets quietly operated in the background: reliable, technical, and rarely in the headlines. Not anymore! In today’s episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Christoph Graf, Senior Economist and Research Scholar at NYU’s Institute for Policy Integrity, to unpack why capacity markets are suddenly at the center of the energy conversation and why every utility leader should be paying closer attention. From record-breaking PJM auction prices to mounting pressure from state governors and regulators, capacity markets are facing what may be called a crisis of confidence. But behind the headlines lies a bigger question: are these markets built based on the legacy utility setup still fit for today’s new era of data-center-driven load growth, rapid electrification, and decarbonization mandates? Having studied market design and power sector reform across the U.S. and Europe, Graf offers a sharp, data-driven look at the mechanics shaping this moment and where reform might go next. This episode cuts through the noise to reveal what’s really happening behind the market mechanics and what it all means for utility leaders balancing affordability, reliability, and clean energy commitments in a rapidly evolving power system. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

With risks flying at utility leaders from every angle—extreme weather, outages, wildfires, and many more—knowing what’s happening on the grid at any moment isn’t just nice. It’s mission critical. So how is next-gen sensing tech helping power pros get better visibility into real-time grid realities? This week on Piloting the Future, Kim and Lee explore with Scott Lindsay, Director of Sales at GridWare, and Billy Terry, COO at Consumers Power. Sensing and fault detection can help us build a more resilient grid. And the tech behind these major moves? It’s getting better and better, as Scott and Billy point out. Listen in for a look at what this investment in the grid’s future could mean for all of us. Because at the end of the day, visibility doesn’t just enable operational excellence. It’s everything.

The global energy transition isn’t theoretical anymore—it’s happening right now. But how fast can we go, and how far can renewables really take us? In this episode of Power Perspectives, hosts Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Mark Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University, to explore one of the most polarizing questions in energy today: 100% clean energy, is it actually possible? For decades, Jacobson has modeled the path to a world powered entirely by wind, water, and solar, contending that fossil fuels, carbon capture, or nuclear aren’t necessary to meet the future energy needs. His research has influenced global climate policy, inspired states to adopt renewable targets, and sparked fierce debate across the energy sector. Whether you’re a skeptic of his stance or co-signer that the future can be all renewable, this conversation challenges assumptions and asks the most important question in energy today: what if the solutions we need are already here? Key Links: Mark Jacobson’s Stanford Profile: https://profiles.stanford.edu/mark-jacobson Mark Jacobson on X: https://x.com/mzjacobson Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

AI is transforming everything, but what happens when it starts transforming the grid itself? As data centers explode in scale and AI workloads surge, utility leaders are wondering when the power system might reach a a breaking point. But what if the next generation of compute didn’t just consume energy? What if it instead helped stabilize the grid? In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Arushi Sharma Frank, Senior Advisor on Power Utilities at Emerald AI and a senior associate at CSIS, and a technology investor who has launched a massive ERCOT campaign for tech neutral dispatachability solutions. In the conversation, they unpack how her team is redefining the relationship between technology and electricity. Frank, whose career spans Tesla, Exelon, and the intersection of policy and physics, shares how AI data centers can evolve from grid stressors to grid assets through orchestration, curtailment, and smart market design. As Emerald AI grabs industry headlines for its much-anticipated power-flexible AI infrastructure, Frank shares her deep technical insight with a visionary look at where AI and energy converge. It’s a must-listen for utility decision-makers, grid planners, and innovators who see the grid not as a limit, but as a launchpad. Key Links: Arushi Sharma Frank on Substack: https://arushisharmafrank.substack.com/ Rich Miller on Substack: https://substack.com/@richmiller NVIDIA: How AI Factories Can Help Relieve Grid Stress: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-factories-flexible-power-use/ Two Bills in Texas for Data Center Speed to Power: (Guess Which One Investors Will Like More): https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/two-bills-texas-data-center-speed-power-guess-which-1zabe/ Power Access for AI: The Flexibility Compact: https://www.csis.org/analysis/power-access-ai-flexibility-compact ARUSHI SHARMA FRANK: What Should Be In The Strategic Blueprint For A 21st Century Grid?: https://dailycaller.com/2025/08/12/opinion-what-should-be-in-the-strategic-blueprint-for-a-21st-century-grid-arushi-sharma-frank/ AI requires a smarter grid — and so does everyone else: https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/ai-requires-a-smarter-grid-and-so-does-everyone-else/ How the world’s first flexible AI factory will work in tandem with the grid: https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/how-the-worlds-first-flexible-ai-factory-will-work-in-tandem-with-the-grid/ Aggregations and data centers: If a resource shows up when the grid is straining, make it count: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/aggregations-data-centers-grid-flexibility/756183/ Mainstreaming AI data center flexibility: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/mainstreaming-ai-data-center-flexibility/804103/ From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Rewriting the Grid Planning Playbook in the Southwest Power Pool and Texas: https://www.csis.org/analysis/bottlenecks-breakthroughs-rewriting-grid-planning-playbook-southwest-power-pool-and-texas Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

It’s no secret: AI is changing everything from how we think, to where we build, to how we power the world. And nowhere is that disruption hitting harder and more quickly than in the rise of data centers, the massive energy users that are quickly becoming the new industrial load of the 21st century. In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker digs into the context of this transformation with the illuminating Pete Sacco, founder of Gray Wolf Data Center and physicist-turned-engineer-turned-developer. Sacco blends technical mastery with a human-centered vision for what the next generation of compute infrastructure could look like: distributed, opportunistic, and deeply integrated with local energy systems. From solid oxide fuel cells and on-site microgrids to new partnerships between utilities and data centers, this episode unpacks the radical rethink happening at the edge of the grid—and what it means for energy leaders tasked with keeping pace. This episode is a must-listen for anyone sitting at the intersection of energy, infrastructure, and innovation. And the message is clear: the data center revolution is coming fast, and utilities that embrace the change today will be the ones defining the next era of the grid tomorrow. And thanks to our partner, Renew Developers, for making this episode possible. ReNew Developers is a sustainable real estate development firm offering speed-to-market power solutions and Energy-as-a-Service. We serve data centers and large industrial power users by developing modern projects with on-site power generation. Our unique approach shaves years off the timeline to move into your data center. We have a pipeline of land with energy generation permits in place that can feed your state-of-the-art data center expansion needs. Contact us at ReNewDevelopers.com if you need land with power now.

Ask any utility exec: The key to accurate forecasting isn’t luck. It’s data. In fact, data might be more valuable than electrons these days. Knowing what your customers think (and how they act) is a prerequisite for long-term utility success. So today on The Watt & Why, host Mike Smith welcomes Elizabeth Parks, president and CMO of Parks Associates, for an insightful conversation about how consumers are adapting to new technologies—and the real ways the power industry can better leverage data to get answers to big questions. Mike and Elizabeth explore the utility’s role in communicating the massive benefits of grid tech to customers, the evolving relationship between consumers and power companies, and how utilities can improve everyday peoples’ perception of the work they do. Building trust starts with knowing your customer. Today’s conversation is a crash course in doing just that.

It’s one thing to create a culture of innovation. It’s an entirely other thing to ensure innovation exists at every juncture of your utility business. Today on Piloting the Future, Kim sits down (IRL, in the Philippines!) with execs from Aboitiz Power to learn how they’re incentivizing innovation in everyday ops. Aboitiz’s COO Jokin Aboitiz and AVP of Business Process & Strategic Performance Marynelle Leonor Rosales explain 1) why scale can hamstring innovation and how to outmaneuver business heft 2) the best strategy for making innovation more efficient 3) the role of next-gen tech in the pursuit of affordability…and so much more. Listen in to hear the exec’s playbook for keeping innovation affordable.