Energy Central

Recent advancements and modernizations in the utility industry have hinged on the availability of data. Data from across the grid can come in massive quantities, in real time, and require immense plans and assets necessary to analyze and make the best use of it. But those efforts are undoubtedly worthwhile, as they bring about new operational efficiencies, improve options to boost reliability, and more. However, just because the world of utility data is valuable does not mean it is easy. Entire departments of the utility industry need to be reworked to think about what data can do for them and how to best utilize the data coming in. Even policymakers and regulators are getting involved in the process, such as the landmark New York statewide energy data integration project. To understand exactly what this entails and how it's preparing New York utilities for the future, this week's episode features two key utility professionals at the frontline of these efforts: Damian Sciano, Director of Distributed Resource Integration, and Leon Bukhman, Project Manager, both from Con Edison. Listen in as Damian and Leon walk podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester step by step through this process. Key Tracks Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-103-unleashing-power-integrated-data-damian-sciano-and-leon-bukhman-con Damian Sciano's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/damian-sciano Leon Bukhman's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/leon-bukhman Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

These days, utilities seem to have more potential threats to worry about than ever before: cyber attacks to equipment failure to big storms knocking down portions of the grid. But certain power companies, particularly those on the West Coast, must stay ever vigilant to a less common but higher priority potential disaster: earthquakes. Ensuring the grid infrastructure is prepared to handle the 'big one' that may always be a day away, as well as that the utility companies are ready to respond at a moment's notice after the fact, is a job for every day even if the earthquakes themselves are less frequent. Learning from how utilities and their equipment have fared in different earthquakes across the globe is the best way to prepare for the future. Assessing the results and the response from power companies all over the world is one of the key jobs of Dr. Leon Kempner, Principal Civil Engineer for Bonneville Power Administration and the industry-leading expert on preparing the power sector for major events like earthquakes. And one of the utilities that has regularly retained the unparalleled insights of Dr. Kempner is Central Lincoln PUD. Specifically, Shamus Gamache, the utility's Director of Engineering, has worked regularly with Dr. Kempner to prepare the Oregon utility to be prepared for the persistent threat of earthquakes and tsunamis off the U.S. West Coast. Both of these experts join podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to provide their keen perspectives on what it means to prepare for once-in-a-generation events. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-102-%E2%80%9Cbig-one%E2%80%9D-coming%E2%80%94-your-utility-ready-shamus-gamache-central-lincoln Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

The utility sector has a reputation over its history for being somewhat insular: common ways of thinking persist and radical changes to the status quo are met with resistance and take some amount of time to be embraced. Fortunately, that reputation is finally falling as the various revolutions across the power industry are being embraced: digitalization, clean energy, and more. Today's guest on the podcast, though, entered the energy industry from a complete outsider's perspective to identify where the sector could be most suitably and impactfully disrupted. Seeing the need for the clean energy transition and thinking about what that would mean for the future of energy, Bill Nussey set out to interview hundreds of people in the sector and publish a book on what he learned, titled Freeing Energy. Now, Bill joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to share the lessons surrounding the two D's he sees as critical to the energy industry of tomorrow: Distributed and Disruptive. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-101-disrupting-energy-entrepreneurial-perspective-bill-nussey-energy Bill Nussey's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/bill-nussey Freeing Energy: https://www.freeingenergy.com/ Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Since the advent of the power sector over a century ago, the business model has seen incremental evolution over time but for most of that time has remained pretty consistent. Centralized power plants, long distances of transmission, and embedded utility companies being the sole provider for a given region. But the past decade or two have seen some landscape-shifting progress: new digital technologies, priorities towards clean energy, the availability of distributed resources, and the shift of consumers to prosumers. Together, those changes collectively warrant a reevaluation of the utility model, what can be considered Utility 2.0. Today's guest on the landmark 100th episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast is Jereme Kent. Jereme is the CEO of One Energy and earlier this year he was recognized as an Innovation Leader by Energy Central for his efforts to shift towards this Utility 2.0 model. As a utility-scale distributed-generation wind energy developer and operator, Jereme and his team at One Energy aren't afraid to shake things up and push the envelope in utility evolution even further, so Jereme joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to share how the company has gotten to this point and what he sees as the future of the utility sector. Thanks to all of our guests, listeners, and team members at Energy Central for supporting the Power Perspective Podcast over the course of the last 100 episodes. This milestone is only possible because of the hard work of many people behind the scenes, but also the enthusiasm and the intelligent discussions prompted by the Energy Central Community. Here's to the next 100 episodes and beyond! Key Links Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-100-innovating-model-utility-20-jereme-kent-ceo-one-energy-energy-central Jereme Kent's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/jereme-kent Energy Central Announces: The 2022 Innovation Champions: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/energy-central-announces-2022-innovation-champions Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Recent years have seen the critical topic of equity in opportunities in utilities finally elevated to the top of the priority list across the sector. Ensuring that potential advancements and transformations are accessible to wider portions of the population, eliminating the risk that any negative impacts are borne only by disadvantage communities, and raising the playing field for all have rightfully become a top focus of utility executives. That said, many organizations who strive for equitable outcomes may not know the best way to start towards those goals. Fortunately, leaders have stepped up across the utility industry to demonstrate with actions within their company the best way to make sure equity isn't a buzz word but is a core principle from the top to the bottom. The guest on this episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast is one of the most respected voices in this regard. Calvin Butler, Senior Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer of Exelon, has brought equity to the forefront of one of the nation's most prominent utilities and has been recognized for this leadership as one of the "Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America" by Black Enterprise Magazine and ETS Thought Leader of the Year by Zpryme. Calvin joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to give tangible advice and examples on how utilities can and should take their steps on the equity journey. Key Links Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-99-creating-real-change-utility-equity-investment-calvin-butler-senior Calvin Butler's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/calvin-butler Investing in Minority-Owned Small Businesses Is Part of How we Recover Equitably from the Pandemic: https://energycentral.com/c/ec/investing-minority-owned-small-businesses-part-how-we-recover-equitably-pandemic Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

The utility industry is amidst a revolution of the types, complexity, and scale of advanced technologies that are transforming the sector. Building on the foundation of successful smart grid deployments over the past decade, we are now in the golden age where operational data, new ways of working and emerging applications are converging to help the sector achieve ambitious decarbonization targets. For power companies, understanding the array of applications, vendors and successful implementations will be key as we continue this decade of clean technology deployments. As such, this episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast seeks to explore how the current landscape of solutions are poised to deliver, and how frontier technologies will accelerate this evolution. To discuss these topics, this week's episode features a tremendous trio from Indigo. David Groarke (Managing Director), Paul Sayour (Strategy & Research Analyst), and Leo Trudel (Innovation & Technology Director) join podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to break down the fast-moving area of grid tech and give our listeners an inside view of the state of these markets and where they are seeing opportunities for power companies. Key Links Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-98-advancing-world-grid-tech-david-groarke-paul-sayour-and-leo-trudel Grid Tech – Analyzing the Decade of Deployment: https://energycentral.com/o/indigo/grid-tech-%E2%80%93-analyzing-decade-deployment The Grid Tech 150 - Identifying the Leading Utility Partners and Applications: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/grid-tech-150-identifying-leading-utility-partners-and-applications David Groarke's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/david-groarke Paul Sayour's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/paul-sayour Leo Trudel's Enregy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/leo-trudel Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Virtual power plants (VPPs) have been making waves in the utility sector in recent years, truly disrupting what the status quo for power generation and delivery could look like. As the industry moves forward towards goals that cannot be missed, namely the reliable and affordable delivery of a cleaner energy mix, shifting away from the centralized power plant paradigm seems inevitable. Simultaneously, the rise of smart and connected technologies is allowing the virtual power plant model to leapfrog from theoretical to practical. Among the entities that have keen interest in fostering the developments in VPPs is the U.S. Department of Energy. In particular, recent years have seen DOE's Loan Programs Office (LPO) empowered to move the needle in emerging clean energy markets, and VPPs are a key area of focus in that regard. To discuss the impact and importance of VPPs, David Nemtzow, the Senior Advisor on Virtual Power Plants at DOE's Loan Programs Office, joined the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast. David discusses with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester why VPPs are top priority, what the goals of the Loan Programs Office are, and what ultimate success will look like. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-97-providing-jolt-virtual-power-plants-does-loan-programs-office-david Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

In today's modern world, everything has data behind it that can be tracked, monitored, reported, and analyzed. Nowhere across the economy is that truer than in the utility sector, where investments in infrastructure are major sources of public spending, where anything going wrong and interrupting energy supplies can be dangerous for customers, and where the rapidly advancing concept of the digital utility is forcing leaders to rethink what can be turned into data. Especially with the gas utilities who inherently put their expensive installations underground and reaccessing them for maintenance or repair is both costly and largely inconvenient, using advanced tools to track this infrastructure has gained a lot of steam in recent years. Among the leaders of this charge for better digital tracking of gas infrastructure has been TECO Peoples Gas in Florida. In the past few years, TECO has undertaken the massive project to implement GIS and mapping services for every single piece of gas infrastructure placed underground, tracking the model of the equipment, who the welder was, the precise location it lives, and so much more. To get a better insights into the how and why of it all, the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast is thrilled to welcome Angela Marra, Supervisor of GIS and Mapping Services at TECO Peoples Gas. She dives deep into this topic with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to highlight the benefits of this practice and why other utilities should catch up to implement these solutions as well. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-96-%E2%80%98tracking-gas-flows-and-infrastructure-gis-and-other-digital-tools Angela Marra's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/angela-marra Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

The evolution of transportation systems to be electrified has been a rising story in the power sector for years, and thanks to advancing technologies and progressing electric vehicle (EV) policies it is also poised to be the defining story for utilities over the next decade or two. EVs bring the electric power sector and the transportation industry together like never before, and because the changes needed are so unprecedented, power leaders don't have a singular playbook to follow on how these coming years should play out. While thought leaders in the energy space agree that change is coming and utilities must prepare, the precise strategy for this transformation does not have a consensus. As these conversations play out, geographic information systems (GIS) and related tools will be critical, but the exact way to utilize these solutions even sparks debate. And so on this episode of the Energy Central Power Perspective Podcast, returning guests Bill Meehan and Pat Hohl, both Directors of Electric Utility Solutions at Esri, join podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to take these debates to the airwaves. What should utility leaders be doing today to prepare for the EV future of tomorrow? What are the best ways to integrate GIS tools in that process? And how exactly will the next 5, 10, 20 years play out? Bill and Pat go point-counterpoint in the Power Perspectives Podcast's first debate. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-95-debating-utilities-role-transportation-electrification-esris-bill Esri's Electric Utilities Page: https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/electric/overview Bill Meehan's Energy Central Profile:https://energycentral.com/member/profile/360/about Bill's first apperance on the podcast:https://energycentral.com/c/iu/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-12-%E2%80%98-unlock-modern-utility-gis Modeling Electric Distribution with GIS By Bill Meehan: https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/modeling-electric.pdf GIS for Enhanced Electric Utility Performance by Bill Meehan: https://www.amazon.com/Enhanced-Electric-Utility-Performance-Engineering/dp/1608075591/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9UCPMZE5TCYB&keywords=enhanced+electric+utility+performance+with+GIS&qid=1663019244&sprefix=enhanced+electric+utility+performance+with+gis%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1 Pat Hohl's Energy Central Profile:https://energycentral.com/member/profile/204983/about Pat's first appearance on the podcast:https://energycentral.com/c/iu/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-10-%E2%80%98-past-future-circuits-how Bill and Pat's Podcast Episoe from Earlier this Year: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-80-taking-geographic-approach-public-grid-investment-bill-meehan-and-pat Taking the Community Pulse: How Prepared Are Utilities for the EV Revolution?: https://energycentral.com/o/esri/taking-community-pulse-how-prepared-are-utilities-ev-revolution Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

As the key technologies used by utilities across the country evolve, so too must the institutional knowledge and protocols to be able to handle that new technology. A key technological area where utilities are becoming more and more accustomed with each passing years is with batteries, whether that's large grid-tied batteries, residential energy storage installations, or even electric vehicle batteries. The transformation of the grid is bringing batteries to the utility landscape at an unprecedented scale, and to make this trend even more challenging the technologies behind batteries are in a constant state of flux as well. In terms of preparing for the new technologies, safety must always be a utility's top priority, and as such fire safety practices related to batteries simply cannot be overlooked. Most people have seen the scary videos of batteries or electric vehicles catching fire and the uncertainty that may come for less trained people in how to handle such fires due to the unique chemical elements in play during a battery fire. Today's guest to the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast is trying to wipe away that uncertainty by training utilities and local emergency response teams alike on the proper practices for battery fire safety. Bringing his unique combination of experience across the firefighting industry and the power generation sector, Jay Sadler, Energy Storage Operations Lead at Duke Energy, is the leading utility voice on battery fire safety and he's been taking that knowledge on the road to spread the insight. Most recently, he joined podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to share his insights and explain what utility leaders should be doing to prepare if they are not doing so already regarding battery fire safety preparations. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-94-prioritizing-and-advancing-battery-fire-safety-utilities-jay-sadler Jay Sadler's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/jay-sadler Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Episode 93: ‘The Invaluable Role of Advanced Nuclear Today and Tomorrow' with Christine King of Idaho National Lab's GAIN While nuclear energy has been a mainstay of U.S. and global power grids for many decades, recent months have seen a renewed focus on the importance of this dispatchable and carbon-free power source. Rising and volatile fossil fuel prices, variable renewable energy sources, and the urgent prioritization to decarbonize the energy sector have all left nuclear energy as a critical and unreplicable source for the sector. That said, nuclear energy is not without its detractors or challenges. But those guiding the future of nuclear energy aren't resting on the power source's laurels, nor are they willing to accept any of the existing downsides, which is why the topic of advanced nuclear continues to gain favor. The future of nuclear energy can see generation with reduced costs, smaller footprints, more adaptability, and other benefits that further drive the energy source into the spotlight. Among the most critical entities driving this future of nuclear is the U.S. Department of Energy, and specifically Idaho National Lab and its Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN). Joining podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to discuss the importance of nuclear today and tomorrow, as well as the breakthrough work being done by federal scientists and researchers, is Christine King , Director of GAIN. Listen in as she highlights what you need to know about this critical moment in the nuclear power sector. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-93-invaluable-role-advanced-nuclear-today-and-tomorrow-christine-king Christine King's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/christine-king Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

The utility industry is one of the more tightly regulated sectors of the economy, given the local monopoly that most power providers naturally have and the essential nature of the end product: electricity to run our daily lives. As such, the interplay between the utility business side and the public policy taking place on the federal, state, and local level is a key area of focus in every utility across the country. These days especially, with topics like power outages and climate change driving public attention and government leaders alike, the regulatory and policy affairs departments of the typical utility are more in the spotlight than ever before. With that in the mind, it's a perfect moment in time to reflect on how the relationship between utilities and regulations have evolved over time and what this space will look like in the years to come, and to do so we must continue to lean on the institutional knowledge of the veterans of the industry. Ahead of his departure from Portland General Electric as their Vice President of Public Affairs, Dave Robertson joined host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast to reflect on his time in this role and speculate about the future direction the industry can and should take. Key Links Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-92-stepping-meet-utilitys-regulatory-and-policy-needs-dave-robertson-vp Dave Robertson's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/dave-robertson Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

With the recent passage of recent legislation and the continued stream of public funds going towards enabling cleaner forms of generation, an area that must not be overlooked is the infrastructure needed to transmit energy across the country. The grid and its physical transmission and distribution equipment is an area that utilities are paying more attention to in order to stay ahead of the rapid transformation taking place across the sector. Because of the gravitas this transmission improvement topic requires and the regional proximity of ITC Holdings to podcast host Jason Price, the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast was able to pay the guests of this episode an on-site visit to discuss everything going on from a regulatory, funding, and modernization perspective on the grid. Specifically, Jason visited with Vice President of Transmission Planning, Charles Marshall, and Director of Regional Policy and RTO Engagement, Brian Drumm, to dive into this critical moment in the grid's history. Note: For reference when Jason and the guests discuss recent news and events relevant to this episode, please note that this recording took place on July 28, 2022. Key Links Link to Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript and Photo of the In-Person Recording: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-91-creating-tangible-transmission-improvements-charles-marshall-and-brian Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Every so often, we hear about breakthroughs taking place in the laboratory setting or academic papers that highlight the type of program that has the power to transform the utility sector, and they get touted and shared in headlines, social media, and elsewhere. Too often, though, it seems the story ends there: the practical application falls apart when put up to scrutiny, the economics of putting them into place creates hurdles not previously foreseen, or they otherwise suffer from being more hype than reality. But that outcome doesn't always need to be the case, and in the current rush to enhance the energy transition towards more clean energy resources we need all the buy in we can get. That was the perspective of Turlock Irrigation District (TID) when the utility became aware of broad proclamations from an academic study on the possibilities tied to installing floating solar panels on the nation's canal systems. While the study was theoretical, TID recognized that they had the type of canal system in their assets and the energy needs across their service area to be perfectly aligned to put the conclusions of this study to the test, and so that's what they did. In this episode of the podcast, TID's External Affairs Department Manager, Josh Weimer, joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to chat about what ultimately became known as Project Nexus and how and why the utility was eager to be the first to pilot this high potential project. Key Links: Josh Weimer's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/josh-weimer Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-90-diving-project-nexus-and-floating-solar-josh-weimer-turlock-irrigation Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register More information on Project Nexus: https://www.tid.org/about-tid/current-projects/project-nexus/ TID Water & Power Podcast on Project Nexus: https://tidpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1542562/10214969 2021 UC Merced Study: https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Energy Efficiency is a key component of every utility across the country, but efficiency programs and departments have been in the power sector for so long that it may be easy to overlook their importance. However, the impact that energy efficiency can have for utilities today is in fact more critical than ever, serving as a key driver toward a myriad of top-level utility goals: decarbonization, grid reliability, customer affordability, the business bottom line, and more. Seeking to ensure that energy efficiency, and importantly the new tools and opportunities that digital technologies and innovative thinking are uncovering in the efficiency realm, stays top of mind, VEIC has become one of the nation's most trusted voices on how, where, and why to ramp up energy efficiency efforts. To highlight the efforts underway across the country, this episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast brings in VEIC's CEO, Rebecca Foster. Listen in as Rebecca shares with host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester the success stories taking place today and the lessons learned from which all power providers can benefit. Key Links: Energy Central Post for Episode with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-89-cranking-impact-energy-efficiency-across-country-rebecca-foster-ceo Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Rebecca Foster's profile on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/rebecca-foster Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Fair or not, the eyes of the utility industry have been on Texas in recent months. After Winter Storm Uri in early 2021 nearly brought the grid down completely, state lawmakers, utility leaders, and innovators have been seeking ways to ensure grid resilience is at the top of the agenda. And leading into the summer season, those new strategies appeared poised to be put to the test thanks to record heatwaves that would bring with them previously unseen levels of power demand. At CPS Energy, interim President and CEO Rudy Garza has taken this spotlight seriously and leveraged the expertise across his teams to ensure that every tool in the toolbox has been tapped into to prepare the San Antonio utility for what's to come. From ensuring low-hanging energy efficiency fruit was tapped into to ramping up the additional sources of clean energy and peak load energy resources, Rudy has shown confidence that CPS Energy customers can count on the lights to stay on this summer. To dive into the lessons learned from last year and highlight the efforts that are continually ongoing, Rudy joins host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to share his perspective. Key Links Link to Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-88-eyes-energy-efficiency-grid-resilience-and-clean-energy-lonestar-state Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Rudy Garza's profile on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/rudy-garza Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

In the increasingly digital world in which we operate, cybersecurity has become a core focus for leaders across the economy. In the utility industry in particular, ensuring systems are secured against potential cyber attack is a top priority, and the state of cybersecurity protections must continue to evolve as new technologies continue to get introduced to the ecosystem. For any utility big or small, the prospect of a cyber vulnerability can put customer data at risk, cause financial damages, and can even bring the operation of the grid down. No matter the size or makeup of the utility, these truths remain consistent, though for smaller municipal utilities the challenge can be greater as they have fewer resources than large investor-owned utilities. That said, municipal utilities are stepping up to the challenge, and the guest on this week's episode is one of those great leaders in utility cybersecurity at the city level. Hong Sae is the CIO at the City of Roseville, and he joins host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to weigh in on the unique municipal challenges and offer tips and tricks from his over a decade in this role. Key Links Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-87-protecting-grid-municipal-level-cybersecurity-hong-sae-city-roseville Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Americans are hurting economically in recent months, with prices for everything in the monthly budget rising more than previously expected. Utilities have not been immune to the tough financial situation, as fuel prices continue to rise and show unpredictable volatility, but for most households and businesses they are unable to reasonably do anything about their energy budget beyond typical energy conservation practices. With prices rising, it is the responsibility of the utility providers to manage costs and as much as possible shield their customers from unexpected bill increases, but doing so is no easy feat. That's the situation that Jacob Williams, CEO and GM of Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) finds him and his teams in, especially as the hot Florida summer approaches and brings with it higher power demand across all service areas. In his second appearance on the Power Perspectives Podcast, Jacob shares insights on the tools that utilities in the Sunshine State can use to manage their costs, bring affordable electricity to their customers, and ensure simultaneous goals of reliability and decarbonization aren't sacrificed in the meantime. Listen in as Jacob chats with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester about what utilities will need to do in the coming months. Key Links: Link to Energy Central post with full episode transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-86-keeping-electricity-affordable-among-high-energy-costs-jacob-williams Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Jacob Williams' Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/jacob-williams-1/about Florida Municipals Working to Keep Electricity Affordable: https://energycentral.com/c/um/florida-municipals-working-keep-electricity-affordable Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Energy efficiency has been a part of the utility toolbox for many years, providing support to customers in finding ways to reduce power bills through the basics like upgrading their appliances, turning off or swapping out their light bulbs, and the other basics. Today's power customer, though, tends to be smarter about these energy efficiency basics, and at the same time improving efficiency across a service area is even more important to utilities seeking to meet decarbonization goals and managing an evergrowing load profile with limited capacity to generate and deliver power. Luckily, these trends are happening at the same time that technological advances are enabling energy efficiency 2.0 that can unlock new potential. The evolution of this energy efficiency space is the passion of the guest to this week's episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast, Lary Rush. Larry is the Manager of Residential Conservation and Load Management at AVANGRID, and he's regularly seeking out new ways to assist AVANGRID's customers to tap into the latest efficiency opportunities. Accomplishing utility bill savings is even more important amid rising inflation and economic uncertainty, and as the unparalleled trusted source of energy information, the utility role for customers is as critical as ever. Larry joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to share his insights in this hot topic area. Key Links: Link to Energy Central post with full episode transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-85-elevating-utility-energy-efficiency-programs-next-level-larry-rush Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

The landscape of the traditional legacy utility continues to be challenged by new technologies, public policies, and customer demands. Among the latest developments that are creating change in the power sector is the rise of Community Energy organizations. Community energy, such as community choice aggregators, enables customers to take an unprecedented level of control over their power services by offering them the option to engage with new providers, which opens them up to choosing the company that best aligns with their energy goals. In particular, customers who are particularly clean energy-focused are finding the opportunity to engage with community energy to be a game-changer in taking ownership of their energy and carbon footprints. Joining the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast to discuss what it's like to be one of these new players in the space of Community Energy is Nick Chaset, the CEO of East Bay Community Energy in the Bay Area of California. With a service area filled with many businesses and residents who jump at the opportunity to play a role in the clean energy transition, not to mention the region's innovation-minded reputation, EBCE has an unparalleled opportunity to push the envelope of Community Energy offerings. Nick joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to share his insights and lessons learned from what EBCE has been able to accomplish to date. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-84-clean-energy-opportunity-community-energy-providers-nick-chaset-ceo Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

While most U.S. utilities operate in a regulated market, meaning competition from other utilities for providing service in their given region isn't a concern, that doesn't mean that these power companies opt to sit back and wait for the customers to come to them. In fact, the business development departments of utilities serve some of the most critical functions. By providing a business case for major facilities and companies to set up shop in their service area, the utility can expand its customer base and thus provide more affordable and beneficial services to existing customers. Further, serving as community pillars that strive to elevate the entire economy is a unique proposition for utility companies, one that is unique among other businesses operating in a given region. To discuss what the challenges, motivations, and success stories of such efforts in major utilities, this episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast brings on Patrick Smith, the VP of Economic, Community, and Business Development at Ameren Missouri. Patrick has seen it all in his career in the energy sector, starting as a journey lineman and climbing the ladder over the decades to ultimately end up at this latest challenge. He shares with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester how this development focus is able to open up new opportunities and offers his best practices for succeeding in this function. Key Links: Full Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-83-embracing-utility-role-community-economic-development-patrick-smith Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

The utility landscape today is filled with more goals competing for attention and funding than at any time in history, and the regulatory processes that are compelling utilities to make progress towards those targets are constantly ramping up the pressure. But similar to how technology for utilities is advancing, getting more complex, and unlocking new possibilities, the regulatory mechanisms at play are also widening in scope, methodology, and outcomes. One particular area of interest for modern utility leaders is the advancement of Performance Incentive Mechanisms, or PIMs. PIMs are part of the broader world of performance based regulations (PBRs), and utilities are seeing them gain prominence and favor with their local regulators and public utilities commissions. The web of regulatory frameworks that utilities have had to navigate has always been a complicated one, but more so than ever it can be tough to keep track. In this episode of the podcast, Karl Rábago is featured to help make sense of it all. Karl has spent over 30 years in the utility sector, making impressions via time at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Department of Energy, AES, Austin Energy, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and more. He brings that experience to chat with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester about what he’s seeing in today’s regulatory landscape and why PIMs are gaining traction. Key Links Karl Rábago's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/karl-r%C3%A1bago Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Ask anyone across the utility sector and they'll likely agree: today is the most exciting it's ever been work in the power industry. Between rapid technological advancement, the newfound availability of investment funds for grid and program upgrades, and the hyperfocus on meeting the challenges of clean and reliable energy, utility companies today are more dynamic than ever before. With this fast-paced environment comes the need for research and development to identify the best opportunities and integrate the most successful processes. For decades, the utility industry was a bit stagnant or even stale, but today the R&D opportunities are only limited by our collective imagination. To highlight just how critical the modern focus on utility R&D is, this week's episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast welcomes a guest who is guiding that discovery and advancement journey at one of the nation's most well respected utilities. Our guest today is King Look, the Director of R&D at Con Edison. King joins the podcast booth to share with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester what he sees as the top priorities in a successful R&D program as well as preview some of the landscape changing technologies and programs he and his team at Con Edison are currently working to bring to the field. Key Links Link to Energy Central Post with full episode transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-81-%E2%80%98utilities-embracing-rd-role-future-king-look-director-rd-con-edison Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Much has been made about the need to modernize the U.S. power grid, and recent developments at the federal level have made it clear that public funding to upgrade and expand our transmission and distribution infrastructure is on the way. Whether already designated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress in late 2021 or potential new funding that may come in forthcoming legislation and budgets, the scale of spending is looking like it's going to finally catch up to what's been long needed, but vast quantities of money without an intelligent plan for how and where to spend them is shortsighted. Given the scale and complexity of the grid, even the most tuned-in grid professionals in the utility industry can struggle to grasp the best approach to the billions of dollars coming to the grid. That's why Bill Meehan and Pat Hohl, Directors of Electric Utility Solutions at Esri, advocate for a geographic approach to these investments. By tapping into the treasure troves of grid-wide data and utilizing tools like GIS and other geography-based approaches, the most efficient and intelligent decisions can be made. But doing so is no small feat, so Pat and Bill join the Energy Central podcast as returning guests to share with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester their thought process for what will ensure optimal distribution of funds. Key Links Link to Create Your Own Profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-80-taking-geographic-approach-public-grid-investment-bill-meehan-and-pat Bill Meehan's Energy Central Profile:https://energycentral.com/member/profile/360/about Bill's first apperance on the podcast:https://energycentral.com/c/iu/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-12-%E2%80%98-unlock-modern-utility-gis Pat Hohl's Energy Central Profile:https://energycentral.com/member/profile/204983/about Pat's first appearance on the podcast:https://energycentral.com/c/iu/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-10-%E2%80%98-past-future-circuits-how Devouring Underutilized Data With Spatial Analytics: https://energycentral.com/o/esri/devouring-underutilized-data-spatial-analytics Pop Quiz – What Happened on October 19, 1973: https://energycentral.com/o/esri/pop-quiz-%E2%80%93-what-happened-october-19-1973 Geospatial Infrastructure - Utility Lessons Learned with Pat Hohl and Bill Meehan - Episode #6: https://energycentral.com/o/esri/geospatial-infrastructure-utility-lessons-learned-pat-hohl-and-bill-meehan Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

A key area of focus from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, in recent years has bled into the world of energy and utilities, specifically in assisting the nation's rural population to fight climate change, increase energy resilience, and embrace new energy technologies that can bring commercial benefit. To tap into smart energy policies and investments, the USDA has been hard at work with the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP. which has already funded thousands of projects across Rural America and over $1.5 billion in funds in aggregate. To examine the process behind this program and the real business impacts, this episode of the podcast welcomes in the state director for USDA Rural Development in Pennsylvania, Bob Morgan, as well as a recipient of a REAP grant in Pennsylvania, Greg Saubel of Saubel's Markets. Having been involved in the $100,000 USDA grant to install solar panels on the roof of the set of family-owned grocery stores, these two guests join podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to demonstrate just how important and successful these rural energy outreach programs can be. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-79-bringing-home-rural-energy-america-program-bob-morgan-usda-and-greg Link to Register for Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register USDA Launches Pilot Program to Deploy Renewable Energy Infrastructure to People in Rural Towns: https://energycentral.com/c/ee/usda-launches-pilot-program-deploy-renewable-energy-infrastructure-people-rural USDA Invests in Rural Pennsylvania (Opinion): https://energycentral.com/c/ee/usda-invests-rural-pennsylvania-opinion Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Cybersecurity topics have been elevated to top of mind for utility executives across the industry, a promising trend from years past where not enough attention was paid to this area, but many key decisionmakers still struggle to understand the best course of action that they need to take. With grid-wide security needed to prevent vulnerabilities that can upend the power systems on which we rely, these leaders in energy must lean dutifully on the expertise of the cybersecurity experts. And luckily for the industry, these experts have been putting serious time and effort into outlining the pest practice standards and frameworks that should be implemented across utility enterprises. A key body in these efforts has been the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB), including their initiatives to implement public key infrastructure (PKI) across the wholesale power sector. Joining the podcast for this episode is one of the drivers of that focus, Lila Kee, Chief Product Officer at Global Sign. Having been integral to these efforts to promote encryption, data integrity, and authentication for online transactions at the scale the power grid requires, Lila joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to sing the praises of NAESB protocols and share how and why energy stakeholders should embrace these frameworks and standards. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-78-how-wholesale-electric-participants-have-adopted-north-american-energy Link to Register for Energy Central: energycentral.com/user/register Lila Kee's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/lila-kee Top ten cybersecurity tips for the electric sector: https://energycentral.com/c/iu/top%C2%A0ten%C2%A0cybersecurity-tips-electric-sector Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

As energy demand grows and existing assets and infrastructure ages, the utility industry is increasingly taking stock of the capacity that the grid is able to handle. After events like 2021’s Winter Storm Uri in Texas nearly brought the state’s power sector down, many leaders are questioning long-held beliefs regarding capacity, the makeup of their generation fleets, and more. The energy industry is, of course, evolving towards a grid that’s more defined by renewable energy sources, distributed energy assets, and smart technology, but if those implementations undermine the ability of utilities to reliably deliver power when it’s most needed then it’s all for naught. To dig into these difficult but critical questions, Doug Houseman joins the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast for his second appearance on the show. In this episode, Doug taps into his wealth of experience and knowledge to educate the utility listeners about how they should be thinking about spare margin, long-term thinking, and grid-scale planning. In this conversation with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester, Doug espouses his wisdom with the wit, frankness, and expertise the energy industry observers have come to expect. Key Links Energy Central Post with Full Podcast Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-77-%E2%80%98spare-margins-and-whether-new-generation-keeping-pace-doug-houseman Doug Houseman's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/doug-houseman Episode #41: ‘The Whole Grid and Nothing But the Whole Grid’ with Doug Houseman, Principal Consultant at 1898 & Co. [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-35-%E2%80%98-whole-grid-and-nothing-whole-grid%E2%80%99-doug-houseman-principal Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

The shift to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) is not only the most comprehensive transportation system evolution to date, but it is also setting up the electric power industry for its most fundamental disruption in its history. The amount of sheer new energy demand that accompanies a complete shift towards EVs has not been seen since the advent of air conditioning, but the domino effect of impacts are also never ending: new opportunities for flexible demand, installation of necessary equipment and infrastructure, and a true rethinking of the relationship between utility and customer. Rather than see this shift as a hurdle to overcome, Consumers Energy in Michigan has taken it on as a challenge to be able to help its customers in new and creative ways. This major utility has pledged to power one million EVs by the end of the decade, and the pride felt in the role Michigan has always played as the heart of the U.S. auto industry has meant that this transition to EVs is personal. The passion and excitement for this shift, however, does not mean that the path from here to there is clear and straightforward, and some of the challenges that will come have likely not even yet been identified. But that doesn't stop Lauren Youngdahl Snyder, Vice President of Customer Experience at Consumers Energy, from taking a leading role in bringing the utility and its customers into the EV future. Lauren joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to provide lessons already learned along the way and an outlook for what the pathway is from here to 2030 to support one million EVs on the Michigan roads. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-76-preparing-ev-shift-utility-perspective-lauren-youngdahl-snyder-vp Lauren Youngdahl Snyder's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/lauren-youngdahl Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

The vast majority of utility customers (around three quarters) in the United States are served by investor-owned utilities, with each of those IOUs being larger in size than their municipal or electric cooperative counterparts. That said, there are so many more individual organizations that identify as publicly-owned and/or municipal utilities. While each of those small utilities may have a smaller footprint, that means there are thousands more of these smaller organizations that are each connecting with their communities, piloting new programs, and solving real problems. While it may be natural to assume that the larger utilities are the ones on the cutting edge, the reality is that many pushing-the-envelope advancements are starting at the municipality level. With that in mind, the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast wanted to bring on a representative from such a municipal utility to drill into what the larger power providers can and should be learning from them. To do so, this episode features an insightful conversation with Brian Groth, the Director of the Electric Utility at the City of Naperville in Illinois. Brian and his team at the City of Naperville have been busy advancing fiber optic technology, smart grid capabilities, and more at the community level, and so he joins the discussion with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to tap into his best lessons learned. Key Links: Link to Energy Central Post with Full Podcast Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-75-highlighting-what-large-power-providers-can-learn-smaller-municipal Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

When it comes to offering unique programs and key opportunities for upgrades, the utility industry has typically seen the lowest hanging fruit at commercial buildings or with homeowners in the residential sector. These customers own and operate their buildings, they are the ones solely paying the power bills, and they have the authority (and often the means) to invest in upgrades like efficiency improvements, on-site generation and energy storage, and more. For too long, though, that has left an unfortunate blind spot for key utility programs: renters in the residential sector. Households that rent their homes have been the least tapped into traditionally by utilities because they don't have the aforementioned advantages, but the unfortunate irony is that these are the customers that often carry the most significant energy burden and could thus most benefit from assistance to bring down their power bills. Addressing the unique characteristics, needs, and opportunities of the home rental market has gained favor recently, even leading to the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) publishing their report "Understanding the Needs and Wants of Renters." This study has already become a key tool for numerous utilities to reevaluate how they were approaching this key demographic. To highlight the findings of this study, podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester are joined by SECC's CEO, Nathan Shannon. To really drive home the impact this area of study has on the utilities, they are also joined by Elizabeth Moore, Manager of Commercial Energy Solutions at Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to discuss what changes they've been able to implement as a result. Key Links: Nathan Shannon's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/nathan-shannon What’s Stopping Renters from Engaging in Energy?: https://energycentral.com/c/cc/what%E2%80%99s-stopping-renters-engaging-energy How Utilities Can Better Serve Residential Renters: https://energycentral.com/c/cc/how-utilities-can-better-serve-residential-renters Link to Energy Central Post with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-74-understanding-what-renters-need-their-utilities-nathan-shannon-ceo Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Utility companies are always positioned in a unique way compared with other companies, as the product they provide is essential for safe, healthy, and productive functioning of every family and every business. Having power bills rise too much can be a crisis for families who may be unable to pay or forced to choose between putting food on the table and keeping the lights on. The potential of inequity and crisis has only become even more apparent amid the pandemic and the recent economic struggles across the country. With over 60% of Americans actively living paycheck to paycheck, this crisis of energy affordability needs leadership and ingenuity to ensure that energy systems are looked at holistically with affordability being a paramount consideration. These are the issues that drive Jim Madej, the CEO of Franklin Energy, as he and his team work to design and implement energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for their utility partners. Jim is motivated by the idea of keeping energy affordable for all customers, and doing so in a way that aligns with the clean energy transition, and in this episode he joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to highlight what utility leaders should be doing to meet these necessary goals. Key Links: Jim Madej's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/jim-madej Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-73-making-energy-work-americas-working-families-jim-madej-ceo-franklin Clean Should Mean Affordable: How Smart Clean Energy Policy Can Help Resuscitate the American Dream: https://energycentral.com/o/franklin-energy/clean-should-mean-affordable-how-smart-clean-energy-policy-can-help-resuscitate Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Gone are the days where electric vehicles are oddities, come are the days where they are mainstream and impacting the grid. From charging stations dotting the interstates to Super Bowl commercials from many automakers touting their electric models to regulations that continue to make EVs more accessible, the pivot point in the industry is nearby, if not already here. While that’s a tremendous sign of progress in terms of electrifying transportation, it’s a point in time that’s created anxious board rooms in utilities across the country as power providers assess what their role in this new future will be and how to ensure they are best prepared. Understanding how a utility’s customers and service territory fits into the overall EV adoption curve can help alleviate this anxiety and instead put companies in control of their EV future. These utilities recognize the opportunity that EV programs can mean for their offerings to customers and the flexibility they have in operating the grid, though doing so will be no small feat. That’s where experts like Kevin Hernandez, Partner at ScottMadden, come in. Kevin and his team have spent years preparing for this moment and have already assisted early moving electric power companies to design utility EV programs that will be successful and long-lasting. Kevin joins host of this episode, Matt Chester, to discuss what the roadmap to the EV future needs to be for utilities and how they can start planning for it today, even if those plans are starting at square one. Key Links: Full Energy Central Post with Podcast Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-72-keys-developing-successful-utility-ev-programs-kevin-hernandez-partner Kevin Hernandez’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/kevin-hernandez-1 Kevin’s previous appearance on the podcast, Episode #54: Preparing Utilities for the EV Revolution with Kevin Hernandez of ScottMadden: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/special-edition-preparing-utilities-ev-revolution-kevin-hernandez-scottmadden Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

The modern utility industry continues to evolve in key ways that provide for a more reliable, affordable, and clean grid. An emerging focus for utilities has been the ability to accurately access, process, and act upon an asset that’s become nearly as important to them as the electricity itself: data. Data from customers, generators, sensors along the grid, and more are all providing utilities keen insights into their best course of action across countless areas of the power business, but properly utilizing such data can be impossible without the right tools. Across the sector, the solution that’s been seen as necessary for this next generation of utility operations is the implementation of private broadband networks. Joining the podcast today to discuss how private broadband networks are actively creating new advancements for utilities today are two experts in the field. First is Ryan Gerbrandt, the Chief Operating Officer at Anterix, who has been assisting utilities to get started on their private broadband journey, no matter how far along they are in that process or if they are at square one and need justification that this step will benefit them and their customers. Also joining the podcast is Russ Ehrlich, the Utility Communications Senior Manager of Exelon. Russ has overseen the kickoff of that private broadband transition at Exelon’s six utilities alongside Ryan, including the network pilot to study the operational savings broadband capabilities would bring them. Ryan and Russ join podcast host, Jason Price, and producer, Matt Chester, to share what they’ve learned from these efforts and the lessons that can be passed onto other utilities considering doing the same. Key Links Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-71-road-decision-exelon%E2%80%99s-vision-private-broadband-network-grid Ryan Gerbrandt’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/ryan-gerbrandt Russ Ehrlich's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/russ-ehrlich Private LTE as Communications for Grid Modernization: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/grid-modernization Private Broadband Opens the World of Big Data for Utilities: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/private-broadband-opens-world-big-data-utilities Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

While all utilities would prefer to simply stay out of the headlines due to emergencies or crises, the reality is that it comes with the territory. Whether that's extended outages from natural disasters or equipment failure, unexpected bad press, or the power providers simply not operating at the standard that the public expects, most utilities at one point or another will find themselves trying to get ahead of the narrative and tell their story. But in this digital age where Tweets are constantly flying and a negative story-- regardless of how true it is or not-- can seemingly move at the speed of light, utilities can't simply wait for these occurrences and decide how to respond to them at that point. Instead, they need to always be prepared and have a crisis communications plan. That's the perspective of today's guest on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast, at least. Jeff Hahn is a crisis communications expert who has extensive experience responding to emergencies for utility partners, and he's also the author of the book "Breaking Bad News: 12 Essential Crisis Communication Tools." He's joining podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to share his review of how some recent crises in the world of utilities were handled and offer advice to executives at utilities about how they should be preparing today for the unexpected emergency of tomorrow. Key Links Link to Energy Central Post with Episode's Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-70-beating-clock-crisis-communication-utilities-jeff-hahn-energy-central Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

We're truly experiencing the most dynamic time in the power sector, and it's not just the technology that's going through evolution but even the traditional business model. The availability of distributed energy sources and the desire of customers to embrace clean energy, for example, has given rise to a new type of utility: the community choice aggregator, or CCA. Customers in areas with CCAs can make the decision to break from their incumbent utility and embrace the offerings of a local CCA that better aligns with their desired energy company, and that's empowering the ratepayers as well as the power companies. Today’s guest on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast is the CEO of the oldest CCA in California, Dawn Weisz of MCE. During the course of the conversation, Dawn shares with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester the history lesson of how and why CCAs first arose, highlights the unique opportunity for innovation that this business model provides all stakeholders, and stresses the community aspect of her company: building up the green workforce, ensuring equity in clean energy availability, and more. Key Links Energy Central Post with full interview transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-69-innovation-and-leadership-californias-first-community-choice Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

The utility sector has become just as much about its data as it has the energy, and collecting, tracking, and utilizing the mountains of data utilities are able to collect is no small feat. But as those mountains climb ever higher, they reach the heights for a key solution these days: the Cloud. By harnessing the opportunity for cloud-based solutions, power providers are increasingly streamlining their processes in ways that were never previously possible, with opportunities arising in every corner of the enterprise: from customer information to workforce planning, from tracking costs to ensuring asset health, and so much more. Today’s guest on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast is Andrew Braeger, the Data Enginering Manager at Tacoma Public Utilities in Washington State. In this role, Andrew oversaw the cloud journey at the utility and so he has keen insights and a front row perspective on how to best implement and further cloud goals across the industry. In this episode, Andrew shares with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester some of his lessons learned and his excitement for where the cloud is headed. Key Links Andrew Braeger’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/andrew-braeger Planning the utility cloud journey: https://energycentral.com/c/iu/planning-utility-cloud-journey Energy Central post with full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-68-planning-cloud-journey-andrew-braeger-tacoma-public-utilities-energy Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

When it comes to the role that utilities are playing, today sees power providers filling more roles than ever before. Gone are the once-per-month bills being the only touch point a customer had with their utility, and here are the days of social media engagement, energy efficiency programs, advocating for new energy technologies, and more. Utilities really have evolved into a core pillar of the communities in which they serve, and they can only play this part effectively when they are filled with forward-looking leaders who embrace the benefits and challenges these shifting responsibilities bring. This week's episode of the Power Perspectives Podcast brings to the audience one of those esteemed professionals who is helping out their community in countless ways with their role in the local energy company. Will Ellis is the VP of Government and External Affairs at PEPCO in Washington DC, but that title only begins to describe what he brings to the table. Eager to share the community-benefitting programs he's bringing to his neighbors, the educational efforts that he's championing, and more, Will shares in this wide-ranging conversation with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester all the ways PEPCO is looking to embrace its role in the wider capital region. Listen in to hear the enthusiastic conversation. Key Links Energy Central Post with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-67-inclusively-engaging-capital-region-efficiency-evs-more-will-ellis Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

Mapping out the world of the utility with accurate and granular data has rapidly become one of the most essential functions for power providers to ensure they are providing reliable, affordable, and even clean energy to their customers every day. If you walked the halls of a utility industry conference just a decade ago, you may have been met with vague or uncertain answers when asking to chat about the geospatial programs at these companies, whereas today GIS departments are regular and necessary for utilities to continue to deliver on those goals. How did the world of geospatial data grow so quickly, and what exactly do GIS tools bring to the decision-makers at utilities? Those are the questions that Jaime Crawford of Critigen is here to answer as she joins the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast. Jaime is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Industries at Critigen and she joined podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to highlight the critical role that GIS plays and share insights on the forward-looking applications that even the most geospatially advanced utilities may not yet recognize. Further, Jaime was able to make an important announcement regarding her company that the Power Perspectives Podcast is eager to share with our listeners, and we dig into what this announcement says about the state of the industry today. Key Links Jaime Crawford's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/jaime-crawford Link to Energy Central post with full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-66-are-you-overlooking-critical-tool-solving-most-pressing-challenges Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts

To foster the clean energy transition, the power sector has been seeking out all the carbon-free generation sources possible. Existing nuclear plants have long held a key role in providing clean energy to the grid, but North America has largely stalled when it comes to new nuclear power plants to take on more of the growing power demand patterns, owed to high capital costs, lengthy construction timelines, and more. Looking to take advantage of the carbon-free nature of nuclear power while avoiding those common pitfalls, small modular reactors (SMRs) have become a key area of focus for many industry stakeholders. SMRs are still a future consideration, though, with none yet commercially connected to the grid. That's closer than ever to changing though, as Ontario Power Generation recently made waves in their selection of the SMR model they're going to implement, the GE Hitachi BWRX-300. Ontario Power Generation is making a big leap by being the first mover in this space that has countless eyeballs following it, so podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester were thrilled to welcome Robin Manley, OPG's VP of New Nuclear Development to discuss the selection process and what it means for the utility to pioneer this space. Key Links: Link to episode post on Energy Central with full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-65-taking-small-modular-reactors-hype-reality-ontario-robin-manley Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

While 2021 might have been somewhat of a return to normalcy after 2020, the power and energy sector continued to see a rapid pace of news, developments, and trends. As the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast brought in guest week-in and week-out, we found that these episodes served as a great time capsule of such an eventful year for the utility industry. As such, we thought it only appropriate to continue the tradition started last year of featuring discussion and clips from the episodes during the previous 12 months that we enjoyed the most, that the audience engaged with most frequently, and that continued to shape our thinking through 2021 and into the new year. Listen in as podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester are joined by Energy Central’s VP Audra Drazga to highlight some of the best guests and moments that took place on the podcast during our second full year in your podcast queue. And if we missed your favorite guests or key insights you can’t let go of, hop onto EnergyCentral.com to let us know! From all of us at the Energy Central Team and who work on the Power Perspectives Podcast, a sincere thanks goes to our listeners for an overwhelmingly successful 2021—we surely couldn’t do it without you! Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-64-%E2%80%98revisiting-hottest-episodes-2021-our-2nd-annual-podcast-year-review Episode #34: 'Rising to the Moment, But Creating a Movement' with Garrick Rochow, CEO of Consumers Energy: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-29-rising-moment-creating Episode #39: ‘Taking the Grid of Tomorrow from Concept to Reality with Mark Gabriel, Former Administrator and CEO of Western Area Power Administration: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/34-%E2%80%98taking-grid-tomorrow-concept-reality%E2%80%99-mark-gabriel-former-administrator-and Episode #41: ‘The Whole Grid and Nothing But the Whole Grid’ with Doug Houseman, Principal Consultant at 1898 & Co.:https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-35-%E2%80%98-whole-grid-and-nothing-whole-grid%E2%80%99-doug-houseman-principal Episode #47: GIS, Digital Twin, and the Intelligent Reality of Utilities Today with Pat Hohl and Bill Meehan of Esri:https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-gis-digital-twin-and-intelligent-reality-utilities-today-pat-hohl Episode #48: 'Elevating Customer Care for Electric Cooperative Members’ with Sean Vanslyke, CEO and General Manager of SEMO Electric Cooperative: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-40-elevating-customer-care-electric-cooperative-members%E2%80%99-sean-vanslyke Episode #50: 'The Increasing Role of Nuclear Energy to Meet Climate Change Challenges’ with Rudy Shankar of Lehigh University: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-42-increasing-role-nuclear-energy-meet-climate-change-challenges%E2%80%99-rudy Episode #51: 'EVs As A Grid Asset, Will Utilities Take Advantage' With Charlie Botsford:https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-42-evs-grid-asset-will-utilities-take-advantage-charlie-botsford-energy Episode #55: Artificial Intelligence in the Modern Digital Utility with Bhavani Amirthlingam of Ameren and Jeremy Renshaw of EPRI: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-artificial-intelligence-modern-digital-utility-bhavani Episode #56: Embarking on the Utility's Digital and Data Journey with Mike Murphy of Con Edison and Paul DeCotis of West Monroe: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-embarking-utilitys-digital-and-data-journey-mike-murphy-con Episode #58: 'Setting an Example for Utilities Everywhere via SEPA’s Utility Transformation Challenge' with Sharon Allan of SEPA, Debra Smith of Seattle City Light: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-43-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation

Different parts of the world must approach their power sector in unique ways to account for the specific needs and the unique challenges presented by local geographies, populations, economies, and more. While that means utilities in one corner of the globe may look different from the other side of the world, one of the most valuable tools for energy leaders is to look at what lessons can be learned from those various unique circumstances. Our guest on the Power Perspectives Podcast today has worked extensively tackling the energy landscape in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Being in the Caribbean, that means that the local energy stakeholders are dealing with the annual threat of hurricanes, elevated energy prices and the need for fossil fuel imports, and more. At the same time, the U.S. Virgin Islands find themselves amid a crisis from the housing shortage. While that reality may seem somewhat isolated from the traditional role of power providers, the guest of this episode highlights how it created a unique, all-encompassing opportunity. Joining host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to discuss the success his organization has had in tackling energy equity and overall economic challenges on the U.S. Virgin Islands with microgrids is Tom McGeehan, VP at E-Finity Distributed Generation. Tom shares how his team has sought to respond to the recent hurricane seasons and resulting outages with a more decentralized approach, highlighting the opportunity microgrid technology can play for the wider energy sector outside of the islands, while also confronting head-on the climate challenges that are already present on the Virgin Islands and will soon spread to other parts of the world. Key Links: Tom McGeehan’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/tom-mcgeehan-0 Resilient CHP Facilities: The Real Reason Hurricanes Don't Jolt Facilities Like they Used to: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/resilient-chp Link to Energy Central post for this episode, including full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-63-equitable-energy-access-and-microgrids-island-nations-tom-mcgeehan-e Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

As data has become as ubiquitous and essential to the power sector as electrons themselves, many utilities are struggling with how to handle the influx of information and how to best process it to create actionable improvements to their systems. While it may seem like an overused buzzword at this point, the guest on today’s episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast knows the answer comes down to one key place in particular: the Cloud. But cloud-based applications and processing create new waves of challenges for which utilities: from compliance with industry standards to cybersecurity concerns to the sheer cost and logistics behind making these moves. To help wade through this web of risks, costs, and hurdles, host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester bring in one of Energy Central’s key thought leaders on the topic, Barry Jones. Barry is an independent consultant who gets knee deep in information assurance, privacy and regulatory compliance, and cloud-based systems, having brought that expertise to everyone from PG&E to the U.S. Department of Energy. In this whirlwind of an episode, Barry will share with our audience what they should be tracking as they dive into the world of utility digitalization. Key Links: Barry Jones’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/barry-jones-0 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEXT GENERATION UTILITY TECHNOLOGIES (Control and monitoring gas and electric with AI 'bots" and more...): https://energycentral.com/c/gr/recommendations-next-generation-utility-technologies-control-and-monitoring-gas Link to Energy Central Post for this episode, including full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-62-%E2%80%98elevating-digital-utility-systems-cloud-barry-jones-federal Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Modern history really got kicked into full gear with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which can be boiled down to the way that society was able to transform and rapidly evolve once we were able to extract work efficiently and effectively from various energy sources. From coal-powered factories to steamboats to the eventual rise of electricity, the availability of energy allowed humanity to prosper and grow in ways it was never previously able to do. In many ways, the tight correlation between access to energy and economic development has continued to be coupled in lockstep in the centuries since, and the future of the global economy still relies directly on the future energy systems that we’re building today and tomorrow. This fascinating topic holds immense impact to the future of utilities and society at large, so podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester felt it a bountiful topic to explore. But like much of the Energy Central Community, they are energy wonks rather than economics experts, so the best way to do this was indeed to bring into the podcast booth one of the foremost researchers on this intersection of energy and the economy. Carey King is a research scientist and Assistant Director of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, and last Fall he also published the groundbreaking book on this very topic: “The Economic Superorganism: Beyond the Competing Narratives on Energy, Growth, and Policy.” Through his time as a researcher and in digging deeper into the topic for this book, Carey has unearthed some of the important lessons that can be learned as energy unlocked new economic development in the 1700s and what that means for relevant energy strategy and public policy in the decades in front of us. Key Links: Carey King’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/carey-king-1 Full Energy Central Post with Podcast transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-61-%E2%80%98-history-future-energy-economic-driving-force-author-carey-king Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

As the utility grid infrastructure footprint grows, proper maintenance has become a top priority for utilities to ensure reliability, minimize unnecessary costs, and ensure safe operation of their assets. But with some of the largest utilities seeing their reach extend for thousands of miles in different directions, staying on top of grid assets is an increasingly complex challenge. Particularly in the world of vegetation management where sending out crews can be costly but the consequences of oversights can be even costlier (think: outages, sparked wildfires, and more), using technology to streamline and optimize this process is essential. Using modern tools to assist utilities in their vegetation management needs has become one of the core missions of today’s guest on the podcast, Sven Przywarra. Sven co-founded and is currently co-CEO of LiveEO, a digital solutions company that taps into the capabilities of satellite-imaging to be an eye in the sky for major infrastructure networks, such as the vast and growing power transmission & distribution networks. By combining satellite imaging with intelligent processing tools, Sven and his team are able to transform the way utilities approach the multi-million dollar line item that vegetation management has become for power providers. In this episode, Sven shares with podcast host Jason Prices and producer Matt Chester the origin of these ideas, the challenges LiveEO’s tools are helping utility leaders overcome, and other ways in which intelligent satellite processing is becoming a mainstay in the energy industry. Key Links Link to Energy Central post for episode with full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-46-reinventing-utility-vegetation-management-satellites-and-ai-sven Sven Przywarra’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/sven-przywarra What Investors See as the Four Surging Utility Trends for 2021: https://energycentral.com/c/um/what-investors-see-four-surging-utility-trends-2021 Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

The utility industry is a unique one in that the landscape of companies aren’t operating in a zero-sum competitive environment. Instead, utilities seek to share lessons learned, raise each other up, and collectively move towards the industry-wide goals of ensuring the entire country has access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy. It’s this collaborative environment and tendency to share best practices that makes leadership in utilities particularly important, as a success in one corner of the country can directly lead to the same type of success for a utility anywhere else. Recognizing the value of highlighting these successes, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) released its inaugural Utility Transformation Challenge, recognizing industry leaders who are creating the future carbon-free, modern grid. To learn more about the Utility Transformation Challenge, podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester are joined by SEPA’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Sharon Allan, as well as a leader whose organization made an appearance on SEPA’s leaderboard of utilities in Debra Smith, CEO and General Manager of Seattle City Light. This duo provides a dynamic one-two punch on assessing the landscape of the utility industry today and where it’s going in the future. The conversation was so dynamic, this episode ended up being an exciting two-parter—if you didn’t listen to Part 1 where our guests focused on the Utility Transformation Challenge and the march towards decarbonization, we recommend you start there. Then come back here and listen to Part 2 where this pair of industry leaders dives into forward-looking assessments of equity in the energy industry, as well as the pending workforce transformation facing utilities everywhere. Key Links: Full post with transcript of this episode on EnergyCentral.com: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-45-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation Part 1 of the Conversation: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-43-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation Sharon Allan’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/sharon-allan-2/about Grid Mod in the Age of Utility Carbon Reduction: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/grid-mod-age-utility-carbon-reduction Seattle City Light's Clean Energy Leadership Garnering Industry Recognition, with Emeka Anyanwu, Energy and Innovation & Resources Officer- [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Interview]: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/seattle-city-lights-clean-energy-leadership-garnering-industry-recognition-emeka Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

The utility industry is a unique one in that the landscape of companies aren’t operating in a zero-sum competitive environment. Instead, utilities seek to share lessons learned, raise each other up, and collectively move towards the industry-wide goals of ensuring the entire country has access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy. It’s this collaborative environment and tendency to share best practices that makes leadership in utilities particularly important, as a success in one corner of the country can directly lead to the same type of success for a utility anywhere else. Recognizing the value of highlighting these successes, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) released its inaugural Utility Transformation Challenge, recognizing industry leaders who are creating the future carbon-free, modern grid. To learn more about the Utility Transformation Challenge, podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester are joined by SEPA’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Sharon Allan, as well as a leader whose organization made an appearance on SEPA’s leaderboard of utilities in Debra Smith, CEO and General Manager of Seattle City Light. This duo provides a dynamic one-two punch on assessing the landscape of the utility industry today and where it’s going in the future. The conversation was so dynamic, this episode ended up being an exciting two-parter—so enjoy Part 1 which focuses on the Utility Transformation Challenge and the march towards decarbonization. Then hang tight for Part 2 where this pair of industry leaders dives into forward-looking assessments of equity in the energy industry, as well as the pending workforce transformation facing utilities everywhere. Key Links: Part 2 of this Episode: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-45-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation Sharon Allan’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/sharon-allan-2 Grid Mod in the Age of Utility Carbon Reduction: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/grid-mod-age-utility-carbon-reduction Seattle City Light's Clean Energy Leadership Garnering Industry Recognition, with Emeka Anyanwu, Energy and Innovation & Resources Officer- [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Interview]: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/seattle-city-lights-clean-energy-leadership-garnering-industry-recognition-emeka Link to Energy Central Post with Full Transcript of this Episode: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-43-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

The global efforts to decarbonize require an all-hands-on-deck approach across the economy, with one of the toughest areas to tackle remaining the industrial sector. The production of cement, glass, steel, and other key materials all require dispatchable, reliable, affordable energy. At the same time, the prospect of rapidly having to rely solely on renewables like solar or wind is a daunting prospect. But there is a way. Today’s guest on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast emphasizes the importance of taking a stepwise approach to meeting the zero-carbon energy future, one that will embrace renewables as well as hydrogen, hydropower, efficient gas turbines, and much more. This episode features an in-depth conversation with Hans Holmstrom, the VP of the Industrial Gas Turbine Business within Siemens Energy, as he shares his insights from the front row seat he has during this complex and massive transformation taking place across the industrial and energy sectors. Balancing the importance of saving the world via low carbon and zero carbon solutions with a recognition that proposed solutions must work in the real-world environment, Hans provides podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester with the background education on of why we should all be feeling more optimistic and hopeful about our decarbonized future. Key Links Hans Holmstrom’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/hans-holmstrom Energy Central Post with Full Transcript of Podcast: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-decarbonizing-industrial-sector-distribution-energy-production Siemens Energy on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/o/siemens-energy Zero Emission Hydrogen Turbine Center: https://www.siemens-energy.com/global/en/priorities/future-technologies/hydrogen/zehtc.html Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Data has become a much sought after asset in the utility world, providing arguably as much value as the electrons being sent over the grid. When utilities have data on consumption patterns, asset performance, and digital engagement, they are armed with the tools to optimize their processes to improve service and save themselves and their customers on costs. The journey over recent years to embrace those digital tools has not always been quick or straightforward, but the industry has seen clear thought leaders rise that shepherd in this new era for the power sector. Joining the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast today are two such leaders who are able to look back at that journey and simultaneously peer into the future for what's to come next. Mike Murphy is the General Manager of Customer Operations at Con Edison who has served in this industry for more than two decades, bringing the digital opportunities to customers through insights, bill delivery, and more. He's also worked closely with the other guest today, Paul DeCotis of West Monroe. Paul serves as Senior Partner and East Coast Practice Lead and he's constantly identifying advanced grid projects that have revolutionized the utility industry time and again. They're joining host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester in this episode to offer their insights and advice as other stakeholders embrace this digital and data journey. Key Links Paul Decotis’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/paul-decotis Smart Siting and Energy Infrastructure Development: A Challenge to Decarbonization: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/smart-siting-and-energy-infrastructure-development-challenge-decarbonization Full Energy Central Post with Transcript of the Episode: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-embarking-utilitys-digital-and-data-journey-mike-murphy-con Link to Register as a member of the Energy Central Community: energycentral.com/user/register Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed every industry it's touched, from commerce to transportation to social media, but arguably some of the most widespread impact that AI-enabled tools is on the electric power grid. Amid a time where utilities are seeking ways to make the supply and demand markets efficient, optimize the maintenance of immense stretches of assets across their coverage areas, and find ways to integrated clean energy resources, AI appears to be one of the key tools that will unlock new possibilities. This digital topic is one that can quickly become complex and hard to understand, so the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast wanted to bring in some of the undisputed leaders in this space to help break it down for us and highlight the trends and opportunities that utilities everywhere should be honing in on. To do that, we were lucky enough to get into the podcast Bhavani Amirthalingam, the SVP and Chief Digital Information Officer of Ameren, coming off of the honor Forbes gave her as one of the top 50 innovative technology leaders this year. Joining her is one of the utility's key utility partners, Jeremy Renshaw of EPRI. Jeremy is the Senior Program Manager of Artificial Intelliigence at EPRI, and along with Bhavani he's helped to accelerate the impact of AI and machine learning on Ameren's grid that serves 2.4 million electric customers and 900,000 gas customers. These two titans of utility AI join Matt Chester of Energy Central in the podcast booth to discuss the past, present, and future of AI on the modern digital grid. Key Links: Jeremy Renshaw’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/jeremy-renshaw EPRI on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/o/EPRI Learning to Run a Power Network with Artificial Intelligence: https://energycentral.com/c/iu/learning-run-power-network-artificial-intelligence 5 Artificial Intelligence Grand Challenges for the Electric Power Industry: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/5-artificial-intelligence-grand-challenges-electric-power-industry Link to Register as a member of the Energy Central Community: energycentral.com/user/register Energy Central Post with Full Transcript and Exclusive Bonus Clip: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-artificial-intelligence-modern-digital-utility-bhavani Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

The electrification of vehicles has swiftly gone from a curiosity to a trend to an inevitability, and few industries are poised to be quite as deeply impacted as the power sector. Utilities are already seeing the greatest amount of new load demand added to their portfolios in decades, and they'll continue to have requests to build out new transmission and distribution infrastructure just to meet the growing electricity needs of electric vehicles. At this moment, utilities find themselves as a crossroads where they are reasonably able to keep up with these changes as they happen, but thanks to policies supporting vehicle electrification and falling EV prices the market will soon reach a pivot point where the adoption increases much more rapidly. As such, power providers are best served by preparing today for the coming EV revolution in the days ahead. That message has been espoused widely by Kevin Hernandez, a Partner and Grid Edge Lead at ScottMadden. Kevin has studied the trends and the forecasts deeply, and he's measured them against the current capabilities of utilities across the country in a way that's highlighted where the energy industry needs a boost to properly prepare for the changes that are happening with increasing speed. To spread this message further to the utility leaders who must be making these investments today, Kevin joins the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast to chat with host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester about his observations and recommendations. Key Links: Kevin Hernandez’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/kevin-hernandez-1 ScottMadden on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/o/scottmadden Link to Register as a member of the Energy Central Community: energycentral.com/user/register Energy Central post with full transcript from this episode: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/special-edition-preparing-utilities-ev-revolution-kevin-hernandez-scottmadden Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/