Energy Central
Episodes
What does clean energy mean for coal towns?
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to communities centered on fossil fuels as the clean energy transition accelerates? Because this seismic shift is more than just technic...
A Google exec’s POV on the energy bets worth making
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Business as usual? Not going to cut it in today’s energy reality. Embracing cutting-edge tech is the bare minimum to keep up with the modern needs o...
How to protect a grid under siege
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every utility leader wants to know: What can we do to protect an increasingly complex grid from security threats, both cyber and physical? This week ...
What’s really keeping utility CEOs up at night
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What goes through an energy CEO’s mind when thinking about the role of the customer, the fuel mix of the future, the affordability crisis, and the w...
How to un-duck the grid
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The “duck curve” has become one of the most recognizable symbols in modern energy as an illustration of both the promise and the challenge of sola...
Judith Curry: We’re wrong about climate change
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can we engage with an energy transition without massive swings in power reliability? Is climate change really just a big cop-out for utility leade...
SPP's plan to power 18 million futures—straight from the CEO
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The grid of tomorrow is being built today—and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is at the center of that transformation. That transformation is being ...
How capacity markets broke—and what it takes to fix them
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years, capacity markets quietly operated in the background: reliable, technical, and rarely in the headlines. Not anymore! In today’s episode o...
The grid tech solving the visibility gap
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With risks flying at utility leaders from every angle—extreme weather, outages, wildfires, and many more—knowing what’s happening on the grid at...
Is 100% clean energy really possible?
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The global energy transition isn’t theoretical anymore—it’s happening right now. But how fast can we go, and how far can renewables really take ...
How to turn AI into a power plant with Arushi Sharma Frank
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is transforming everything, but what happens when it starts transforming the grid itself? As data centers explode in scale and AI workloads surge,...
The future of compute is distributed— and energy-driven
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s no secret: AI is changing everything from how we think, to where we build, to how we power the world. And nowhere is that disruption hitting h...
The data-driven strategy for building customer trust
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ask any utility exec: The key to accurate forecasting isn’t luck. It’s data. In fact, data might be more valuable than electrons these days. Know...
Slow down to speed up: How to operationalize energy innovation
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s one thing to create a culture of innovation. It’s an entirely other thing to ensure innovation exists at every juncture of your utility busin...
Exelon COO: Why we want to own generation next year
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How is Exelon, the largest regulated electric utility in the US, preparing for a high-demand future dominated by large loads and electrification? Bala...
The planning revolution utilities can’t ignore
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The grid is growing up fast, and the old ways of planning can’t keep up. Explosive new demand from AI, data centers, and the rest of the grid is co...
What California just proved about the future of energy
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America’s grid is facing a daunting and pervasive challenge: explosive demand growth driven by data centers, EVs, and electrification. Utilities are...
Can the grid handle AI?
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI data centers are rising faster than utilities can build new capacity—and that’s creating the toughest balancing act the power sector has faced ...
The CEO’s perspective on meeting the load growth challenge
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Utilities are all balancing a three-legged stool: reliability, affordability, and environmental stewardship. So how do they keep from toppling over wh...
Nat Bullard: Can energy change its mind on decarb?
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The energy transition isn’t following a straight path. It's moving fast, bending markets, and reshaping how utilities, investors, and policymakers t...
Data is the new gold: How grid-edge tech is changing the game
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Going from reactive to proactive. Improving regulatory collaboration and outcomes. Getting from pilot to grid-scale—fast. Improving safety and relia...
Jigar Shah's message for utilities? Take the lead—or take the blame
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jigar Shah is one of the most influential voices in power. From his many entrepreneurial pursuits to his tenure leading DOE’s Loan Programs Office, ...
CAISO CEO: It takes a village to run the grid
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the role of the modern independent system operator—especially in a grid becoming increasingly complicated and overloaded by the day? Ellio...
How to win customers and influence affordability
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Power Perspectives tackles one of the most important shifts in today’s utility sector: the rise of customer satisfaction as a board...
The one exec strategy that leads to more utility innovation
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know: Companies with above-average diversity in their leadership teams report 19% higher revenue from innovation. But still, women account fo...
From Superstorm Sandy to data centers: How PSE&G is hardening the grid, w/ COO Kim Hanemann
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Aging infrastructure, surging demand from electrification and data centers, and rising customer expectations are reshaping the way utilities operate. ...
A 50-year utility vet's reliability wakeup call for the industry
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a new show from Energy Central: The Watt & Why, hosted by Mike Smith. What might happen to the electricity grid if we don’t make a chang...
Permitting delays are breaking the grid. Here’s one CEO’s fix
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The power grid is under historic strain. Electricity demand is climbing, climate impacts are intensifying, and the clean energy transition is accelera...
Can utilities keep up with Big Tech innovation?
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Utilities are known for spending, but not always where it counts. In fact, hyperscalers in Big Tech outspend utilities by 10x when it comes to critica...
Utilities are fighting wildfires with...data?
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wildfires are no longer just a seasonal threat — they’re a year-round crisis reshaping the way utilities must plan and operate. With billions in d...
Who will power the AI future?
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Move fast and break things? Not at utilities. More like move slowly and keep the lights on. Utilities have a reputation for being slow to innovate an...
Why transmission could save (or sink) the energy transition
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. electric grid is under historic pressure. Record-breaking demand from electrification, AI, and data centers is colliding with extreme weather...
Moving beyond the map: How GIS takes utility leaders from reactive to proactive
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we look to the future of the electric utility industry, what do we see? Better data. More efficiencies. Smarter grids. Simpler asset management....
How to be an energy leader—no matter your job title
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Being a leader is about more than just knowing electrons. It’s about showing up every day ready to set the pace and tone for your team—this episod...
Can AI modernize nuclear? This CEO thinks so
24 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The conversation around AI in energy often centers on what it consumes. But what about what it can contribute? Nowhere is that question more relevan...
The utility leader’s modern playbook for GIS
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Esri Utility Network is more than a technology upgrade. It’s a strategic leap forward that helps utilities transform asset modeling, improve dat...
How this utility CEO helped land Amazon’s $16 billion power investment
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When a tech giant comes knocking, how does a utility say make room for them in a way that ensures the best outcomes for its existing customers? That’...
The utility emergency playbook gets a makeover
10 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wildfires, hurricanes, cyberattacks—utilities are under siege from extreme events. But what if there were a better, calmer, and smarter way to handl...
The last frontier of the digital utility
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
So you’ve got a lot of data…now what do you do with it? How do we turn a patchwork of energy technologies into a single cohesive model—one that’...
Field crews of the future are here
02 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can you build the grid of the future when your field crews are still relying on paper and clipboards? For utilities across the country, that que...
The Grid’s secret weapon? Smarter field data
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest threat to grid modernization? It might be hiding in your GIS. Utilities are racing toward smarter, more dynamic grid systems—layering o...
Can GIS reimagine the energy transition?
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“As long as we have the data, the sky is the limit.” The transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy reality is a massive undertaking—and ...
This CEO wants you to talk to the grid
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As utilities race to modernize the grid, too often the communication systems needed to communicate with the grid are overlooked. From DER integration ...
Why can’t we be friends? A new POV on utility vegetation management
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How are utilities supposed to balance 1) strategic grid planning with 2) strong stewardship of the tree canopy we all rely on? It requires a new appr...
How AI is mapping the invisible grid underground
12 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re building the grid of the future today, but how can we do so without fully knowing what’s already underground? That’s the uncomfortable t...
GIS for collaboration: Do more…faster
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the core of running an efficient, resilient power system, there’s one singular need: interoperability. Do you have one place where everyone, acr...
Breaking utilities out of pilot purgatory
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial Intelligence promises to revolutionize the utility industry, from predicting outages to integrating distributed energy resources. But betwe...
Piloting the Future: How to scale with simplicity, ft. It’s Electric & Leading Cities
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The first step to creating widespread change in energy? Know the problem you need to solve. For Tiya Gordon, cofounder & COO of It's Electric, that p...
The utility workforce wakeup call
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Behind the energy transition’s headlines about megawatts and microgrids lurks a quiet but critical crisis: a severe shortage of skilled trade worker...
How utility leaders predict the future with GIS
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you see relationships and patterns, you don’t just take a peek at opportunities—you get a preview of risks…and a chance to get out in front...
Redefining utility success w/ Australia's biggest power pros
22 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, utility performance has been judged by how well companies met regulatory requirements—but is that enough for the energy transition ahea...
Piloting the Future: There’s no innovation without community buy-in, ft. BuildingLens & Prosper Portland
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tackling energy’s biggest problems requires true innovators to start somewhere—small solutions turn into enormous ones, faster than you might thin...
Is AMI worth the hype?
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. utilities have invested tens of billions of dollars in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) over the last two decades. As those first-generatio...
Utilities have a data problem. Is GIS the solution?
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do two GIS experts say when you ask them about the importance of data management for utilities? “You can’t manage what you can’t see.” ...
A geopolitical wildcard: How the global gas market impacts utilities
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. just became the world’s largest exporter of LNG—but is that a blessing or a burden? In this global-scale episode of *Power Perspectives*,...
Why every utility will have a drone fleet sooner than you think
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if your next utility crew didn’t drive, but flew? Autonomous drones are no longer experimental toys, they’re rapidly become indispensable too...
The GISt: The real ROI of GIS for asset management
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“The value has been proven.” That’s what Ryan Ciesielski, Group Head of Geospatial at National Grid, told us about the return on investment for...
Duke Energy's nuclear renaissance
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With electricity demand in the U.S. surging—driven by data centers, electrification, manufacturing, and population growth—utilities are under pres...
Piloting the Future: If you’re not innovating, you’re dying, ft. Portland General Electric
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The leaders at Portland General Electric knew they had a choice: Embrace innovative ideas…or get left behind. They chose the former—and now, PGE ...
The microgrid boom, explained
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The microgrid moment has arrived. Are utilities ready? Microgrids have long been billed as a "future solution"—ideal for resilience, sustainability...
The GISt: How GIS is determining the future of the grid
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The GISt, a new limited series from Energy Central. For our first episode, we’ve got a fantastic primer on all things GIS for utilities ...
Tariffs, rollbacks, and drill baby drill: Unpacking Trump 2.0 for energy leaders
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new presidency always shakes up the energy world — but what happens when it’s not new at all? With the return of Donald Trump to the White Hous...
The most innovative people in energy
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Presenting: The 2025 Energy Central Innovation Awards, a moment to celebrate forward-thinkers, risk-takers, and the big ideas kind of people who are b...
The next grid isn’t on Earth
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our latest episode leaves the grid behind—literally—to head into orbit. As the number of satellites and spacecraft in space grows, one fundamenta...
The real impacts of Trump 2.0 on energy finance
20 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does a change in U.S. presidential administrations have to do with stalled solar farms in Sub-Saharan Africa or wind projects in Southeast Asia? ...
Inside this DOE nuclear research facility, 50 years in the making
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. nuclear industry is entering a new era—one that demands cutting-edge research, advanced reactor technologies, and stronger collaboration ac...
Power Perspectives DTech Debrief: Are utilities becoming tech companies?
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a unique edition of Power Perspectives this week, we take you inside the electric utility industry’s season-defining event: DistributeTECH 2025 t...
Does the energy industry need a climate reality check?
23 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, we've heard about the need to reduce carbon emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy. Yet despite corporate pledges, policy initi...
The Goldilocks problem for grid modernization
16 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the biggest challenge facing utilities today? Is it climate change, DER integration, or the explosive growth of data centers? The real answer...
How to save energy from partisan politics
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How to save energy from partisan politics Can the clean power transition survive partisan politics? If anyone has the answer, it's David Spence, Pro...
How utilities can prepare for AI integration
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is changing everything, and power utilities are no exception. From optimizing grid operations to enhancing cybersecurity, AI is already making a ta...
Inside this CEO's Energy Transition Playbook
22 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Balancing reliability, affordability, and sustainability—often called the energy trilemma—is one of the biggest challenges facing utility leaders ...
The future of federal energy funding
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Federal funding presents major opportunities for utilities, but navigating the complex landscape of incentives, grants, and shifting political realiti...
How important is private LTE to modernizing the rural grid?
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Private LTE networks are shaping the future of rural grid modernization. But how can small utilities harness this technology to overcome their unique ...
Can AI do your capital planning for you?
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As utilities face the mounting challenges of aging infrastructure, increasing demand, and evolving sustainability mandates, the need for smarter, more...
How this utility is solving the supply chain puzzle
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The supply chain has been a trending topic and area of concern in all industries since the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the utility seeks to build more ...
Expanding utility connectivity and bridging broadband gaps (with Adam Rehfeld of Burns & McDonnell)
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Federal funding has poured into the utility space to ensure the expansion of internet connectivity can take hold across the country, but what do resul...
The wheels on the bus make the grid go-round
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can electric school buses change the paradigm of power, permanently? Today on Power Perspectives, we’re finding out—with Kevin Matthews, Head of ...
Can EVs drive grid stability?
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With fleet electrification accelerating, utilities face both opportunities and challenges in managing EV demand and leveraging vehicle-to-grid (V2G) t...
The Biggest Stories and the Boldest Bets: 2024 Year in Review
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Will new transmission infrastructure ever come to pass? When will we reach a tipping point with data center energy needs? How can we determine the fut...
GIS for smaller utilities: grid modernization is here (brought to you by SSP Innovations)
08 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mike Goggin, Senior Product Manager at SSP Innovations, joins the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast to explore how advanced G...
Navigating Energy's Post-Election Crossroads in 2024 and Beyond (w/Amy Myers Jaffe)
30 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at NYU, joins the Power Perspectives Podcast in the ...
Using AI to Predict & Protect: Grid-wide Storm Resilience
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Rob Brook, Senior Vice President and Managing Director – Americas at Neara, joins the Power Perspectives Podcast to discuss a press...
How Can Utilities Build a More Inclusive Workplace?
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode of the Power Perspectives Podcast, Sam Hartzman, Chief Diversity Officer at Duquesne Light Company (DLC), joins to guide a much-n...
183. 'How this utility CEO balances innovation + reliability' w/Frank Reynolds, United Illuminating
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To modernize infrastructure or optimize for reliability—that's the question utility leaders like Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of United Illumin...
182. 'Access, Collaboration, & Data Quality' with Pat Hohl and Bill Meehan, ESRI
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the final episode in the three-part special Esri takeover series on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast, Pat Hohl and Bill Meehan-- Direc...
181. ‘Breaking Down Silos with GIS and Advanced Modeling’ with Pat Hohl and Bill Meehan, ESRI
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing the Esri takeover series of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast, Bill Meehan and Pat Hohl, both Directors at Esri, use episode tw...
180. 'Balancing Clean Energy Expansion & Wildlife Protection' with Veronica Ung-Kono, NWF
28 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the demand for renewable energy grows, the expansion of transmission infrastructure has become a critical need for facilitating the clean energy tr...
179. 'EV Safety First and Preparing First Responders' with David Cleveland, Jackson EMC
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) on U.S. roads introduces new challenges for first responders, as EV fires burn hotter and longer th...
178. ‘Cross-Industry Innovation at IMGIS 2024’ with Pat Hohl and Bill Meehan, ESRI
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As a departure from the usual format on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast, this episode features an exclusive guest-led conversation with ...
177. 'Powering Data Center Alley' with David Schleicher, President & CEO of NOVEC
07 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Powering the growing electricity demand from data centers represents one of the fastest-growing energy needs in the utility sector these days. The DC ...
176. 'From Gas to Grid on the Energy Transition' with Aaron Choo, National Grid
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this era of focus on decarbonized energy while also increased focus and attention from outside the utilities on power reliability, the role of natu...
175. 'Safeguarding Today's Grid from Modern Threats' with Brian Harrell
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure have more than doubled since the pandemic, ensuring that utility security teams stay multiple steps ahead ...
174. "Future of Residential Energy Management" with Prasanna Venkatesan, Landis+Gyr, & Arch Rao,Span
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Residential energy customers are being looked at differently by utilities these days. No longer are homes simply end points where energy is consumed, ...
173. "Boosting Energy Literacy at Community Schools" with Eric BenSalah, Energy Consultant for OPPD
23 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ensuring the future population is filled with community members who understand the world of energy and utilities starts with educating the children to...
172. "The Journey from Pilot to Utility-Scale Virtual Power Plants" with Vicken Kasarjian, MCE
09 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As utilities strive to integrate more renewable energy and distributed generation into the grid, virtual power plants (VPPs) have emerged as a key inn...
171. "Building Habits for a Healthy Safety Culture" with Claire Harris, Clean Energy Connections
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nuclear energy is definitely having a resurgent moment across the power sector and the world, as more and more regions are tapping into the carbon-fre...
170. "Navigating the Complexities of Integrated Planning" with Steve Martz, Xcel Energy
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In an ever-evolving energy landscape, strategic planning becomes paramount for utilities aiming to navigate the complexities of modernizing the grid w...
169. "Quantum-Safe Networks for Utilities, Part 2" with Nokia’s Mauricio Subieta, Hansen Chan
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Note: this is a two part episode so we can fit in all of these experts’ tremendous insights. This marks part 2, so if you missed part 1 we invite yo...
168. “Quantum-Safe Networks for Utilities, Part 1" with Nokia’s Mauricio Subieta, Hansen Chan
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Note: this is a two part episode so we can fit in all of these experts’ tremendous insights. This marks part 1, with part 2 published later this sam...