Energy Central

Physical security has become one of the grid’s most urgent and most misunderstood challenges. While cybersecurity rightly commands attention, attacks on substations and critical infrastructure are rising in frequency, sophistication, and intent. And unlike cyber threats, physical attacks don’t require advanced tools—just access, time, and opportunity.To dive into this essential area of concern for utility leaders, this episodes sees host Kinsey Grant Baker joined by Brent Warzocha, Vice President of Sales at 3B Protection. Brent helps to unpack what’s really changing in the physical threat landscape and what utilities can realistically do about it.From understanding today’s threat actors to implementing pragmatic “deter, detect, delay, respond” frameworks, this conversation focuses on scalable solutions utilities can deploy now. Brent also dives into the real cost of inaction, the friction utilities face in prioritizing physical security, and how leaders can balance budgets, compliance, and resilience without slowing projects down.And thanks to our partner, 3B Protection, for making this episode possible. 3B Protection is in the business of helping organizations protect their people, property and critical assets. The last ten years or so has seen significant ballistic activity in and around electrical substations that are part of the United States’s critical infrastructure and 3B offers a line of product to help protect those substations from malicious attacks. 3B has tested their products to the extreme in a way that far exceeds UL minimums. And not just for ballistics – our walls are thoroughly tested against forced entry, vehicle crashes and blast as well.Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Charles Hua, the founder and executive director of PowerLines, dives into the pressing need for modern utility regulations. He reveals how outdated systems are burdening consumers and hindering clean energy progress. Topics include the role of AI in optimizing the grid, the importance of equity in regulation, and strategies to enhance customer engagement. Charles shares insights on how proactive public utility commissioners can drive innovative changes, ensuring affordability and transparency in energy costs for all.

Paul Quinlan, Director of Energy Research at ScottMadden, shares insights on how AI is reshaping utilities. He discusses the challenges of traditional load forecasting given AI's rise and the implications for national security in the U.S.-China context. Paul highlights practical AI applications, from predictive maintenance to outage forecasting, showing how utilities can optimize operations. He also addresses the evolving workforce needs, emphasizing the importance of AI-enabled skills and innovative training methods for future utility roles.

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

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

Raiford Smith, Google's Global Head of Power & Energy, a seasoned technologist and innovator in sustainable solutions, shares fascinating insights on modern energy challenges. He emphasizes the urgent need for utilities to adopt diverse technologies and AI to enhance grid resilience. Discussing Google's strategic energy partnerships, Raiford advocates for scalable tech solutions. He also highlights the balance between tech innovation speed and utility conservatism, while passionately expressing his love for the dynamic energy industry.

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

Jay Stowe, founder and CEO of Stowe Utility Group and former CEO of major municipal utilities, dives into the pressing issues faced by energy leaders today. He highlights the evolving role of customers in energy decisions and the urgent need to tackle the affordability crisis. Jay shares insights on balancing a diversified energy portfolio, including renewables and nuclear, while addressing the impact of AI on workforce dynamics. Their conversation sheds light on defining success through customer satisfaction and operational efficiency amid an ever-changing energy landscape.

Craig Lewis, the Founder and Executive Director of the Clean Coalition, dives into the energy challenges posed by the 'duck curve.' He discusses how local solar and distributed energy resources can effectively flatten this curve, reduce transmission costs, and enhance grid resilience. Craig also challenges traditional views on energy generation, advocating for localized solutions instead of over-investment in transmission infrastructure. With case studies like the Sierra Blanca Microgrid, he highlights the economic and environmental benefits of innovative energy planning.

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