Energy Central

For decades, utility performance has been judged by how well companies met regulatory requirements—but is that enough for the energy transition ahead? In this episode of Power Perspectives, we look at what it means for a utility to evolve beyond compliance, as we’re joined by Guy Chalkley, CEO of Endeavour Energy in Australia, and Richard McIndoe, Executive Chairman of Edge Zero. Together, they’re helping utilities shift from a risk-averse, regulation-driven mindset to one rooted in customer outcomes, DER integration, and future-focused innovation. Australia has faced a rapid influx of distributed energy resources (DERs) and customer-driven change, forcing utilities to respond years ahead of their global peers. U.S. utilities now have an opportunity to learn from that experience—before the disruption lands at their doorstep. That need for transformation means this episode is essential listening for utility executives, regulators, planners, and customer engagement teams alike. It’s not just about the technology—it’s about rethinking the entire framework of utility success. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://www.energycentral.com/podcasts/post/redefining-utility-success-w-australia-s-biggest-power-pros-uYOsBQ94fRvllO9 Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M7M8w3QfGmA Richard McIndoe on Energy Central: https://www.energycentral.com/member/BBML0B8KoT Edge Zero on Energy Central: https://www.energycentral.com/edgezero Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

Tackling energy’s biggest problems requires true innovators to start somewhere—small solutions turn into enormous ones, faster than you might think. This week on Piloting the Future, hosts Kim Getgen and Lee Krevat hear from David Burchfield, Cofounder of BuildingLens, and Katherine Juengel, Green Cities Industry Liaison at Prosper Portland, about the way Portland is supporting energy innovation—and making community a cornerstone of power programs—one step at a time. We cover distributed energy (the lowest hanging fruit for innovators, as our guests put it), the role of risk taking for utilities that truly want to think for the future, and how to work backwards from the customer to create solutions worth adopting—along with so much more. Listen in for an up-close look at how Portland and the innovators who call it home are proving that transformation is just one relationship away.

U.S. utilities have invested tens of billions of dollars in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) over the last two decades. As those first-generation deployments approach end-of-life, utilities are facing difficult questions: Did AMI deliver on its promises? Was the investment justified? And what comes next? To get to the bottom of that and look ahead to what comes next in AMI 2.0, Power Perspectives is joined by Steven Lupo, Managing Director for North America at Trilliant. As a seasoned utility and smart grid expert, he’s primed to explain how utility leaders can make smarter, more future-proof investments in the next wave of grid modernization. From balancing risk with innovation, to understanding the real-world performance of next-gen smart meters, this conversation digs into both the strategic and technical sides of AMI 2.0. Whether you're an exec weighing your next major capital deployment or a regulator reviewing grid plans, this episode will sharpen your understanding of where the AMI conversation is headed next. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://www.energycentral.com/podcasts/post/is-ami-worth-the-hype-DZTSUYfFCUlfc7D Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r5NckcpesYU Steven Lupo on Energy Central: https://www.energycentral.com/member/tXQtRCMm57 Trilliant on Energy Central: https://www.energycentral.com/Trilliant Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

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.” “If the data is wrong, bad things happen.” “Without data, you have no control.” This week on The GISt, we’re diving deep into GIS as a tool to address latency, remove siloes, and help utilities do less on-prem…so they can do more overall. The root of all this innovation? GIS technology. It’s what pulls disparate data together so power teams can make better decisions, bridge more gaps, and find—as this week’s experts put it—their “aha moment.” In the first of three top-notch episodes of The GISt with our partners at Esri, we’re joined by Director of Electric Utility Solutions Bill Meehan & Director of Electric Industry Solutions Pat Hohl. This episode is brought to you by Esri. Esri is the global market leader in GIS software, location intelligence, and mapping. With Esri software you can add the power of location to modernize how you work. Esri helps to digitally transform utilities by enabling users to create, discover, share, and use maps anywhere, anytime, on any device. The Esri ArcGIS system is a comprehensive GIS allowing organizations to analyze and share their data across the organization. Operators and managers access ArcGIS for improved operational awareness and decision making. Field and office staff use ArcGIS to manage, update, and analyze information about customers, network assets, and work orders. To find out how to digitally transform your utility visit [www.esri.com/electric] to learn more. Don’t miss the next two episodes of The GISt ft. Esri—covering GIS for discovery and for collaboration…two key components of scaling reliable, resilient power systems. See you next time.

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*, we step away from local grid topics to dive into the international dynamics shaping the global energy markets. To do so, we are joined by Anne-Sophie Corbeau of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. In this conversation, she breaks down how America’s LNG surge is reshaping alliances, inflaming tensions, and creating unexpected risks for utilities back home. From backchannel Russian gas flows into Europe to the breakdown of U.S.-China LNG deals, Corbeau offers insight on what’s *really* driving the gas market—and what utility executives, regulators, and investors need to be watching closely in the months ahead during the Trump 2.0 Administration. From the status of LNG as a strategic asset and a geopolitical wildcard to the specifics of U.S. interactions with China and Russia, Anne-Sophie highlights the right signals for utility leaders to keep an eye on in these international markets, as well as advice for how to plan around political and policy volatility in Washington. This episode is a must-listen for utility professionals trying to navigate an energy landscape that is increasingly global, volatile, and politically charged. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: TBD Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KtVrDZcTIKY Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

What if your next utility crew didn’t drive, but flew? Autonomous drones are no longer experimental toys, they’re rapidly become indispensable tools for utilities facing today’s most pressing challenges: extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and reliability amid rising demand. In this episode of *Power Perspectives*, we explore how autonomous drones are becoming essential tools for modern utilities—helping detect failures before they happen, reducing field crew risks, and speeding up outage response. To highlight this topic, our guest is Christina Park, Senior Director of Energy Strategy at Skydio, an industry leader at the forefront of AI-powered drone technology. Christina shares lessons from her years leading digital transformation at NYPA and explains how utilities can successfully scale drone programs from one-off pilots to enterprise-wide deployments. From the role of autonomy and AI to tackling inertia within large utility organizations, Christina offers a clear-eyed look at the real-world challenges—and massive opportunities—that drones bring to energy infrastructure. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://www.energycentral.com/podcasts/post/why-every-utility-will-have-a-drone-fleet-sooner-than-you-think-OwiMdjzaSz1cLgt Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MV7aGqwfIDA Christina Park on Energy Central: https://www.energycentral.com/member/ahfqLnthAM Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

“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 utilities deploying GIS tech in asset management. This week on The GISt, we explore: 1) GIS applications for regulation, documentation, and reporting 2) real world use cases of GIS for asset management 3) the realities of partnering with the right entities to make GIS organic and scalable…and so much more. Listen in for an expert’s POV on how geospatial tech is changing the game for smarter asset management, faster outage response, and more efficient field operations.

With electricity demand in the U.S. surging—driven by data centers, electrification, manufacturing, and population growth—utilities are under pressure to deliver clean, reliable power at scale. In this episode of Power Perspectives, we explore how Duke Energy, which operates the largest regulated nuclear fleet in the nation, is answering that call. Joining for the conversation is Rounette Nader, Vice President of New Nuclear Generation and License Renewal at Duke Energy. Rounette walks listeners through the company’s multi-faceted strategy to meet rising demand through power uprates, long-term relicensing efforts, and laying the groundwork for deploying advanced nuclear tech like small modular reactors (SMRs). Beyond the technical needs, we also dive into strategies related to community perceptions of nuclear, the ever-evolving regulatory landscape, and what the next few years are expected to look like for Duke Energy’s nuclear fleet. This episode is essential listening for utility leaders, policymakers, and clean energy advocates looking to understand how nuclear fits into the future of the grid. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/duke-energys-nuclear-renaissance Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LMEQJKJGQsM Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

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 is charting a new path for scaled utilities to embrace technology, welcome innovation, and ask hard questions to ensure their customers get energy that’s reliable, efficient, and clean, day in and day out. Today on Piloting the Future, hosts Kim Getgen and Lee Krevat get the full rundown on PGE’s recent Innovation Impact Report from Larry Bekkedahl, Senior VP of Advanced Energy Delivery at PGE, and Allegra Hodges, Head of Strategic Innovation at PGE. Larry and Allegra explain PGE’s efforts to build a stronger grid, how strong process can empower innovation, the best strategies for finding consensus in a crowded tech ecosystem…and, of course, where AI fits into all this. PGE completed the first long-distance transmission of electricity in the US in 1889—and they haven’t stopped innovating since. Give this episode a listen to understand how embracing the future became part of a major utility’s culture. Want to check out PGE’s Innovation Impact Report? Find it here: https://portlandgeneral.com/about/who-we-are/innovative-energy Interested in Larry’s recommendation of Collective Genius by Prof. Linda Hill? Learn more here: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=47530 See you next time.

The microgrid moment has arrived. Are utilities ready? Microgrids have long been billed as a "future solution"—ideal for resilience, sustainability, and distributed generation, but too costly or complex for widespread use. But in 2025, that future is starting to look like the present. As electricity demand is exploding, driven by the growth of data centers, electrification of everything from buildings to transportation, and a surge of economic activity, utilities are struggling to keep up. To highlight how microgrids can fill in this gap, this episode of Power Perspectives features Michael Stadler, Co-Founder and CTO of Xendee—a pioneer in DER and microgrid modeling. How the business case has shifted, thanks to new cost dynamics and technologies? Are we entering a new era of true grid defection? And is this microgrid boom a threat or opportunity for utility leaders? Hear these questions and more answered as we dive in with Michael. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/microgrid-boom-explained Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yB2tXV4ACCI Michael Stadler on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/michael-stadler Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast