Electric Perspectives

40 Years of Supporting Business Diversity

EEI will host the 40th Annual Business Diversity Conference in mid-May. For more on the history of the conference and diverse supplier partnerships, listen to our April episode, "Leading the Charge on Business Diversity," to hear from Charlotte Blount-Lewis, a former EEI employee who helped lead efforts to establish business diversity programs during her tenure from 1982 to 1997. She was in conversation with EEI Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, and Chief Human Resources Officer Courtney Peterson.

 

On this episode, Georgia Power Distribution Manager Michelle Fuqua, Young Management President and CEO Brandon Young, and Pierce Powerline CEO Michele Pierce discuss the vital partnerships between electric companies and diverse suppliers that power the communities they proudly serve, and how our industry can better support diverse suppliers. Brandon and Michele also share their advice for fellow diverse business owners and discuss how they are supporting electric companies and their key priorities, like enhancing grid resilience.

Spotlight on Global Energy Innovation

In mid-April, EEI International Programs hosted the Global Electrification Forum (GEF), which brings together EEI’s domestic and international member companies, industry experts, and thought leaders from around the world. This conference is dedicated to addressing the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the electrification of our society.

This year’s event featured a line-up of distinguished speakers, and on this episode, you’ll hear from a few. Dr. Lawrence Jones, EEI senior vice president of international programs, gives an overview of the GEF. Then, we hear from Nigel Barbour, CEO of Orion Group (New Zealand); Peter O'Shea, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at ESB (Ireland); and Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy (England), about innovation, powering economies, electric transportation, and more.

Want to see the sessions for yourself? All the GEF programming recordings are available now through the conference registration portal.

Leading the Charge on Business Diversity

Charlotte Blount-Lewis worked at EEI from 1982 and 1997 and helped lead the charge to develop industry business diversity programs and helped organize the first Business Diversity Conference, which continues to bring together electric companies and diverse suppliers, in 1984. Today, electric companies spend billions of dollars per year on diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans. We celebrate these partnerships and the important roles these suppliers play in helping electric companies safely operate 24/7, 365 days a year.

 

On this episode, EEI Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, and Chief Human Resources Officer Courtney Peterson leads a conversation with Charlotte, who reflects on the origins of the business diversity programs, the key partnerships that contributed to these important efforts, the lessons that that today's suppliers can learn from the experiences of those pioneering efforts of the 1980s, and more. 

Developing the Next Generation Workforce

It takes a highly skilled workforce to provide reliable electricity service to customers, who depend on it more and more every day to power their lives. As electricity demand grows and our industry continues to deliver increasingly cleaner energy, the next generation of energy workers must be prepared to build, maintain, and operate energy infrastructure and equipment, including for new and emerging clean energy technologies. And, they must continue to work in the necessary positions to keep the lights on.

On this episode, EEI Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, and Chief Human Resources Officer Courtney Peterson and Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) Executive Director Missy Henriksen discuss trends in workforce development, how companies are preparing the next-generation workforce, resources that CEWD offers to help companies with workforce development, and more!

Mapping Out Consumers Energy’s Reliability Roadmap

Consumers Energy announced that in 2023, nearly 90 percent of customers who lost power had it restored in less than 24 hours. This progress is thanks in part to the company’s work to enhance its energy grid infrastructure, which includes adding smart technology, clearing tree branches away from power lines, and more. These efforts are part of a strategic plan called the Reliability Roadmap, and it’s an essential piece of Consumers Energy’s vision to limit the scope and length of power outages in the near future.

On this episode, Tonya Berry, Consumers Energy’s senior vice president of transformation and engineering, joins us to discuss the goals of the Reliability Roadmap, how Consumers Energy is enhancing grid reliability in Michigan, its efforts to prepare the next generation workforce as part of the plan, and more.

All Aboard: Supporting the Transition to Electric School Buses (Part 2)

On this episode, EEI Senior Director of Electric Transportation Kellen Schefter and Consumers Energy Product Manager of Commercial Electric Vehicles Bethany Tabor discuss how the Michigan-based company is helping to support 11 school districts in its service territory to deploy and operate electric school buses and how the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program is helping to support these kinds of efforts.

Be sure to also listen to part one of this series, in which Schefter discussed a new white paper titled “Electric School Buses: Accelerating Equitable Deployment through Understanding Grid Impacts and Policy Solutions” with three co-authors of the report: Exelon Director of Clean Energy Initiatives Chris Budzynski; CALSTART Lead Project Manager, Northeast School Buses Ian Fried; and Sue Gander, World Resources Institute Director of the Electric School Bus Initiative.  

All Aboard: Supporting the Transition to Electric School Buses (Part 1)

When we think of the acceleration of electric transportation, the spike in light-duty vehicle sales comes to mind, but it’s not just passenger vehicles that are scaling up. Medium- to heavy-duty vehicles, including school buses, are increasingly becoming electrified, much to the benefit of the communities they operate in.   

This episode takes a deep dive into electric school buses and how electric companies and other stakeholders are working together to ensure a smooth and equitable transition. EEI Senior Director of Electric Transportation Kellen Schefter discusses a new white paper titled “Electric School Buses: Accelerating Equitable Deployment through Understanding Grid Impacts and Policy Solutions” with three co-authors of the report: Exelon Director of Clean Energy Initiatives Chris Budzynski; CALSTART Lead Project Manager, Northeast School Buses Ian Fried; and Sue Gander, World Resources Institute Director of the Electric School Bus Initiative.  

Be sure to tune in to our next episode for more on electric school buses! Schefter will join Consumers Energy Product Manager of Commercial Electric Vehicles Bethany Tabor to discuss how the Michigan-based company is helping to support 11 school districts in its service territory to deploy and operate electric school buses. 

EEI President and CEO Dan Brouillette Takes the Helm

Dan Brouillette joined EEI as president and CEO-elect in October 2023, and became EEI’s president and CEO at the start of this year. Before joining EEI, Brouillette served as president of Sempra Infrastructure, a leading global energy transition company. He previously served as the 15th U.S. Secretary of Energy and before that as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, the chief operating officer of the department. Brouillette is the only person ever to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve in both roles. In the private sector, Brouillette has held leadership positions at USAA, where he served as a senior vice president and corporate officer, and at Ford Motor Company, where he was a vice president and served on its North American Operating Committee. 

On this episode, Brouillette discusses policy priorities for the electric power industry in 2024, how the industry will balance the growing demand for clean energy with reliability expectations, opportunities and challenges facing the industry, and more! 

Implementing New Programs Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

On this episode, Sandi Safro, EEI associate general counsel of energy and technology regulation, and Patrick Arness, EEI senior director of government relations, discuss a few recent Department of Energy program announcements funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the Grid Innovation and Resilience Partnerships (GRIP) Program and the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program, which will help enhance energy grid reliability and resilience, advance the use of hydrogen as a clean energy source, and improve broadband access for unserved and underserved communities. 

 

Tom Kuhn Reflects on His More Than 30 Years of Service in the Electric Power Industry

At the end of the year, after serving America’s electric companies and their customers for more than 30 years, EEI President and CEO Tom Kuhn will step down from his current role. Kuhn has effectively worked with America’s electric companies to navigate major policy issues in Congress, throughout the federal agencies, and at the state and local levels. He also has led the development of strong-industry government partnerships, and has been extremely engaged in international dialogues that aim to advance the shared vision for an affordable and resilient clean energy future for all customers. 

On this episode, Kuhn discusses his decades of service, his sources of pride and inspiration, and his expectations for EEI’s member companies and the industry moving forward.