Electric Perspectives

029 Electric Perspectives: Investing in a Resilient, Hardened Energy Grid

The reliability and resilience of the nation's energy grid are top priorities for the electric power industry. As the frequency and intensity of storms, wildfires, and other extreme weather events continue to increase, and as cyber-attacks become more sophisticated, increasing capital investment in adaptation, hardening, and resilience is vital.

On today's episode, we'll hear from Richard McMahon, EEI’s senior vice president of Energy Supply and Finance, who will open the conversation by highlighting the types of investments EEI’s member companies are making in adaptation, hardening, and resilience. Then, we'll hear from Jim Schaefer, senior managing director at Guggenheim Partners; Maria Rigatti, executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer at Edison International; and Drew Marsh, executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer at Entergy Corporation, who all joined us this past fall for this conversation.

028 Electric Perspectives: Working Together to Bridge the Digital Divide

 The sudden shift to working and learning from home during the pandemic highlighted the value of electricity, as well as the importance of affordable, reliable broadband. Millions of Americans are living in a “digital divide,” with limited or no access to reliable internet. Electric companies are well-positioned to help address the challenge of broadband inequity and are working to identify opportunities to leverage their fiber investments to provide middle-mile broadband infrastructure, in partnership with telecommunications companies and last-mile internet providers. This is a win for all stakeholders, particularly customers and communities in underserved and unserved areas.

 

On this episode of Electric Perspectives, we are joined by Alan Bradshaw, vice president of strategic partnerships for Dominion Energy, who will discuss Dominion Energy’s projects and partnerships to expand broadband access to customers. Then, Mississippi Public Service Commission Commissioner Brandon Presley, who recently also served a term as president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, joins Brad Viator, EEI’s vice president of external affairs, to discuss broadband policy and national efforts to bridge the digital divide.

027 Global Circuit: Keeping Customers and Employees at the Heart of the Transition

In 2018, Xcel Energy became the first electric company in the United States to announce a vision to be carbon-free by 2050, including a goal of reducing emissions by 80% by 2030. How has the company supported its workforce through this clean energy transition, including workers from retired coal plants? What is Xcel Energy doing to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within its workforce? And how is the company keeping customer needs and expectations at the heart of its strategy? Ben Fowke, Executive Chairman of Xcel Energy and former EEI Chairman, joins this episode of the Electric Perspectives Global Circuit, recorded in October 2021.

The Global Circuit is brought to you by EEI International Programs as part of EEI’s Electric Perspectives podcast. For more information about EEI International Programs, visit www.eei.org/international 

026 Electric Perspectives: Electric Companies Form the National Electric Highway Coalition

The National Electric Highway Coalition (NEHC) is a collaboration among electric companies that are committed to providing electric vehicle (EV) fast charging stations that will allow the public to drive EVs with confidence along major U.S. travel corridors by the end of 2023. The NEHC is the largest such alliance of electric companies that have organized around the common goal of deploying EV fast charging infrastructure to support the growing number of EVs and to help ensure that the transition to EVs is seamless for drivers.

In this episode, Kellen Schefter, EEI’s director of electric transportation, joins Matt Forck, vice president of federal legislative affairs, Ameren, and Phil Dion, vice president and chief customer officer, American Electric Power, to discuss how the NEHC will work to achieve its goal of filling infrastructure gaps along major U.S. transportation corridors, the need to support the growth of EVs across the country, and more. Forck and Dion are two of the industry leaders who helped to spearhead the development and merger of the initial regional coalitions. Learn more about the NEHC at: http://www.electrichighwaycoalition.org/

025 Electric Perspectives: COP26: Demonstrating Clean Energy Leadership

World leaders convened in Glasgow, Scotland, earlier this month to kick off the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, six years after the Paris Agreement established a global framework to tackle climate change.

 

EEI Executive Vice President Brian Wolff and executives from EEI member companies joined the U.S. delegation and environmental leaders to highlight the leadership of U.S. electric companies in reducing carbon emissions and the vital role that reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient clean energy plays in achieving net-zero emissions across the U.S. economy.

 

In this episode, EEI Managing Director of Clean Energy and Environmental Policy Eric Holdsworth, who was in Glasgow, joins us to provide a recap on COP26, including EEI member companies’ participation at the conference events. For more information, read EEI's Energy Talk In Depth COP26 issue.

024 Global Circuit: Understanding Complexity for More Effective Climate Policy

As countries continue to develop and implement climate policy after COP26, how can we consider the complex, interconnected nature of our global systems in order to drive more effective change? What is the role of business leaders, governments, and citizens in the transition to a clean energy economy? And what are some of the disruptions or unexpected consequences of the energy transition? Dr. Roland Kupers, author of A Climate Policy Revolution: What the Science of Complexity Reveals About Saving Our Planet, joins this episode of the Electric Perspectives Global Circuit, recorded in January 2021.

The Global Circuit is brought to you by EEI International Programs as part of EEI’s Electric Perspectives podcast. For more information about EEI International Programs, visit www.eei.org/international

023 Electric Perspectives: Uniting to Stop Utility Scams

November 14-20 is International Fraud Awareness Week, and November 17 is Utility Scams Awareness Day. EEI’s member electric companies will join other utilities to raise customer awareness of imposter utility scams and ways to stop them with the help of Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS), a consortium of nearly 150 U.S. and Canadian electric, water, and natural gas utilities (and their respective trade associations). UUAS provides a forum that enables utilities and their trade associations to share best practices, in addition to working with them to implement initiatives to educate customers and protect them against utility scams.

 

On this show, we are joined by UUAS Executive Director Monica Martinez and UUAS Founder and Executive Committee Chair Jared Lawrence, who also serves as the Vice President of Revenue Services and Metering at Duke Energy, to discuss the telltale signs of a utility scam, how these scams are growing more sophisticated, and more. 

For more information, visit utilitiesunited.org.

022 Electric Perspectives: Cybersecurity Is A Shared Responsibility

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which makes this a great time to learn more about how America’s electric companies are working to protect the energy grid from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. On this episode, we first are joined by Manoj Chouthai, Vice President, IT Engineering, Operations, and Cybersecurity at Con Edison, to discuss how electric companies manage cybersecurity risk and the value of partnering with industry and government stakeholders to enhance our collective security. Then, EEI Vice President of Security and Preparedness Scott Aaronson discusses emerging cybersecurity issues and best practices for cyber hygiene with Margaret Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Shared Services and Chief Information Officer at Puget Sound Energy.

 

Want to learn more about cybersecurity from Scott Aaronson? Read his article, "Protecting the Energy Grid is a Team Sport," which was recently published in Security Magazine.

021 Electric Perspectives: Drones Have Sky-High Potential for Electric Companies

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – more commonly known as drones – are increasingly helpful tools that support a range of electric company operations, including power line and power plant inspections, power restoration and recovery efforts, and much more.  

On this episode of Electric Perspectives, EEI’s Emily Fisher is joined by Eric Schwartz, Manager of Technology and Innovation at Florida Power and Light, and Eileen Lockhart, UAS Program Manager at Xcel Energy, to discuss the sky-high potential of drones in the industry to contribute to safety, efficiency, and resilience and the steps needed to fully realize that potential. 

020 Global Circuit: Sustaining Collaboration Towards a Clean Energy Future

The electric power industry has a long history of serving communities around the world, innovating business practices as technology evolves, and sharing lessons learned with the international community. What have electric companies learned from recent extreme weather events? How can we increase access to affordable and reliable electricity around the world? And what are some potential barriers to the net zero goals being set by countries and companies as we approach COP26? Nick Akins, Chairman, President, and CEO of American Electric Power, joins this episode of the Electric Perspectives Global Circuit, recorded in September 2021.

The Global Circuit is brought to you by EEI International Programs as part of EEI’s Electric Perspectives podcast. For more information about EEI International Programs, visit www.eei.org/international