Electric Perspectives

As electric companies focus on increasing reliable electricity access within their communities, they are working alongside Indigenous community stakeholders to provide communities services they need. What are the ways in which electric companies can co-create energy solutions with their local communities? What should leadership look like to support employees and customers? And why is it critical to make the energy decision-making process more inclusive? Jay Grewal, President and CEO of Manitoba Hydro, joins this episode of Global Circuit.

 

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 https://www.eei.org/about-eei/international-members

There has been tremendous progress on the climate policy front over the past year in the United States, including the bipartisan infrastructure law, the robust clean energy tax package included in the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act. Taken together, these new laws firmly place the United States at the forefront of global efforts to deploy new carbon-free technologies and to drive down carbon emissions. On this episode, we are joined by Eric Holdsworth, EEI managing director of Clean Energy and Environmental Policy, who traveled with EEI leaders to several major clean energy events during National Clean Energy Week and Climate Week NYC. We discuss what happened at those events, how the recent legislative wins benefit our customers, and how EEI and our member companies will be demonstrating our clean energy leadership on the global stage at COP-27 next month in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

This week is National Drive Electric Week, and we are highlighting the substantial investments that America’s electric companies are making to accelerate the electrification of transportation and the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Kellen Schefter, EEI senior director of Electric Transportation, is joined by Scott Barrios, Entergy manager of Business Development, and Aki Marceau, Hawaiian Electric Electrification of Transportation director, to discuss their efforts to install EV fast chargers, how they are making switching to EVs easier for customers, how EVs play into our clean energy transition, and more.

 

Be sure to visit theelectricgeneration.org, EEI's newly relaunched site that showcases stories of how the National Electric Highway Coalition members are deploying EV fast chargers across the country and making progress on their goals. 

The energy transition requires an evolution of the customer experience and customer-centric strategies. How does approaching the transition from a tech perspective help? What can electric companies do to facilitate customer acceptance for the energy transition? How can electric companies help customers in times of crises? Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Group joins this episode of Electric Perspectives Global Circuit. 

 

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 https://www.eei.org/about-eei/international-members

August is LIHEAP Action Month, an opportunity to highlight the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides financial support to vulnerable households and families to cover heating and cooling and other energy related costs. Electric companies and state LIHEAP administrators partner to help families access this critical funding, and they are working together to streamline the process of identifying income eligible households. 

In this episode, EEI Vice President of Customer Solutions Lisa Wood sits down with Tamara Johnson, DTE Energy customer service director, to discuss DTE Energy's successful collaboration with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and their efforts to significantly streamline the process of getting LIHEAP funds to households in need.

This episode is the second part of our three-part series featuring the highlights of EEI 2022, our annual thought leadership forum. In this episode, you will hear conversations about topics including electric transportation, ESG, and cybersecurity featuring Michael Webber, Chief Technology Officer, Energy Impact Partners, and Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources at the University of Texas at Austin; EEI Director of Electric Transportation Kellen Schefter; Dan Hahn, Partner – Energy, Sustainability, and Infrastructure at Guidehouse; Deloitte's Specialist Lead – EV Strategy and Planning Adrian Rouse and Vice Chair of U.S. Power, Utilities & Renewables Leader Jim Thompson; and Kim Zetter, journalist and author of Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon.

Also featured are virtual remarks by Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and highlights from a keynote featuring Duke Energy Chair, President, and CEO Lynn Good and Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Jen Easterly.

During EEI 2022, EEI’s annual thought leadership forum, we were honored to be joined by U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. This episode includes the EEI 2022 keynote discussion between Secretary Granholm and EEI Chair Warner Baxter, executive chairman of Ameren Corporation, during which they covered the path to a clean energy future, the technologies needed to meet our goals, today’s geopolitical and supply chain challenges, the importance of industry-government partnerships, and more. Read all about the discussions at EEI 2022 here.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the West Virginia v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) case limited the authority of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing stationary sources, like power plants. 

During this episode, EEI Deputy General Counsel of Clean Energy and Climate Alex Bond will lead a discussion with Emily Fisher, EEI general counsel and senior vice president of clean energy, and Maggie Peloso, partner at Vinson & Elkins, about how this case landed in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, what the decision means for both electric companies and the EPA, and whether it will affect ongoing efforts to deliver a resilient clean energy future to customers. 

The electric power industry works with the government and the private sector to enhance grid security and to ensure vigilance in the face of evolving threats. As global supply chain challenges continue to impact industries, electric companies also are focused on ensuring they have the resources they need to deliver resilient clean energy to customers.

 

In this episode, Bill Fehrman, President and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy and co-chair of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, and Scott Aaronson, EEI’s senior vice president of Security and Preparedness, discuss how electric companies are working with industry and government partners to bolster supply chain resilience, the potential value of an energy sector industrial base to increase supply chain security, and more.

 

After you have finished listening to this episode, read Fehrman's Electric Perspectives article, "Supply Chain Resilience:  The Energy Sector Industrial Base," to learn more about this topic: https://bit.ly/39X8sy2

Electric companies are on the path to achieving a sustainable energy future by formulating goals into actions plans on reliability, diversification, risk management, and more. Where does reliability intersect with sustainability? How can stakeholders inform the path for a sustainable energy future? How can a company embrace a culture of continuous improvement and recognize workforce passion? Warner Baxter, Executive Chairman of Ameren Corporation and Vice Chairman of EEI joins this episode of Electric Perspectives Global Circuit.

 

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 https://www.eei.org/about-eei/international-members