July 10 is National Lineworker Appreciation Day, recognizing the skilled men and women who keep electricity flowing to homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals across the country. In this episode, EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney talks with Greg McQuiggan and Ryan Murray of National Grid, and Leland Overstreet of Alabama Power. All three are lineworkers and also members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. They discuss what it means to serve on the frontlines of the electric power industry, along with the challenges and rewards of the job. Don't forget to #ThankALineworker! 

QTS Data Centers is building a data center campus in Cedar Rapids that is the biggest economic development project in the state of Iowa. In this episode, Alliant Energy Chief Strategy Officer Raja Sundararajan and QTS Executive Vice President of Government Relations Todd Malan join EEI Chief Legal Officer Rachael Marsh to discuss how electric companies and developers are collaborating to drive economic growth, protect existing customers, and accelerate digital infrastructure buildout.

This episode is part of our EEI 2026 Highlights series. The discussions highlight the innovative strategies, investments, and partnerships shaping the future of the energy grid. The speakers are:

You can also visit the Electric Perspectives website to read coverage of this year's conference.

In this episode of Electric Perspectives, Gregory A. Beard, director of the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF), discusses how the federal government is deploying historic levels of capital to strengthen the energy grid and support long-term reliability. Director Beard outlines EDF’s focus on lowering costs for customers while improving reliability and energy security, including major recent loans to electric companies and a rapid pace of capital deployment.

Supportive public policies, strong partnerships, and bipartisan leadership are essential to America’s energy future. On this episode, EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney sits down with House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA) to discuss the path forward on permitting reform, including efforts to accelerate energy infrastructure projects and improve regulatory certainty. They also highlight bipartisan collaboration to lower energy costs, meet rising electricity demand, ensure grid reliability, and advance wildfire legislation such as the Fix Our Forests Act.

America’s electric companies are using AI to enhance the customer experience and identify opportunities to lower bills. On this episode, PSEG Long Island Vice President of Customer Operations Lou DeBrino and Bidgely Chief Product Officer Ted Nielsen discuss how electric companies are using smart meter data and advanced analytics to provide tailored energy insights and strengthen customer engagement. They explore how these tools are supporting grid reliability while helping customers better understand their energy use, shift consumption habits, and save money.

This episode is sponsored by Bidgely, which provides AI platforms that optimize grid management and customer engagement for electric companies. Learn more.

Earlier this year, Duke Energy launched the DeBary Hydrogen Production Storage System, the nation’s first fully integrated project to produce, store, and use green hydrogen. On this episode, Duke Energy Senior Vice President of System Planning and Construction Regis Repko explains how the hydrogen system works and how it provides reliable energy during peak demand.

Urban conflagration—large, vast moving fires that spread from structure to structure—pose a growing risk in many communities across the country, particularly in the areas where homes and infrastructure meet wildfire-prone landscapes. During this episode, Pacific Gas and Electric Senior Manager of Consequence Data Science Manuj Sharma and Technosylva Director of Fire Science Adrián Cardil discuss a new pilot project that uses advanced fire spread simulations to enhance mitigation, planning, and response capabilities. 

This episode is sponsored by Technosylva. Learn more about their wildfire and extreme weather risk intelligence here.

This week, Charles River Associates released a new report examining recent trends in retail residential electricity rates. On this episode, EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney and Matt DeCourcey, vice president of the energy practice at Charles River Associates, explore the key findings, which include that for most U.S. electricity customers, retail electricity rates have generally remained stable and have not outpaced inflation. They also discuss external factors driving higher rates in certain regions, and how new data center tariffs and agreements are helping protect existing customers from the costs of connecting new large loads like data centers.

Read the full study here.

As electricity demand continues to rise, electric companies are using new strategies and tools to help plan for the future. On this episode, Arizona Public Service (APS) Director of Grid Modernization Jasdeep Singh and KloudGin CEO and Co-Founder Vikram Takru discuss APS' shift to a product-oriented model for grid modernization and how technology platforms are streamlining operations and improving safety. The conversation highlights impactful grid projects in Arizona, strategies to keep customer bills as low as possible, and the innovations that will shape grid planning in the years to come.

This episode was sponsored by KloudGin. To learn more about its unified field service, asset, and construction work management platform, click here.