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.

On this episode, Hanna Grene, Microsoft’s Global Go to Market and Innovation Leader for Energy and Resources, joins EEI Chief Legal Officer Rachael Marsh. They discuss Microsoft’s Community-First AI Infrastructure initiative, how digital solutions can enhance the grid. They also explore how electric companies, technology providers, and communities can work together to ensure data center growth delivers benefits for the communities where they operate.

America’s electric companies are taking proactive steps to prepare for wildfires and other extreme weather events, strengthen the energy system, and protect the communities they serve. In this episode, Ryan Murphy, Vice President of Gas and Electric Operations at Puget Sound Energy, and Gary McAuliffe, Vice President of Sales at KloudGin, discuss how electric companies are using technology and risk modeling to enhance situational awareness and improve decision-making, while working with first responders and community leaders to keep customers safe and deliver reliable, resilient electricity.

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.