Energy Central

Presenting: The 2025 Energy Central Innovation Awards, a moment to celebrate forward-thinkers, risk-takers, and the big ideas kind of people who are building the future of the energy industry.

We’re in a moment of unprecedented change, but one constant remains: smart people who think about where we are *and* where we’re going are giving us a shot at a better future. And this year’s winners—chosen from a record number of Energy Central community nominations for our annual Innovation Awards—are exactly those kind of people.

Hear from…

Yuval Lubowich, CTO and co-founder of HData (HData.com)
Stephanie Gossman, Manager of Grid Transformation for Georgia Power (https://www.southerncompany.com/innovation.html)
Pranav Gupta, Manager of Data Science at ICF
David Sypnieski, CEO and Founder of Athena Intelligence

And get ready to think big. Thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoy.

Our latest episode leaves the grid behind—literally—to head into orbit.

As the number of satellites and spacecraft in space grows, one fundamental limitation persists: power. These systems are smaller, smarter, and more capable than ever—but they’re energy-starved. That’s where today’s guest, Andrew Rush, steps in.

Andrew is the Co-Founder and CEO of Star Catcher, a cutting-edge startup developing the first power grid for space, in space. Instead of sending energy from orbit to Earth like traditional space-based solar concepts, Star Catcher’s revolutionary tech beams energy between spacecraft, enabling new capabilities and unlocking a new era of in-space infrastructure.

Whether you're an energy engineer, a space-tech nerd, or a grid operator wondering what lessons in orbit can teach us about Earth’s energy transition, this conversation offers a fascinating peek into the future of power.

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: TBD

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IwOnM583itI

Andrew Rush on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/andrew-rush

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

What does a change in U.S. presidential administrations have to do with stalled solar farms in Sub-Saharan Africa or wind projects in Southeast Asia? As it turns out, quite a lot.

On this episode of Power Perspectives, we explore how U.S. policy shifts are sending ripples through the global financial system—impacting everything from renewable investments in developing countries to grid upgrades on Main Street USA. We’re joined by Gautam Jain, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and Adjunct Professor at SIPA, to dig into the high-stakes intersection of climate finance, currency risk, and energy geopolitics.

Gautam walks us through why the international green finance system is under pressure as the U.S. government scales back funding commitments under the Trump administration. With global investors growing increasingly wary of geopolitical instability, what’s next for the energy transition? And how should utility leaders, policymakers, and financial stakeholders respond?

Note: The news in this space is moving fast, so to set context this conversation was recorded on April 4.

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/real-impacts-trump-20-energy-finance

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/I2VqXraG2Ps

Gautam Jain on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/gautam-jain

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

The U.S. nuclear industry is entering a new era—one that demands cutting-edge research, advanced reactor technologies, and stronger collaboration across the energy ecosystem. And now, that future has a new launchpad: the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL) at the Idaho National Laboratory.

As the first hot cell facility built by the U.S. Department of Energy in nearly half a century, the SPL is designed to push the boundaries of nuclear materials science. From its autonomous robotic systems to its modular infrastructure, this lab promises to accelerate the pace of discovery while opening doors to collaboration among utilities, researchers, and policymakers. Listen in as Power Perspectives sits down with Colin Judge, Division Director for Nuclear Materials Performance at INL and a key leader behind this groundbreaking initiative, as he shares how this new lab will serve as a critical tool for understanding how materials perform in extreme environments—an essential piece of the puzzle as the energy industry looks to next-generation nuclear technologies.

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/inside-doe-nuclear-research-facility-50-years-making

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0cRJR4xKR0o

Idaho National Lab on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/o/idaho-national-labs

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

In a unique edition of Power Perspectives this week, we take you inside the electric utility industry’s season-defining event: DistributeTECH 2025 through the lens of the Energy Central team that was there on the ground. Join Kinsey Grant Baker, Head of Content at Energy Central, and Matt Chester, Community Manager, as they unpack key themes and insights from the conference floor.

From the convergence of utilities and technology to the rising influence of AI, the conversation explores how the sector is adapting to transformative challenges. How are utilities evolving into technology companies? What does the future hold for customer-focused planning, workforce innovation, and distributed grid orchestration? Kinsey and Matt break it down with fresh perspectives and real-world examples. Whether you’re curious about the cutting-edge ideas reshaping the industry or you have FOMO because you weren't at DistribuTECH yourself, this episode delivers the takeaways you need.

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/power-perspectives-dtech-debrief-are-utilities-becoming-tech-companies

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lWnqe0tJ8YU

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

For decades, we've heard about the need to reduce carbon emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy. Yet despite corporate pledges, policy initiatives, and technological advancements, global emissions keep rising. Now, we find ourselves at a crossroads: either we take immediate and radical action, or we brace for accelerating climate impacts and economic upheaval.

So, what does this mean for the energy sector? Can utilities, policymakers, and business leaders move beyond incremental changes to the kind of transformative shifts that climate science demands? To explore these questions, this week's Power Perspectives episode welcomes Kevin Anderson, professor of energy and climate change at the University of Manchester and co-founder of Climate Uncensored. Known for his blunt analysis and data-driven critiques, Kevin has spent his career exposing where we've gone wrong—and, more importantly, outlining where we go from here. If you want to cut through the noise and understand the true scale of the challenge ahead, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/does-energy-industry-need-climate-reality-check

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kBQVQZRfxGw

A factor of two: how the mitigation plans of ‘climate progressive’ nations fall far short of Paris-compliant pathways: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2020.1728209

Three Decades of Climate Mitigation: Why Haven't We Bent the Global Emissions Curve?: www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-011104

Ireland's Climate Justice Obligations, Presentation: https://urlisolation.com/browser?clickId=DB605BC0-9E7C-4D1E-817D-29EC03C1D45C&traceToken=1742828331%3Bmanchesteruni_hosted%3Bhttps%3A%2Fclimateuncensored.com%2Fire&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclimateuncensored.com%2Firelands-climate-justice-obligations-presentation%2F

Climate Uncensored: https://climateuncensored.com

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

What’s the biggest challenge facing utilities today? Is it climate change, DER integration, or the explosive growth of data centers? The real answer is the need to balance all of the above, and navigating these forces while keeping the grid reliable and resilient is no small feat.

Enter Marcus McCarthy, Senior Vice President of Siemens Grid Software, who joins Power Perspectives to break down the evolving energy landscape. From the concept of the "Goldilocks Zone" in data center planning to how AI is reshaping grid operations, Marcus shares key lessons and strategies utilities need to future-proof their systems. For anyone seeking out insights into where the grid is headed next, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/goldilocks-problem-grid-modernization

Video version of the episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/1u257hJjKIk

Siemens on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/o/siemens

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

How to save energy from partisan politics

Can the clean power transition survive partisan politics?

If anyone has the answer, it's David Spence, Professor of Energy Law & Regulation at UT Austin and author of the book "Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the U.S. Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship."

Today on Power Perspectives, David breaks down the impacts of political polarization on climate and energy policy, the role of media in shaping public perception, and how the power industry moves forward in fractured times. If you've ever felt frustrated by dinner table politics conversations, give this episode a listen—guarantee you'll learn something valuable.

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/how-save-energy-partisan-politics

Video version of the episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/FoYxlv5wUC8

David Spence's profile on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/david-spence

Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the U.S. Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship: https://bookshop.org/p/books/climate-of-contempt-how-to-rescue-the-u-s-energy-transition-from-voter-partisanship-david-spence/21116536?ean=9780231217088&next=t

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

AI is changing everything, and power utilities are no exception. From optimizing grid operations to enhancing cybersecurity, AI is already making a tangible impact on how energy is generated, distributed, and managed.

But when it comes to grid communications—an area where reliability and security are paramount—what role does AI really play?

In this episode of Power Perspectives, we’re joined by two industry leaders from Nokia: Dominique Verhulst, Global Energy Practice Leader; and Hansen Chan, IP Enterprise Solutions Marketing. Together, we unpack some of the biggest questions utility leaders are asking today:

- How does AI optimize mission-critical grid communications?
- What are real-world examples of AI transforming power utilities?
- How are AI-driven data centers reshaping grid infrastructure needs?
- What’s on the horizon for AI in the energy sector over the next 5-10 years?

Plus, we briefly dive into one of the latest AI breakthroughs—DeepSeek—and what it means for AI-driven power planning and utility networks. So strap in alongside podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to learn from the deep expertise that Dominique and Hansen bring to the conversation.

(This episode brought to you by Nokia)

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/how-utilities-can-prepare-ai-integration

Video version of the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qKun5PvHdLg

Nokia on Energy Central: energycentral.com/Nokia

Hansen Chan's profile on Energy Central: energycentral.com/member/profile/hansen-chan/about

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

Balancing reliability, affordability, and sustainability—often called the energy trilemma—is one of the biggest challenges facing utility leaders today. And in Michigan, that challenge is magnified by aggressive decarbonization goals, aging infrastructure, and severe weather events.

In this episode of Power Perspectives, podcast host Jason Price visits the DTE Energy headquarters in Detroit to chat face-to-face with Jerry Norcia, Chairman and CEO of DTE Energy. In this conversation, Jerry highlights how the company is tackling these timely and critical challenges head-on. From Michigan’s ambitious clean energy targets to grid modernization, energy affordability, and extreme weather preparedness, Jerry shares DTE’s strategy for navigating this pivotal moment in the energy transition.

Listen into this conversation from the C-Suite as Jerry highlights:
- Michigan’s aggressive clean energy mandates and how DTE is adapting
- DTE’s $6 billion grid modernization investment to enhance reliability
- The impact of extreme weather on Michigan’s electric infrastructure
- Balancing affordability and major infrastructure investments
- Ensuring low-income customers have access to energy assistance programs

Listen alongside podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester as Jerry walks us all through the state of the industry today and into the future from his front row seat.

Key Links:
Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/inside-ceos-energy-transition-playbook

Video version of the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vZHJ1Wigi_c

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast