Energy Central

Episode #65: 'Taking Small Modular Reactors From Hype To Reality In Ontario' With Robin Manley, Ontario Power Generation [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]

To foster the clean energy transition, the power sector has been seeking out all the carbon-free generation sources possible. Existing nuclear plants have long held a key role in providing clean energy to the grid, but North America has largely stalled when it comes to new nuclear power plants to take on more of the growing power demand patterns, owed to high capital costs, lengthy construction timelines, and more. Looking to take advantage of the carbon-free nature of nuclear power while avoiding those common pitfalls, small modular reactors (SMRs) have become a key area of focus for many industry stakeholders.

SMRs are still a future consideration, though, with none yet commercially connected to the grid. That's closer than ever to changing though, as Ontario Power Generation recently made waves in their selection of the SMR model they're going to implement, the GE Hitachi BWRX-300. Ontario Power Generation is making a big leap by being the first mover in this space that has countless eyeballs following it, so podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester were thrilled to welcome Robin Manley, OPG's VP of New Nuclear Development to discuss the selection process and what it means for the utility to pioneer this space.

Key Links:

Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-65-taking-small-modular-reactors-hype-reality-ontario-robin-manley

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

While 2021 might have been somewhat of a return to normalcy after 2020, the power and energy sector continued to see a rapid pace of news, developments, and trends. As the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast brought in guest week-in and week-out, we found that these episodes served as a great time capsule of such an eventful year for the utility industry. As such, we thought it only appropriate to continue the tradition started last year of featuring discussion and clips from the episodes during the previous 12 months that we enjoyed the most, that the audience engaged with most frequently, and that continued to shape our thinking through 2021 and into the new year.

Listen in as podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester are joined by Energy Central’s VP Audra Drazga to highlight some of the best guests and moments that took place on the podcast during our second full year in your podcast queue. And if we missed your favorite guests or key insights you can’t let go of, hop onto EnergyCentral.com to let us know!

From all of us at the Energy Central Team and who work on the Power Perspectives Podcast, a sincere thanks goes to our listeners for an overwhelmingly successful 2021—we surely couldn’t do it without you!

Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-64-%E2%80%98revisiting-hottest-episodes-2021-our-2nd-annual-podcast-year-review

Episode #34: 'Rising to the Moment, But Creating a Movement' with Garrick Rochow, CEO of Consumers Energy: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-29-rising-moment-creating

Episode #39: ‘Taking the Grid of Tomorrow from Concept to Reality with Mark Gabriel, Former Administrator and CEO of Western Area Power Administration: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/34-%E2%80%98taking-grid-tomorrow-concept-reality%E2%80%99-mark-gabriel-former-administrator-and

Episode #41: ‘The Whole Grid and Nothing But the Whole Grid’ with Doug Houseman, Principal Consultant at 1898 & Co.:https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-35-%E2%80%98-whole-grid-and-nothing-whole-grid%E2%80%99-doug-houseman-principal

Episode #47: GIS, Digital Twin, and the Intelligent Reality of Utilities Today with Pat Hohl and Bill Meehan of Esri:https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-gis-digital-twin-and-intelligent-reality-utilities-today-pat-hohl

Episode #48: 'Elevating Customer Care for Electric Cooperative Members’ with Sean Vanslyke, CEO and General Manager of SEMO Electric Cooperative: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-40-elevating-customer-care-electric-cooperative-members%E2%80%99-sean-vanslyke

Episode #50: 'The Increasing Role of Nuclear Energy to Meet Climate Change Challenges’ with Rudy Shankar of Lehigh University: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-42-increasing-role-nuclear-energy-meet-climate-change-challenges%E2%80%99-rudy

Episode #51: 'EVs As A Grid Asset, Will Utilities Take Advantage' With Charlie Botsford:https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-42-evs-grid-asset-will-utilities-take-advantage-charlie-botsford-energy

Episode #55: Artificial Intelligence in the Modern Digital Utility with Bhavani Amirthlingam of Ameren and Jeremy Renshaw of EPRI: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-artificial-intelligence-modern-digital-utility-bhavani

Episode #56: Embarking on the Utility's Digital and Data Journey with Mike Murphy of Con Edison and Paul DeCotis of West Monroe: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-embarking-utilitys-digital-and-data-journey-mike-murphy-con

Episode #58: 'Setting an Example for Utilities Everywhere via SEPA’s Utility Transformation Challenge' with Sharon Allan of SEPA, Debra Smith of Seattle City Light: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-43-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation

Different parts of the world must approach their power sector in unique ways to account for the specific needs and the unique challenges presented by local geographies, populations, economies, and more. While that means utilities in one corner of the globe may look different from the other side of the world, one of the most valuable tools for energy leaders is to look at what lessons can be learned from those various unique circumstances. Our guest on the Power Perspectives Podcast today has worked extensively tackling the energy landscape in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Being in the Caribbean, that means that the local energy stakeholders are dealing with the annual threat of hurricanes, elevated energy prices and the need for fossil fuel imports, and more. At the same time, the U.S. Virgin Islands find themselves amid a crisis from the housing shortage. While that reality may seem somewhat isolated from the traditional role of power providers, the guest of this episode highlights how it created a unique, all-encompassing opportunity.

Joining host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to discuss the success his organization has had in tackling energy equity and overall economic challenges on the U.S. Virgin Islands with microgrids is Tom McGeehan, VP at E-Finity Distributed Generation. Tom shares how his team has sought to respond to the recent hurricane seasons and resulting outages with a more decentralized approach, highlighting the opportunity microgrid technology can play for the wider energy sector outside of the islands, while also confronting head-on the climate challenges that are already present on the Virgin Islands and will soon spread to other parts of the world.

Key Links:
Tom McGeehan’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/tom-mcgeehan-0

Resilient CHP Facilities: The Real Reason Hurricanes Don't Jolt Facilities Like they Used to: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/resilient-chp

Link to Energy Central post for this episode, including full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-63-equitable-energy-access-and-microgrids-island-nations-tom-mcgeehan-e

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Episode #62: ‘Elevating Digital Utility Systems to the Cloud' with Barry Jones, Federal Information Assurance and Compliance [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]

As data has become as ubiquitous and essential to the power sector as electrons themselves, many utilities are struggling with how to handle the influx of information and how to best process it to create actionable improvements to their systems. While it may seem like an overused buzzword at this point, the guest on today’s episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast knows the answer comes down to one key place in particular: the Cloud. But cloud-based applications and processing create new waves of challenges for which utilities: from compliance with industry standards to cybersecurity concerns to the sheer cost and logistics behind making these moves.

To help wade through this web of risks, costs, and hurdles, host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester bring in one of Energy Central’s key thought leaders on the topic, Barry Jones. Barry is an independent consultant who gets knee deep in information assurance, privacy and regulatory compliance, and cloud-based systems, having brought that expertise to everyone from PG&E to the U.S. Department of Energy. In this whirlwind of an episode, Barry will share with our audience what they should be tracking as they dive into the world of utility digitalization.

Key Links:

Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-62-%E2%80%98elevating-digital-utility-systems-cloud-barry-jones-federal

Barry Jones’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/barry-jones-0/about

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEXT GENERATION UTILITY TECHNOLOGIES (Control and monitoring gas and electric with AI 'bots" and more...): https://energycentral.com/c/gr/recommendations-next-generation-utility-technologies-control-and-monitoring-gas

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Modern history really got kicked into full gear with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which can be boiled down to the way that society was able to transform and rapidly evolve once we were able to extract work efficiently and effectively from various energy sources. From coal-powered factories to steamboats to the eventual rise of electricity, the availability of energy allowed humanity to prosper and grow in ways it was never previously able to do. In many ways, the tight correlation between access to energy and economic development has continued to be coupled in lockstep in the centuries since, and the future of the global economy still relies directly on the future energy systems that we’re building today and tomorrow.

This fascinating topic holds immense impact to the future of utilities and society at large, so podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester felt it a bountiful topic to explore. But like much of the Energy Central Community, they are energy wonks rather than economics experts, so the best way to do this was indeed to bring into the podcast booth one of the foremost researchers on this intersection of energy and the economy. Carey King is a research scientist and Assistant Director of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, and last Fall he also published the groundbreaking book on this very topic: “The Economic Superorganism: Beyond the Competing Narratives on Energy, Growth, and Policy.” Through his time as a researcher and in digging deeper into the topic for this book, Carey has unearthed some of the important lessons that can be learned as energy unlocked new economic development in the 1700s and what that means for relevant energy strategy and public policy in the decades in front of us.

Key Links:
Carey King’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/carey-king-1

Full Energy Central Post with Podcast transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-61-%E2%80%98-history-future-energy-economic-driving-force-author-carey-king

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

As the utility grid infrastructure footprint grows, proper maintenance has become a top priority for utilities to ensure reliability, minimize unnecessary costs, and ensure safe operation of their assets. But with some of the largest utilities seeing their reach extend for thousands of miles in different directions, staying on top of grid assets is an increasingly complex challenge. Particularly in the world of vegetation management where sending out crews can be costly but the consequences of oversights can be even costlier (think: outages, sparked wildfires, and more), using technology to streamline and optimize this process is essential.

Using modern tools to assist utilities in their vegetation management needs has become one of the core missions of today’s guest on the podcast, Sven Przywarra. Sven co-founded and is currently co-CEO of LiveEO, a digital solutions company that taps into the capabilities of satellite-imaging to be an eye in the sky for major infrastructure networks, such as the vast and growing power transmission & distribution networks. By combining satellite imaging with intelligent processing tools, Sven and his team are able to transform the way utilities approach the multi-million dollar line item that vegetation management has become for power providers. In this episode, Sven shares with podcast host Jason Prices and producer Matt Chester the origin of these ideas, the challenges LiveEO’s tools are helping utility leaders overcome, and other ways in which intelligent satellite processing is becoming a mainstay in the energy industry.

Key Links
Link to Energy Central post for episode with full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-46-reinventing-utility-vegetation-management-satellites-and-ai-sven

Sven Przywarra’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/sven-przywarra

What Investors See as the Four Surging Utility Trends for 2021: https://energycentral.com/c/um/what-investors-see-four-surging-utility-trends-2021

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

The utility industry is a unique one in that the landscape of companies aren’t operating in a zero-sum competitive environment. Instead, utilities seek to share lessons learned, raise each other up, and collectively move towards the industry-wide goals of ensuring the entire country has access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy. It’s this collaborative environment and tendency to share best practices that makes leadership in utilities particularly important, as a success in one corner of the country can directly lead to the same type of success for a utility anywhere else. Recognizing the value of highlighting these successes, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) released its inaugural Utility Transformation Challenge, recognizing industry leaders who are creating the future carbon-free, modern grid.

To learn more about the Utility Transformation Challenge, podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester are joined by SEPA’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Sharon Allan, as well as a leader whose organization made an appearance on SEPA’s leaderboard of utilities in Debra Smith, CEO and General Manager of Seattle City Light. This duo provides a dynamic one-two punch on assessing the landscape of the utility industry today and where it’s going in the future. The conversation was so dynamic, this episode ended up being an exciting two-parter—if you didn’t listen to Part 1 where our guests focused on the Utility Transformation Challenge and the march towards decarbonization, we recommend you start there. Then come back here and listen to Part 2 where this pair of industry leaders dives into forward-looking assessments of equity in the energy industry, as well as the pending workforce transformation facing utilities everywhere.

Key Links:
Full post with transcript of this episode on EnergyCentral.com: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-45-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation

Part 1 of the Conversation: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-43-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation

Sharon Allan’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/sharon-allan-2/about

Grid Mod in the Age of Utility Carbon Reduction: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/grid-mod-age-utility-carbon-reduction

Seattle City Light's Clean Energy Leadership Garnering Industry Recognition, with Emeka Anyanwu, Energy and Innovation & Resources Officer- [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Interview]: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/seattle-city-lights-clean-energy-leadership-garnering-industry-recognition-emeka


Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

The utility industry is a unique one in that the landscape of companies aren’t operating in a zero-sum competitive environment. Instead, utilities seek to share lessons learned, raise each other up, and collectively move towards the industry-wide goals of ensuring the entire country has access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy. It’s this collaborative environment and tendency to share best practices that makes leadership in utilities particularly important, as a success in one corner of the country can directly lead to the same type of success for a utility anywhere else. Recognizing the value of highlighting these successes, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) released its inaugural Utility Transformation Challenge, recognizing industry leaders who are creating the future carbon-free, modern grid.

To learn more about the Utility Transformation Challenge, podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester are joined by SEPA’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Sharon Allan, as well as a leader whose organization made an appearance on SEPA’s leaderboard of utilities in Debra Smith, CEO and General Manager of Seattle City Light. This duo provides a dynamic one-two punch on assessing the landscape of the utility industry today and where it’s going in the future. The conversation was so dynamic, this episode ended up being an exciting two-parter—so enjoy Part 1 which focuses on the Utility Transformation Challenge and the march towards decarbonization. Then hang tight for Part 2 where this pair of industry leaders dives into forward-looking assessments of equity in the energy industry, as well as the pending workforce transformation facing utilities everywhere.

Key Links:
Part 2 of this Episode: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-45-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation

Sharon Allan’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/sharon-allan-2

Grid Mod in the Age of Utility Carbon Reduction: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/grid-mod-age-utility-carbon-reduction

Seattle City Light's Clean Energy Leadership Garnering Industry Recognition, with Emeka Anyanwu, Energy and Innovation & Resources Officer- [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Interview]: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/seattle-city-lights-clean-energy-leadership-garnering-industry-recognition-emeka

Link to Energy Central Post with Full Transcript of this Episode: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-43-setting-example-utilities-everywhere-sepa%E2%80%99s-utility-transformation

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central Community: www.energycentral.com/user/register

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Episode #57: Decarbonizing the Industrial Sector & Distribution of Energy Production with Hans Holmström of Siemens Energy [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]

The global efforts to decarbonize require an all-hands-on-deck approach across the economy, with one of the toughest areas to tackle remaining the industrial sector. The production of cement, glass, steel, and other key materials all require dispatchable, reliable, affordable energy. At the same time, the prospect of rapidly having to rely solely on renewables like solar or wind is a daunting prospect.

But there is a way. Today’s guest on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast emphasizes the importance of taking a stepwise approach to meeting the zero-carbon energy future, one that will embrace renewables as well as hydrogen, hydropower, efficient gas turbines, and much more.

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Hans Holmström, the VP of the Industrial Gas Turbine Business within Siemens Energy, as he shares his insights from the front row seat he has during this complex and massive transformation taking place across the industrial and energy sectors. Balancing the importance of saving the world via low carbon and zero carbon solutions with a recognition that proposed solutions must work in the real-world environment, Hans provides podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester with the background education on of why we should all be feeling more optimistic and hopeful about our decarbonized future.

A special thanks to Siemens Energy for supporting this edition of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast.

Key Links:

Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-decarbonizing-industrial-sector-distribution-energy-production

Hans Holmström’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/hans-holmstrom

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

Zero Emission Hydrogen Turbine Center: https://www.siemens-energy.com/global/en/priorities/future-technologies/hydrogen/zehtc.html

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Episode #56: Embarking on the Utility's Digital and Data Journey with Mike Murphy of Con Edison and Paul DeCotis of West Monroe [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]

Data has become a much sought after asset in the utility world, providing arguably as much value as the electrons being sent over the grid. When utilities have data on consumption patterns, asset performance, and digital engagement, they are armed with the tools to optimize their processes to improve service and save themselves and their customers on costs. The journey over recent years to embrace those digital tools has not always been quick or straightforward, but the industry has seen clear thought leaders rise that shepherd in this new era for the power sector.

Joining the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast today are two such leaders who are able to look back at that journey and simultaneously peer into the future for what's to come next. Mike Murphy is the General Manager of Customer Operations at Con Edison who has served in this industry for more than two decades, bringing the digital opportunities to customers through insights, bill delivery, and more. He's also worked closely with the other guest today, Paul DeCotis of West Monroe. Paul serves as Senior Partner and East Coast Practice Lead and he's constantly identifying advanced grid projects that have revolutionized the utility industry time and again. They're joining host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester in this episode to offer their insights and advice as other stakeholders embrace this digital and data journey.

A special thanks to West Monroe for supporting this edition of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast.

Key Links:

Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-embarking-utilitys-digital-and-data-journey-mike-murphy-con

Paul Decotis’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/paul-decotis

Smart Siting and Energy Infrastructure Development: A Challenge to Decarbonization: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/smart-siting-and-energy-infrastructure-development-challenge-decarbonization

Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': https://blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/