Energy Central

Episode #45: ‘Enhancing Utility Coordination Through Improved GeoSpatial Data Tracking’ with Gord Reynolds, Infrastructure Ontario [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]

This week’s episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast dives into the world of infrastructure, and specifically the management of assets found underground that transport our water, gas, and electrons. Asset management at the utility is big and serious business, having lasted in some cases for a century or longer buried deep underneath the ground. Accurately tracking those assets and keeping such records updated in real time is far more complex and underappreciated even for people who may work at a utility. This is why the market for talent in utility asset management is exploding, with GIS technologies and related systems enjoying high demand and advancement into increasing sophistication.

To give a good overview of this topic, host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester welcome to the podcast Gord Reynolds, Vice President of Commercial Advisory and Strategy at Infrastructure Ontario. Gord leads a variety of initiatives to improve utility coordination across Canada, including support of two recently passed provincial Acts to streamline the coordination of utility assets to deliver transit projects and broadband on time and within budget across Ontario. One specific aspect of these regulations is the process of setting up a government entity, the Office of Utility Coordination, an asset management platform that will transform how utility work is conducted and tracked moving forward. Gord will provide an overview of what this office does and how it’s changing the world of infrastructure asset management.

Key Links:

Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-38-%E2%80%98enhancing-utility-coordination-through-improved-geospatial-data

Gord Reynold’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/gord-reynolds-2

Metrolinx to launch new Office of Utility Coordination: https://energycentral.com/c/um/metrolinx-launch-new-office-utility-coordination-constructconnectcom

This week, the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast turns back to the world of Digital Twins as we welcome back a return guest to the podcast: Brent Jensen, a sales engagement director with Bentley Systems. Bent and his team at Bentley have been hard at work transforming the digital sphere of the utility industry, specifically focused on the grid modernization implications of digital twins and the data-focused opportunities they unlock. After first introducing host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to the possibilities of digital twin on the grid in his appearance on the podcast last year, Brent picks up where he left off to inform listners about how electric utilities can get started and the cascading benefits that come for forward-looking utilities to integrate these grid software solutions.

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

Key Links:
Brent Jensen’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/brent-jensen

Bentley’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/o/bentley

Energy Central Post with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/special-edition-how-digital-twins-can-overcome-utility-challenges-brent-jensen

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central community: 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/

Lots of utilities are sharing their clean energy goals for 2030, 2040 and beyond, as a continued focus on climate change and decarbonization appropriate takes center stage. But declaring vague clean energy targets decades in advance can, arguably, be the easy part of the process, the real challenge comes in living up to those promises and remaining accountable to investors, customers, and regulators to meet those goals. Setting and meeting these clean energy targets is the right thing to do, but if it was easy then we would already be there, but as today’s guest knows: the proof is in the pudding.

The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast is joined this week by Greg Bernosky, the Director of Corporate Strategy at Arizona Public Service (APS). APS made waves in early 2020 by publicly pledging to provide 100% clean, carbon-free power to its customers by 2050, with interim targets of 65% clean energy and 45% renewable energy by 2030. As one of the key voices in developing those goals, Greg knows that these weren’t just pulled out of thin are, but were rigorously debated and evaluated internally before sharing with customers and stakeholders. And while he agrees the goals are ambitious, he remains confident that the utility can deliver. As he notes, some utility leaders may fear a day of reckoning if it becomes clear their clean energy goals are too ambitious, but he and his team at APS both recognize the bigger day of reckoning will come if the industry doesn’t do enough to prevent to worst impacts of climate change. To that end, Greg walks host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester through the mindset of APS executives and outlines the roadmap they have for meeting these goals.

Key Links
Greg Bernosky’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/greg-bernosky

The APS 10-Year Strategic Plan: https://energycentral.com/c/cp/aps-10-year-strategic-plan

Energy Central Post with Full Transcript and Exclusive Bonus Clip: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-37-%E2%80%98-day-reckoning-clean-energy-targets%E2%80%99-greg-bernosky-director-arizona

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central community: 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/

This week on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast, we’re tackling the utility climate discussion from the angle of resilience and adaptation. Where most utility climate discussions deal with emissions reductions, decarbonization, and other methods to try to prevent the worst climate change chain reactions, many in the industry are recognizing that, regardless of how swiftly we implement the clean energy transition, we’re still looking at some likely impacts to the environment around us from climate change that’s already been set into motion. For that reason, addressing reactions to and preparations for climate change are just as critical, especially in an industry that has such large, widespread, and critical infrastructure as power companies do.

This focus on climate change resilience and adaptation was brought to us by Nelson Yip, the Director of Strategic Planning at Con Edison. Nelson was one of the forces driving Con Edison’s official Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation Report, which he recently shared with the Energy Central community. While the document is impressive and can stand on its own, host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester couldn’t help but bring Nelson into the podcast booth for a deeper dive into this trend-setting document and learn even more from Nelson about the process behind the generation and implementation of this report with an eye towards helping other utilities across the industry take similar steps to prepare for the future.

Key Links
Nelson Yip’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/nelson-yip

How Con Edison Is Building a Climate-Resilient Energy Delivery System for New York City: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/how-con-edison-building-climate-resilient-energy-delivery-system-new-york-city

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

Energy Central post with full transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-36-tackling-climate-change-resilience-and-adaptation-nelson-yip-con

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 #41: ‘The Whole Grid and Nothing But the Whole Grid’ with Doug Houseman, Principal Consultant at 1898 & Co. [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]

Today’s episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast brings in a guest who’s long overdue for an appearance in Doug Houseman, a Principal Consultant at 1898 & Co., a Burns & McDonnell division. Doug’s insights into the utility in much sought after, and his writing in the Energy Central community has been undoubtedly prolific as he seeks to impart wisdom to the next generation of power professionals that he’s learned the hard way through a career in utilities that stretches on for several decades.

Specifically, Doug has seen an unfortunate trend in the world of thought leadership, media coverage, and roadmaps to focus on quick fixes to the grid. Whether that’s through focusing on overly optimistic silver bullets, the tendency to think and speak in sound bites, or just a myopic view of what solutions are going to carry the power sector, and really all of society, into the future, Doug Houseman is here to stress the importance of whole systems thinking and solutions. “If we want to keep the grid a social asset for all to use, then we need to work on the holistic picture, not a single aspect,” Doug recently wrote on the Energy Central article “The Whole Grid and Nothing But the Whole Grid,” and in this episode host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester invite Doug to dig even deeper on that idea.

Key Links:

Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-35-%E2%80%98-whole-grid-and-nothing-whole-grid%E2%80%99-doug-houseman-principal

Doug Houseman’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/doug-houseman

The Whole Grid and Nothing But the Grid: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/whole-grid-and-nothing-whole-grid

The U.S. power grid is getting intense focus from all angles these days, from federal initiatives to spend billions of dollars to upgrade the grid infrastructure all the way down to local projects looking to harden transmission infrastructure. Regardless of the scale or lens, though, a pervading type of solution continues to be identified that can accomplish a myriad of goals: the microgrid. Microgrids are effective and innovative tools that, when utilized optimally, can boost how resilient, affordable, and clean a local power system can be.

In today’s episode, Bruce Schadler joins the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast to share with host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester about the vast impact his team has been able to create with targeted microgrid projects. Acting as the Director of Project Management at SourceOne, an energy consulting company for Veolia North America, Bruce and his team have implemented microgrid solutions across New York at sites that include NYU, the New York Public Library, Hudson Yards, and many more. Bruce shares his keen insights about how these solutions, and in particular the Hubgrade service from Veolia, have left an unmistakable fingerprint across the Empire State to prioritize efficiency, digital innovation, sustainability, and resilience.

A special thanks goes to Veolia North America for supporting this edition of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast.

Key Links:
Bruce Schadler's Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/bruce-schadler

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

Energy Central Post with Podcast Transcript: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-special-edition-innovative-microgrid

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 latest entry into our Leadership Series, the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast was joined by Mark Gabriel, the outgoing CEO of Western Area Power Administration. Mark is passionate about all things grid, and his illustrious career across the utility sector has given him the type of wisdom and insights that have allowed him to be one of the forefront voices for the state of the grid today and what needs to be done to implement the grid of the future. Whether it’s in top trade publications, testifying in front of Congress, or sharing with the Energy Central Community, Mark’s voices has shaped thinking about grid modernization and will continue to do so for years to come.

In this episode, Mark covers all of the topics that are most important to his work and to those working on the grid: from the winter-storm blackouts in Texas to engineering a supergrid, from utility leadership to how grid operators directly influence justice and equity, and so much more. Host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester join Mark on this whirlwind episode where questions are raised, answered, and deeper questions raised again. If you work on the grid, you won’t want to miss Mark’s unparalleled expertise and perspective.

Key Links
Mark Gabriel’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/mark-gabriel

Bringing Arizona solar to East Coast evenings: Increasing connections in the power grid: https://energycentral.com/c/gr/bringing-arizona-solar-east-coast-evenings-increasing-connections-power-grid

Energy Central post with podcast transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/34-%E2%80%98taking-grid-tomorrow-concept-reality%E2%80%99-mark-gabriel-former-administrator-and

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central community: 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/

Continuing on Energy Central’s focus on innovation for this whole month, this week’s episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast recognizes the external factors that are bringing innovation to the forefront. From the three D’s of decarbonization, decentralization, and digitalization to the unexpected pivots that utilities across the country had to embrace in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the current climate is making innovation a priority that pervades how we look at energy.

No one recognizes that evolution better than Jody Allison, the Vice President for Transformation at Algonquin Power and Utilities, as she spends he days bringing forth new idea, creative opportunities, and customer empowerment to those in her company and its service area every day. Jody was eager to share with host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester what this innovation looks like from inside the utility board room and how they’re moving well beyond buzzwords but truly embracing necessary change today and tomorrow.

Key Links
Jody Allison’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/jody-allison

Innovation by Jody Allison: https://energycentral.com/c/um/innovation

Energy Central post with podcast transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-33-innovating-utility-sector

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central community: 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/

In the business world, innovation has risked turning into more of a buzzword than an actual guiding principle. But in a rapidly evolving industry like utilities, innovation can have real impact on operations, on customers, and on the way the entire sector is set up. As such, innovation departments have sprung up across various power providers, seeking out new ways to modernize grid operations, to transform the customer-utility relationship, and to enhance the 21st century utility goals of clean, reliable, and affordable energy. Innovation in these departments is no hollow promise, but something to tangibly deliver.

The guest on this latest episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast lives and breathes innovation for utilities, and he argues that to truly embrace innovation a utility must embrace it as a part of the pervading company culture. Josh Gould is the Director of Innovation at Duquesne Light Company, and in that role he’s made it his personal mission to weave innovation culture through every part of the utility business. And while certain outcomes seem more obvious to be measured, Josh shares with host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester how innovation culture can in fact be tracked. His pitch, in this episode, is all about starting innovation at your utility today, so if you need inspiration or ideas to bring to your CEO, you’ll want to listen to Josh’s call to action here!


Key Links
Josh Gould’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/josh-gould

Why traditional thinking on innovation culture must evolve: https://energycentral.com/c/um/why-traditional-thinking-innovation-culture-must-evolve

Energy Central Post with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-32-creating-culture-innovation

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central community: 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/

Hydropower can be rightfully considered the oldest, original renewable energy source. And from the use of waterwheels centuries through to modern marvels like the Hoover Dam, it’s remained a steady, reliable, and affordable form of clean energy generation. But despite its relatively stellar record of providing electricity and energy storage, particularly in areas like the Pacific Northwest, hydropower still tends to fly under the radar when it comes to policy discussions and forward-looking energy transition plans. Why has this workhorse of the utility industry been overlooked and underappreciated for so long, and will the use of digital tools be able to modernize and optimize the hydropower sector like never before?

These are the questions posed to Steve Wright, General Manager of Chelan PUD and contributor to the Reinvigorating Hydropower Report, that this episode will explore. Steve joins host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to sing the praises of hydropower, update the Energy Central community about developments in the world of hydropower that may be going unnoticed, and argue for the position that hydropower currently and will in the future continue to play in the critical clean energy transition.

Key Links
Steve Wright’s Energy Central Profile: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/steve-wright-3

Reinvigorating Hydropower, post on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/c/gn/reinvigorating-hydropower

Reinvigorating Hydropower, full report: https://www.chelanpud.org/hydropower/hydropower-for-the-future#:~:text=Reinvigorating%20Hydropower,cost%2C%20emissions%20and%20reliability%20perspective.&text=Design%20markets%20that%20value%20hydropower,societal%20goals%20for%20carbon%20reduction

Energy Central Post with Podcast Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/energy-central-power-perspectives%E2%84%A2-podcast-episode-31-%E2%80%98reinvigorating-hydropower%E2%80%99

Link to register as a member of the Energy Central community: 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/