Electric Perspectives

In early May, EEI and several energy industry partners, along with organizations that represent firefighters, scientists, tech innovators, and other stakeholders, joined together to form the Partners in Wildfire Prevention coalition. The goal is to advance actionable, evidence-based policy solutions that will make communities and the nation more prepared to handle the growing wildfire threat.  On...

Grid resilience remains a top priority for investor-owned electric companies as extreme weather events become more frequent and electricity demand continues to rise. On this episode, Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May and ScottMadden Partner Marc Miller discuss efforts underway to strengthen grid infrastructure. They also highlight how customers benefit from resilience investments and...

EEI interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn, who also serves as chairman and CEO of TXNM Energy, has been a leader in the electric power industry for more than 30 years. As one of the longest-serving directors on the EEI board, she has helped to shape EEI’s strategy for more than a decade.  On this episode, Vincent-Collawn discusses some of today’s most pressing industry issues, including ri...

Electric companies are adopting advanced data analysis tools that provide more accurate predictions before a weather event to help optimize preparation efforts and support a faster response if outages occur.    On this episode, Pacific Gas and Electric Vice President of Emergency Preparedness and Response Angie Gibson; Southern Company Enterprise Data Analytics Director Shane Powell; and E Source...

The energy grid is undergoing a major transformation, driven by AI, advanced technology, and strategic investments to meet growing demand and enhance resilience.  On this episode, Ameren Illinois Chairman and President Lenny Singh and Bidgely Co-Founder and CEO Abhay Gupta discuss the critical roles of grid investments and AI-powered solutions in modern energy planning. They also explore how data-...

In the face of challenges including extreme weather and catastrophic wildfires, electric companies increasingly are turning to cutting-edge technology solutions that help optimize mitigation strategies, enhance situational awareness and response efforts, and support customers during large-scale power restoration events. On this episode,  Arizona Public Service Director of Forestry and Fire Mitigat...

AI continues to drive transformation in the electric power industry. On this episode, Arizona Public Service Chairman and CEO Jeff Guldner and BrightNight CEO Martin Hermann discuss how AI is helping accelerate the deployment of clean energy, the ways in which electric companies are integrating AI into their operations, the efforts underway to lead a cultural shift on AI adoption in the workplace,...

Protecting the nation's energy grid is a top priority for America's electric companies, and the electric power industry leads several initiatives to safeguard the grid from any potential threats and hazards. This episode explores Edison Electric Institute's (EEI's) Culture of Security initiative, which is comprised of a few different programs to help electric companies collaborate and share best p...

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is empowering customers to take an active role in managing their energy use while integrating distributed resources. On this episode, Aaron August, senior vice president and chief customer and transformation officer for PSE, discusses how the company is leveraging cutting-edge technology, balancing growing demand, and working toward clean energy goals while placing custome...

Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September as a Category 4 hurricane and impacted nearly 6 million customers in 10 states. An army of more than 50,000 workers from at least 41 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada was dedicated to the Helene response—one of the largest and most complex industry restoration efforts in U.S. history. Less than two weeks later, a second mutual assistance mobiliza...

Enhancing grid resilience is a priority for America’s electric companies, which are making significant investments each year to harden the grid and to demonstrate and deploy grid-enhancing technologies that optimize grid operations, help prevent power outages, and enhance reliability.  On this episode, EEI Managing Director of Climate Programs and Executive Director of the Institute for the Energy...

Electric companies partner with technology companies to find solutions that help them deliver reliable and resilient clean energy to customers. On today's episode, we hear about WEC Energy Group and Wärtsilä partnership to test a Wärtsilä engine that is designed to run on a hydrogen fuel blend at one of WEC Energy’s power plants in Michigan. Dan Krueger, Executive Vice President of Infrastructure...

During EEI 2024, Adam Grant, director of electrification and energy services, Nevada, at NV Energy, and Maria Kretzing, vice president and general manager of electric vehicles and analytics at Bidgely, discussed AI-driven solutions and the importance of taking a holistic approach to transportation electrification programs. On this episode, Grant and Kretzing joins us again for a deeper dive into B...

There are no shortages of threats to our critical infrastructure, including cyber-attacks, increasingly frequent extreme weather events, and physical attacks on energy infrastructure. Electric companies and their federal partners work around the clock to prepare for these scenarios and to enhance our response capabilities. On this episode, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne C...

As grid operators plan for the future, they are focused on meeting rising demand for electricity and enhancing grid reliability in the face of increasingly frequent and severe weather. On this episode, EEI Executive Vice President of the Business Operations Group and Regulatory Affairs Phil Moeller and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) President and CEO Pablo Vegas discuss how ERCOT pl...

EEI 2024 featured a lineup of exceptional keynote speakers. On this episode, you'll hear the full-length EEI 2024 keynote conversation between NVIDIA Founder and CEO Jensen Huang and former EEI Chair Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International. They discussed how NVIDIA’s pioneering work to advance AI and quantum computing has, in part, driven a significant growth in electricity de...

This episode is part of our EEI 2024 highlights series. In this episode, you will hear conversations about topics including building North America's hydrogen backbone, developing the next-generation workforce, and cybersecurity in supply chains. Plus, you'll hear from EEI President and CEO Dan Brouillette about his experience at the conference. The speakers are: Guidehouse Partner and Solutions Le...

This week, EEI's Electric Perspectives Podcast and The Current are partnering for an episode to discuss the impacts of Hurricane Beryl and the tremendous restoration efforts that are underway. On this episode, you'll hear from StormGeo Meteorologist Justin Petrutsas — who is based in the Houston area— and Scott Aaronson, EEI Senior Vice President of Security and Preparedness, about the intensity o...

This episode is part of our EEI 2024 highlights series. In this episode, you will hear conversations about topics including clean energy technologies, opportunities for collaboration created by AI, building system resilience, distribution transformation, and more. The speakers are: Hans Kobler, Founder and Managing Partner, Energy Impact Partners, Creighton Oyler, Oracle Senior Vice President and...

Energy companies are working with their technology partners to gain insights and leverage data to make their operations more efficient and to enhance customer programs through AI. On this episode, Maria Kretzing, vice president and general manager of electric vehicles and analytics at Bidgely, and Andrew Barrington, products and services manager at Avista, discuss some of the fascinating ways Avis...

In April, EEI hosted its Spring Transmission, Distribution, Metering, and Mutual Assistance Conference. The conference's keynote panel focused on AI, datacenters, and how electric companies are meeting the explosive growth for electricity demand to power these innovative, industry-transforming technologies. EEI Senior Vice President of Security and Preparedness Scott Aaronson moderated the panel,...

EEI will host the 40th Annual Business Diversity Conference in mid-May. For more on the history of the conference and diverse supplier partnerships, listen to our April episode, "Leading the Charge on Business Diversity," to hear from Charlotte Blount-Lewis, a former EEI employee who helped lead efforts to establish business diversity programs during her tenure from 1982 to 1997. She was in conver...

In mid-April, EEI International Programs hosted the Global Electrification Forum (GEF), which brings together EEI’s domestic and international member companies, industry experts, and thought leaders from around the world. This conference is dedicated to addressing the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the electrification of our society. This year’s event featured a line-up of disti...

Charlotte Blount-Lewis worked at EEI from 1982 and 1997 and helped lead the charge to develop industry business diversity programs and helped organize the first Business Diversity Conference, which continues to bring together electric companies and diverse suppliers, in 1984. Today, electric companies spend billions of dollars per year on diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by minorities...

It takes a highly skilled workforce to provide reliable electricity service to customers, who depend on it more and more every day to power their lives. As electricity demand grows and our industry continues to deliver increasingly cleaner energy, the next generation of energy workers must be prepared to build, maintain, and operate energy infrastructure and equipment, including for new and emergi...