Schweitzer Drive

For 65 years, the Washington State University TRIGA nuclear reactor has been an invaluable resource for research, education and innovation. In this episode, Dave Whitehead visits the university to talk with President Betsy Cantwell and the Director of the WSU Nuclear Science Center, Corey Hines, about the origins and impact of the research reactor and how WSU is building on its legacy with new inv...

U.S. utilities are navigating a rapidly evolving threat environment shaped by unprecedented load growth, increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, and the growing overlap between cyber and physical risks. In this episode of Schweitzer Drive, guest host Frank Harrill, vice president of security at SEL, speaks with Sharla Artz, security and resilience policy area vice president at Xcel Energy. The di...

In this episode, Robert Bryce returns to Schweitzer Drive for an in-person conversation recorded during a break at the University of Idaho Energy Symposium, where he delivered the keynote address. Host Dave Whitehead speaks with the veteran journalist and filmmaker about some of the hottest topics in energy and power. The conversation also explores Bryce's latest short-form documentary, Yacht Zee$...

Power systems quietly and reliably move enormous amounts of energy every day. But when things go wrong—when there is too much current or a fault on the line, something has to act fast. That job belongs to the circuit breaker. In this episode, host Dave Whitehead and guest Kylan Robinson, engineering director at SEL, discuss how circuit breakers sense trouble, interrupt currents as powerful as a li...

In this follow-up to our "Ask Dave Anything" episode, SEL President Dave Whitehead is back in the hot seat to tackle another round of listener ‑ submitted questions. Guest host Nic Seeley, senior vice president of Engineering Services at SEL, guides the conversation asking about everything from the challenges facing the electric power industry to how SEL is approaching innovation today—and how lea...

In this episode, we turn the tables on host Dave Whitehead and put him in the hot seat. Guest host Bryan Fazzari, SEL vice president of marketing, takes over the mic to ask Dave questions submitted by listeners. They wanted to know everything—from the future of electric power and emerging technologies to Dave's thoughts on leadership and innovation. If you've ever wondered what shapes his perspect...

Peter Godart, co-founder of Found Energy , visits Schweitzer Drive to discuss a novel approach to energy: using aluminum as a high-density, carbon-free fuel. Learn how this technology works, why it's 40x more energy dense than batteries, and how it could transform everything from long-duration storage to container ships and coal plant retrofits.

What do electric power and emergency response have in common? More than you might expect. In this episode, host Dave Whitehead talks with radio engineer Jordan Coreson and communications and cybersecurity expert Ryan Bradetich about how precision timing—originally developed for the electric grid—is now helping solve big challenges in 911 systems.

In this episode, host Dave Whitehead sits down with Wayne Manuel, Chief Information and Security Officer at Avista, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the utility industry. From predictive maintenance to customer service enhancements, Wayne shares how Avista is leveraging AI and machine learning to optimize operations across its Pacific Northwest service area.

Author and journalist Robert Bryce returns to Schweitzer Drive for a candid conversation with host Dave Whitehead about the president's bold plan to expand nuclear power in the United States. Drawing on decades of energy research, Bryce explains why the goal of quadrupling nuclear capacity by 2050 is unlikely, but offers a realistic view of the challenges ahead and how we can make meaningful progr...

In this episode, we continue our exploration of how utilities are working to mitigate the threat of wildfires with a look at how PG&E is transforming its grid to reduce ignition risk throughout its 70,000-square-mile service area. Host Dave Whitehead is joined by James Tuccillo, manager of distribution and asset planning, to discuss PG&E's multi-pronged strategy, which includes an ambitious plan t...

 As the wildfire threat has grown across the western U.S., utilities have stepped up to protect communities and critical infrastructure. In this episode, host Dave Whitehead talks with Josh DiLuciano, vice president of Energy Delivery at Avista, about how the utility is tackling wildfire risk head-on. From grid hardening and vegetation management to advanced technologies and community partnerships...

As our reliance on electric power continues to grow, so does the need to protect the grid from cyber threats. In this episode, guest host Frank Harrill, VP of Security at SEL, talks with cybersecurity expert Andre Ristaino about how industry standards, specifically IEC 62443, are shaping the future of industrial cybersecurity, including their impact on the electric power grid.

In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with power systems experts Gerardo Urrea and Bryan Fazzari about the U.S. power grid and some of the reasons why it enjoys an impressive 99.95% reliability, despite often being described as an old, cobbled together system. They also discuss the new technologies they are most excited about.

As the demand for clean energy and the push for decarbonization intensify, there's a renewed focus on large-scale nuclear reactors in the United States. In this episode, host Dave Whithead sits down with Dr. Luca Oriani, President of Long-Term Operations at Westinghouse, a company that has been leading nuclear power innovation for over a century. Dr. Oriani shares insights into the latest advancem...

Data centers face big challenges, from processing trillions of search queries and storing billions of emails and photos to serving countless hours of video every day, while at the same time developing ways of decreasing their energy usage and carbon footprints and increasing data security. In this episode, Angad Sandhu, director of data center infrastructure at Google, talks with Dave Whitehead ab...

In the 1980s, power system protective relays underwent a revolution from electromechanical to digital. Now, new innovations are shifting the focus from individual devices to a centralized, software-based approach. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with SEL Chief Technology Officer Greg Zweigle about the history of electric power system protection and the future improvements in simplicity, safe...

Historically, nuclear power plants have been easy to identify by the massive water-cooling towers that have been the hallmark of these generation sites for decades. However, that's changing. In this episode, guest host Nicholas Seeley talks with Brian Gitt from Oklo, a company developing next-generation nuclear technology, including a smaller nuclear reactor that's housed in what looks more like a...

Nuclear power is the largest source of low-carbon energy in the United States and Europe. Its potential to provide a clean, steady—and increasing—baseload is currently unmatched. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with Eric Williams, senior vice president and design authority at TerraPower, the Bill Gates-founded company building the only advanced, non-light-water reactor in the Western Hemisph...

Even a very short power outage can have dire consequences for a hospital, transportation system, or large campus. This is where microgrids can add real value. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with microgrid expert Dr. Mahmoud Kabalan about these small, stand-alone power systems that can keep electricity flowing regardless of what's happening on the bulk power grid.

About 50 percent of energy generated in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States comes from hydroelectric power. According to Rick Dunn, general manager of Benton PUD, that puts the region in an unbelievably unique position. In this episode, host Dave Whitehead talks with Rick about the impact hydro has on reliability and rates, the politicization of the resource, and why he became an aut...

It might seem like a stretch to talk about the healthcare system on a podcast about electric power. However, more than three million Americans report to energy sector jobs every day, and we all depend on these folks for the steady flow of electricity in our homes, businesses, hospitals, and data centers. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with SEL Senior Director of Health & Wellbeing Michele B...

In this episode, host Dave Whitehead chats with SEL Engineers Lyssa Blood and Cameron Blegen. Both in the third year of their careers, Lyssa and Cameron talk about their experience in the SEL Engineer Rotation Program which allowed them to explore different jobs before settling into their full-time roles. They offer advice to those just starting engineering careers and to employers looking to incr...

In this episode, guest host Diane Maceri, supply chain director at SEL, talks with Tyler Gould, senior electronic sales engineer at Phoenix Contact and Tom Schrader, president of Interconnect Sales, about why good partnerships are key to a more secure supply chain and moving manufacturing to the U.S. 

In this episode, author, filmmaker and podcaster Robert Bryce talks about his new docuseries Juice: Power, Politics & The Grid with guest host David Costello, SEL chief sales & customer service officer.