Energy Central

Energy Central
  • 4.6 (12)
  • Technology
  • Updated Daily

Welcome to the Energy Central Podcast Network—your ultimate resource for the biggest ideas, boldest perspectives, and best insights from across the electric power industry. We publish… Power Perspectives. From CEOs of major utilities to founders of energy tech startups pushing the envelope, Power Perspectives curates the news, thought leaders, and big picture conversations most important to modern power professionals—every week on Tuesdays. The Watt & Why. Dive deep into utility business strategies, straight from the minds of the leaders deciding what comes next. Host Mike Smith leverages his own decades of power utility industry experience and leadership to get to the bottom of what inspires, drives, and challenges utility decision makers. And there’s even more to come. Energy Central is a community where 250K electric power professionals share, learn, and connect in a collaborative environment. Want to join in? Visit www.EnergyCentral.com to register for free.

  1. 2d ago ·  Video

    The New Market That Could Make Power Cheaper

    As electricity demand grows and the grid becomes more complex, utilities are looking for smarter ways to deliver reliable, affordable power. I n this episode of Power Perspectives, Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Mike Wilding, Vice President of Energy Supply Management at PacifiCorp, to explore the Extended Day Ahead Market (EDAM) and how it could reshape electricity markets across the western United States. Mike explains how EDAM builds on the success of the Western Energy Imbalance Market by enabling utilities to optimize power generation and transmission a full day in advance rather than only in real time. The conversation covers how better forecasting and regional coordination can lower costs for customers, improve reliability during extreme weather, and make more efficient use of renewable energy resources. Mike also shares the years of collaboration, technology upgrades, and regulatory work required to launch EDAM, along with lessons for utilities considering similar market models. If you're interested in the future of grid operations, regional electricity markets, and utility innovation, this episode offers an accessible look at one of the industry's most significant developments.

    The New Market That Could Make Power Cheaper

  2. Jul 7 ·  Video

    From wildfires to the Olympics: Inside one utility's resilience overhaul

    In January 2025, the LA wildfires became one of the most destructive weather events in American history—and LADWP, the largest municipally-owned utility in the United States, had to respond in real time…while simultaneously planning for the World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympics. This is how they did it. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Zoraya Oliver-Griffin, LADWP's Chief Resiliency and Emergency Officer, to talk about what it actually takes to build a utility that can withstand anything. From standing up a state-of-the-art emergency ops center to stress-testing infrastructure through back-to-back global events, Zoraya breaks down how LADWP is turning hard-won lessons into a long-term resilience strategy—and why she thinks every major utility needs a role like hers.

    From wildfires to the Olympics: Inside one utility's resilience overhaul

  3. Jun 25 ·  Video

    Can DERs save the power grid?

    Over 80% of installed DER capacity isn't enrolled in a virtual power plant. The technology is ready. The economics are increasingly compelling. What's missing is the regulatory alignment and system-wide planning to bring it all together. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Audrey Zibelman—former CEO of the Australian Energy Market Operator, former Chair of the New York Public Service Commission, and former executive at Alphabet's X moonshot factory—to talk about what it will actually take to get distributed energy resources from promising concept to essential grid tool. From the S-curve of solar adoption in Australia to rethinking how utilities make money, this is a blueprint for what a smarter, more flexible grid can look like. Check out the Pew report Audrey mentions throughout the episode here: https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2026/04/distributed-energy-can-unleash-the-resilient-affordable-grid-of-the-future

    Can DERs save the power grid?

  4. Jun 23 ·  Video

    How to build a smarter grid on a tighter budget

    Utilities have more data than ever before—AMI readings, drone footage, transformer sensors, SCADA signals. The question is no longer whether to collect it. It's how to actually turn it into decisions that keep the lights on. In this roundtable, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Christina Park of Skydio, Mark Gabriel of United Power, Trevor Stiles of ATC, and Sean Vanslyke of SEMO Electric to explore how utilities are evolving their approach to asset management in real time—moving from gut-call prioritization to condition-based maintenance, getting their teams on board with new technology, and building toward a future where failures get caught before they happen. This episode is brought to you by Skydio. Skydio helps utilities move beyond outdated time based maintenance to smarter, safer and more scalable condition-based maintenance. Powered by autonomous remote operated drones, over 280 utilities trust Skydio. Because with real time aerial data and remote inspection, utilities can spot issues early, reduce forced outages and make confident, efficient, cost effective decisions. Learn more about Skydio here: https://www.skydio.com/solutions/utilities

    How to build a smarter grid on a tighter budget

  5. Jun 16 ·  Video

    Why data centers should run on solar—not gas

    Renewables are now the cheapest source of electricity in history—cheaper than gas, cheaper than coal, and with prices still dropping fast. So why are utilities still planning like the economics haven't changed? In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker speaks with Ramez Naam, climate tech investor and one of the most rigorous trackers of clean energy cost curves, about how solar and batteries won on price, what it will take to rewire utility incentives to reflect that reality, and why hyperscale data centers should be looking at renewables (not behind-the-meter gas) to solve their speed-to-power problem.

    Why data centers should run on solar—not gas

  6. Jun 9 ·  Video

    Inside the biggest utility corruption scandal in decades

    Ohio’s House Bill 6 scandal has become one of the most consequential utility corruption cases in US history, and its fallout is still shaping politics, regulation, and public trust in the energy sector. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker speaks with investigative journalist Kathiann Kowalski about how a bill that was designed to support nuclear plants became the center of a $60 million bribery scheme, the conviction and 20-year sentence of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, and the broader web of utility, lobbying, and regulatory influence that followed.

    Inside the biggest utility corruption scandal in decades

  7. Jun 5 ·  Video

    Why utility vegetation management needs a new playbook

    Vegetation management is often treated like routine maintenance, but for utilities it is really about keeping the grid safe under real operating conditions. And on the modern grid, clearance planning has become more complex than ever, while utilities can no longer rely on “blue sky” assumptions when assessing vegetation risk. To dive deeper into the topic, host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by Otto Lynch of Bentley Systems to discuss how myriad factors impact the engineering realities of keeping the grid constantly operational. Including considerations like conductor sag, high operating temperatures, wind blowout, ice, and structure deflection all change the real distance between a line and nearby vegetation. Too often, utilities underestimate risk and simply clearing an entire right-of-way is not always the smartest or safest answer. Instead, Otto makes the case for more selective, engineering-driven vegetation management that balances reliability, cost, and public trust. The episode also takes a close look at compliance and standards, including what can go wrong when utilities ignore the finer details of wire movement, altitude, or “determined by designer” language in the rules. For utility leaders looking to reduce wildfire risk, improve reliability, and avoid unnecessary maintenance spend, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for building a more mature vegetation-management program over the next five years. Thanks to Bentley Systems for making this episode possible. Bentley Systems is the infrastructure engineering software company delivering innovative solutions that advance and sustain the world's infrastructure. Trusted globally, Bentley's energy portfolio, including Power Line Systems, SPIDA, OpenUtilities, and EasyPower, empowers energy professionals to design, build, and operate smarter, more resilient systems. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

    Why utility vegetation management needs a new playbook

  8. Jun 2 ·  Video

    Utilities are getting their messaging all wrong...here's how to fix it

    California has long been the proving ground for America’s energy transition, and it’s also where the politics, culture, and storytelling around that transition are being tested in real time. Messaging comes from all corners of the public landscape, including movies, sports, and video games, in addition to the institutions like utilities. Where is there potential to do more with that storytelling? In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Sammy Roth, former climate columnist at the Los Angeles Times and voice behind the Climate-Colored Goggles substack, to explore how renewable industries are selling their story in a fraught political moment, why affordability and reliability are increasingly central to the climate conversation, and how rising demand is reshaping the debate around clean energy. Sammy argues that the energy transition is not just about economics, technology, and regulation, it’s also about culture. The conversation digs into how utilities, policymakers, and clean energy advocates talk about tradeoffs, where messaging often falls short, and what successful storytelling looks like when the public is skeptical. From climate framing to the role of movies, sports, and media, the episode examines why clean energy progress may depend as much on narrative as on infrastructure. The discussion also looks at California as a case study for broader national politics. With energy and climate increasingly shaping elections and policy debates, Sammy shares what the state’s governor’s race reveals about voter priorities, how data centers are changing the conversation, and what lessons utilities and candidates should take into 2026. Register for Energy Central’s live happy hour in DC on June 23: https://luma.com/hw57eoea Climate-Colored Goggles: https://www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/ The obvious choice for California governor: https://www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/california-governor-climate Vattenfall commercial with Samuel L. Jackson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uEpdIKzspA Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

    Utilities are getting their messaging all wrong...here's how to fix it
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Energy Central Podcast Network—your ultimate resource for the biggest ideas, boldest perspectives, and best insights from across the electric power industry. We publish… Power Perspectives. From CEOs of major utilities to founders of energy tech startups pushing the envelope, Power Perspectives curates the news, thought leaders, and big picture conversations most important to modern power professionals—every week on Tuesdays. The Watt & Why. Dive deep into utility business strategies, straight from the minds of the leaders deciding what comes next. Host Mike Smith leverages his own decades of power utility industry experience and leadership to get to the bottom of what inspires, drives, and challenges utility decision makers. And there’s even more to come. Energy Central is a community where 250K electric power professionals share, learn, and connect in a collaborative environment. Want to join in? Visit www.EnergyCentral.com to register for free.

Information

  • Creator
    Energy Central
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    309
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Energy Central

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