In this episode of Grid Talk, Marty Rosenberg talks with two vice presidents from the nation’s largest utility about the impact of the corona virus on their operations. Exelon has 10 million customers in Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Joe Svachula is the Vice President of Strategic Planning at Exelon and Eric Helt is the Vice President of Infrastructure Projects. They explain what adjustments they made to the company’s workforce due to the CO...
Apr 09, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this episode of Grid Talk, Marty Rosenberg talks with Matthew Ketschke, Vice President at Con Edison in New York. Con Edison operates one of the world's largest energy delivery systems. Mr. Ketschke explains how the utility is working toward a cleaner, more efficient future, and he details the impacts of reducing carbon emissions on the delivery of electricity. You'll hear why delivering power is like managing traffic in midtown Manhattan. Matthew Ketschke is the Vice President of Distributed...
Mar 19, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode of Grid Talk, Marty Rosenberg talks with Patricia Collawn, who is the Chairman, President, and CEO of PNM in New Mexico. The discussion focuses on how the utility is transforming to a carbon-free portfolio and the timeline. They'll talk about some interesting financial approaches the company is taking to deal with climate change by re-balancing and redesigning its grid and its generation system. Ms. Collwan also talks about how the company is attracting young, new talent. Ms. Col...
Mar 04, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this episode, Marty talks with Dr. Shay Bahramirad who is the Vice President of Engineering and Smart Grid at ComEd in Chicago. The subject is ComEd's urban microgrid project. The micorgrid's software evaluates the state of the system and determines what resources to draw upon to keep the grid up and running during any kind of event. Dr. Bahramirad explains how the technology can help the grid withstand the impacts of climate change and how they are designing the community of the future. Dr. ...
Feb 12, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Host Marty Rosenberg talks with Maria Pope, President and CEO of Portland General Electric. The discussion is focused on the utility's smart grid initiatives and how it's engaging customers to improve efficiency and sustainability, while driving down costs. Ms. Pope talks about unique partnerships the utility has entered and how they are "creating a world where two and two is not equaling 4 but is equaling 5 and sometimes 6." Maria Pope has been with Portland General Electric since 2009. She was...
Feb 03, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Host Marty Rosenberg talks with Thomas Farrell who is the Chairman, President, and CEO of Dominion Energy. In September, Dominion Energy announced plans for the largest offshore wind development in the country. Farrell gives the details of the project and explains why this significant investment is ready for prime time and why the Virginia coastline is there perfect location for the project. The podcast also delves into the company's efforts to turn methane gas from pig and cattle farms into a u...
Jan 14, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Host Marty Rosenberg talks with the Administrator for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Elliot Mainzer. The discussion focuses on grid modernization and how BPA is keeping up with technological advances and changes to traditional business models in the utility sector. Elliot Mainzer manages the nonprofit federal agency that markets carbon-free power from Columbia River hydroelectric dams and the region's one nuclear plant. BPA also operates most of the high-voltage power grid across the...
Jan 06, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Host Marty Rosenberg talks with Ralph Izzo, the President and CEO and Chairman of PSEG. The discussion is centered around how sustainability is driving change at one of the largest utilities in the United States. Mr. Izzo explains his approach to sustainability from an environmental perspective and a corporate perspective. Mr. Izzo is a well-known leader within the utility industry, as well as the public policy arena. He is frequently asked to testify before Congress and speak to organizations o...
Dec 19, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Host Marty Rosenberg talks with Doug Hunter about Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Mr. Hunter is the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems or UAMPS. UAMPS is at the forefront of the nuclear frontier with its push to construct an SMR plant. Mr. Hunter explains how an SMR is different from a traditional nuclear reactor and why he believes it's a game changer when it comes to carbon free power delivery. Mr. Hunter joined UAMPS in December of 1983 and i...
Dec 09, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Host Marty Rosenberg talks with Chuck Caisley who is the Senior Vice President, Marketing and Public Affairs & the Chief Customer Officer at Evergy, the parent company of Kansas City Power & Light. Kansas City has become one of the fastest-growing EV markets in the nation. Mr. Caisley explains the utility’s thinking, what it means for rapid renewable growth, the financial nitty-gritty behind it, why its a win-win-win situation, and how EV charging is like a visit to McDonald's. About Chu...
Oct 28, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Host Marty Rosenberg talks with Green Mountain Power (GMP) president and CEO Mary Powell. Ms. Powell launched an ambitious energy vision to make Vermont a leader in sustainable energy by providing low carbon, low cost and reliable power to Vermonters. The company has built Vermont’s largest wind farm. GMP made Rutland, VT the solar generation capital of New England, and has installed smart grid technology across the entire utility infrastructure. Mary is leading an energy transformation, providi...
Oct 28, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Host Marty Rosenberg talks with guest Audrey Zibleman, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). Ms. Zibelman is one of the foremost experts in the world on where the electric industry is headed and utility policy. They discuss the challenges Australia has faced delivering energy amid rapid changes to the industry and what lessons the Unites States can learn from Australia. Ms. Zibelman has international experience in the public, private, and ...
Oct 18, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1
