Oscillations on the electric power system are normal, but sometimes they get out of sync and can wreak havoc, potentially causing a blackout. In this episode, Dave Whitehead sits down with power system expert and professor Dr. Mani Venkatasubramanian to talk about how we can monitor and manage oscillations to keep power flowing—even across borders.
Industrial control systems (ICSs) across industries have experienced increased security risk in the last decade, and those within the electric power system are no exception. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with ICS cybersecurity expert Dale Peterson about today’s threat landscape and where ICS asset owners should focus their efforts to address this risk.
It’s an exciting time to work in the electric power industry. The rapid pace of innovation is creating both opportunities and challenges. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with Dr. Hector Altuve, a 40+ year industry veteran who has worked across continents in both academia and business, about the role the industry plays in filling the gap between traditional education that instills fundamentals—the things that don’t rust—and specialized training that keeps pace with the latest technologies....
The electric power grid is the largest man-made machine ever created. It’s vast, complex, and essential to modern life. And, as it continues to serve more people and industries and accommodate new challenges, it will require a steady pipeline of smart, well-educated people to invent, design, build, operate, and secure the power systems of the future. In this episode, I talk with educator John Cassleman, who manages SEL’s K-12 Education Outreach program, about how we can get more kids excited abo...
The electric power industry is changing and so are the skills and expertise needed to keep the power flowing around the world. At the same time, we’re hearing about worker shortages in many fields. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with human resources expert Stacey Doty about the challenges and opportunities of recruiting and hiring for technical roles.
As communities grow, the distribution systems bringing power into neighborhoods are becoming more complex. Utilities are increasingly focused on efficiently managing this complexity while solving new challenges—like the addition of distributed energy sources, including microgrids, rooftop solar, and battery storage. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with distribution system expert John Thorne about the innovative ways he and the team at Alabama Power are dramatically reducing the number of c...
The concept of zero trust has been gaining momentum. In fact, the Biden Administration recently released a new strategy for federal agencies that will move the government toward a "zero trust" security model in the next two years. In this episode, Dave Whitehead explores the idea of trust, particularly as it applies to industrial control system cybersecurity, with SEL VP of Infrastructure Defense Nicholas Seeley.
The electric power grid has been called the largest machine in the world. Communication systems provide additional visibility and control of large electric networks but also introduce cybersecurity challenges. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with network communications expert Rhett Smith about a new approach that enables engineers to write their own rules for their communication networks while also making them more secure.
The products and technologies used in electric power systems need to be highly reliable. These devices must withstand high voltages, severe weather, extreme temperatures, and more to keep the power flowing to hospitals, factories, schools, and businesses—24/7. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with manufacturing and product service expert Gurvinder Singh about the importance of getting to root cause and how it leads to high reliability.
We’ve all heard terms like “contractor-grade” or “medical-grade,” which convey information about the quality of a product. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with quality expert Adrian Genz about what it takes for a product to earn the designation of “utility-grade” and why it’s important to reliability.
Electric utilities have a challenging job. No matter what’s happening—extreme weather events, the emergence of new sources of generation and the phasing out of others, changing government mandates and regulations, etc.—we expect our utilities to provide continuous service to our homes and businesses at an affordable price. Join Dave Whitehead as he talks with Avista’s Heather Rosentrater about how the utility strikes the right balance to keep the lights on.
With the ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and around the globe, it’s a good time to reconsider the role nuclear power plays in the energy mix. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with Bob Schuetz, CEO of Energy Northwest, about this zero-emission energy source that currently provides about 1/5 of the nation’s power but has the potential to play a much bigger role in a clean-energy future.
In the latest episode, host Dave Whitehead sits in the chair normally reserved for guests on Schweitzer Drive. Join Stephanie Schweitzer, who leads SEL Marketing & Communications, as she talks with Dave about how he got interested in engineering, his path to CEO, thoughts on the future of electric power, and what he’s excited about.
Historically, electric utilities independently determined their generation portfolio based on customer demand, local resources, available technologies, agreements with neighboring utilities, etc. Increasingly, government mandates related to decarbonization goals are limiting the options. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with energy policy expert Tom Pyle and power system protection pioneer Dr. Ed Schweitzer about how outside forces are shaping the future electric power and challenging grid ...
We often talk about the tools and technology that help prevent cybersecurity attacks. These are important. However, attackers are often able to gain access by someone who is just going about their daily activities, answering email or phone calls. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with cybersecurity expert Frank Harrill about the importance of cultivating a culture of security where every employee understands their role in protecting company assets.
There are many things that go into creating a successful business. You need a good strategy, a strong team, and a great product or service to sell. But these alone don’t ensure success. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with business leaders David Costello and Tony Lee about an essential ingredient that fortifies all the others and can take the recipe from good to great: culture.
Electric power grids are designed to withstand a wide variety of destructive forces. Whether lightning is striking or hurricane winds are blowing, people depend on the grid to continuously deliver electricity to their homes and businesses. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with Travis Mooney, an electronics design and testing expert, about high-altitude electromagnetic pulses and how the industry is working together to ensure the grid is resilient against the threat.
With every major automaker working to give Tesla a run for its money, and the government’s push for half of all vehicles sold to have plugs by 2030—the age of the electric vehicle has arrived. And with it comes a number of interesting challenges and opportunities. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with Purdue’s Dr. Steve Pekarek about advancements in EV charging, including continuous charging via electrified roadways.
The number of electric vehicles on U.S. roads and highways is projected to grow 36 percent annually, according to the IEA, reaching 245 million vehicles by 2030. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with University of Idaho’s Dr. Brian Johnson about the additional infrastructure and generation needed to power these mobile loads.
When Dr. Ed Schweitzer introduced the first microprocessor-based protective relay in 1982, an invention that revolutionized power system protection, he built in several cybersecurity features, including layered passwords. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with the inventor about this early emphasis on cybersecurity and how he and the team at SEL are working to develop next-level solutions that are inherently secure.
Large generation facilities turning coal, gas, and water into electricity have been the mainstay of the electric power system for decades. They produced a steady flow of power—24/7. But as more, smaller intermittent generators, like wind turbines, and solar panels are added to the system, that predictability diminishes. In this episode, Purdue University Professor Dr. Steve Pekarek joins Dave Whitehead for a discussion about how this challenge is driving new methods of power system control....
At the current growth rate, global energy demand will double in 18 years. Meanwhile, governments are instituting mandates and offering subsidies to speed the move to an all renewable energy future. Nineteen U.S. states have released goals for achieving 100 percent renewable power in the next 20–50 years. While the promise of “clean energy” is appealing, will intermittent sources of energy be able to meet global needs? Join Dave Whitehead as he explores this important topic with author Robert Bry...
Ransomware attacks, like the one that temporarily shut down the Colonial Pipeline on May 6, causing fuel shortages in the eastern part of the U.S., are becoming big business. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with cybersecurity expert Samantha Madrid about what energy providers, companies, hospitals and others can do to keep ahead of the bad guys.
While it’s true that more women are going into STEM fields, their numbers are still lagging—especially in fields like electrical and mechanical engineering. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with Washington State University’s Dr. Noel Schulz about the numbers, the reasons behind them, and things we can do to improve opportunities for woman—and other underrepresented groups—in technical fields.
It would be difficult to overstate the positive impact of electric power on humanity—from creating and storing food to producing clean water and medicine to manufacturing things that make our lives easier, and the list goes on. Many parts of the world enjoy abundant access to electricity and often take it for granted. However, more than a billion people live without access to this essential resource and the safety and comfort that it provides. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with David Dol...
In this episode, inventor and entrepreneur Dr. Ed Schweitzer shares his thoughts on where creativity comes from, how it fuels innovation, and how both benefit from the goal of simplicity. (This episode was recorded on 04/22/20)
Conversations about when and where to vertically integrate so often focus on the expense. While cost is an important factor, in this episode Dave Whitehead and Jessi Hall, senior director of Vertical Integration at SEL, explore how the many benefits of building things in-house stack up for companies and customers.
Electric power is critical to people’s lives. We need look no further for an example of this than what happened in Texas in February. Because reliability and security are essential to the power grid, the communication systems—or operational technology (OT)—that connect the control devices that manage electric power systems have historically remained independent of connections to the information technology (IT) side. However, in recent years, the electric power industry has begun to explore how t...
Safe, reliable, and economical electric power is essential to our daily lives. The recent events in Texas are a reminder of just how important these adjectives are when it comes to providing power for homes, daycares, schools, businesses, hospitals—and the power generation facilities themselves. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with SEL president and power system protection pioneer Dr. Ed Schweitzer and power systems expert David Costello about what happened and how to prevent it from happe...
In our increasingly technology dependent world, cybersecurity threats have become an unfortunate feature of our daily lives. So many of us have been victims of identity theft or data breeches. But what happens when the target is an industrial control system like those that control large campuses, industrial operations, or the power grid? In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks about industrial control system cybersecurity with Robert M. Lee, the CEO of Dragos and a leading expert in the fields of ...
