Utilities are known for spending, but not always where it counts. In fact, hyperscalers in Big Tech outspend utilities by 10x when it comes to critical R&D.

So as we move into the data center-dominated future, how will utilities learn to spend on innovation and navigate challenges from scope to timeline to transparency? Our mission on today’s episode is to figure that out.

We’re bringing in three venerated experts from across the industry: Erik Helland, Commissioner at the Iowa Utility Commission; Jason Wild, CEO of Wild Innovation & Strategy Excellence; and Mike Smith, Principal, KLN Group. 

Together, these three paint an optimistic (and realistic) picture of where utilities can bend to avoid breaking as the battle for ownership of this AI-driven future heats up.

A handful of key ideas from this conversation loaded with real-world utility examples? “If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough,” Erik says. Jason explains the role of human behavior in tech adaptation. Mike walks through the juxtaposition of utilities’ intense focus on operational excellence and their need to innovate—which can sometimes get messy.

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of the utility innovation bias, plus key learnings about the roles all of us can play, from regulators to utility leaders to ratepayers.

Innovation doesn’t have to be a scary word. We’re giving it a new definition today on Piloting the Future.

Can utilities keep up with Big Tech innovation?

The power grid is under historic strain. Electricity demand is climbing, climate impacts are intensifying, and the clean energy transition is accelerating. Despite this well agreed upon urgency, new infrastructure projects keep getting stuck in permitting delays, siting disputes, and interconnection backlogs. For the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities, in particular, these roadblocks hit especially hard. Communities can’t afford to wait years for the infrastructure that keeps the lights on and rates affordable.

In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester chat with Scott Corwin, President & CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA). Scott breaks down why permitting reform is a make-or-break issue for public power, where solutions are emerging, and what “smart permitting reform” could look like to balance speed, reliability, affordability, and community engagement.

Whether you’re in the utility C-suite, working on grid infrastructure in the field, or contributing to the policy debates unfolding in D.C., this episode offers a crucial public power perspective on one of the most urgent issues shaping our energy future.

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Energy Central Post for this episode: https://www.energycentral.com/podcasts/post/permitting-delays-are-breaking-the-grid-here-s-one-ceo-s-fix-LA3mRBl28CvqHfB

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tvK39wCwmgA

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

Permitting delays are breaking the grid. Here’s one CEO’s fix

Welcome to a new show from Energy Central: The Watt & Why, hosted by Mike Smith.

What might happen to the electricity grid if we don’t make a change soon? Americans may lose 817 hours of power (34 days) per year by 2030…but that doesn’t have to happen.

So: What’s the solution to a grid under major stress from extreme weather, concentrated large load demand, and aging infrastructure? It’s all about reliability—taking big swings for a big payoff.

Today on Energy Central’s brand new podcast, The Watt & Why, host Mike Smith gets reliability solutions from an industry vet: John McDonald, IEEE Life Fellow and longtime grid expert.

Together, Mike and John explore 1) how this reliability crisis differs from those of the past 2) how utility leaders can invest in the right systems and functionality to make outsized impacts on reliability and 3) what generation mix makes the most sense for utilities optimizing for reliability. 

Reliability is front of mind for all of us. This episode is a masterclass on making the grid really, truly work for us.

Have an idea for a future episode from Energy Central? Email our head of content, Kinsey: kinsey@smoothmedia.co
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A 50-year utility vet's reliability wakeup call for the industry

Aging infrastructure, surging demand from electrification and data centers, and rising customer expectations are reshaping the way utilities operate. For PSE&G, New Jersey’s largest electric and gas utility, the challenge is clear: how do you modernize the grid for a stormier, more digital future while keeping affordability and safety front and center?

In this episode of Power Perspectives, PSE&G President and COO Kim Hanemann joins podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to share how her decades of experience—from restoring power after Superstorm Sandy to spearheading grid modernization—are guiding the company’s path forward. The conversation touches on everything from the generation deficit in the PJM region to rethinking what resilience means in the wake of extreme weather events to the debate over whether utilities should be owning generation again. 

If you want an inside look at how one of America’s most influential utilities is tackling today’s energy transition challenges while preparing for tomorrow, you won’t want to miss this discussion.

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Energy Central Post for this episode: https://www.energycentral.com/podcasts/post/from-superstorm-sandy-to-data-center-growth-how-this-utility-president-7ePusUF5zADLKgB

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/p2Qg9bZwH98

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

From Superstorm Sandy to data centers: How PSE&G is hardening the grid, w/ COO Kim Hanemann

Did you know: Companies with above-average diversity in their leadership teams report 19% higher revenue from innovation.

But still, women account for just 22% of jobs in the energy sector. And in leadership? Women represent only 15% of senior management team members.

So how can we get more women in leadership roles at utilities? Today on Piloting the Future, Kim and Lee hear insightful POVs from Tamara Grose, VP of Client Success at VertexOne and WEA Board Member, and Lindsey Margiotta-Lane, COO of CleanSky Energy and WEA Founding Board Member.

This episode is packed with tips & tricks for utility leaders and newer professionals alike, from operationalizing innovation to building community.

Leadership is core to the future of the utility industry—and this episode is a perfect conversation starter to make that leadership stronger, more innovative, and more resilient.

The one exec strategy that leads to more utility innovation

In this episode, Power Perspectives tackles one of the most important shifts in today’s utility sector: the rise of customer satisfaction as a boardroom priority. For decades, utilities focused on reliability and compliance above all else—but today’s modern customers expect more. Driven by at-the-fingertip response and action from the tech companies like Amazon and Netflix in their daily lives, they increasingly want the same from their power providers: immediacy, transparency, flexibility, and more.

To explore this transformation, podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester welcome two guests bringing both data and real-world perspectives on this topic: DeAnna Hardwick, Chief Customer Strategy Officer at CPS Energy, and Forrest Morgeson, Director of Research at the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Together, they unpack how utilities can turn satisfaction into long-term success.

Listen in as they discuss what the latest ACSI survey data reveals about utility customer sentiment nationwide and how utilities like CPS Energy are translating that intel into action to improve communication, affordability, and customer care. For utility leaders, customer service teams, and anyone navigating today’s evolving energy landscape, this episode offers both a data-driven view and a practical playbook for building trust and loyalty in the communities you serve.

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Energy Central Post for this episode: https://www.energycentral.com/podcasts/post/how-to-win-customers-and-influence-affordability-0iVUVmNluI2WEnx

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z-BYPCZfZDk

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

How to win customers and influence affordability

What’s the role of the modern independent system operator—especially in a grid becoming increasingly complicated and overloaded by the day?

Elliot Mainzer, CEO of the California Independent System Operator (one of the largest ISOs in the world), says it’s like flying the plane while building it. So how are the best ISOs responsible for stabilizing the grid approaching the next decade of unprecedented energy demand?

This week on The Watt & Why, Elliot joins host Mike Smith to lift the curtain on what it really takes to stay agile, proactive, and resilient in today’s energy reality. Elliot and Mike cover…

- The importance of prioritization when orchestrating and collaborating with load-serving entities, states, and ISOs
- The role of the Western Energy Imbalance Market in furthering both diversity + capacity
- Separating signal from noise amidst this widely dissected demand spike
- The importance of data centers and other hyperscalers being good grid citizens (read: bringing flexibility and dispatchability)
- Queuing reform and the future of regulatory speed
- The role of nuclear in the western energy markets

…And so, so much more.

This episode is packed with insights from one of the most important leaders in the modern energy landscape. Hit play for an inside look at how CAISO is building for a robust, resilient grid of the future.

CAISO CEO: It takes a village to run the grid

Jigar Shah is one of the most influential voices in power. From his many entrepreneurial pursuits to his tenure leading DOE’s Loan Programs Office, Jigar has seen just about everything. So in his view, what’s priority No. 1 for utilities hoping to rise to the occasion as demand spikes and energy dominates conversations from the boardroom to the dinner table?

It’s past time to start getting more out of what we’ve already paid for (because the only alternative is a 10% rate increase every year—and no one wants that).

Today on Power Perspectives, Jigar opens up about his time leading the LPO and what the future of funding says about energy innovation, his perspective on what the Trump administration is getting wrong about energy demand, and his POV on the simplest way to solve for the coming demand spike (read: batteries). 

Jigar offers up clear action items for utility leaders, paired with insight into what he calls the “golden opportunity” for energy innovators willing to put in the work today. Want to know what that is?

Hit play.

By the way: Welcome to a new era for Power Perspectives! Today’s episode features the debut of our new host, Energy Central Head of Content Kinsey Grant Baker. Want to share feedback, ideas, or thoughts with Kinsey? Email her any time: kinsey@smoothmedia.co. And feel free to share feedback with our producer and Energy Central Community Manager Matt Chester, too—he’s at mchester@energycentral.com.

Thanks for listening. See you next week for more.

Key Links
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Energy Central Post for this episode: https://www.energycentral.com/podcasts/post/jigar-shah-s-message-for-utilities-take-the-lead--or-take-the-blame-qimbyphNnA3Wun8

Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B3gTkx2zywc

Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

Jigar Shah's message for utilities? Take the lead—or take the blame

Going from reactive to proactive. Improving regulatory collaboration and outcomes. Getting from pilot to grid-scale—fast. Improving safety and reliability. Finding the space where prudence and affordability co-exist.

They’re not pipe dreams for utilities. 

They’re all realities that are possible thanks to grid-edge technology. And today on Piloting the Future, Kim and Lee are bringing in two experts to explain exactly how: JT Thompson, Chief Revenue Officer at Edge Zero, and Michael Goldman, Principal at Apex Analytics.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious how grid-edge tech goes from theory to practice—it’s packed with insightful, real-world examples plus deep conversation about how utilities can catch problems before they get costly.

There’s so much activity happened at the edge of the grid…and today, we’re taking you there with the experts on the frontlines of next-gen utility intelligence.

Data is the new gold: How grid-edge tech is changing the game

The energy transition isn’t following a straight path. It's moving fast, bending markets, and reshaping how utilities, investors, and policymakers think about risk and opportunity. And increasingly, the big trends—data centers, electrification, etc.—are all converging at warp speed.

The question for energy leaders: How do you keep up when the rules are changing in real time?

Nat Bullard has the answers.

In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Bullard, acclaimed energy thought leader and cofounder of Halycon, to unpack what he calls the most dynamic era of the modern energy system. Nat shares insights from decades of data-driven storytelling, including the falling costs of clean tech, the new role of demand as a driver of innovation, and why grid buildout—not generation—is the defining challenge of our time.

From utilities grappling with distributed resources to investors betting on the next wave of infrastructure, this conversation offers a rare, big-picture look at where the energy transition is heading—and how decision-makers can prepare for what’s next.

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Energy Central Post for this episode: https://www.energycentral.com/podcasts/post/nat-bullard-can-energy-change-its-mind-on-decarb-z8yDg0JzGIbGmwu

Video version on SoundCloud: https://youtu.be/p3UJ1FpGTQ0

Nat Bullard: Can energy change its mind on decarb?

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.

Piloting the Future. Hosts Kim Gergen and Lee Krevat go deep with the leaders, innovators, and forward thinkers responsible for not just imagining where our power future is headed…but building it day by day.

The GISt. This action-packed limited series demystifies the rapidly evolving world of Geographic Information Systems through focused, expert-led deep dives into the most future-defining GIS topics.

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.