Energy Central

AI is transforming everything, but what happens when it starts transforming the grid itself? As data centers explode in scale and AI workloads surge, utility leaders are wondering when the power system might reach a a breaking point. But what if the next generation of compute didn’t just consume energy? What if it instead helped stabilize the grid? In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Arushi Sharma Frank, Senior Advisor on Power Utilities at Emerald AI and a senior associate at CSIS, and a technology investor who has launched a massive ERCOT campaign for tech neutral dispatachability solutions. In the conversation, they unpack how her team is redefining the relationship between technology and electricity. Frank, whose career spans Tesla, Exelon, and the intersection of policy and physics, shares how AI data centers can evolve from grid stressors to grid assets through orchestration, curtailment, and smart market design. As Emerald AI grabs industry headlines for its much-anticipated power-flexible AI infrastructure, Frank shares her deep technical insight with a visionary look at where AI and energy converge. It’s a must-listen for utility decision-makers, grid planners, and innovators who see the grid not as a limit, but as a launchpad. Key Links: Arushi Sharma Frank on Substack: https://arushisharmafrank.substack.com/ Rich Miller on Substack: https://substack.com/@richmiller NVIDIA: How AI Factories Can Help Relieve Grid Stress: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-factories-flexible-power-use/ Two Bills in Texas for Data Center Speed to Power: (Guess Which One Investors Will Like More): https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/two-bills-texas-data-center-speed-power-guess-which-1zabe/ Power Access for AI: The Flexibility Compact: https://www.csis.org/analysis/power-access-ai-flexibility-compact ARUSHI SHARMA FRANK: What Should Be In The Strategic Blueprint For A 21st Century Grid?: https://dailycaller.com/2025/08/12/opinion-what-should-be-in-the-strategic-blueprint-for-a-21st-century-grid-arushi-sharma-frank/ AI requires a smarter grid — and so does everyone else: https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/ai-requires-a-smarter-grid-and-so-does-everyone-else/ How the world’s first flexible AI factory will work in tandem with the grid: https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/how-the-worlds-first-flexible-ai-factory-will-work-in-tandem-with-the-grid/ Aggregations and data centers: If a resource shows up when the grid is straining, make it count: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/aggregations-data-centers-grid-flexibility/756183/ Mainstreaming AI data center flexibility: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/mainstreaming-ai-data-center-flexibility/804103/ From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Rewriting the Grid Planning Playbook in the Southwest Power Pool and Texas: https://www.csis.org/analysis/bottlenecks-breakthroughs-rewriting-grid-planning-playbook-southwest-power-pool-and-texas Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

It’s no secret: AI is changing everything from how we think, to where we build, to how we power the world. And nowhere is that disruption hitting harder and more quickly than in the rise of data centers, the massive energy users that are quickly becoming the new industrial load of the 21st century. In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker digs into the context of this transformation with the illuminating Pete Sacco, founder of Gray Wolf Data Center and physicist-turned-engineer-turned-developer. Sacco blends technical mastery with a human-centered vision for what the next generation of compute infrastructure could look like: distributed, opportunistic, and deeply integrated with local energy systems. From solid oxide fuel cells and on-site microgrids to new partnerships between utilities and data centers, this episode unpacks the radical rethink happening at the edge of the grid—and what it means for energy leaders tasked with keeping pace. This episode is a must-listen for anyone sitting at the intersection of energy, infrastructure, and innovation. And the message is clear: the data center revolution is coming fast, and utilities that embrace the change today will be the ones defining the next era of the grid tomorrow. And thanks to our partner, Renew Developers, for making this episode possible. ReNew Developers is a sustainable real estate development firm offering speed-to-market power solutions and Energy-as-a-Service. We serve data centers and large industrial power users by developing modern projects with on-site power generation. Our unique approach shaves years off the timeline to move into your data center. We have a pipeline of land with energy generation permits in place that can feed your state-of-the-art data center expansion needs. Contact us at ReNewDevelopers.com if you need land with power now.

Ask any utility exec: The key to accurate forecasting isn’t luck. It’s data. In fact, data might be more valuable than electrons these days. Knowing what your customers think (and how they act) is a prerequisite for long-term utility success. So today on The Watt & Why, host Mike Smith welcomes Elizabeth Parks, president and CMO of Parks Associates, for an insightful conversation about how consumers are adapting to new technologies—and the real ways the power industry can better leverage data to get answers to big questions. Mike and Elizabeth explore the utility’s role in communicating the massive benefits of grid tech to customers, the evolving relationship between consumers and power companies, and how utilities can improve everyday peoples’ perception of the work they do. Building trust starts with knowing your customer. Today’s conversation is a crash course in doing just that.

It’s one thing to create a culture of innovation. It’s an entirely other thing to ensure innovation exists at every juncture of your utility business. Today on Piloting the Future, Kim sits down (IRL, in the Philippines!) with execs from Aboitiz Power to learn how they’re incentivizing innovation in everyday ops. Aboitiz’s COO Jokin Aboitiz and AVP of Business Process & Strategic Performance Marynelle Leonor Rosales explain 1) why scale can hamstring innovation and how to outmaneuver business heft 2) the best strategy for making innovation more efficient 3) the role of next-gen tech in the pursuit of affordability…and so much more. Listen in to hear the exec’s playbook for keeping innovation affordable.

How is Exelon, the largest regulated electric utility in the US, preparing for a high-demand future dominated by large loads and electrification? Balancing customer equity with business opportunity? Getting the smartest people excited to work in energy? Fighting for the regulation we need to build things quicker and more efficiently? Mike Innocenzo, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Exelon, answers all that (and more) today on Power Perspectives. He’s giving us a rare glimpse at how decisions are made and strategies are formed at one of the most important companies in power. Press play to see how the modern utility is adapting, pivoting, and prioritizing.

The grid is growing up fast, and the old ways of planning can’t keep up. Explosive new demand from AI, data centers, and the rest of the grid is converging with aging infrastructure and affordability pressures. The result: utilities are being asked to make billion-dollar investment decisions faster, smarter, and with more coordination than ever before. Enter Integrated Grid Planning , the idea that breaking down traditional silos between resource, distribution, and investment planning isn’t just nice-to-have, it’s essential. In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Wen Tu, Senior Director of Integrated Grid Planning at PG&E, and Marc Lamoureux, Director of Product Management at IFS Copperleaf, to explore how utilities can modernize their planning playbook. Wen and Marc share how they’ve spearheaded partnership between PG&E and IFS to unify data, align teams, and optimize investments, all in service of a grid that’s more reliable, resilient, and affordable. What does “integrated grid planning” really mean? Why is it becoming mission-critical for utilities? And what steps can utilities take today to move toward true integration tomorrow? Plug into this episode to learn the answers to those questions and more as these thought leaders highlight the roadmap to planning for the grid of tomorrow. Thanks to IFS Copperleaf for making this episode possible. Every day, companies around the world are spending billions on the infrastructure we all rely on—the electricity that powers our communities, the water that keeps us healthy, and the transportation infrastructure that moves us. IFS Copperleaf’s AI-powered asset investment planning solution helps critical infrastructure organizations deploy capital with confidence. By aligning every investment with strategic goals like decarbonization, risk mitigation, and regulatory outcomes, IFS Copperleaf delivers capital efficiency and business agility. For anyone interested in learning more about the IFS Copperleaf Integrated Planning solution, see https://www.copperleaf.com/landing-page/ifs-copperleaf-integrated/ For any IOU wants to learn more about the IFS Copperleaf Integrated Planning consortium efforts (IOU benchmarking or the Task Force focused on industry-consensus value frameworks), reach out to PG&E at sean.ness@pge.com.

America’s grid is facing a daunting and pervasive challenge: explosive demand growth driven by data centers, EVs, and electrification. Utilities are seeking to navigate this reality all while politics threaten to slow down the clean energy buildout. But in California, with the state’s commitment to meeting future energy needs sustainably and affordably, one emerging model appears to hold the key: the virtual power plant. VPPs promise to turn homes, batteries, and even EVs into a coordinated, flexible energy resource, or a unified system that can keep the grid stable, lower emissions, and even save customers money. The technology has been discussed for years, but we’re currently facing the real question: can VPPs scale fast enough to make a real dent in demand? In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Tim McDonnell, Climate and Energy Editor at Semafor, to unpack California’s massive virtual power plant experiment and dig into what the recent results could mean for the rest of the country. From Tesla’s and Sunrun’s aggregated home batteries to the regulatory hurdles of a Trump 2.0 policy landscape, Tim explains why this story could redefine how utilities think about flexibility, customer engagement, and distributed assets. For utilities staring down rising demand and political headwinds, this conversation offers a glimpse of what’s next and why VPPs might be the most impactful clean energy story of the decade.

AI data centers are rising faster than utilities can build new capacity—and that’s creating the toughest balancing act the power sector has faced in decades. Explosive load growth, renewable integration challenges, and mounting customer affordability pressures are all converging at once. How can utilities plan for this future without pricing out the communities they serve? In this episode of Power Perspectives, Claire Gotham, Consulting Lead for Utilities Americas at Wipro, and Brooke Haman, Regulated Solutions Development Manager at Georgia Power, join host Kinsey Grant Baker for a candid discussion about what it takes to keep up with this new energy reality. Together, they explore the strategies, policy shifts, and business model innovations utilities will need to power the next era of electrification. Listen in as Claire and Brooke discuss exactly why today’s surge in data center demand is unlike any previous growth cycle and the strategies necessary to ensure this new era of load growth is met reliably without compromising fairness for all customers across the grid. Further, these leaders share lessons learned about the role of storytelling amid making these complex planning decisions and look ahead to the right policy and regulatory mix that will enable faster, smarter infrastructure investment. For executives, planners, and regulators grappling with the unprecedented load-growth wave, this episode offers both strategic insight and actionable guidance on how to build the grid that will power the AI age. And thanks to our partner, Wipro, for making this episode possible. Wipro is an AI-powered technology services company focused on building innovative solutions that address clients’ most complex digital transformation needs. Leveraging our holistic portfolio of capabilities in consulting, design, engineering, and operations, we help clients realise their boldest ambitions and build future-ready, sustainable businesses. With a global workforce of over 230,000 employees and business partners across 65 countries, we deliver on the promise of helping our customers, colleagues, and communities thrive in an ever-changing world. For additional information, visit us at https://www.wipro.com.

Utilities are all balancing a three-legged stool: reliability, affordability, and environmental stewardship. So how do they keep from toppling over when facing unprecedented load growth? This week on The Watt & Why, host Mike Smith is joined by John Di Stasio, former president of the Large Public Power Council and former CEO of SMUD, to unpack the real strategies utility leaders can deploy to stay balanced—and prepared for the future. Together, Mike and John have 1) more than a half-century of power industry experience and 2) a deep well of insight on approaches to load growth, both traditional and cutting edge. They tackle… - How to win over customers on next-gen tech, with real-world examples from SMUD - The role of hydrogen, nuclear, and more in the power mix of the future (John says one of these is “a no-brainer for the technological capability of the United States”) - Why removing fossil fuels won’t be as simple as people think - The importance of localized generation to sidestep the transmission problem And so much more. Don’t miss this one—it’s packed. Hit play to hear how one of the utility industry’s most celebrated vets is thinking about meeting the moment.

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. Key Links Sign up for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe 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

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.

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.

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.

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. Key Links Sign up for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe 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

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.

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. Key Links Sign up for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe Energy Central Post for this episode: TBD Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0J9B6CEfOZ8 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

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 Sign up for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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. Key Links Sign up for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe Energy Central Post for this episode: TBD 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

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.

Wildfires are no longer just a seasonal threat — they’re a year-round crisis reshaping the way utilities must plan and operate. With billions in damages each year and mounting regulatory and reputational risks, utilities are under intense pressure to respond faster, smarter, and more proactively to protect both the grid and the communities they serve. The challenge: most control rooms aren’t equipped with the integration and situational awareness needed to act decisively in the heat of the moment. In this episode of Power Perspectives, podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester are joined by Dan Lysaker, Director of Product Design at AspenTech Digital Grid Management, to explore how advanced distribution management solutions (ADMS) can provide the real-time visibility and control utilities desperately need. Dan shares lessons learned from utilities in wildfire-prone regions, explains the value of integrating fire data into a single operational view, and discusses how utilities worldwide are rethinking resilience strategies. If you’re a utility decision-maker looking to harden your grid against tomorrow’s wildfire threats, this conversation is a must-listen. Key Links Sign up for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe Energy Central Post for this episode: TBD Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1hDmfegC_i4 Dan Lysaker on Energy Central: https://www.energycentral.com/member/sldMU0QXZ6 AspenTech on Energy Central: https://www.energycentral.com/aspentech 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