On The Grid: Recent Episodes
On The Grid
On The Grid is a podcast produced by Zpryme about important issues regarding energy and cities. Every two weeks, we dive into topics and bring on guests to discuss issues affecting utilities, customers, solution providers, and much more.
In the latest episode of Zpryme on the Grid, Jason Rodriguez, CEO and Co-Founder of Zpryme and Froliq, sits down with Carlos Ayala, Founder and Managing Partner of Mentora. Carlos shares his career journey in the energy industry, the inspiration behind launching Mentora, and why leadership, culture, and personal growth are critical to building high-performing utility organizations. The conversation explores blind spots in executive leadership, the role of diversity and AI, and what it really means to lead with purpose as the industry heads into 2026.
Zpryme CEO and Co-Founder Jason Rodriguez sits down with Matthew Smith, Grid Management Executive at Itron, to unpack what AMI 2.0 really means for utilities. They dive into intelligent connectivity, edge computing, and how utilities can move beyond meter-to-cash to orchestrate a smarter, more resilient grid. This podcast builds off the The AMI Low-Voltage Landscape Revisited at the Grid Edge research done by Itron and Zpryme. Download the report here: https://zpryme.com/media/infographics/the-ami-low-voltage-landscape-revisited-at-the-grid-edge/
Jason Rodriguez sits down with Patrick Davis of Cleartrace to talk about the clean energy data problem, the limits of spreadsheets, and how utilities can modernize to meet rising customer expectations.
Dylan Lockwood sits down with Peter Hanna and Priyanka Padmanabhan of Deloitte to talk about digital transformation and how outage management is evolving as utilities continue to upgrade their systems.
Today's episode will feature Erin Autin talking with Mandeep Singh of Deloitte about generative AI and it's applications for grid modernization, vegetation management, decarbonization and whole host of other applications as well as general trend discussion.
In the latest episode of Zpryme on the Grid, Zpryme and Froliq CEO and Co-founder speaks with 4Liberty CEO, Sharelynn More during DistribuTECH 2024 in Orlando, Florida. Tune in to hear Sharelynn's career journey, 4Liberty's mission and commitment to customer greatness, and her key insights about the future of utility industry.
Energy systems innovator and economist, Erin Grossi, sits down with Zpryme's Erin Autin to talk about the "mission critical" nature of building out digital platforms to detect, measure, monitor and control EVs today.
On today's episode, InnovationForce founder and CEO Kim Getgen joins to talk about how the utility industry is changing its perspectives on innovation as the grid modernizes and new challenges arise.
In this exclusive episode of On the Grid, Zpryme and Froliq CEO and co-founder, Jason Rodriguez sits down with Zeina El-Azzi, CEO and founder of Gage Zero to chat about her founder journey, Gage Zero's mission to advance fleet electrification, the state of female entrepreneurship, and how Austin has become a global clean tech leader.
On today's On the Grid episode, the Director for the NREL Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis Liz Doris joins us to discuss the evolving decarbonization landscape among utilities. We dive into various aspects of America's zero carbon journey including tech, agriculture, equity, and much more.Follow Liz's work and NREL's American Made Challenges:jisea.orgamericanmadechallenges.org
Today On the Grid goes Off the Ground as Erin talks with Ernest Huffman, Aviation Planning and Education Program Manager at North Central Texas Council of Governments. Their discussion covers the future of the aviation workforce, technological disruptions, and the ways that the energy industry and aviation industries intersect. We know you have a choice when choosing aviation industry discussion, so we thank you for choosing us!
With new technologies, increasing prices, and greater expectations, the utility-customer relationship is growing and evolving. An important piece of the conversation is customer trust, and what better way to gain trust with customers than to address affordability? Kevin Savage of Deloitte Digital joins us On the Grid to tackle some hard truths and discuss how utilities can be proactive when it comes to building trust with their customers.
This week we're diving into all things solar with the fabulous executive director of Solar Austin, Tatianna Cannon. We'll be talking about the mission of Solar Austin, how it's making a difference in its community, and what you can do to get involved. We'll also be dishing about how our past experiences have helped shape our current careers. From the ups and downs to the unexpected turns, we'll be spilling it all!
Welcome back to a new season of On the Grid! Kicking off our season, I’m joined not only by Zpryme CEO & Froliq Cofounder, Jason Rodriguez, but the entire Zpryme Research and Content team. Together, I’m taking us on a journey beginning with a 2023 outlook on our clean energy future, and how mobility, data, cities, and decarbonization all fit together like a perfect piece of the energy puzzle.
There are plenty of misconceptions surrounding AI. This week, Erik Asberg, CTO of eSmart Systems, shares how AI is being used in the energy space to provide virtual inspections, and contribute to a resilient power supply. Erik also shares how to get AI out of the innovation stage, how AI is actually all around you - hidden in plain sight, and of course, what the word ‘Energy’ means to him.
We use water every day. Everywhere. Yet, in multiple parts of the world, providing clean & accessible water is still a major issue. Now more than ever, the incorporation of Energy, Technology, Policy for the People, and Resiliency will be crucial for solving these problems. This episode of On the Grid will take a dive into the water utility industry to truly understand the inner workings of our water systems and how through creative partnerships and a shared common goal, we can propel innovation for the future state of water!
The National Public Utilities Council is releasing the Annual Utility Decarbonization Report next week and On the Grid has an exclusive sneak peek for you! This week, Ricky and Dylan get on the grid with NPUC Founder Angel Lance who is here to share what the NPUC has been up to this summer, key findings for their report, and shares how utility decarbonization efforts are stacking up against each other. The report comes out on September 19, 2022 and can be found at https://www.motive-power.com/npuc-home/
This week Ricky & Zpryme CEO, Jason Rodriguez sat down with Energy Foundry’s CoFounder Sara Chamberlain to discuss how utilities have partnered with Energy Foundery to invest in the future of energy. Sara also shares with us what happens after startups are funded, what areas in energy are needing innovation, and what it would look like if we could devise a SUPER solution to solve all our energy problems overnight.
Podcast Special Edition: Energy and Policy go hand and hand and this week, Zpryme’s Senior Director of Research and Content Erin Autin sits down with Patty Durand who is running for public service commissioner in Georgia's District 2. Patty shares with Erin the inspiration behind her run for public office, the unexpected challenges she has faced during the campaign, and what items she would like the PSC to focus on in the counting years.
Podcast Special Edition: Guest hosting and taking the podcast reins this week is Zpryme Research and Data Analyst, Hebah Bukari. Hebah traveled to Sacramento to chat with SMUD’s Chief Zero Carbon Officer - Lora Anguay and a podcast familiar voice, Jared Metoyer, at DNV. Together they discuss how equity plays a major role in the energy transition.
This week Ricky and Dylan get on the grid with Ashley Dickens, Senior Program Manager, Innovation Network at Tennessee Valley Authority. Ashley shares how the TVA is harnessing its innovation power from within, how ideas are being collected, stored, and pitched, and where she sees the most advancement in the industry.
We are LIVE and in person. On the grid with us is Angel Lance, Founder of the National Public Utilities Council(NPUC). Angel shares how the NPUC is tackling decarbonization, how utilities can better inner-utility communication, utility decarbonization trends, and a few utility decarbonization revelations. Featuring: Ricky Murray, Dylan Lockwood, Angel Lance - Founder of the National Public Utilities Council (NPUC)
This week we are on the grid with Sadie Bronk, CEO of Energy Bees. Sadie shares with us all how the mission of energy bees is reflected in the work they do and people they serve, the many huddles of a small business, how she is creating a future of green jobs, and how with the power of energy, we can solve the problems of today, and tomorrow.
Today is all about Energy Equity. We are On the Grid this week with Jarred Metoyer at DNV. Jarred shares with us his passion for serving disadvantaged communities, how we should be measuring Environmental, Social, and Governance in energy, the latest community focused projects, and how you can get involved in the energy equity transition
We are on the grid with the Executive Director of the Whole Kids Foundation and Whole Cities Foundation. Nona shares her approach on establishing community connections, how anti-racism and responsiveness are key ingredients for community building, and how we could solve community development with the wave of a magic wand!
This week, Ricky and Erin get ‘On the Grid’ in San Antonio, TX with CPS Energy Interim President & CEO, Rudy Garza, and CPS Energy Board Vice Chair, Janie Gonzalez. Together, we share stories on career trajectory, the importance of getting back INTO the field, how they are building community trust, and their top commitments for 2022.
This week Dylan and Joyce are here to talk about Distributed Intelligence with Itron's Director of Technology, Strategy, and Innovation Tim Driscoll and TECO's Director AMI Strategic Solutions David Lukcic. How is DI poised to improve utility operations and are there benefits to the end user?
This week Joyce interviews Hitachi Energy's Head of Digitalization David Goddard about how utilities are moving to digital spaces and what trends are important to watch as they transform.
We are kicking off a new season of Zpryme on the Grid with the whole crew! Join us as we reflect on January and discuss what’s on the horizon from energy storage, digital inclusion, eletrifiction, and even our favorite socks that are getting us through 2022!
Today we talk with the Head of Sustainability at Italy's enelX about circular economies. While only just blooming as a discussion point in US energy markets, Europe is far enough along that Nicola is able to share some lessons learned for application on sustainability projects globally.
Motive Power CEO and NPUC founder Angel Lance is back to talk about new NPUC data around decarbonization trends. We also talk about how seriously the utility industry is or is not taking climate change, and what they can do to be more proactive.
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Today's episode features Micatu's EVP of Sales and Marketing Michael Sexton and we're talking renewables. We dive into some key data points from Zpryme and Micatu's recent survey to discuss important issues in the ongoing transformation of the grid. How do renewables play into key power quality issues? How do utilities who are rapidly adding renewables ensure both reliability and safety in the transition? If you want to dive into the data yourself, the report can be found at https://zpryme.com/reports/managing-the-growing-renewables-crisis/
This episode was sponsored by Micatu
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Today we're highlighting one of our brightest new team members. Laurel Morris has only been with Zpryme for a short time but she's already made waves by hosting our We3 Live discussion series, and curating the spinoff publication, the Cleantech Chronicles. We talk with Laurel about her journey as a young energy professional and what has drawn her to Cleantech. She also shares some of her favorite stories from the live series.
Check out the Chronicles at https://zpryme.com/insights/the-clean-tech-chronicles/
On today's episode we talk with Bethany Ruhe, Director of Programming and Communications at Gridmates about their new relationship with Zpryme as well as how to new ways to make energy efficiency strategies more people-oriented.
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Today we're speaking with CB Technologies VP of Solution Development Lonnie Ludwig about connecting utility workers to networks that enable them to better perform their jobs. We discuss how this benefits worker safety, operational efficiency, and end customers.
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Read all about it! Joyce and Jason are here to give their takes on the hottest energy headlines. In this episode we go over Zpryme's slow emergence from virtual-only, they KeystoneXL pipeline, the Texas grid, offshore wind, and more!
Headline links: The Keystone XL pipeline project has been terminated. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/business/keystone-xl-pipeline-canceled.html?
Texas lawmakers approve bill mandating power plant weatherization, market reforms https://www.utilitydive.com/news/texas-lawmakers-approve-bill-mandating-power-plant-weatherization-market-r/601138/
Offshore Wind Farms Show What Biden’s Climate Plan Is Up Against: The U.S. has fallen way behind Europe partly because of an old shipping law and opposition from homeowners and fishing groups. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/07/business/energy-environment/offshore-wind-biden-climate-change.html?
'Cool’ roofs, cooler designs as the building industry embraces energy sustainability https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2021/06/08/cool-roofs-cooler-designs-nations-building-industry-embraces-energy-sustainability/
Cicadas Took On Biden’s Press Plane. They Won. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/us/politics/cicadas-biden.html
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Karl Popham from Austin Energy is back to talk about electric vehicles in 2021 and beyond. Karl, Dylan and Joyce discuss how utilities are looking at EVs and how the discussion on charging infrastructure is developing, but also how the concept of electric cars from a consumer standpoint is changing as the 'lifestyle' of ownership is being marketed differently.
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Today we have Ion Associates' FAE Mexico Marvin Govinden and Manufacturer Sales Representative Marcus Jenkins on about how technology is changing utility markets and models right under our feet.
This episode was sponsored by Ion Associates
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Today's episode talks about the myriad of ways that utility decisions on technology and internal culture affect not just operations and digital transformation plans, but critically customer experience, customer service, and customer journeys. Avertra's CEO and CTO Bashir Bseirani joins the show alongside Chief Customer Officer Giancarlo Reyes to talk about approaching utility culture and and technology investment from this customer-focused strategic perspective and building quality customer portals to facilitate that.
This episode was sponsored by Avertra.
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Returning to the show this week is Motive Power CEO Angel Lance to talk about the National Public Utility Council, a new effort by Motive and Zpryme to provide information about utility decarbonization efforts as well as forums for utilities to share their experiences for the sake of better strategizing going forward. We also talk about the human factor behind decarbonization and how the industry and planet can actually be improved with a bit of know-how and bravery.
The NPUC: https://www.motive-power.com/npuc/home/
This episode was sponsored by Motive Power
The winter storms in Texas have caused a critical eye to be drawn toward the state's grid and how it can be upgraded in some areas and reformed in others. Technology is at the heart of these transformations as well as the digital evolution of utilities worldwide. To discuss the changing technological environment of the Texas grid, we talked to Octopus Energy US CEO Michael Lee to determine the kinds of investments utilties should make in terms of communications infrastructure, customer experience, and long-term strategic planning. We also discuss where opportunities are for entrepreneurial -minded folks to make a difference in the industry.
Digital transformation is underway in utilities across the country, but there are many challenges still to overcome. Transformation is happening slow in some areas, failing to execute in others, and not delivering on ambition in many ways. How can utilities and those who run them change the way they strategize to allow for more successful digital transformation? Salesforce's Frank Palase joins the show to talk about "Digital Readiness" and how changes in corporate culture at utilities along with more holistic strategic design can help grease the wheels on moving towards more digital utilites.
This episode was sponsored by Salesforce
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Texas is still dealing with the fallout from the widespread power and water failure during a cold snap late last month. As most of Zpryme's staff is located in Texas, we were personally and professionally affected by this event in a myriad of ways and now CEO Jason Rodriguez is sitting down to discuss the event and the response from his perspective as a resident, father, boss, and energy professional.
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In this episode, we sit down with Black and Veatch sustainability experts Denise Nelson, who is the Climate Lead at the environmental services business unit, and Executive Leader for Consulting Strategic Advisory Practice Deepa Poduval to explore how changing business models on both the utility and consulting sides are leading to a more adaptive, responsible, and sustainable grid. We will discuss strategies, partnerships, technologies, and trends to get to the heart of how to ensure and perhaps accelerate this transformation.
This episode was sponsored by Black and Veatch
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Today on the show Joyce and Dylan discuss innovation in the Transmission and Distribution space with Distran's President Brad Fontenot and Director of Business Development John Halle. The discussion includes innovations in substations, where digitally-minded strategies can lack in consideration for physical demands of assets, and where trends are headed.
This episode was sponsored by Distran
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Today on the show Dylan speaks with Ian Berdie, Vice President of Innovation and Development at Quantum Spatial about disaster response. With climate change affecting the frequency, types, and severity of disasters, how are utilities and the analytics that power their operations adjusting their responses to keep outages and outage times to a minimum?
This episode is sponsored by NV5 Geospatial powered by Quantum Spatial
Ashkan Kian of IEMS, and Douglas Shannon of SageWerks Energy join Dylan and Joyce to discuss vehicle-to-grid technologies, changing roles of data management, as well as key technologies and strategies for a modernizing utility.
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Today on the show Joyce and Dylan talk with Robert Miggins and Jason Pittman from Go Smart Solar in San Antonio. Creating opportunities for homeowners to access solar power will become more important as demand and sustainability concerns increase, so Robert and Jason discuss how community solar programs can address equity issues, how technology can help solar evolve, and how utilities and communities can both benefit.
This episode was sponsored by NREL and the American Made Solar Prize, find out how you can get involved in upcoming rounds athttps://americanmadechallenges.org/solarprize/round4.html
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On the Grid is heading to San Antonio (virtually) to discuss CPS Energy’s Flexible Path as a long-term strategy for transformation. We will chat with the highest levels of CPS Energy leadership about the results of their FlexPower Bundle RFI and how CPS Energy will utilize its key findings to create a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient San Antonio moving forward.
As of 12/9/20 - CPS Energy’s RFP is now open and can be found here: https://www.cpsenergy.com/flexrfp
This episode was sponsored by CPS Energy
New Faces in Familiar Spaces w/ Jennie Yoshimoto
Joining an industry can be very touch-and-go. Being an entrepreneur requires a lot of hands-on learning and learning from mistakes. Today podcast newcomer Joyce Deuley talks with recent winner of the American Made Solar Prize and founder of Terra Solar Jennie Yoshimoto about how to find your own way in the energy industry and how you can turn good ideas into award-winning solar innovation.
This episode was sponsored by NREL and the American Made Solar Prize, more information at https://americanmadechallenges.org/solarprize/round4.html
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Today we bid a fond farewell to podcast cohost Erin Hardick as she moves on to the next chapter of her life, but not before she can let us know about what role she sees for herself and the media she's done.
We also talk with Omaya Ahmad from APS about Arizona's decarbonization plans, how to leverage community resources to promote sustainability, and how the industry needs to operate in the era of climate change.
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Today's guest is Harvard Foward founder Danielle Strasburger who talks about her work using grassroots organization to push Harvard towards decarbonization. We discuss the role colleges can play in the fight against climate change as well has how to get young people involved in the issues they care about most.
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Zachary Holman, co-founder of Sunflex Solar, one of the winners of Round 2 of NREL's American Made Solar Prize, is here to talk about the aluminum foil-infused secret to their winning solar panel innovation as well as how innovation finds the solar market. For more information on the competition as well as how to register for round 4, go to https://americanmadechallenges.org/solarprize/
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ETS20 has concluded and while it was certainly...different doing it online during a pandemic, it came together thanks to the hard work of a lot of talented people who we interviewed for this show! Erin Hardick emceed the event and opens the discussion by talking about what the content was like and how discussion was fostered. Also Sarah Fregeau, Zpryme's Program and Events Manager also drops in to talk about how it worked behind the scenes, Centerpoint's Michael Conklin talks about how the experience differed from a speaker standpoint, and our CEO Jason Rodriguez talks about what decisions had to be made when moving ETS to this space. If you want to see how the virtual event sausage is made, this is the episode for you!
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COVID-19 has changed the way workplaces operate. How are workers protected? How is efficiency maintained? What does the 'new normal' look like for the industry? Chris Moyer discusses these topics and more with David Price, CTO of Black and Veatch, and Ed White, Chairman and CEO of Field-To-Base.
This episode was sponsored by Black and Veatch
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Katharine Beisner, Senior Sales Engineering Program Manager at FTC Solar, is here to talk about what the solar industry of the future is going to look like. We follow two paths in this discussion, the first being about the increased market for solar trackers and what it says about solar tech investment strategies. We also discuss diversity in the solar industry and how it is trying to catch up in that regard.
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We've been podcasting for a hundred episodes! Can you believe it? Erin and Dylan reflect on their milestone and Zpryme cofounders Jason Rodriguez and Mark Ishac join to discuss how media and Zpryme have changed in 2020. We also conclude with a 'greatest hits' reel of cool moments in On the Grid history. Thank you always for listening!
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How has the utility industry changed over the course of this year? Countless operations and internal processes have changed as a result of transformative business models, introduction of new technologies, and of course Covid-19. So how has all of this change affected resource management? Black and Veach's Senior Managing Directo Mark Von Weihe sat down with Chris Moyer to talk about how models are changing and how resource management has changed as a result as well as what additional steps need to be taken.
This episode was sponsored by Black and Veach.
(Please note that this podcast was recorded on March 4, 2020)
We have a guest host today! Back in March, Accenture’s Innovation Leader, Erin Grossi, and Utilities Strategy Leader, Greg Bolino, sat down with Brett Carter, Xcel Energy’s Chief Customer and Innovation Officer to talk about the changes that he sees on the horizon for utilities and their overall business models.
Today we're talking about how COVID-19 has affected the mental wellness and interpersonal communities in online workplaces. Emma Garcia is Zpryme's Director of People and Culture and she is here to share what she's been working on to keep Zpryme healthy and motivated during difficult times.
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We've got a hot solar questionnaire that we want experts in the solar industry to answer! We have NREL's National Center for Photovoltaics Lead Wyatt Metzger, Demand IQ Founder and CEO Austin Rosenbaum, and 17TeraWatts CEO Scott Nguyen here to tell us what the next step in solar looks like for them, what key obstacles are, and what needs to change about the solar mindset.
This episode is sponsored by NREL. Check out the next round of the American Made Solar Prize at https://americanmadechallenges.org/solarprize/round4
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As operational demands increase, and load growth remains flat, traditionally utility resource planning that focusses only on the supply side does not adequately address future challenges and opportunities. Utilities like Consumers Energy Michigan have turned to an Integrated Resource Plan to plan for future supply and demand needs effectively. Their MI Clean Energy Plan is a long-term tool for supplying affordable, reliable energy to customers throughout the state. They created a forecast of Michigan’s energy future using a variety of assumptions about factors such as market prices, energy demand, and levels of clean energy resources, including wind, solar, demand response, and energy efficiency. This plan embodies a commitment to the Triple Bottom Line of people, planet, and prosperity, and a “clean and lean” generation strategy of moving away from coal. To discuss the changing utility planning landscape, Zpryme's Chris Moyer spoke with Tim Sparks, the Vice President of Electric Grid Integration at Consumers Energy.
This episode is sponsored by Black & Veatch
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On the Grid Host Erin Hardick is back this week to read aloud one of our guest contributor articles, "Designing an Inclusive Future" by Sophie Horrocks. She talks about design; how we can design a space that enables people of all stripes to be their best selves which is why we have this audio version to complement the written version which can be found here: https://zpryme.com/insights/designing-an-inclusive-future/
Today we're talking about Mastercard's City Possible Network for urban development, so we've brought on Executive Vice President of Enterprise Partnerships Miguel Gamino to discuss what the goals, methods, and successes of the network are. We also have Co-Founder of the North Texas Innovation Alliance Jennifer Sanders to talk about how networks affect local issues and what network collaboration means for her operations in North Texas.
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Today on the show we have Energy Tax Partner at Ernst & Young Brian Murphy and he's here to tell us what the future of renewable energy looks like from his perspective. We also dive into how the energy landscape is being disrupted from various angles at this moment and how that affects long-term strategizing.
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Today we're talking with Angel Lance, Founder of Motive Power. Angel tells the story of creating the management consulting company as a values-driven business. From there, we dig deeper into what values mean in the world of consulting, why the practice of consulting often gets a bad rap, and what can be done better to create a better business ecosystem in energy.
I will not apologize for the pun. We're talking with Robert Sewell, CEO of VesprSolar, a company that makes clip attachments for PV solar modules. We primarily discuss tackling the "last mile" of solar installation to help drive down solar costs. We also talk about where startups see promise and opportunity but also challenges in the solar industry.
This episode was sponsored by NREL. Check out the next round of the American Made Solar Prize at americanmadechallenges.org/solarprize/round4
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Capital metro in Austin is rolling out six electric buses for public transportation, with two already on the streets! How does one do this kind of public transportation project in a pandemic? What does such a process look like from the inside to potentially be modeled by other transit agencies? We wanted the answers to these questions as well, so we brought on Sam Sargent, Deputy Chief of Staff at Capital Metro, and Lauren Scoville, Senior Director of Sales at Proterra to discuss the project front-to-back!
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Adrian Garcia, VP of Transformation & Strategy at Daito Design, is our guest this week. The discussion centers around moving digital transformation out of the abstract and into reality: what is transformation in service of? Who makes the plan and what should they keep in mind? How do we distinguish a "transformation" from just on-boarding tech to do business as usual?
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It's been a while since we've dug into a specific project, but when word came to us of a long-term storage project with a new battery, we had to sniff the story out. We have Minnesota's Great River Energy Chief Power Supply Officer Jon Brekke, and the Form Energy's cofounder, president, and COO Ted Wiley to discuss the "aqueous air" battery project set to be fully rolled out in 2023.
As we've done before, we do a deep dive on the process of this project as a litmus test for the challenges and opportunities utility-scale solar projects present. We get in the weeds a bit this episode, but there are so many interesting things to find in there!
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How has the pandemic affected cities' commitments to building more ecologically-minded? What do those standards look like in the first place? To answer these questions and more we brought on Anita Ledbetter, Executive Director at Build San Antonio Green.
If you want to donate to help protesters fight for racial justice across the country here are some resources: Freedom Fund - https://www.lgbtqfund.org/ Campaign Zero - https://www.joincampaignzero.org/ NAACP Legal Defense Fund - https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=16304
Here is a compiled list of local organizations as well - https://zpryme.com/insights/resources-for-those-seeking-to-help-anti-police-brutality-protesters/
Today on the show we have Dr. Massoud Amin of the University of Minnesota talking about the powers of resiliency. The conversation flows between grid resiliency, cyber resiliency, and personal resiliency against the various threats of the modern era. Dr. Amin lays out prescriptive practices in these fields based on years of research and observation.
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Today we're launching a monthly solar podcast focus for the coming year and we're starting it off with NREL's Sarah Gomach who is here to talk about round two of the American Made Solar Prize. The lessons learned from round 1 have helped shape the solar network of developers, labs, entrepreneurs and other key figures. We also talk about the larger implications of the movement towards solar in all the messy context of the year 2020.
This episode was sponsored by NREL. Check out the next round of the American Made Solar Prize at americanmadechallenges.org/solarprize/round4
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Our guest today is Chris King, SVP of emobility policy and regulatory affairs at Siemens. He discusses EV charging standards and interoperability allowing for a better customer experience, but on a larger scale this episode explores what the most cost-effective way is to create a user-friendly infrastructure. The ultimate goal is to help remove barriers to EV adoption and prepare for what looks like an inevitable future of electric vehicle ubiquity.
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Today we have Rod West, President of Utility Operations at Entergy, on the show to talk about two key aspects of COVID-based disruption in the energy space. Initially we dive into resiliency and what precautions are taking place to ensure reliability of power alongside safety of workers. Then we take a look at how the customer journey has been upended by the personal, cultural, and economic impacts of the virus.
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We're following up with NYU's Dr. Kissane on the global oil conflict and how we ended up with a negative value in the US last week. If you're following what's happening with oil during the pandemic, don't miss this one!
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We've got a delightful panel of electric vehicle experts on today to talk about how the market will change post-covid and beyond. EV Erin Hardick directs the conversation with Austin Energy's Karl Popham, GreenLots' Ashley Horvat, and EVolve Houston's Michael Conklin. They cover the challenges and pitfalls of increasing EV adoption, organizing information campaigns, and shine a light on the unspoken truths of the EV market.
Check out zpryme.com for the video later this week along with a full catalog of our Zpryme Now videos.
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Intel is making a brain! Their data analytics lead, Gretchen Stewart, talked with Erin Hardick about AI and the litany of potential applications, and an artificial brain being created at Intel’s laboratories. Discussion on defining traits and the translation of seemingly immutable qualities of the human brain lead into discussion about the how and why such an undertaking could advance… well you name it. Perhaps our most human episode to date!
On this next episode of Zpryme on the Grid — this past February 2020 — Zpryme's Chris Moyer interviewed Dr. Ralph Izzo PSE&G chairman of the board, president and CEO on renewables, consumer engagement, and his career. PSE&G services 1.8 million gas customers and 2.2 million electric customers in more than 300 urban, suburban and rural communities.
Today we have NYU's Dr. Carolyn Kissane back on the show to talk about the situation on the ground in New York, and how the pandemic has affected her role as an educator.
Then in the second half, we do an in-depth dive into a growing economic conflict between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Kissane goes into the background of the conflict, what role the U.S. has in it, and what the possible ramifications are. A jam-packed episode, but well worth a full listen!
Check out Dr. Kissane's article on the conflict at https://zpryme.com/insights/covid-19-and-an-oil-price-war-no-one-wins/
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Today on the show, we have Chelsea Collier, founder of digi.city to talk about the toll the coronavirus is taking on cities, but also about what strengths and weaknesses have been revealed by it. Comparing different successes and trials in different cities has shown what strategies have been most effective and what our society's ability to weather crises like this actually is.
There's discussion about lessons we're learning; silver linings on how we can emerge stronger from this crisis, but we acknowledge that we're all still going through the worst of this. Stay safe and we hope you learn something!
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We're back ladies and gentlemen!
After collecting ourselves from the shocks of the current... well everything, we're back to talk about how cities are handling themselves.
We have Joyce Deuley from Geekdom here to talk about San Antonio specifically and what they've done to have a fairly successful response to the COVID-19 crisis.
If you're looking for ways to help go to https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/21/how-you-can-help-during-coronavirus/?arc404=true
If you want to see tips for adjusting to work from home life check out this article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-5-tips-help-you-adjust-working-from-home-ricky-murray/
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Employee retainment? Future clean tech for utilities? This is another very special edition of On the Grid with guest host Zpryme's Chris Moyer. Chris joined Calvin Butler Exelon Utilities President and Matt Tobias Deloitte Principal in Washington D.C. recently to talk about the importance of customer engagement, tech, and how utilities can do a more effective job overall for its employees and customers.
On the Grid is on the road again! Made possible by Itron, Zpryme's Erin Hardick ventured to National Grid in Boston to talk mentorship with energy's leading women. What relationships helped shaped their careers? What advice do they have for the next wave of mentors?
Marcy Reed, President of National Grid Massachusetts and Executive Vice President of US Policy & Social Impact, Sharelynn Moore, SVP Networked Solutions Itron, Inc., and Angela O'Connor, Power and Utilities Strategy Consultant, and former Chairman at Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities talk personal experiences, lessons learned, and pass on invaluable wisdom. Follow our podcasts, interviews, and more at www.zpryme.com.
Like it or not, data runs our increasingly digital world and we're still trying to figure out the implications of what that means for people's everyday lives. The systems by which data is collected, stored, secured, applied, categorized, and sold are labyrinthine which makes discussion of not only the solutions but the problems themselves difficult to parse. So to help us navigate this minefield, Bianca Wylie, Senior Fellow at CIGI, and Emily Royall, Smart City Coordinator for the City of San Antonio engage in a deep dive on what data solutions look like and how we talk about them.
If you want to hear more from Emily and Bianca, they will be speaking at City of the Future. Go to https://cityofthefuture.io/ for registration and full lineup
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At Distributech 2020 the podcast crew was able to sit down with IBM Director of Strategy and Environemtn for Energy, Environment Utility Industries Elle Carberry, IBM Senior Consultant Lauren Kaley, SMUD elected member Nancy Bui-Thompson along with Zpryme's Director of Research Programs Erin Autin and Senior Research Analyst Erin Hardick.
What followed was an in-depth discussion about their personal journeys to get to where they are now and how they can broadcast to other women what opportunities there are in the energy industry. Drawing from personal experience, these five professionals outline areas in energy where they are seeing women succeed and areas where perhaps greater efforts need to be made to bring women in. Policy, marketing, and culture all rolled into one dynamic podcast!
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Distributech 2020 just wrapped up and we have our podcast crew's breakdown of the goings on at the convention. The Erins have graciously taken time out of their media whirlwind to describe what they see as the emerging trends for the year to come. We do a classic top 5 experience rundown and postulate on the meanings of buzzwords.
Check out our redesigned website for more upcoming Dtech media! https://zpryme.com/
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It's time to take a peek behind the curtain here at Zpryme and talk to some of the people creating our new venture into Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality development for utilities. The head of the project, Jorge Ortiz, AR/VR Specialist Bekah Diaz, and Digital Media Manager Chris Holt sat down with Erin at our office in Austin to talk about why we believe in this technology and what its applications are to the industry.
If you've ever been interested in how a VR program is constructed or what needs in the industry the technology can actually address, you don't want to miss this one!
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Happy New Year! Now that a new decade is upon us, it's time to get introspective. How was 2019 for the energy industry? Interesting yet slow for a time of such apparent upheaval. CEO Jason Rodriguez talks with us about changes and lacks thereof in energy trends over the course of the year and see how our predictions stacked up (spoiler alert: eeehhhhhh) which of course does not stop us from making even more bold predictions for energy in 2020. Let us know yours!
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Today's guest is Paula Gold-Williams the President and CEO of CPS Energy. That should really be all that needs to be said but just because we love you so much, we'll let you know that within this podcast is an in-depth discussion about the relationship between utilities, cities, and communities. We also go into Paula's own rise to prominence in the industry and what she plans and expectations are. We also talk about bizarre Texan delicacies!
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Debbie Brodt-Giles from NREL joins the podcast to discuss the American Made Solar Prize as well as what solutions are out there that NREL is discovering through this process. We also play an appropriately festive game.
Later, Dylan talks to two winners of the first round of the prize, Ethan Good, Principal of Phase 3 Photovoltaic, and Bill Nussey, cofounder of Solar Inventions. They go over what kinds of startups and technologies are needed to move the needle on solar in the United States.
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What are you thankful for this year? We're thankful for research! Content gurus Erin Hardick and Chris Moyer from the research team have come on to talk about what we did over the summer research-wise as well as the key findings and lessons learned therein.
Business Model Transformation report: https://etsinsights.com/reports/transformation-of-the-utility-business-model/
DERMS Report: https://etsinsights.com/reports/managing-complexity-in-the-distributed-reality-a-utility-perspective-on-derms/
IIoT and Water Report: https://etsinsights.com/reports/iiot-and-analytics-maximizing-it-ot-data-for-water-utilities/
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SPECIAL EPISODE ALERT! "Startup." That word has a lot of baked-in connotation. One imagines an individual, or small group of individuals, having a "eureka!" moment where opportunity is found in a market and against all odds, a company and journey are started. But is the startup life as simple as that image?
In this special episode, we talk to four founders of energy-based startups and ask them the same set of questions Inside The Actor's Studio-style: Kumar Parameswaran founder of Nirvanasoft https://nirvanasoft.net/ Natalie Goodman founder of Incentifind https://incentifind.com/ George Koutitas founder of Gridmates https://www.gridmates.com/ And a bonus fourth interview you'll have to listen to the episode to find out.
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Start@ETS was a wonderful event! Startups from many different areas of the industry came and pitched their ideas to our judges. One of the Judges, Bridgewater Consulting SVP of Business Strategy Ernie Lewis, sat down with Dylan at the even to talk about projects that impressed him, and what solutions he believes are necessary for the future of the industry. With a few decades of experience under his belt, Ernie talks about the crossroads the industry is at and what will determine how we look on the other side of it.
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We're talking about data standardization with Cengizhan Yenerim ,Director of Demand Risk Management at Engie North America. What starts off as an episode explaining the difficulties of data standardization region to region evolves into a discussion on creating the right ecosystem within organizations and communities to allow for a healthy and secure data ecosystem. Our industry is flush with data but putting it to work efficiently and securely seems to have us dragging behind other data-driven industries. For insight into customer-centric data application strategies, take a listen!
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This week, Director of Research Programs Erin Autin returns to the podcast for a lively discussion on Scooters. Perhaps you've seen them around your town. We dive deep into new research to figure out what ordinary people are saying about them and also what the safety concerns are.
There is still time to register for Start@ETS head over to https://start19.co/ for registration if you're interested in checking out these finalists: ANKA Labs Brilliency Incorporated Drones of Prey Inc H2Optimize Moye Consultants Re:3D Inc Simuwatt Inc Go Pawz Go Xage Security Amperon Athena Power Inc EVmatch Inc Evolve Energy GridX Inc MicroEra Power Inc Ping Things Inc Switched Source LLC GreenPocket GmbH Packetized Energy Technologies Inc
On this episode, we're going to the country to talk with Bill Hetherington, CEO of Bandera Electric Cooperative. You might not think industry innovation would come from a more rural, lower population service territory, but not only are extensive DER programs being implemented at this level, Bandera and other coops are demonstrating a community-centered model of operating a utility that needs to be seen, or explained extensively in an audio show, to be believed.
The key word of the day is "listen." Listen to your customers individually, don't lump people together and assume wants and needs. Listen to people with new ideas to take advantage of innovative notions from often overlooked places. And of course, listen to this episode for insight into the quiet rural revolution of the energy space.
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Josh Gould, Utility of the Future and Innovation Hub Manager at Con Edison in New York, joins us to discuss Commercialization Innovation. What's that? It's the modernization of the process by which innovation becomes commercial reality! When it comes to technology in the industry, flashy equipment isn't enough. Providing proficient and effective technology is where the fixes are needed.
Listen in to hear Josh's ideas on strategies to better bring new ideas to the customers that want them. He touches on ways that safety is being improved through a cultural change in how companies interact with their employees, and there's a discussion on diversity of ideas in energy.
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Erin and Erin are back from the road to once again discuss what they learned from travelling across the state of Texas in a Tesla Model 3. After another series of interviews and air guitar jam sessions, the stars of Electric Vehicle Twitter have busted out the microphone to record a podcast. They have lessons to expound upon about life as an EV owner in Texas, the state of infrastructure in Texas, and some more details about the car itself, since listeners wrote in wondering about it.
Enjoy this laid-back episode as the summer winds down, and make sure to see the whole road trip saga by searching #EVErinsTX!
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Solar Storage Fest in San Antonio was a marquis event! We were able to put on a great event thanks to great speakers, hard workers behind the scenes, and inquisitive attendees.
Erin and Dylan go over what went down at the conference, standout presentations and lessons learned about solar and storage from different perspectives. Lorraine Akiba, former Hawaii PUC member stopped by to talk about how regulators work with these new companies and new ways of doing business to try and create a decarbonized grid.
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Today we are talking with Dr. Carolyn Kissane from NYU to talk about where we can learn about solutions to the energy problems of today and tomorrow. Some can be learned in a classroom, others by the example of foreign actors, and some can be learned by listening to the bright experts of tomorrow. A discussion about decarbonization turns into one about education as we are wont to do here, and we learn a bit ourselves about who is leading the charge and who is lagging behind. The word of the day is "perspective" and we're bringing it in spades in this episode!
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Happy Birthday to us! The podcast turns two years old this week and to celebrate we... did what we usually do: talk about energy!
Dana Harmon from TEPRI is here today to discuss energy equity: the ability for everyone to have access to reliable and affordable energy. In our discussion we identify key stakeholders to coordinate with, talk about how to utilize data to create equity programs, and lay out both the moral and business cases for equity.
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Now that we've cooled off from the massive heat wave in the US, how did it impact the grid? What lessons did we learn? Isn't it a bit sad that these kind of events are so commonplace these days because of the negligence of humankind over the past century? Was Dirk Nowitzki kind of a one-note power forward when you get right down to it?
Some of these questions and more are discussed with two of Zpryme's top researchers: Senior Research Analyst Erin Hardick and Director of Content and Research Chris Moyer. Read Chris' article on the heat wave at https://etsinsights.com/insights/how-utilities-are-dealing-with-the-record-heat/
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Following up from last week, we have expanded upon the discussion of electric vehicles to talk about EV programs. How can you design a successful EV program for your utility and your customers? Who are the stakeholders you need to get involved? How do you educate customers and get them to buy in? Lindsey McDougall, EV program manager at Austin Energy is on the show today to answer these questions and more!
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We've got Zprymers on the road! Erin Hardick and Erin Autin took a Tesla around Texas to see the sights, talk shop with utilities, and of course try out a top-of-the-line electric vehicle. While they were putting the car through its paces, they hopped on the phone with Dylan to discuss the details and initial lessons of the trip.
They also took the time to call Ashley Horvat, VP of Public and Private Partnerships at Greenlots and full-time EV owner on what her experience has been with her own road trip. Check out the episode and follow the road trip with the hashtag #EVErinsTX
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We're back ladies and gentlemen!
Our first guest on the new and improved ETS On the Grid is Professor Luciano Castillo from Purdue. He and a consortium of University professors have put together a proposal for a renewable energy project along the entire US/Mexico border. Erin and Dylan sat down with Prof. Castillo to discuss details of what this project could potentially be and what the implications would be for the local communities and for the North American utility industry.
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Whenever we talk about "the future of the energy industry" we very often mean changing business models, assets, and technologies; but an often overlooked aspect is the future of the energy industry workforce. As the industry evolves and takes on a different role in the lives of energy customers, a whole host of new skill sets are required to make the grid operate.
To acquire the new talent necessary to create a grid of the future, how can we create and broadcast an environment that a new generation of professionals will want to participate in? This week we are discussing these issues with Gerardo Delgado, an energy lawyer who counsels Illinois Commerce Commissioner Sadzi Oliva. We also complain about the Warriors just a bit.
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Every now and then we like to take stock of where the industry is and where we appear to be going. Keeping tabs on trends is a pastime for us at Zpryme so we brought in the head honcho, CEO Jason Rodriguez to talk trends with us and give a peek into what our plans are going forward.
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Today we have ABB's VP of Smart Grids and Grid Modernization Gary Rackliffe to talk about digital maturity. Not every utility is on the same road to digital maturity because not every utility has the same size, customer and asset issues, or regulatory environment. However, there are some best practices when strategizing for digitization, digitalization, and enterprise integration. That's where Gary and Erin come in! Enjoy this discussion on what to keep in mind and who to look to when designing your digital roadmap.
The full report: https://etsinsights.com/reports/building-the-21st-century-digital-grid/
The interactive infographic: https://etsinsights.com/media/infographics/the-digital-maturity-curve/
This episode was sponsored by ABB
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ETS has come and gone but while we were there, we managed to meet up with Carol Johnston, VP of Product Management at Clevest, to talk about Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). There were numerous discussions and presentations at the event, but we wanted to go beyond the novelty and discuss the promise and current live applications of the technologies.
We went over the results of a survey we did around this topic and how it fits our preconceived notions about what the technology can do in this space. AR and VR are new to the energy space but they're already making waves!
You can find the paper at: https://etsinsights.com/reports/hands-on-transformation-to-the-digital-future-augmented-and-virtual-reality-in-utility-operations/
This episode was sponsored by Clevest
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Last week was ETS19, the biggest week in energy (maybe we're a little biased). Thought leaders from all over the industry came to tell their stories and how we can work together to overcome the hardest challenges facing the industry.
Just like last week, Nancy Bui-Thompson, an elected member of the board of directors for SMUD sat down with some of the most prominent leaders at the event to discuss their journeys. Gil Quiniones, CEO of NYPA and Thought Leader of the Year for ETS19 stopped by to talk about how the work he's done in New York models what he believes the future of the industry should look like.
Nancy also talked with Arlen Orchard, CEO of SMUD, about using your position to make your community better. Though both of these men come from different backgrounds and work on opposite coasts, they have a similar message of inclusiveness and community that demonstrates why they are respected leaders in our industry. Hope you enjoy these interviews!
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Today we have John Baksa from Hansen Technologies on the show following our Energy Thought Summit Conference. There was a lot of discussion about data at the conference and John goes through what he's interested to see utilities doing, or not doing, with data.
We also play a game of data prescriptions and come up with some do's and don'ts. Make sure you're taking notes!
This episode was sponsored by Hansen Technologies
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At ETS19, many thought leaders were brought together to discuss some of the most pertinent issues in the energy industry. One of the most provocative and engaging keynotes was Steve Westly, Founder of the Westly Group discussing misconceptions and imperatives for the utility of the future.
To expand upon that talk, Nancy Bui-Thompson, member of the board of directors at SMUD sat down with Steve at the event to get some of his thoughts on the transformation of the utility recorded for all of you to listen to!
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Today Tom Willie, CEO of Blue Pillar, joins the podcast to discuss what commercial and industrial businesses are doing behind the meter as they think of ways to lower their energy footprint and reduce costs. This inevitably leads into a discussion about the relationship between utilities (or energy service providers) and C&I customers and how it needs to change along with other important aspects of the energy environment.
This episode was sponsored by Blue Pillar.
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Today on the podcast we have Sitetracker VP of Sales Irene Scher to talk about Transmission and Distribution planning: how to address legacy systems in an increasingly digital grid and how to plan for new technologies and systems. We also discuss reliability and safety issues coming the forefront in discussions around infrastructure.
This podcast was sponsored by Sitetracker.
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As we get closer to ETS we're talking to thought leaders who have big ideas to share about the future of the energy industry. To that end, we interviewed Kim Shumway from Allconnect to talk about how to use data to tailor energy content to customers and avoid miscommunication in customer engagement. She also talked about looking to leaders outside the energy space to help better reach customers where they spend most of their time — their mobile devices.
To find out more about ETS go to https://ets19.co/
This episode was sponsored by Allconnect.
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The Zpryme content crew is back! After our WE3 water-energy nexus event, we had a lot on our minds about issues and trends revealed through the discussions.
Erin, Erin and Chris have their own ideas about what the relationship between water and energy will look like in the future and what everyone in this industry needs to be looking toward in this space. Pour yourself a glass of water and join us!
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Last week we joined with CPS Energy to put on our first ever City of the Future event in San Antonio, Texas. There were talks about evolutions in transportation, city planning, water, customer expectations, data, and so much more. But at the center of all of it was people. People are the driving force of innovation in the city of the future and that was the starting point for the event.
If you weren't able to attend, we've got you covered! Our recap podcast today. We gathered the research team in Austin to break down our favorite talks and lessons learned from the conference.
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Today on the podcast we have Ross Smith, a digital transformation and complex program delivery expert at PA Consulting. We discuss the digital operation model, organizational agility, and how utilities form partnerships in the digital age.
This podcast was sponsored by PA Consulting.
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Live (sort of) from New Orleans we have a full Zpryme crew of Erin Hardick, Erin Autin, Chris Moyer, and CEO Jason Rodriguez to break down the trends present in Distributech 2019.
How does this conference color the energy discussion of 2019 and what are the tech providers saying about the viability of the utilities in the future? All that and more in this cajun-flavored podcast.
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PG&E has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. How did this happen? What does it mean for the people of California? What lessons can other utilities learn from this? Is this in part due to the complicated business models of utilities?
All these questions and more are discussed by Erin Hardick and Chris Moyer of the Zpryme content team.
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Utilities are starting to think about predictive modeling and analytics to help protect their assets and avoid disaster, but to utilize these tools you need the right data. That's where monitoring comes in. We talked with Bernie Cook to discuss the importance of asset monitoring now to avoid catastrophe down the line, and acquire data to improve asset health. We also talk about changes in utility culture in the digital era.
This podcast was sponsored by Aveva
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Happy New Year one and all! 2018 was a year stuffed full of exciting energy developments, so out of respect we stuffed this podcast with plenty of Zprymers! We got the entire research and content team together at a library in Austin to go over how our predictions of 2018 panned out and what we're looking forward to in 2019. We also argue about blockchain for a bit.
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Today we have Itron's Vice President of Global Marketing and Public Affairs, Marina Donovan to help us break down their 2018 Resourcefulness Report. We use the data to talk about what customers see in a more resourceful world and what strategies utilities should be implementing to meet those demands.
We also discuss customer education and what role it plays in bridging the gap between customers and utilities on the who bears the responsibility for creating a resourceful future.
To find the report, go to https://www.itron.com/na/about/resourcefulness-report
This episode was sponsored by Itron
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[RECAST] Today we have SparkCognition CEO and Founder, Amir Husain. We talk about Artificial Intelligence, how it changes the energy industry, and how it's a necessary step in human evolution.
A bit later on we get pretty deep on the nature of human obsolescence and what about us as people has intrinsic value. Of course we also nerd out about Star Trek.
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We're rounding up a bunch of our research from the past couple months to deliver our findings to you the listener!
Erin and I are joined by Zpryme Senior Director of Content Chris Moyer to go through research we were a part of and what projects we're excited for coming up. If you wondered what we did when we weren't podcasting, enjoy this peak behind the curtain!
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We've got an episode packed to the gills. We have Rod Hilburn from Ameren Illinois and David Chiesa from S&C returning to talk about their microgrid project in Champaign Illinois, the first of its kind to receive PEER certification.
We talk about what this certification means and how others can replicate this kind of project in other places. We also talk about the project journey and what road bumps one can come across in the planning and execution of a project this size, as well as ideas about selecting potential partners.
This episode as sponsored by USGBC
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We come to you live (in the past) at Itron Utility Week to discuss the intersection of water and electricity with University of Texas Professor Michael Webber.
How do water and electricity fuel each other? What can we learn about building for the future from the experiences of the different utilities? All that and more on this jam-packed episode.
This episode was sponsored by Itron.
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It's our first ever live show! We bring Richard Amato up on stage at the One World Theater in Austin to talk about startups and the future of energy. We also force our audience to play a game! If you missed out on Start@ETS, you don't want to miss out on this podcast!
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This week we talk with David Graham who works for the city of San Diego. We talk about what the roles and goals of cities are in the energy space. We also talk about how innovation is driven by community more than technology (though technology still plays an important role).
This podcast was sponsored by Itron.
If you haven't checked out our podcast survey go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/onthegrid
This week we have Grid 20/20 President and Founder Alan Snook on to talk about how unexpected additions on the grid edge can threaten distribution infrastructure.
We delve into how electric vehicle home charging, marijuana cultivation and power theft combine to create unexpectedly large strains on the grid. Also I make a bad pun.
To check out our listener survey go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/onthegrid
Our guest this week is Kumi Premathilake from Aclara and we talk with her about vision: the vision of the energy industry's future, the vision to see trends on an enterprise level, and our own personal visions of utility futures we would like to see and be a part of. Kumi also gives helpful tips for building and sticking to roadmaps to achieve these visions.
We also discuss how planning for the energy future differs from region to region and what level of globalism we should apply to our models for innovation. Then we wrap up with a thought experiment where we sit the industry down and talk some sense into it.
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Erin and Dylan talk with Utility Dive Senior Reporter Gavin Bade about the resignation of Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. We discuss his legacy, who in energy benefited under him and who is happy to see him gone, and what to expect under the new acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler.
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Now that Puerto Rico has returned power to 99.9% of its residents, we take a look at what went wrong in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and what lessons we can learn about how we clean up disasters. We also discuss with our guest, Seyi Fabode, how utilities need to change their organizational structure so something like Puerto Rico won't happen again to any US grid system.
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On this episode we talk researcher-to-researcher with Matthew Futch from NREL. We talk about the relationship that research-based companies have with the energy industry and why this kind of research is important for utilities and customers.
As a pertinent example, we talk about Net Zero initiatives and how the planning, execution and associated problems of such measures are being facilitated by research or a lack thereof.
Dr. Erfan Ibrahim joins the podcast today to discuss cybersecurity in the electric utility space. Where are the threats coming from? What are the different types of threats and solutions? We discuss this as well as some best practices utilities can take to have a healthier culture of cybersecurity.
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The gang is here today to talk about grid resiliency and what you have to do as a utility when a massive storm hits. To help us dive into this topic, our guest this week is Gregory Knight from CenterPoint Energy, a Houston-based utility. We talk about what role the utility has not only in rebuilding infrastructure, but fostering a sense of camaraderie in ravaged communities.
This episode was sponsored by SAP
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This week we discuss the Energy Revolution with Rob Massoudi from ABB. How far have we come, where are we now and how did we get here?
We also discuss how we would go about writing a book on the modern energy story as well as books that we just happen to like because we're huge nerds like that.
This podcast was sponsored by ABB.
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This week we have Eric Dresselhuys from Smart Energy Water joining the podcast to talk about customer engagement and education. How do we engage consumers who may not have the desire or capability to be prosumers? How do we get fresh talent to join the industry? How do we better tell our stories to the customers we interact with every day? All this and more in this jam-packed episode!
This episode was sponsored by Smart Energy Water
This week we talked to Raiford Smith from Entergy about how data analytics are changing the way the energy industry makes decisions. Later we discussed Great Expectations and answer the most important question facing the industry: Are we a bunch of nerds?
This week we come to you live from the historic Moody Theater...'s nearby hotel in Austin, TX for the Energy Thought Summit 2018. Dylan, Erin, and Christine talk about the cool presentations and interesting people we met at the conference. Then we play a game because that's just kind of what we do.
I also did not intend for episode 18 to be ets18 but it's neat that it worked out that way, huh?
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On this episode, the gang talks about what living in a digital energy future actually looks like with Mike Carlson from Siemens. We also delve into personal energy journeys and also speculate where the next generation of energy professionals will come from.
Christine also gets an idea for a new survey.
This episode was sponsored by Siemens
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It's time to launch ETS18! Recorded at our launch party in Austin, TX we hung out with Nancy Bui-Thompson from SMUD to discuss what the theme "Dream in Digital" means to us. We also talked about our careers and played a game of "Would You Rather".
Carlos Nouel from National Grid joins the podcast to reflect on everything we learned about Distributech and the change in focus for tech companies in the nascent smart era of the energy industry.
Christine also brought us a nerdy sci-fi game to try.
This episode was sponsored by SAP
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What? It was the only Star Wars reference I could think of!
We hung out with S&C's David Chiesa in San Antonio to talk about his work with microgrids and how people might have been too hard on the Last Jedi.
This episode was sponsored by S&C
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At Distributech, we met up with Henry Bailey in SAP’s cool media booth and we talked about the Digital Prosumer. We addressed the disruption they are causing in the industry and break down who digital prosumers are, and who is likely to become one.
We also talk about how demand influences technology and somehow we get onto the Walking Dead. CARL!!!!!!
This podcast was sponsored by SAP.
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"Innovative Partnership" is a simple enough phrase to understand, but the means of developing the kind of partnerships that lead growth and developoment rather than just sales is fairly nuanced.
Our guest this week is Dan Bradley from Navigant. He breaks down how innovative partnerships are becoming more of a necessity with today's evolving utility landscape. We also tackle the notion that utilities are "slow-moving" innovation, and we discover a new type of microgrid that fits on a desk!
Dan's "Microgrid" Linkedin Post we mentioned in the podcast. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6355162904353918976
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Get your cones and sprinkles ready! Today on the podcast we have Chris Miller, the Social Mission Activism Manager at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. He's here to talk to us about how businesses are getting involved in the energy space both directly and indirectly.
We also dive into what activism means from a business perspective, the difference between value-based activism and cynical marketing gimmicks. A different flavor of podcast this week, with plenty of chocolate chips.
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Our regular podcast crew breaks down what changed for energy in 2017 as well as what changed in our own lives as energy professionals. Please find @dylockwood, @hc_richards, or @erin_hardick on twitter to share your stories of the year.
We discuss trends in how Smart Cities are talked about these days and what cybersecurity means going into 2018. We also make some predictions about the upcoming year. A fun little sendoff of the year.
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Our guest this week is Philippe Malone from Energy Ottawa and we talk about aging infrastructure as well as best practices for addressing aging assets. We also reflect on the different worlds that younger and older energy professionals experienced in their formative years.
...Well we talk about all that after a short rant on geography.
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Today we have SparkCognition CEO and Founder, Amir Husain. We talk about Artificial Intelligence, how it changes the energy industry, and how it's a necessary step in human evolution.
A bit later on we get pretty deep on the nature of human obsolescence and what about us as people has intrinsic value. Of course we also nerd out about Star Trek.
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Our regular crew breaks down last week's engaging Start@ETS competition. Following a short recap and a conversation with the judges of the event, we talk a bit about why startups are important in the industry and how they drive innovation, using the competitors at Start as pertinent examples.
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Things get a little silly on a Friday afternoon.
We have Commissioner Lorraine Akiba from the Hawaii Public Utility Commission on to talk about how her role as a regulator and how Hawaii's energy successes can be modeled in other places.
We also talk about stew both as a metaphor and as a lunch option.
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This week we're all hosting together at Lake Austin near Austin, Texas. We bring in Daito Design Group Founder and CEO Jared Huke to talk about Smart Homes and Design.
The discussion evolves into fundamental questions about the nature of smart devices and AI. Who are they for? What is the promise, and what are the realities? The digital world is rapidly changing but we still haven't figured out all of the logistics. You certainly don't want to miss this discussion!
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This week we talk about the value of data both in the wake of powerful events like the recent hurricanes, and also as a product to be bought and sold going forward.
Our guest this week is Zpryme CEO Jason Rodriguez who recently had a groundbreaking presentation called "Data: The Currency of the Future."
You can help with Hurricane relief at: https://www.redcross.org/ns/apology/disaster_homepage.html https://donate.worldvision.org/hurricane-irma-disaster-relief http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/get-involved/harvey-disaster-relief/
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This week we talk to Principal of North Bridge Energy Partners and contributor to Forbes.com Peter Kelly-Detwiler about Demand Response; how it influences the grid today, and its role in the future, how IoT and advanced data analytics are changing what we think Demand Response is, and whether or not the term "Demand Response" is becoming outdated with its ever-changing nature.
Don't forget that even though the rain has stopped, the people of Texas are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Harvey. Thousands are still waiting in shelters and cannot return to their homes. There is a long road ahead for many people and you can help with the relief by donating either to the Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/ or the Houston Flood Relief Fund at https://www.youcaring.com/victimsofhurricaneharvey-915053 or the Houston Food Bank at https://secure3.convio.net/hfb/site/Donation2?df_id=9314&mfc_pref=T&9314.donation=form1
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Our topic today is "Dialogue." In our day to day lives we often encounter difficulties having meaningful dialogue with friends, family, coworkers, etc. However, the ability to overcome our pride and our fears is what allows us to have these discussions that better us as people. The same can be said for those in the energy industry. Utilities, activist groups, and lawmakers all face complex issues and are often at odds with each other. While dialogue is not a magic bullet solution to these problems, dialogue helps create an understanding that lays the first brick on the road to a solution.
Our guest this week is Kathryn Sheps, Operations Manager and Dialogue Convener for Renewable Cities in Vancouver, BC. She discusses how her work bringing together utilities in dialogue with cities participating in the "100% renewables" movement. She also lays out what makes for productive dialogue and how to overcome some of the apprehension.
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Our first episode! Today we talk about "The Power of Local" and what it means to be a locally active utility. Innovation comes from a local level in this industry, and while utilities are often pushed to change through internal factors, customers are increasingly looking for better products and better relationships with utilities.
Later we speak with our guest, Karl Popham, Manager of Emerging Technologies and Electric Vehicles at Austin Energy. He talks about Austin as a local market and what his work in that community has meant for the city and for Austin Energy's identity. He also gives us a scoop!
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