Plugged In: Recent Episodes
Con Edison
Welcome to Plugged In, Con Edison's podcast about all things related to energy in New York City and Westchester County! For story ideas or comments email us at podcast@coned.com. For customer concerns 24/7, go to http://coned.com/customercentral or 1-800-752-6633 For gas odors, leave area and call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED.
Con Edison gas services team members explain the energy company's program to install free natural-gas detectors for customers in New York City and Westchester County, providing an unprecedented level of protection.
Check out this podcast to learn about the ultimate ideas in energy efficiency - capturing and using they energy from heat that is given off from machinery, solar panels, heating and cooling and put that back to work. Today's guest, Silvia Khurrum will share her ideas on this new technology. To find out more check out Silvia on the Urban Green Council's webinar: urbangreencouncil.org/waste-heat-recovery-technologies/
Listen to Mallorie Azzolini from Con Edison Transmission talk about some of the exciting projects in the works to bring clean energy to customers. Mallorie shares her insights on planning for brining offshore wind energy onshore with the fewest impacts to the environment and the consumer's wallets.
With just seven years left to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent, Con Edison's Steve Parisi, senior Vice President of Central Operations has named electrification the top energy trend for 2023. Find out more in this podcast.
Things that are measured tend to improve. That's why we're talking with Con Edison's Bill Slade about greenhouse gas emissions. Find out how greenhouse gases are being measured and why the life cycle of energy generation is an important consideration for a better, more comprehensive understanding of energy's impact on the environment.
Inflation is soaring, energy prices across the country are high and the cold weather is upon us. Find out what that means to Con Edison customers. Michele O'Connell, senior vice president of Customer Operations updates us on how customers are coping and what they can do reduce the stress on their wallets and themselves.
Scams aimed at stealing money from utility customers is a pervasive and growing problem.In this episode of "Plugged In," learn how to spot a scammer and how to fight back.
Listen to what Marie Berninger from Con Edison Transmission, Inc. has to say about the bourgeoning offshore wind industry in New Jersey and along the Northeast Coast. Find out how the transmission industry's thought leaders are proposing to minimize impacts to shore communities, the environment, and customers' wallets with cost effective solutions.
Listen as top a Con Edison executive tells us how to be more efficient this coming Winter.
The fight to meet New York’s clean energy goals is on. That’s why Con Edison’s Innovation Hub is working with business incubator programs to help “hatch” new ideas and technologies that will help our customers reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and be as energy efficient as possible. Find out what innovations we’re supporting and why, in our Clean Energy Incubator episode with Eric Davis in Con Edison’s Utility of the Future group.
Hillary Ayala with Con Edison discusses the company's dedication to funding arts and culture in New York City with Philip O'Brien.
Con Edison energy expert Katelyn Tsukada debunks myths about saving energy during the hot summer months. Find out if you need de-mything. Saving energy the right way, can save you a lot.
Imagine changing the heat given off by subway trains into electricity. Con Edison's Constantine Spanos is doing just that. And he is sharing his thoughts on regenerative braking. It's a new technology that will reduce the temperature of the sweltering subways, the electricity needed to run them and its cost. Hear how.
Con Edison's senior vice president for Customer Operations Michele O'Connell talks about what the company is doing to help customers get back on track with bills. Listen now to find out more.
Con Edison’s King Look talks clean energy technology that could disrupt the way we produce energy and mitigate its impacts. From the Swiss’ work on modular geothermal panels, to capturing the energy in wastewater to heat and cool buildings, to new and innovative uses for carbon that is captured before it escapes into the environment, King shares his insights and makes his prediction for the technology we’ll see in the marketplace first.
King Look is the Director of Research & Development for Con Edison
Women in Energy History It’s Women’s History Month and on this episode of Plugged In we find out how working in the energy industry has changed for women over the past three decades. The conversation has insightful perspectives from three impressive women each at a different stage of their career. Join Anastasia O’Malley, the daughter of Greek and Russian immigrants with 30 plus years at Con Edison; Francheska Wilson, a trailblazer in her community, who makes working on the Electric System safe; and Vivian Boyd who turned her internship into a career at Con Edison all during Covid, for a great conversation.
How green is green hydrogen, what does it cost and can it meet our energy needs? Current Thought looks at green hydrogen as a promising source of clean energy. Con Edison's Silvia Khurrum shares her analysis in this episode on green hydrogen technology.
Con Edison's Sr. VP of Customer Energy Solutions, Leonard Singh looks ahead to what we can expect in energy in 2022. Lenny shares his insights on the work the company is doing to meet its newly expanded clean energy commitment and help customers meet city and state clean energy goals.
Hear Con Edison's Mark Brescia talk about how appliances in the home of the future work. They are more reliable, safer, better for the environment, your wallet and available now.
To accommodate renewable energy the grid of the future has to be dynamic. Con Edison's Damian Sciano shares his insight on the changes that are coming in the not so distant future.
How is New York going to meet its clean energy goals for buildings? Con Edison's Frank Cuomo thinks it just might be with electric steam. Hear how Con Edison is looking to decarbonize the steam system and make the buildings that use it cleaner and even more efficient. Frank Cuomo general manager of Con Edison's Steam Services is our guest.
Con Edison crews travel to Louisiana to help restore customers impacted by Hurricane Ida. Listen to Patrick Hanley from Bronx Westchester overhead recount his experiences from bunking on rodeo grounds to restoring an animal shelter and enjoying local cuisine and making new friends.
The hydrogen rainbow is the topic as Current Thought continues its look at clean energy. Con Edison's Silvia Khurrum gives us the basics on the hydrogen and its potential in our clean energy future.
Want to know more about green energy? Listen to John Catuogno, Con Edison's energy forecaster talk about fusion - a promising clean energy source. Fusion energy mimics the sun -- it's safer than fission, self-sustain, clean and reliable.
Con Edison is all in on EVs. Hear what Con Edison's Lenny Singh has to say about how we're working to reduce transportation's carbon footprint.
In this episode of Plugged In we take a closer look at Con Edison’s award-winning commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion with Joan Jacobs, Vice President of Learning and Inclusion and Nicole Leon, Director of Diversity.
Many homeowners interested in reducing their carbon footprint are choosing to switch to mini-split heat pumps to heat and cool their homes. These devices use energy very effectively, delivering one-and-a-half to three times more heat energy to a building than the electrical energy they consume. Steven Pak from the Con Edison Energy Efficiency team explains how mini-splits work and what are the advantages to installing them in your home. Learn more in this episode of “Current Thought" and on our website at coned.com/minisplit
Listen to Walter Alvarado Vice President of System and Transmission Operations share Con Edison's plan for building three new transmission lines. The project will boost the use of renewable energy in the region when it comes on line and reduce the need for old fossil fuel peaker plants.
Hear how Con Edison is leading the way energy companies are thinking about climate change—designing the grid of the future to improve resiliency and sustainability. Con Edison’s manager of strategic planning, Charles Viemeister and @MichaelGerrard, founder and director of Columbia Law’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law highlight the plans.
Con Edison and its partners Lion Electric and Posi-Plus are developing the country's first all-electric utility bucket truck capable of performing the full range of work required. This class 8 truck will be able to put in a full day's work, lift a line worker 60 feet into the air, travel 130 miles and top off its batteries in about eight hours. It is expected to be on the road in 2022.
Click the link for more information: https://bit.ly/3m6OxOR
February is Black History Month. But between February 2020 and February 2021, the experience has been marked by unprecedented events. Listen to a frank discussion in Con Edison’s podcast “Plugged In” about the meaning and impact of Black History Month with company employees Lance Becca, Vice President for Staten Island Electric Operations, Christianna Ambo-Jones, a manager for Energy Efficiency, and Nikolai Wolfe, an attorney in the Law Department.
Manhattan's East River Tidal project is changing water currents to electrical currents and unlocking the potential for New York's newest renewable energy technology. It's predictable, reliable, and sustainable and now Manhattan Islanders will be using electricity generated by this project to help meet New York's clean energy goals. Find out more about this fascinating project and what's next in tidal energy generation on part two of "Current Thought" with Verdant Power, Inc.'s Dean Corren. Part 2
Matt Ketschke the new president of Con Edison of New York, and the new senior vice president of customer energy solutions, Lenny Singh talk about energy trends in 2021.
Tidal energy is renewable energy harnessed by the natural rise and fall of ocean tides using technologies like turbines to generate electricity. It’s not widely used but can be more predictable than the sun and wind. Con Edison engineers in research and development are exploring its reliability and uses. Learn more in this episode of “Current Thought" and on our website: https://bit.ly/3rlq2Qm. Part 1
Move over rooftop solar panels, vertical solar farms are coming! With more than 10 million windows in Manhattan alone, Con Edison is keeping close tabs on the technology that can change a window pane into a solar energy generator, creating a new energy source without altering New York’s spectacular skyline. Learn more in this episode of our new podcast, “Current Thought."
Con Edison’s Bobby Kennedy, his team and the University of Albany are taking a hyper-local look at New York City weather. With 17 newly installed weather stations that measure wind, rain, snow, air and even river temperatures, providing hyper local data to find the so-called “ground truth.” With that data, trends can be better identified to drive decisions on everything from climate change to storm hardening the grid. Learn more in this episode of our new podcast, “Current Thought.”
The idea sprang from NASA’s space exploration: a device that breaks up rocks without the ear-shattering roar of a pneumatic drill. Con Edison engineers are developing a “quiet jackhammer” for use in the streets of New York. Silvia Khurrum, senior engineer in Research & Development, explains the breakthrough in Con Edison’s “Current Thought” podcast. She says it hums like a vacuum cleaner. And that’ll be music to our ears.
Con Edison engineers are repurposing technology used to spot trouble in electric infrastructure to spot check for coronavirus. Thermal cameras, normally used to find temperature fluctuations in ductwork, ultraviolet lights and even safety glasses for field crews have new-found purposes in the effort to provide a healthy workplace. Learn more in this episode of our new podcast, “Current Thought.”
Con Edison’s Matthew Ketschke, senior vice president of Customer Energy Solutions, discusses key clean energy trends and what they mean for customers. Ketschke, who will become president of Consolidated Edison of New York on Jan. 1, offers his insights on:
- Climate change
- Renewable energy
- Artificial intelligence
- Electric vehicles
- Geothermal heat pumps
www.coned.com/CleanEnergyForAll
Extreme heat, coastal storm surge, inland flooding and more violent storms are the most significant climate-driven impacts to Con Edison’s energy delivery systems and its customers through the 21st century, according to a new report. The study coned.com/resiliency, evaluated present-day infrastructure, design specifications, and procedures against expected climate change to better understand its future impact on Con Edison’s energy delivery systems. Hear more from the report’s authors.
In the latest episode of “Plugged In,” noted energy expert Dr. Ted Kury of the Public Utility Research Center at the University of Florida gives his take on the two big issues confronting energy companies in 2020: severe weather and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Con Edison’s 14,000 employees joined with millions of people around the world in reaction to the police killing of George Floyd. But at the energy company, employees embraced each other to create something healing, loving, and honest. “People were looking for a way to talk about what’s going on,” said Catherine Lewis, a director in Emergency Preparedness and president of the employee resource group BUILD.
So several employees from BUILD, which stands for Blacks United in Leadership and Development, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion set up TEAMS sessions for them to come together.
“It was like floodgates opened,” said Nicole Leon, director of Diversity and Inclusion. “This has hit on a sensitive nerve. People have been holding their true feelings in for years.”
Hear more about this successful approach to employee/corporate communications in this podcast. For more information on BUILD, email BUILDerg@coned.com
The COVID-19 pandemic is transforming the way many of us work. For large, public corporations like Con Edison, that transformation covers a wide scope of departments and subjects, including protecting the health and mental well-being of employees, as well as assisting customers.
Con Edison set up Pandemic Teams even before the virus became an epidemic. In this latest Plugged In podcast, Maureen Kreider, a board-certified nurse practitioner and manager of the company’s Wellness Center; and Lauren O’Connell, a manager of Emergency Preparedness, talk about how the teams have spent months managing these new challenges.
Listen to these easy tips to save energy and money - and help the environment - while working or studying from home this summer. A Con Edison energy efficiency expert outlines ways to save in the kitchen, the bedroom, all-around your home for yourself and the entire family.
We are all guilty of unconscious bias. At one time or another, people attach learned stereotypes, instant judgements, towards others. These hidden biases are unintentional and automatic. They are also harmful, even debilitating. Con Edison is launching training to curb unconscious bias among its employees in order to provide a fairer, more comfortable, more equitable workspace. Learn more about unconscious bias and how to remedy it here.
Con Edison’s Matthew Ketschke, senior vice president of Customer Energy Solutions, discusses key energy trends and what they mean for customers. Listen to Plugged In to hear what Ketschke has to say on:
- Climate change
- Renewable energy
- Artificial intelligence
- Electric vehicles
- Cyber security
- Geothermal heat pumps Additional episodes of Plugged In are available here.
Not much is expected out of Washington this new year regarding the power industry. But the New York State legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo in Albany are expected to take action on several key fronts. One would be to appoint a panel to carry out the goals and emission restrictions required of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Hear what else will be uppermost in the new year with our guests Jason Litwak and Christian Malanga with Con Edison's government affairs.
Con Edison engineers discuss the scientific principles in "The Current War," the new Hollywood movie about Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse.
It’s an exciting time for battery storage. Technology is improving and prices are declining. Energy storage - being able to save electricity made from the sun or wind for later use - is an increasingly vital keystone in our nation’s energy future. John Schaaf, managing director of Con Edison Battery Storage, part of Con Edison Inc’s Clean Energy Businesses, explains how solar energy can be saved for a rainy day, and how that improves our world.
Con Edison is challenging the federal Environmental Protection Agency to retain authority to utilize a wide range of regulatory measures to combat climate change. Listen to the podcast to learn why Con Edison joined the Power Companies Climate Coalition, made up of nine electric energy companies, along with 29 states and several environmental groups, to stop the EPA from weakening emissions control measures.
“It’s the right thing to do,” says a Con Edison government affairs manager. If allowed, the changes would have a negative impact on utilities, their customers and the planet. Con Edison is the second largest producer of solar energy in North America, has reduced its own carbon emissions by 49 percent since 2005, and has invested heavily to encourage customers to consider solar, battery storage, energy efficiency, geothermal, and electric vehicles.
Con Edison will be participating in the WorldPRIDE Stonewall 50 march this June in New York City. This podcast is about how the energy company is preparing for the event and why diversity and inclusion is so important to our company.
Change is good. It’s been 140 years since Thomas Edison patented the incandescent light bulb—creating the primordial soup of innovation that sparked the development of the first electrical grid supplying New York the energy to fulfill its destiny as the city that never sleeps. Changing to the newest technology in lighting would make Thomas Edison proud and might be a catalyst for the energy grid of the future.
Here’s why: LEDs use less energy—reducing your carbon footprint and saving money on your energy bill. And that’s significant since lighting accounts for about 20 percent of the typical home energy bill. LEDs generate less heat, which is especially great in the summer months, and don’t need to be changed as often. LEDs last at least 15 times longer than their inefficient incandescent relatives.
To make the change to LEDs easier, Con Edison is offering instant rebates. Save up to $3 per bulb at check-out, then save even more in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
https://www.coned.com/en/save-money/rebates-incentives-tax-credits/rebates-incentives-tax-credits-for-residential-customers/save-by-switching-to-leds
To learn more listen to our podcast on the history of the light bulb and how to save on your electric bill.
In this 'Plugged In' episode we speak to three Con Edison employees who have unique roles in keeping your power going. Meet our meteorologist, energy analyst and program auditor. You'll be surprised with what they got to say.
You’re listening to Plugged In, Con Edison’s podcast about everything related to energy. That’s right, we’re the energy company of New York City and Westchester County.
In this episode we talk about data protection and privacy. Here's our interview with Mikhail Falkovich, Con Edison Director of Information Security.
FOUR 2019 ENERGY TRENDS FROM CON EDISON The Year of the ‘Smart’ Revolution
The energy industry is evolving rapidly, as consumers seek greater access to renewables, electric vehicles and other products and services that “smart” technology makes possible.
In the latest Plugged In podcast, Con Edison’s Matt Ketschke gives an expert’s perspective about four energy trends to watch out for in 2019.
“This smart revolution is really being driven by technology,” said Ketschke, senior vice president, Customer Energy Solutions. “In the energy sector it’s technology that allows you to control your temperature and energy use with these ‘smart’ devices that are proliferating throughout our economy.
“We are making the supply of electricity cleaner, so we can help customers switch from carbon-based fuels like oil, to renewable electricity,” Ketschke said. This is lowering our society’s overall carbon emissions and helps our customers reduce their energy costs."
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Smart Technology – Smart meters, smart thermostats, smart appliances . . . sense a theme here? In our podcast we discuss tools that give customers more control over their energy usage and costs.
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Large Scale Renewables– With our recent $1.6 billion purchase of 981 megawatts of renewable production, Con Edison became the second largest solar energy producer in North America. The cost of solar energy is now competitive with power generated with traditional sources.
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Energy Storage– As customers seek more renewable energy, the potential benefits of battery storage rise. Also needed is the ability to store energy and then dispatch it when our customers need it the most.
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Electric Vehicles – The cost of electric vehicles has dropped dramatically, making EVs an attractive economic and environmental alternative to gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. Con Edison is testing the viability of several models for making it easier for consumers to charge and operate EVs.
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues and $50 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, N.Y.
Hear Con Edison Government Relations officials Jason Litwak and Christian Malanga discuss the impact this year's elections will have on state and national energy policy.
This is a podcast of three people's lives. Three people from different walks of life, different challenges and paths, and different loves. But they all come together to make your life better, to make your life as New Yorker's full of energy, undisrupted energy.
We’re calling this podcast series “Power Jobs” and we will be brining you new installments from time to time.
Welcome to Plugged In, Con Edison’s podcast about all things related to energy. This episode is about how to prepare for natural disasters. We speak to our energy experts about what steps are taken to ensure you have power and a speedy restoration. We also speak with a representative from World Cares Center to learn what you can physically do to prepare yourselves and your families.
Mother Nature can throw more at us than just hurricanes, heat waves, and Nor’easters. Sometimes major storms are from out of this world.
Monitoring solar flares is part of Con Edison’s strategy to make sure New York City and Westchester customers have continued reliable energy service.
Solar flares release clouds of charged particles that interact with the Earth’s magnetic field creating fluctuations in electricity, known as Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC). Con Edison uses special GIC sensors to monitor unusual currents and uses strategies like early awareness protocols, mobilizing local power reserves to support voltage and de-loading vulnerable transformers to protect them from overheating.
“Rain or shine, the sun ultimately calls the shots,” says, Michael Berlinger, a Con Edison meteorologist. “We can’t predict when solar flares are going to happen. But we can anticipate and predict their impact on our equipment once they occur and then do whatever is necessary to keep the power on.”
Solar flares are rare and cyclical. While solar activity has been quiet for the last few years, Con Edison recognizes that as with hurricanes, early warning capabilities and investment in technology will enable the company to take preventive actions to keep the power running.
New York City is under an extreme heat wave, learn about energy savings tips and how the scorching temperatures impact the electric system. We interview two experts who share their knowledge to help you beat the heat and save money.
In this installment of “Plugged In,” Scott Montgomery, an energy expert specializing in East Asia, shares his thoughts on whether the Trump-Kim summit may open opportunities for North Korea to rebuild its energy infrastructure, perhaps with help from China, South Korea and Japan. Montgomery is also a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The energy industry is going through a significant evolution. There is a growing switch to renewables such as solar, battery and other distributed energy resources, and in some cases, a new business model for the energy industry as well.
Con Edison and Orange & Rockland Utilities head to Puerto Rico to help restore power after Hurricane Maria nearly destroyed the island.
The crooks trying to take money from Con Edison customers have shown a new level of resourcefulness this year.
The scammers are calling customers and claiming they owe Con Edison a deposit for their smart meter. They then tell the customer to make an immediate payment by Bitcoin or the company will turn off their power.
These are lies. Con Edison does not require deposits for the smart meters it is installing at homes and businesses across New York City and Westchester County. The company does not accept payment by Bitcoin. Con Edison does not call customers and demand immediate payment.
“These scammers take tens of thousands of dollars a year from our customers by sounding sincere while they lie,” said Jim Duggan, a manager in Con Edison’s Corporate Security department. “We want our customers to be able to recognize signs that someone is a professional criminal trying to steal from them.”
Con Edison is joining more than 100 electric, gas and water providers from North America in dedicating next week to educating customers on how they can avoid becoming victims. The companies, members of Utilities United Against Scams, have declared Nov. 11 to Nov. 17 to be National Utility Scam Awareness Week and next Wednesday to be National Utility Scam Awareness Day.
It's the time of the year when lots of us are making final preparations -- for vacations, graduations, weddings, and summer jobs. A big energy company like Con Edison is busy now too. Making final preps for what is the industry's busiest time of the year, summer, followed by storm season. We interview Con Edison's Senior VP for Electric Operations, Bob Schimmenti to learn about new technology and ways the NYC electric grid is ready.
Wonder Woman isn’t only fighting crime on the big screen this summer. She, and the other Justice League of America superheroes, are taking on criminals who pose as Con Edison employees in the newest storyline on our Con Edison Heroes app: https://www.coned.com/heroes/
Tune in to our latest podcast to learn why we’ve joined forces with DC Comics’ Justice League of America from Customer Operations Senior Specialist Chris Gallo and Diversity & Inclusion Director Nicole Leon.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES SHAPE ENERGY CONSUMPTION Con Edison’s Podcast Powers Through In’s & Out’s
PluggedIn
NEW YORK –The energy industry is going through a significant evolution. There is a growing switch to renewables such as solar, battery and other distributed energy resources, and in some cases, a new business model for the energy industry as well.
Con Edison’s podcast, called “Plugged-In” takes an insider’s look into several trends: the transition of central power generation, batteries, electric vehicles, stagnant electric demand, and consumer consumption.
the podcast, Con Edison’s Matt Ketschke, vice president of Distributed Resources Integration talks about these major trends and what they mean.
“Technology is giving us ways to offer our customers new products and services and to keep our system reliable,” said Ketschke. “We want to be a leader in creating in the transformation of our industry We’ve reached a milestone in NYC, producing more than 100 megawatts of clean renewable power – that’s enough to power 15,000 homes.”
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues and $48 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than three million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit us at www.conEd.com, @ConEdison
This is a gas safety podcast with Con Edison's senior vice-president of gas operations and Chris Gallo, Con Edison's senior manager with customer outreach.
Smell Gas. Act Fast. Gas leaks can create fires and explosions. It's important that you and your family know how to recognize a gas leak and what to do if you suspect a leak.
How to Recognize a Gas Leak
—A distinctive, strong odor similar to rotten eggs See—A white cloud, mist, fog, bubbles in standing water, blowing dust, or vegetation that appears to be dead or dying for no reason Hear—Roaring, hissing, or whistling
Why Natural Gas Smells Like Rotten Eggs
Natural gas doesn’t actually smell like anything. That’s why we add a chemical called methyl mercaptan (methanethiol) to natural gas so you’ll be able to smell it in case of a leak. Mercaptan has a very distinct and unpleasant odor that many people compare to the smell of rotten eggs. What to Do If You Think There Is a Gas Leak
If the odor is strong, leave immediately and take others with you. If you are outside, leave the area immediately. Don’t light a match or smoke, turn appliances or lights on or off (including flashlights), use a telephone, or start a car. Doing so can produce sparks that might cause the gas to explode. Find a phone away from the area and call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). You can report leaks anonymously. Don’t assume someone else will report it. National Grid customers should call 1-718-643-4050. Follow directions from emergency responders who are on site.
This is a discussion about the progress of women in advanced work roles at Con Edison, spearheaded by the movie 'Hidden Figures.' We speak with female engineers and an architect to get insight into how they help encourage other women to in advance their careers.