In early May, EEI and several energy industry partners, along with organizations that represent firefighters, scientists, tech innovators, and other stakeholders, joined together to form the Partners in Wildfire Prevention coalition. The goal is to advance actionable, evidence-based policy solutions that will make communities and the nation more prepared to handle the growing wildfire threat.
On this episode, EEI Managing Director of Public Affairs Jeff Ostermayer is joined by Partners in Wildfire Prevention Communications Director Chet Wade to discuss the new coalition, federal policy that can support efforts to prevent wildfires, and how we can work together to mitigate wildfire risks and protect vulnerable communities.
Visit the Partners in Wildfire Prevention coalition website to learn more and sign up for updates: https://preventwildfires.org/.
This episode also is available on The Current, a podcast produced by EEI's We Stand for Energy platform: https://westandforenergy.com/.
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13:05
Enhancing Grid Resilience for a Reliable, Secure Energy Future
Grid resilience remains a top priority for investor-owned electric companies as extreme weather events become more frequent and electricity demand continues to rise. On this episode, Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May and ScottMadden Partner Marc Miller discuss efforts underway to strengthen grid infrastructure. They also highlight how customers benefit from resilience investments and share insights on how to keep electricity costs for customers as low as possible.
This episode is sponsored by ScottMadden, which provides consulting services ranging from strategic planning through implementation across industries. With more than four decades of expertise in transmission and distribution, ScottMadden brings a deep perspective of how electric company functions are evolving to integrate grid edge technologies. Learn more here.
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35:40
Pat Vincent-Collawn on EEI's 2025 Policy Priorities
EEI interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn, who also serves as chairman and CEO of TXNM Energy, has been a leader in the electric power industry for more than 30 years. As one of the longest-serving directors on the EEI board, she has helped to shape EEI’s strategy for more than a decade.
On this episode, Vincent-Collawn discusses some of today’s most pressing industry issues, including rising demand for electricity, the efforts underway to enhance grid resilience, and our sector’s role in strengthening America’s energy security. She also discusses how our sector works with new presidential administrations and handles the flurry of executive orders and cabinet appointments that follow inauguration day.
This episode is sponsored by Sense, a company that embeds its software in next-generation smart meters, unlocking real-time insight into the home and grid. Learn more here.
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18:29
Data-Driven Approaches for Effective Storm Responses
Electric companies are adopting advanced data analysis tools that provide more accurate predictions before a weather event to help optimize preparation efforts and support a faster response if outages occur.
On this episode, Pacific Gas and Electric Vice President of Emergency Preparedness and Response Angie Gibson; Southern Company Enterprise Data Analytics Director Shane Powell; and E Source Data Science Director Kyle Decker discuss their experiences with storm response analytics. They share valuable lessons learned while developing and deploying data-driven forecasting and restoration models.
This episode is sponsored by E Source, a utility-focused solution partner; learn more about their research, consulting, and data science offerings here.
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38:42
Powering the Future: Using AI and Grid Enhancements to Prepare for Rising Energy Demand
The energy grid is undergoing a major transformation, driven by AI, advanced technology, and strategic investments to meet growing demand and enhance resilience.
On this episode, Ameren Illinois Chairman and President Lenny Singh and Bidgely Co-Founder and CEO Abhay Gupta discuss the critical roles of grid investments and AI-powered solutions in modern energy planning. They also explore how data-driven insights are transforming reliability, customer engagement, and infrastructure planning, ensuring the grid is ready to meet the fastest pace of electricity demand growth in decades. This episode is sponsored by Bidgely, learn more about Bidgely's behind-the-meter load disaggregation technology here.
The Electric Perspectives podcast discusses the latest trends and issues shaping the electric power industry. Electric Perspectives is brought to you by the Edison Electric Institute.