Kellie De Pooter with G&W Electric Company

Scott MacKenzie hosts an industrial talk podcast featuring Kellie De Pooter, Global Director of Marketing and Communications at G&W Electric. Kellie discusses the growth of the DistribyTech event in Dallas, Texas, and the importance of collaboration with utilities. G&W Electric's booth features an innovation corner for customer feedback on new products. They focus on resiliency, reliability, and digitalization, using sensing technology and condition-based monitoring to improve grid performance. Kellie highlights a successful collaboration with a customer on a 69 kV apparatus. The conversation also touches on the increasing demand for power due to AI and data centers, emphasizing the need for efficient data utilization.

Action Items

• [ ] Integrate G&W's sensing technologies into their overhead reclosers and underground switches to provide more granular data to utilities.
• [ ] Explore ways to seamlessly integrate the data from G&W's solutions into utilities' own cloud/SCADA systems.
• [ ] Collaborate with customers to pilot G&W's new condition-based monitoring and asset management solutions.

Outline

Kellie De Pooter G&W Electric: Introduction and Event Overview

• Scott MacKenzie introduces the Industrial Talk podcast, highlighting its focus on industry innovations and professionals.
• Scott welcomes listeners and mentions the event being broadcasted from DistribuTech in Dallas, Texas.
• Scott introduces Kellie De Pooter, Global Director of Marketing and Communications for G&W Electric, and praises her previous appearances on the show.
• Kellie De Pooter confirms her presence at the event and discusses the growth of the event, noting its global expansion.

Kellie De Pooter's Role and G&W Electric's Booth

• Kellie De Pooter explains her role at G&W Electric, a 120-year-old company based in Chicago, and their products for utilities and commercial/industrial customers.
• Scott comments on the impressive booth setup by G&W Electric, which won an award last year.
• Kellie describes the innovation corner in their booth, which is invite-only and used to gather customer feedback on new, unmarketed products.
• The innovation corner allows for collaborative problem-solving and potential development of new solutions.

Challenges in the Utility Sector

• Scott and Kellie discuss the challenges faced by the utility sector, including increasing power demand and the need for modernization and digitalization.
• Kellie emphasizes the importance of resiliency and reliability of the grid, and the role of AI and other technologies in addressing these challenges.
• G&W Electric is investing in sensing technology and condition-based monitoring to help utilities make better decisions and improve grid reliability.
• The company is working with a partner to test and develop these technologies, with plans to scale them across the industry.

Data Integration and Analytics

• Scott inquires about the process of integrating data from G&W Electric's apparatus into the cloud and how it is analyzed.
• Kellie explains that the data is currently being pushed to the partner's cloud, but plans are in place to integrate with utilities' existing systems.
• The analytics provided by the partner help utilities identify issues and make more informed decisions.
• Scott and Kellie discuss the potential for real-time data to be fed to the ISO for better grid management.

Impact of AI and Data Centers

• Scott and Kellie discuss the impact of AI and data centers on the utility sector, noting the increasing demand for power and the need for efficient solutions.
• Kellie highlights the importance of leveraging data to improve decision-making and grid reliability.
• The conversation touches on the competition in the AI space and the need for rapid innovation to meet growing demands.
• Scott shares his experience with neural nets and the challenges of data analysis, emphasizing the need for actionable insights.

Customer Collaboration and Innovation

• Kellie shares a success story about a collaboration with a customer to develop a 69 kV apparatus, highlighting G&W Electric's focus on customer needs.
• Scott and Kellie discuss the importance of collaboration and listening to customer feedback to drive innovation.
• Kellie mentions the positive response from customers to the innovation corner and other solutions being showcased at the event.
• The conversation concludes with Scott praising Kelly's contributions and encouraging listeners to connect with her and G&W Electric.