Energy Central

Distributech is the electric utility industry’s biggest annual event, and this episode of Power Perspectives breaks down what actually mattered on the ground. Host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by Energy Central Community Manager Matt Chester to recap the most important conversations, trends, and takeaways from this year’s conference.From affordability and data centers to AI and distributed energy resources, this discussion goes beyond buzzwords to focus on how utilities are defining and redefining problems and (finally) turning those into tangible action. Rather than chasing one-size-fits-all solutions, the industry is grappling with scale, coordination, and real-world constraints that affect customers, regulators, and operators alike.Kinsey and Matt unpack how affordability emerged as a central theme across panels, demos, and side conversations, and why data quality, storytelling, and collaboration are becoming just as important as technology itself. They also explore how AI and DERs are being reframed—not just as challenges, but as tools that can help utilities plan, forecast, and respond more effectively. If you missed the chance to be in San Diego with the movers and shakers of the power sector at DTech 2026, consider this conversation the antidote to your FOMO.Learnings posted by Energy Central during DTech—Keynotes are great, key relationships are better. Let’s really connect at DTech this year! https://energycentral.substack.com/p/keynotes-are-great-key-relationshipsStanding Room Only at DTech 2026: Day 1 Set the Tone: https://energycentral.substack.com/p/standing-room-only-at-dtech-2026Bagels, Brainpower, and Big Questions: Kicking Off DTECH the Right Way: https://energycentral.substack.com/p/bagels-brainpower-and-big-questionsAI Didn’t Steal the Show at DTech 2026 — It Powered It (Day 2 Recap): https://energycentral.substack.com/p/ai-didnt-steal-the-show-at-dtechWhen the Industry Starts to Jam: A Day 3 DistribuTECH Recap: https://energycentral.substack.com/p/when-the-industry-starts-to-jam-aSignup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

For decades, energy policy lived mostly in the background of American politics—important, but rarely decisive at the ballot box. After the 2025 election season, we have evidence of how that’s no longer the case. Rising electricity bills frustrating voters, visible grid strain they want to point to data centers as the culprit, and an overall competing narratives around affordability and climate policy have pushed energy squarely into the center of electoral politics.In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker welcomes back a guest who was featured on one of 2025 hottest episodes of Power Perspectives: Andrea Clabough, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center. In this conversation, Clabough unpacks what the most recent state-level elections reveal about how voters are thinking about energy—and what those lessons signal for the 2026 midterm elections that are already coming into focus.Clabough reflects on the 2025 gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, where energy affordability, grid readiness, and future investment strategies emerged as unexpectedly salient themes, as well as how the first year under Trump 2.0 played out compared with her previous predictions. For anyone who already has November 3, 2026, circled on their calendars, this conversation will serve as your primer for which races to watch, what external factors could influence outcomes, and what the dominant energy narrative may be once the electoral dust settles.AI across AC (AIxAC) initiative: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/issue/artificial-intelligence/Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

What’s the most notable constraint on the energy transition? It’s not generation or technology, but the biggest slowdown is coming from the grid side and the ability to plan, operate, and scale power systems fast enough to meet demand.That’s according to Sabine Erlinghagen, CEO of Siemens Grid Software, and guest on this episode of Power Perspectives. Erlinghagen joins host Kinsey Grant Baker to explore why the grid has become the new bottleneck and how digitalization is working to turn it into a backbone for electrification, AI-driven load growth, and a net-zero future.Erlingher highlights how advanced grid software, digital twins, and staged automation are changing the way utilities operate. She also digs into what “autonomous grids” really mean in practice, why trust and transparency are critical as automation increases, and how utilities can move step-by-step from operator support to closed-loop control without compromising reliability. For utility leaders navigating unprecedented load growth and complexity, this conversation offers a grounded, practical roadmap for scaling the grid to not just be bigger but also smarter.And thanks to our partner, Siemens Grid Software, for making this episode possible. Siemens Grid Software enables power utilities to accelerate and secure the energy transition. Its unique software and service portfolio empowers transmission and distribution grid operators to plan and operate the grid of tomorrow – today.  Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

As the electric grid faces accelerating pressure from electrification, data center growth, and extreme weather, much of the public conversation fixates on generation shortfalls and capacity additions. But beneath those headlines, some of the most consequential work is happening where customers actually experience the grid: on the wires.In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker chats with Kevin Walker, President and CEO of Duquesne Light Holdings, to explore how a T&D–focused utility is redefining what leadership and innovation look like in today’s ever-evolving power sector. And while Duquesne Light may be smaller than many U.S. utilities, under Walker’s leadership they are punching above their weight and demonstrating that reliability, affordability, and resilience are earned through delivery, not scale.Walker shares how DLC thinks about resource adequacy without owning generation assets, how the utility is positioning itself to withstand the twin pressures of decarbonization and electrification, and how their unique flexibility enables smarter risk-taking. Decisionmakers across the power sector can learn a lot from Walker’s approach to leadership and perspective on navigating the urgent and competing priorities across the industry in 2026 and beyond.Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

For decades, load forecasting was one of the more stable disciplines in utility planning. Growth was incremental, assumptions were well understood, and long-term investments could be made with reasonable confidence.That era is over.In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Darrin Kinney, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Integral Analytics, to unpack why uncertainty—not growth itself—has become the defining challenge for grid planners. With the explosive rise of data centers and AI-driven demand introducing new load profiles and a heightened level of handwringing from planners, we’re seeing previously unseen load profiles: lumpy, opaque, fast-moving, and often speculative.During the conversation, Kinney explains why traditional single-scenario forecasting is no longer sufficient in this environment and shares examples where forecast errors are already showing up across the United States and what those missteps reveal about current planning frameworks. But all is not lost, as advanced analytics and AI tools are already being used to stress-test assumptions, model competing futures, and guide capital investment decisions. Listen in to learn how we can re-instill long-term confidence for utilities navigating an increasingly complex energy system.And thanks to our partner, Integral Analytics, for making this episode possible. Integral Analytics provides utilities with advanced load forecasting and scenario-based planning tools designed to address growing uncertainty from data centers, electrification, and emerging technologies. Their work supports more informed grid planning and long-term system resilience. For more information, or to check out their latest white paper on Data Centers and how to bubble-proof your load forecasting, visit them at https://integralanalytics.comSignup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribePlanning for the Unknown: Data Centers, Agentic AI, and the End of One-Scenario Forecasting: https://integralanalytics.com/data-center/

Note: This episode was recorded in late November 2025. To keep up with the (many) updates to EPA policymaking, permitting reform, and more that have happened since this conversation...might we suggest the Energy Central Daily Newsletter?The clean energy transition is running into a critical constraint, and it’s not because of technology, capital, or ambition. Instead the bottleneck comes from how energy projects get approved.Permitting has become one of the most consequential—and contested—issues in U.S. energy policy. Transmission lines, renewable generation, and other major infrastructure projects are facing longer timelines, greater uncertainty, and growing political friction. At the same time, demand for electricity is rising fast, and reliability and affordability are back at the center of public concern.In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker plays moderator for a friendly but critical debate between two of the country’s leading energy law scholars, James Coleman of the University of Minnesota and David Adelman of the University of Texas. While both agree that permitting is a serious bottleneck, they bring distinct perspectives on why the system looks the way it does and how far reform should go. Drawing on years of research and policy engagement, Coleman and Adelman walk through how today’s permitting framework evolved, where the biggest procedural and political bottlenecks lie, and why recent reform efforts have produced mixed results.Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Physical security has become one of the grid’s most urgent and most misunderstood challenges. While cybersecurity rightly commands attention, attacks on substations and critical infrastructure are rising in frequency, sophistication, and intent. And unlike cyber threats, physical attacks don’t require advanced tools—just access, time, and opportunity.To dive into this essential area of concern for utility leaders, this episodes sees host Kinsey Grant Baker joined by Brent Warzocha, Vice President of Sales at 3B Protection. Brent helps to unpack what’s really changing in the physical threat landscape and what utilities can realistically do about it.From understanding today’s threat actors to implementing pragmatic “deter, detect, delay, respond” frameworks, this conversation focuses on scalable solutions utilities can deploy now. Brent also dives into the real cost of inaction, the friction utilities face in prioritizing physical security, and how leaders can balance budgets, compliance, and resilience without slowing projects down.And thanks to our partner, 3B Protection, for making this episode possible. 3B Protection is in the business of helping organizations protect their people, property and critical assets. The last ten years or so has seen significant ballistic activity in and around electrical substations that are part of the United States’s critical infrastructure and 3B offers a line of product to help protect those substations from malicious attacks. 3B has tested their products to the extreme in a way that far exceeds UL minimums. And not just for ballistics – our walls are thoroughly tested against forced entry, vehicle crashes and blast as well.Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Charles Hua, the founder and executive director of PowerLines, dives into the pressing need for modern utility regulations. He reveals how outdated systems are burdening consumers and hindering clean energy progress. Topics include the role of AI in optimizing the grid, the importance of equity in regulation, and strategies to enhance customer engagement. Charles shares insights on how proactive public utility commissioners can drive innovative changes, ensuring affordability and transparency in energy costs for all.

Paul Quinlan, Director of Energy Research at ScottMadden, shares insights on how AI is reshaping utilities. He discusses the challenges of traditional load forecasting given AI's rise and the implications for national security in the U.S.-China context. Paul highlights practical AI applications, from predictive maintenance to outage forecasting, showing how utilities can optimize operations. He also addresses the evolving workforce needs, emphasizing the importance of AI-enabled skills and innovative training methods for future utility roles.

Setting a zero-carbon target is one thing. Delivering it while keeping power reliable and affordable is something else entirely.In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker is joined by Rachel Huang, Director of Distributed Energy Solutions at SMUD, one of the first U.S. utilities to commit to a zero-carbon electricity supply by 2030. Rachel sits at the center of that effort, translating long-term climate ambition into practical electrification programs, measurable customer savings, and grid-ready investments.Listen in as Rachel steps through how SMUD defines “zero carbon” in concrete terms, where the utility stands today, and the lessons from this ongoing pursuit. For utility leaders navigating the tension between climate goals, affordability, and public perception, this conversation offers a rare, data-driven look at what it takes to move from aspiration to execution.Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe