Maybe you CAN Go Home Again

Maybe you CAN Go Home Again

As utilities navigate unprecedented change driven by electrification, AI, aging infrastructure, renewable energy, and rising customer expectations, public power utilities face a unique challenge: how do they modernize while keeping energy affordable and staying deeply connected to the communities they serve? In this episode, Tim sits down with Vanessa Barbarisi, incoming CEO & General Manager of the Springfield Utility Board (SUB), to explore the evolving role of municipal utilities in the energy transition. Drawing on leadership experience across investor-owned utilities, public power, and electric cooperatives, Vanessa shares why returning home to lead her hometown utility is both a personal and professional milestone, and why community remains the industry's greatest strength. Hosts Tim and Sara also have some fun exploring Springfield, Oregon's connection to The Simpsons, discuss what makes utility careers so rewarding, and wrap up with leadership lessons, AI, and a little Springfield trivia. -- Hosts: Tim Stafford & Sara Tupac Topic: How can municipal utilities balance affordability, reliability, customer expectations, and technological innovation while leading their communities through the energy transition? Overview: The future of utilities isn't one-size-fits-all. Every community has different energy needs, infrastructure challenges, customer expectations, and growth opportunities. Municipal utilities are uniquely positioned to respond quickly, build stronger community relationships, and tailor investments to local priorities. From grid modernization and AI to workforce development and water management, this conversation explores how utility leaders can navigate one of the most transformative periods in the industry's history while keeping customers at the center of every decision. Highlights: * The differences between investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives * Why affordability has become the defining challenge of the modern energy transition * How smaller utilities can leverage local knowledge to make smarter technology investments * The growing relationship between electricity, water, AI, and data center development * Why workforce development and skilled trades are critical to the future of utilities * How AI can improve utility operations while maintaining strong governance and customer trust * Leadership lessons on navigating complexity, building resilient teams, and creating cultures where people thrive Featuring insights from Springfield Utility Board CEO & General Manager Vanessa Barbarisi, this conversation explores how community-focused leadership, thoughtful innovation, and long-term planning will shape the next generation of public power utilities.

Batteries Included: The Future of Energy Storage

As electricity demand accelerates driven by AI, data centers, electrification, and economic growth, battery storage is moving from a niche technology to critical infrastructure. In this episode, Tim sits down with Jeff Monday, Chief Growth Officer at Fluence Energy, to explore why energy storage is becoming one of the most important tools for building a more reliable, affordable, and flexible grid. Drawing on his unique background leading growth at Apple and Qualcomm before entering the energy industry, Jeff shares an outsider's perspective on one of the fastest-changing sectors in the world. Hosts Tim and Sara also have some fun with battery trivia, explore the surprising history of energy storage, and discuss whether the famous "duck curve" could someday become a "snake curve" as utilities learn to better orchestrate distributed energy resources. -- Hosts: Tim Stafford & Sara Tupac Topic: What role will battery storage play in meeting the explosive growth in electricity demand while balancing reliability, affordability, and sustainability? Overview: Battery storage is no longer just a backup power source. It is becoming an active grid asset capable of responding in milliseconds, supporting renewable integration, reducing peak demand, improving resilience, and helping power the AI revolution. As utilities, policymakers, and technology companies race to meet unprecedented energy needs, storage is emerging as a critical piece of the future energy ecosystem. Highlights: * Why AI and data center growth are creating a new energy race * How battery storage supports reliability, affordability, and grid flexibility * Why flexibility, not just more generation, may be the key to the future grid * How utilities are evolving from operators to orchestrators of distributed energy resources * The impact of battery technology, supply chains, and domestic manufacturing on energy security * Lessons from global energy markets, including Australia, Europe, and the United States * What policymakers should understand about storage as critical infrastructure Featuring insights from Fluence Chief Growth Officer Jeff Monday, this conversation explores how batteries are reshaping the future of power and why the next chapter of the energy transition may depend as much on flexibility as generation.

Reinventing The Electric Grid

What if the biggest challenge facing the power industry isn’t technology, but trust? In this episode, Tim sits down with Michael Lee to explore “Retail 2.0,” the rise of distributed energy, and why the future grid depends on flexibility, customer engagement, and smarter orchestration, not just more infrastructure. From AI-driven demand to shifting incentives, this conversation challenges how we think about building the grid of the future. -- Hosts: Tim Stafford & Sara Tupac Topic: What happens when the grid shifts from a one-way system to a dynamic, customer-driven platform? Overview: As the energy landscape evolves, the path forward may not be about building more, but using what we have more intelligently. This episode explores how flexibility, coordination, and trust could redefine the future of power. Highlights: * The rise of “Retail 2.0” and why customer flexibility is the new competitive edge * How distributed energy resources (DERs) can reshape grid economics * Why trust, not technology, may be the industry’s biggest barrier * The impact of AI, data centers, and electrification on demand growth * Rethinking utility business models: from infrastructure builders to platform orchestrators

The Sustainable Grid – Balancing Reliability, Resilience, and Reality

In this special Earth Day episode, Tim and Sara take a step back from the headlines to explore one of the biggest levers we have to impact the planet: electricity. Because while Earth Day often brings to mind recycling, planting trees, or driving less, the reality is that nearly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity and heat production making the power sector central to any meaningful progress on sustainability. So, what’s actually moving the needle? Featuring insights from industry expert Mike Grable, this episode dives into the real-world challenges behind building a more sustainable grid from integrating renewables and scaling storage to managing explosive demand growth driven by AI and data centers. Along the way, Tim and Sara keep things grounded with a mix of optimism, hard truths, and a few reality checks, unpacking what’s working, what’s not, and where the industry still has work to do. -- Hosts: Tim Stafford & Sara Tupac Topic: What does sustainability really look like for the grid and can we achieve it without compromising reliability and affordability? Overview:As the push for cleaner energy accelerates, utilities are navigating a complex balancing act. Sustainability today isn’t just about reducing carbon — it’s about delivering resilient, reliable, and affordable power in a world of growing demand and increasing uncertainty. Highlights: * Why electricity is one of the biggest drivers of global emissions and opportunity  * How sustainability and reliability are becoming fundamentally linked  * The realities of integrating renewables, storage, and new technologies  * What extreme weather events have taught us about grid resilience  * The growing impact of AI, electrification, and data center demand  * Why the energy transition is a mix of technologies, trade-offs, and timing

Power Under Pressure: Women Shaping the Future of Utility Leadership

What if the moment that changed your life also defined your life’s work? In this episode, Sara sits down with emergency management leader Mona Freels, whose career began at just nine years old after surviving a house fire that trapped her family inside. That experience led her to the Red Cross and ultimately to more than three decades of leadership across nonprofit, public, and utility sectors. Mona shares how emergency management has evolved into a formal profession, what it takes to lead during high-stakes crises, and why the most effective leaders aren’t chasing titles; they’re focused on mastering their craft. Hosts Sara and Tim also explore how utilities are adapting to increasingly complex emergencies, from wildfires to cascading infrastructure impacts, and why communication and coordination matter more than ever. -- Hosts: Sara Tupac & Tim Stafford Topic: How purpose-driven leadership, strong communication, and cross-sector coordination shape effective emergency management in an era of increasing risk. Overview: Emergency management isn’t just about responding to disasters. It’s about preparation, partnerships, and making critical decisions with incomplete information. This episode explores how utilities and emergency leaders can better support communities when it matters most. Highlights: * How a childhood house fire led Mona to a lifelong career in emergency management * Why leadership starts with self-awareness, not job titles * The unique strengths women bring to crisis leadership * How utilities prepare for complex, high-impact emergencies * Why “one voice” communication can make or break a response * The role of partnerships and interdependencies across critical infrastructure * How to stay calm, make decisions quickly, and support teams under pressure