Energy Central

How utilities get field data when GNSS fails

Utilities depend on accurate field data to keep maps current, manage vegetation, and respond quickly when the grid is under stress, but that gets much harder when the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) isn’t reliable, access is restricted, or conditions make it unsafe for crews to get close. In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Kinsey Grant Baker chats with Laser Tech’s Derrick Reish, Steve Colburn, and Joe Cronn to explore how utilities collect critical measurements in urban, forested, and GNSS-denied environments without sacrificing speed, safety, or data quality. The conversation digs into the real-world consequences of measurement gaps across utility workflows, from planning and compliance to emergency response and outage recovery. To explore how laser rangefinders can help fill those gaps in the field, Derrick, Steve, and Joe walk through how the tools work, when utilities realize they need them, what a pilot or deployment typically looks like, and what best practices help teams get the most value from them. For utility leaders looking to maintain reliable data in difficult conditions, this episodes offers a practical look at how to measure what matters when the usual tools fall short. Thanks to Laser Tech for sponsoring this episode. Collect accurate asset positions in GNSS-impaired environments with LaserGIS. Using offset laser measurement methods, field crews can maximize productivity while working more efficiently in the field. When crews can collect GIS data faster, staying under budget becomes much more likely. And with laser offset workflows, teams can save time while still capturing critical measurement data—all from safe locations. Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe]

Debunking the red vs. blue energy myth

Energy has become one of the most politically charged topics in the country, but is the red-vs-blue framing actually helping us understand what is happening in the power sector? Or is it a shorthand that creates assumptions that don’t hold up to scrutiny? In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Energy Central’s Community Manager Matt Chester to dig into a recent piece he published to explore just those questions. This conversation explores why energy so often gets treated like a political litmus test, and what that perspective misses about how utilities actually make decisions. They dig into the data behind coal retirements, nuclear adoption, and other hot topics in the world of energy policy to show that the real picture is far more complicated than oversimplified partisan talking points suggest. At its core, this episode asks a simple but important question: what happens when the industry stops assuming every energy issue is purely political and starts looking at the actual economics, infrastructure, and customer realities underneath? Energy Isn’t Red vs. Blue. So Why Do We Keep Pretending It Is? ****https://energycentral.substack.com/p/energy-isnt-red-vs-blue-so-why-do [https://energycentral.substack.com/p/energy-isnt-red-vs-blue-so-why-do] Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe]

Inside PSE&G's $30B plan to storm-proof the power grid

Superstorm Sandy was a turning point for utilities in New Jersey. And for PSE&G, it became the catalyst for one of the most ambitious resilience and hardening efforts in the country. In this episode, host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Paul Toscarelli, VP of Electric Operations at PSE&G to revisit the storm’s impact, the operational realities of recovery, and how the company turned that experience into a long-term modernization and emergency preparedness playbook. Paul walks through what Sandy looked like on the ground, how the utility’s response priorities were shaped in the moment, and what immediate lessons changed the utility’s approach to business continuity, resilience planning, and system hardening. Now a decade from that moment, this conversation explores the scale of the investments that followed, including the elevation of dozens of substations and installation of thousands of smart switching devices. How did those investments hold up? How does today’s landscape of electrification, distributed energy, and AI-driven load growth all change that playbook? Paul answers these questions and more on what other utilities can learn from New Jersey’s experience when it comes to preparing for the storms ahead. PSE&G being Jersey Ready: https://vimeo.com/1080299589/3f652b5220?share=copy&fl=cl&fe=ci [https://vimeo.com/1080299589/3f652b5220?share=copy&fl=cl&fe=ci] Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe]

When AI finally popped at Southern Company

Utilities everywhere are experimenting with what AI can do in one-off tools and pilot programs, but very few are actually scaling it across the enterprise. But when it comes to truly looking at the big picture of how AI can be a force multiplier, Southern Company is leading the way. To learn how and why the utility is taking a more comprehensive approach, host Kinsey Grant Baker chats with Southern Company’s Joyce Solomon, AMI Analytics and Data Science Manager, along with the utility’s partner in CGI’s Doug Leal, VP Consulting, Data & Analytics. Their conversation looks at how Southern Company, working with CGI, moved beyond proofs-of-concept to build the platform, governance, and culture needed for AI to actually take hold in the business. The story here is not just about technology, it’s about how innovation starts in one place and then begins to “pop” across the organization. From exploring the platform-first approach to how to frame AI as a tool that augments workers rather than replacing them, this episode highlights the key lessons learned to ensure that utilities successfully move from cautious interest to enterprise-wide momentum. Thanks to CGI for sponsoring this episode. CGI is among the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world. CGI is insights-driven and outcomes-based to help accelerate returns on your investments. Learn more about CGI here: https://www.cgi.com/us/en-us/artificial-intelligence [https://www.cgi.com/us/en-us/artificial-intelligence] Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe]

The utility's new tools to fight an old foe: wildfires

Wildfires are no longer a once-in-a-while risk for utilities. These days, they are a growing operational, financial, and human crisis. And power companies can’t wait and react anymore, they need to be proactive. In this episode, podcast host Kinsey Grant Baker sits down with Skye Perry, VP of Utilities at Fire Neural Network (FNN), to discuss how the scale of wildfire damage has surged, why utilities are under increasing pressure to show a tangible “standard of care,” and how the legal and reputational stakes have changed the way utilities think about risk. From the new tools in lightning detection, AI modeling, and geospatial data to the effectiveness of public safety power shutoffs, utility communications, and why education remains one of the biggest bottlenecks to broader adoption of wildfire technology, Skye shares an unmistakable playbook for utilities moving forward. FountaiNN: https://www.fireneuralnetwork.com/fountainn [https://www.fireneuralnetwork.com/fountainn] Signup for the Energy Central Daily Newsletter: https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://energycentral.beehiiv.com/subscribe]