Strategy & Planning

Excerpts of remarks by AVANGRID CEO Pedro Azagra Blázquez and UK Power Networks CEO Basil Scarsella.

Global experts discussed how to achieve electrification. Panels, discussions, chats, and sessions on the transition considered technologies, innovations, systems, and infrastructure, as well as human elements and trends.

“We’re about the only one with robust proprietary research and development. We’re by far the biggest partner with the Department of Energy on joint research. We’ve always viewed research and development as a way to develop the arrows in our quiver to influence the future.”

“Tom has been our industry’s clear leader in understanding the risks and importance of cybersecurity. Our country has benefited greatly because of his work in this area, and I think Tom will continue to lead in this space.”

“Vogtle is an incredible legacy project for Tom. Southern Company persevered when no other company did. Tom Fanning’s realistic optimism in our ability to get through that project has led us to where we are the only utility in the country bringing online over 2,000 nuclear, clean energy megawatts to serve our customers.”

“With all the work he’s led with EEI, on physical security issues as well as storm restoration, the work he’s done on cyber, at the same time pulling the Vogtle project through, and with the technology revolution occurring in our business, he’s continued to stay steady, has been a visionary, and brought us through it all to the other side.”

A Global Circuit interview with Manitoba Hydro CEO Jay Grewal: “One of the key foundations to being an effective leader is self-awareness. So, what is leadership? You are influencing and impacting people. What is my role? My job is to support every single person in the organization to make their job easier.”

“Renewable power is at less risk if it’s on an installation behind a fence. Our fence provides security. That is why it’s attractive to utilities.”

“Nobody wants to touch a 20-year-old server, PLC, HMI or human machine interface, an engineering workstation in operational environment, and allow some computer or automated capability to block it. Putting automated detection and response capabilities in place for critical infrastructure is, for lack of a better term, critical.”

“We’ve worked cooperatively with states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, and Indiana that have strong cyber capacities within their respective public utility commissions.”