People

“The team successfully connected six thousand solar systems to DERMs using our existing AMI Mesh network. We also successfully tested and approved two hundred inverters to be installed on our grid, using DERMs active management to reduce costs of interconnection by upward of six million dollars.”

“Our innovation improved defect detection, reduced manual labeling hours, and enabled us to create realistic images of rare defects where real-world data was scarce. It gave us a scalable methodology to apply this across various assets. This innovation paves the way for more drone deployments, reducing field hazards for crews, and accelerating defect resolution for better grid reliability.”

“That initial innovation was for an advanced analytics visualization platform. That has transitioned and been scaled to what we now have with our Wildfire Next Generation System, WiNGs.”

“This innovation is about a simulation in the metaverse, simulating cybersecurity events, and how we can react to them. We created three virtual meta worlds, an electrical substation, the emergency communications center or ECC, and a cybersecurity collaboration meeting room.”

“We switched over to a digital platform for substation protection and control, compared to the hundreds or thousands of copper cables. Our new solution enables us to complete construction more efficiently. We can deploy this type of technology and construct a substation control house in a matter of months instead of years.”

An overview of this year’s top innovators from fourteen utilities, as well as some excellent nominations.

When asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, George Leigh Mallory famously said, “because it is there.” I thought of that inspiring line when wondering why this year’s Fortnightly Top Innovators wanted to innovate. Is it because the challenge, and the fruits of conquering it, were right there before them, beckoning them?

Conversations with Arizona Public Service’s Kerri Carnes and Tony Perez; Avangrid’s Scott Bochenek and Charles Spence; CMS Energy’s Lauren Snyder and Jeff Myrom; Commonwealth Edison’s Diana Sharpe; Con Edison’s Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud; Duquesne Light’s Brian Guzek; Idaho Power’s Billie McWinn and Patti Best; National Grid’s Melissa Lavinson; NiSource’s Fred Gomos; Portland General Electric’s Larry Bekkedahl; Puget Sound Energy’s Josh Jacobs and Malcolm McCulloch; and Southern Company’s Lincoln Wood and Stephanie Gossman.

“Tom is a consensus builder, and his approach and focus on collaboration helps to shape public policy both in Washington and across the country. Passage of the clean energy tax package in the Inflation Reduction Act is just one example of a significant and recent legislative achievement.”

Conversations with Ameren Executive Chair Warner Baxter; Southern Company Executive Chair Tom Fanning; Xcel Energy Executive Chair Ben Fowke; American Electric Power Executive Chair Nick Akins; Edison International CEO Pedro Pizarro; Portland General Electric CEO Maria Pope; PNM Resources CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn; retired DTE Energy CEO Gerry Anderson; retired NV Energy CEO Michael Yackira; retired Sierra Pacific Resources CEO Walt Higgins; retired TXU Corporation CEO Erle Nye; and retired EEI Executive Vice President David Owens.