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The midterms are over, and energy may have been the issue that defined them. Democrats now control Congress, voters pushed back on data centers, and even utility commission races drew national attention. What messages resonated, and what will actually change when new leaders take office in 2027? Andrea Clabough, associate at Goldwyn Global Strategies and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, joins us for a rapid reaction to election week. We discuss why energy affordability struck a chord with voters, how the results could reshape permitting reform and the Ratepayer Protection Act, and why the data center industry may be entering an era of enforcement and accountability. Plus, we look at why down-ballot races like the Georgia Public Service Commission and the Texas Railroad Commission suddenly mattered, and why energy prices are likely to remain a top issue heading into 2028. Subscribe to the podcast for more conversations with the people shaping the energy industry. Four ways the midterms can reshape US energy policy by Andrea Clabough and David Goldwyn

Link to the full workforce survey: https://news.energycentral.com/workforce-report?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=workforce-report Electricity demand is growing, experienced workers are retiring, and utilities are competing with big tech for talent. How can the energy industry attract, and keep, the people needed to power its future? Paige Knutsen, executive director of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, unpacks findings from Energy Central’s State of the Utility Workforce survey. We discuss why recruitment alone won’t solve the workforce challenge, how employers can support their existing teams, and the range of energy careers available—even without a four-year engineering degree. Plus, we explore how robotics could make fieldwork safer and why Paige remains optimistic about the industry’s future. Subscribe to the podcast for more conversations with the people shaping the energy industry.

Robot dogs are coming to America's power grid, and they're doing more than just looking futuristic. At Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), three robot dogs named Astro, Judy, and Elroy are helping inspect substations, detect equipment problems, and prevent costly failures. With more than 270 substations and 400 large transformers to monitor, SMUD is exploring how robotics can improve grid reliability while keeping utility workers safe. In this episode, SMUD's Director of Substation Telecommunications and Metering Assets, Eric Poff, explains how the utility is deploying these robots, why catching a faulty $2,000 component could save a $4 million transformer, and what it takes to turn an innovative pilot into a practical utility solution. We also explore how robot dogs could eventually patrol substations for security and inspect hazardous hydroelectric infrastructure, all without replacing the humans who keep the grid running.

The data center boom is creating enormous opportunities for utilities, but what happens when the grid can't keep up? In this episode, Chris Sturgill, Partner at ScottMadden, talks about the financial and operational risks behind soaring data center electricity demand. They explore why data centers can be built in just 18–26 months while grid infrastructure can take 5–10 years, whether data centers could actually lower electricity bills, and how utilities can distinguish serious development projects from speculation. Sturgill also explains why promises of flexible data center electricity consumption remain largely unproven and what utility leaders should do to avoid costly infrastructure mistakes. Thank you to our partners at ScottMadden for making this episode happen. To learn more about ScottMadden visit: https://www.energycentral.com/ScottMadden

Plug-in solar, also known as balcony solar, is gaining popularity as homeowners look for affordable ways to generate their own electricity. But could this growing technology pose unexpected risks to consumers and the power grid? Ken Boyce, Vice President of Engineering at UL Solutions, talks about the hidden safety concerns surrounding plug-in solar and what utilities need to know as adoption accelerates. Boyce explains why none of the plug-in solar products UL tested met its new safety requirements, how these systems could create electrical shock and fire hazards, and why utilities may struggle to manage thousands of small solar installations connected to the grid without their knowledge. With nearly 40 states having considered legislation addressing plug-in solar, the conversation explores the tension between making renewable energy more accessible and ensuring the safety and reliability of the electric grid.

Energy costs, AI data centers, and grid reliability are becoming major issues in the 2026 midterm elections. But some of the most consequential decisions about America's energy future aren't being made in Washington. They're happening in state legislatures, local elections, and public utility commissions. Matt Chester speaks to Caroline Spears, founder of Climate Cabinet, about why energy has become a defining political issue, how rising electricity bills and data center development are influencing voters, and which overlooked elections could have the biggest impact on energy policy. Spears also explains how Climate Cabinet uses data science and AI to identify influential political races, why utility commission elections deserve more attention, and what the 2026 election results could mean for a new wave of data center legislation in 2027.

What could AI agents actually do for a utility today? Power Perspectives host Matt Chester talks to AI strategist Jeff Wilser about the work beyond the buzzword. They explore how AI agents could search years of filings, and turn interviews with retiring employees into searchable institutional knowledge. Jeff also explains why human judgment remains essential when mistakes carry real consequences for customers and the grid, and highlights the limitations of the technology. For utility leaders ready to experiment, he offers practical starting points that you can start implementing today even if you’ve never used AI agents before.

Electricity demand is rising fast, and utilities are looking for new ways to add capacity without waiting years for traditional grid upgrades. Distributed energy resources (DERs) are becoming an increasingly important part of that equation. In this episode of Power Perspectives, Energy Central’s Matt Chester sits down with Todd Jackson of PowerSecure to explore how utilities are using DERs to manage peak demand, support large loads like data centers, improve resilience during extreme weather, and gain more flexibility in how they invest in the grid. They also discuss what makes a successful utility DER program, why customer participation matters, and how distributed resources could play a much bigger role as electricity demand continues to grow. Thank you to PowerSecure for partnering with us on this episode.

Heather Reams spent about a decade working to bring more Republicans into the conversation around climate and clean energy policy. In this episode of Power Perspectives, she shares what she learned from working directly with lawmakers, why clean energy politics often depend on local economics and geography, and how rising electricity costs and demand are changing the conversation. We also explore where bipartisan agreement exists—and where it breaks down—on issues including permitting reform, grid modernization, nuclear energy, renewables and emerging technologies. Plus, Reams explains why she believes affordability and energy abundance are becoming increasingly important forces in U.S. energy politics.

in this episode of Power Perspectives, Ahmed Moussa, founder of Electric Bridge Consulting, uses football to break down the path toward 100% clean energy. He explains why utilities can’t rely on a “Hail Mary” approach and instead need to move strategically down the field, balancing reliability, resilience and affordability along the way. We also explore where utilities are today, how AI and data centers are changing the game, and what utility leaders should prioritize next.

What can a remote Alaskan town teach the rest of the power industry about building the grid of the future? In this episode, book editor Peter Asmus takes us inside Cordova, Alaska—a community with no road connecting it to the outside world that has turned its isolation into a testing ground for grid innovation. We explore how Cordova gets roughly 75% of its electricity from hydropower, uses battery storage and underground power lines to strengthen its system, and even built a small data center designed to take advantage of excess renewable energy. Asmus explains why Alaska’s unique challenges have forced its utilities to innovate and what much larger utilities across the country can learn from them.

AI is transforming the utility industry rapidly, but does that mean it’s going to eliminate all utility jobs? Google’s Global Head of Power and Energy for Cloud, Raiford Smith, joins us to explain why he thinks that’s the wrong way to look at AI. We explore how utilities are using AI to accelerate grid planning and infrastructure construction, what it could mean for engineers and other utility workers, and why even smaller utilities can take advantage of these tools. Plus, Smith shares real-world examples of AI cutting planning and construction timelines, explains where human expertise remains essential, and offers advice for utilities wondering where to start.

Utilities are being asked to manage more assets, respond to more extreme weather, maintain reliability, and keep costs under control—all while facing workforce pressures and aging infrastructure. In this episode, Skydio’s Christina Park joins Ameren Illinois’ Jason Klein and utility industry veteran Ahmed Moussa to explore how asset management is changing to meet those challenges. They discuss the shift from reactive to proactive maintenance, the growing flood of grid data, the loss of institutional knowledge as experienced workers retire, and how technologies like drones, automation, and AI can help utilities make smarter decisions. They say the future of asset management isn’t simply about collecting more data. It’s about turning that data into action. Thank you to Skydio for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about Skydio: https://energycentral.short.gy/skydio.pod

AI data centers are driving unprecedented electricity demand—but who should pay for it all? Energy Central’s Matt Chester sits down with Ari Peskoe, Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law School, to unpack how the data center boom is reshaping electricity costs, utility regulation, and the power grid. Peskoe explains why adding a hyperscale data center can be like “plopping down a large city basically out of nowhere” from the power sector’s perspective. The conversation also examines utilities’ incentives to attract data centers, the push for greater transparency, and whether tech companies should simply build their own power generation. Plus, Ari answers questions submitted directly by the Energy Central community about behind-the-meter power, climate impacts, data center noise, and the future of electricity regulation as AI-driven demand continues to grow.

AI is quickly moving from pilot projects to real-world applications across the utility industry. But what does it take to make these tools work at scale? In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Matt Chester sits down with IBM energy and utilities leaders Christopher Behme and Biren Gandhi to explore how utilities are applying agentic AI across grid planning, operations, emergency response, and predictive maintenance. The conversation covers how AI can help utilities coordinate complex workflows, accelerate new load connections, make better use of existing grid capacity, and turn growing volumes of data into actionable insights. The guests also discuss the role of digital twins, the importance of breaking down data silos, and why human oversight remains essential as AI takes on a larger role in utility decision-making. Plus, hear IBM’s vision for the “adaptive grid” where operators have access to integrated, real-time information and workflows, and can respond dynamically to changing grid conditions.