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 to Energy Central's Matthew Chester 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. Watch the full episode on YouTube now (linked in comments)!

Is your utility ready for the next cybersecurity challenge? We're bringing together industry experts on November 3 for a FREE Energy Central PowerSession exploring how utilities can move beyond compliance to build a more resilient grid. Join Matt Morris, C/CISO (EverLine - Energy's Technical Stack), Dan Ricci (AMPYX CYBER), Markus Mueller (@Nozomi Networks), and Richard (Dick) Brooks) for this conversation you won't want to miss Save your free seat! Link to register found below

According to the latest post on Energy Central by Luke Martin, @ScottMadden tracked more than 60 AI deployments across the U.S. nuclear fleet...and about 60% of them are in active use with no quantified operating benefit. Engineers and planners say they’re saving time. Few utilities can say what that time is worth. The research points to integration as the dividing line between tools that scale and tools that stall: trusted plant data, existing systems and processes, and the people making the decisions. A key example: corrective action program screening. The obvious play is helping the screening committee work faster. The better question is whether every condition report needs to reach that committee at all. T That’s the gap between adopting AI and changing how the work gets done. Counting licenses, users, and pilots won’t close it. Check out the full paper on the topic linked below. And follow up question for you...Is your organization measuring AI by usage or by operating results?

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 to Matthew Chester 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. Watch the full episode out now on YouTube (linked in comments)! Or wherever you get your podcasts.

Trees already devour a massive chunk of utility operating budgets. When severe weather hits, they become the primary cause of power outages and the biggest hurdle to restoration. This Wednesday, join Jake Freivald from Fulcrum, alongside industry experts Drew Seidel (AEP SWEPCO) and Brian Sprinkle (Iapetus Infrastructure Services) for a live webinar, moderated by Alex Macksoud, on how tech is reshaping vegetation management. We'll cover... - Moving from reactive trimming to predictive risk modeling - Getting GIS insights straight into the hands of field crews - Turning legacy paper records and fragmented inventories into AI-ready data ...and more! Register now to save your spot...link below!

Most utilities have a grid modernization strategy. Fewer can say how it holds up when a storm, a wildfire, or a cyber incident hits at 2 AM. The global grid modernization market is expected to top $45 billion this year, and resilience is one of the main reasons that money is being spent. But spending it well is the hard part. To dig into how to accomplish that smart spending, Energy Central is hosting a PowerSession this upcoming Monday (October 19) at 12 PM Eastern to discuss exactly that: how utility leaders can prepare for what’s coming while modernizing the grid underneath them. Featuring experts from @PGE4Me (Andrew Abranches), @IBM (Christopher Behme and Sandeep Ganesh) and Dan Stevens (formerly of @nationalgrid), led by moderator Mike Smith, this panel will explore... How can AI help control rooms during outages and emergencies? Are your emergency preparedness workflows built for today’s challenges, or yesterday’s? As the grid gets more digital, what does cybersecurity need to look like? And more! If you work anywhere near utility operations, planning, or security, this one’s worth an hour. Reserve your seat now (link below)

A technician is inspecting a pole. Something that needs fixing sits at the edge of their field of view. They don’t see it. A camera does, and a work order is generated before they climb down. That’s one example from Peter Barnes, who has spent 35 years in utility tech and now leads AI strategy for CGI’s OpenGrid suite. We asked him what “agentic AI” actually means for utilities. His answer: several AI agents coordinated like a small task force. One reads 10 years of asset history, one watches incoming customer calls, one rebalances crew schedules as the day changes. The part worth remembering is trust. If you can’t see how an agent reached a decision and correct it easily, it shouldn’t be making that decision. And some network management calls, he said, should always stay with a human. Check out the rest of his full interview on Energy Central (link below) and join the conversation to share...Where would you want an agent watching first? Where should a human always have the final say?

Data centers were the canary in the coal mine. @c_r_spears of @ClimateCabinet points to Virginia Delegate John McAuliff, who made data centers the center of his 2025 campaign and overperformed in his district by about 10 points. In the latest episode of Power Perspectives, she explains how rising electricity bills and data center development are shaping voters’ priorities, and which overlooked elections could matter most for energy policy. Watch the full thing on our YouTube channel now (link below)!