The Current

We Stand For Energy, a project of the Edison Electric Institute, presents The Current, a podcast focused on providing policymakers with insights into the electric energy generation and distribution industry.

Episode 57: Corporate Citizenship at PSEG Company

In this week's episode of the Current, Edison Electric Institutes, Kristine Telford is joined by Richard T.  Thigpen, Senior Vice President of Corporate Citizenship at PSEG company. Rick provides insight into PSEG's commitment to a diverse workforce, philanthropy, and its role in helping solve serious challenges. 

02-28
18:57

Episode 56: The State of Electric Transport in the U.S.

On this episode of The Current, our guests discuss the state of electric transportation in the U.S. Joining us are Kellen Schefter, Senior Director of Electric Transportation at EEI, and Scott Barrios, Manager of Electric Mobility at Entergy.

01-24
30:15

Episode 55: How to protect yourself from Utility Scams

On this episode of The Current, Edison Electric Institute's Executive Director of External Affairs Kristine Telford interviews the Utilities United Against Scams Executive Director Monica Martinez, where these industry leaders discuss utility scams and the ways that consumers can protect themselves as part of their effort to #StopScams ahead of Utility Scam Awareness Day on November 15th. 

11-15
08:11

Episode 54: Jose Perez, President of Hispanics in Energy

EEI Executive Director of External Affairs Kristine Telford interviews Jose Perez, President of Hispanics in Energy on how the organization continues to grow and is working to educate & engage the Hispanic community on critical energy issues across the country. 

10-13
28:30

Episode 53: Wildfire Season with Ryan Murphy

EEI Executive Director of External Affairs Kristine Telford interviews Puget Sound Energy Director of Electric Operations Ryan Murphy on wildfire mitigation efforts and measures the company is taking this wildfire season. 

09-07
19:51

Episode 52: Wildfire Planning & Mitigation

This week, Mark Quinlan, the Senior Vice President of Wildfire & Emergency Operations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, joins The Current. Kristine and Mark discuss the upcoming peak of wildfire season and how the company is preparing for this through its proactive mitigation program.

08-07
34:15

Episode 51: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

This week, Mark Wolfe, the Executive Director National Energy Assistance Directors' Association and an expert on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), joins The Current. Jeff and Mark discuss key issues facing the LIHEAP program and the recent action day in Washington, D.C.

05-12
16:05

Episode 50: The Impacts of Deregulation

This week, Ed Hirs an energy fellow at the University of Houston and a world renowned expert on deregulation joins The Current. Jeff and Ed explore the challenges and risks—including higher prices and less reliability—of deregulated electricity. 

01-10
19:29

Episode 48: Key Takeaways from the Midterm Elections

This week on The Current, Phil Cox, a nationally renowned political operative, joins your host Kristine Telford to talk about the key takeaways from the midterm elections and what that means for upcoming policy debates at the state and federal level. 

11-17
13:39

Episode 49: Inflation Reduction Act

This week on the Current, Kristine is joined by Eric Grey, Vice President of Government Relations at the Edison Electric Institute and Austin Keyser, Assistant to the International President of Government Affairs for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Eric and Austin provide expert analysis on the Inflation Reduction Act and its potential impact on the electric power industry. 

11-08
25:43

Episode 47: Entergy Supporting Customers in Louisiana

This week on the Current, Phillip May, President and CEO of Entergy Louisiana, and Deanna Rodriguez, President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans, join us to highlight the ways Entergy is supporting customers throughout Louisiana from bill assistance to resiliency investments.

10-13
18:13

Episode 46: Wildfire Technology Advancements

This week on The Current,  join your host Kristine Telford as she deep dives into the new technologies the Department of Energy is utilizing to help mitigate against wildfires and other potential threats. To better explain these technologies and their capabilities Kristine is joined by this week's guest Stewart Cedres, Senior Technical Lead and Strategist of Electric Grid Resilience Capabilities at the Office of Electricity at the Department of Energy.

08-26
12:58

Episode 45: Summer Reliability Assessment

Join the conversation to learn more about summer reliability, wildfires and how the electric grid as a whole is being impacted. To help provide unique insights into these issues Brad is joined by John Moura, Director of Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Scott Aaronson, Senior Vice President of Security and Preparedness at Edison Electric Institute and also part of the Secretariat at the Electric Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC).

07-22
27:26

Episode 44: New Mexico Wildfires | PNM

This week on The Current, Matthew Jaramillo, Director of Government Affairs at PNM Resources, joins us to discuss the fire mitigation practices being used by the electric power industry as New Mexico faces its largest wildfire in state history. 

07-08
19:35

Episode 43: Idaho Power

In recent years, Idaho has experienced a growing number of wildfires breaking out across the state. Jon Axtman, Senior Manager of Transmission and Distribution Engineering and Reliability at Idaho Power joins us to discuss the threat of wildfire outbreaks, their impact on the electric power industry, and the mitigation strategies Idaho has adopted to combat this issue.

06-01
22:14

Episode 42: Energy Transition

Join the discussion this week to learn about energy transition, just transition and what the energy industry is doing as it adapts. Brad discusses what is currently happening within the industry and what is coming on the horizon. To provide expert industry insights Brad is joined by Mallory Huggins, a senior project director at the Keystone Policy center. 

05-06
24:34

Episode 41: Energy’s Role in Crypto Mining

This week, Brad dives into the world of crypto mining and how energy plays a critical role in the rise of this technology. To understand how blockchain and cryptocurrencies work, and their relationship with electricity use, Brad is joined by Thomas Mapes, Sr. Policy Analyst at the Chamber of Digital Commerce, and Fred Thiel, Chairman & CEO at Marathon Digital Holdings.

04-21
20:15

Episode 40: The DTE Energy Foundation & Investing in Michigan

Over the course of the pandemic, we all became familiar with the saying “we're in this together.” Power companies stepped up in unexpected ways to support customers and invest in communities they serve. One company that stood out was DTE Energy. The Current highlighted DTE’s partnership with Detroit early in the pandemic to provide Detroit school students laptops and internet connections to support their virtual lessons. Brad revisits that and other initiatives by DTE to support communities across Michigan. Joining this week’s conversation is Lynette Dowler, Vice President of Public Affairs at DTE Energy and President and Chair of the DTE Energy Foundation. 

03-30
15:29

Episode 39: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Transportation electrification is undergoing a revolution as demand increases for private and commercial EV options. However, expanding access to charging infrastructure will require untangling a web of regulatory hurdles spanning different states and different regulatory jurisdictions. In this episode of The Current, Brad unpacks how the electric power and transportation industries are collaborating to plan for rising demand for charging tools, the ways in which the industries educate regulators, and the challenges that must be overcome to accelerate EV adoption. Joining the discussion are Kellen Schefter, Director of Electric Transportation at the Edison Electric Institute, and Phil Jones, Executive Director of the Alliance for Transportation Electrification. 

03-17
24:26

Episode 38: How is LIHEAP Helping Families Keep the Lights On?

LIHEAP, or the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, has helped millions of Americans struggling to pay electricity bills, especially since the pandemic. Joining Brad to explain LIHEAP’s importance for struggling families and how the program has evolved is Katrina Metlzer, Executive Director of the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC), and Theresa Kullen, Manager of the Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). As a note to our audience, Katrina, Theresa and We Stand For Energy are joining thousands of advocates on Feb. 23 for a virtual LIHEAP Action Day. You can get involved by signing our petition to #ProtectLIHEAP here. 

02-23
24:38

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