2025 Super Sessions
The Technical Committee for the 2025 IEEE PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference & Exposition is excited to announce the lineup of exceptional industry leaders participating in super sessions taking place throughout the week.
As part of the Technical Program, these sessions provide a unique platform for organizational leaders, experts, policymakers, and technology providers to share their expert insight into key issues, solutions, and lessons learned working at the interface of the electric grid and the customer premise. See the full Technical Program here. Super sessions planned for the 2025 event include:
Super session 1
Industry Executive Roundtable: Grid Edge and changing the energy landscape
January 21: 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Description
The electric utility landscape is being transformed and reshaped with renewable, clean, and more resilient energy solutions. Major energy transformation is happening at “Grid Edge.” Robust decarbonization goals are being set along with more pressure to increase reliability and become more resilient. This is coupled with the challenges of an aging infrastructure and changing workforce. Power utilities are at the center of this challenge; tasked with integrating record levels of new, renewable, energy assets while accommodating dramatically increased multidirectional power flows, and hardening the grid to prepare for increasingly severe weather events exacerbated by climate change. This panel of industry executives will have a deep dive discussion on the changing utility landscape at grid edge.
Quanta Technology
VP
Grid Edge General Chair
BIO
Wayne Bishop Jr. is Vice President at Quanta Technology, a subsidiary of Quanta Services. He has worked in the electric power industry for over 30 years. Wayne is also IEEE PES Vice President of Meetings and Conferences, a member of the IEEE Power and Energy Society Governing Board and a member of the IEEE PES Executive Committee. He helped write and implement the Long-Range Strategic Plan for IEEE PES and is a Senior Member of IEEE. In addition, Wayne currently serves as a Senior Advisor to LUMA Energy, the electric utility in Puerto Rico.
Previously, Wayne worked at OMICRON electronics for 13 years where he was the Head of Marketing for North America. Prior to that, Wayne was employed at Doble Engineering Company for nearly 20 years in several senior management positions. In 2007, he was appointed by Doble’s Board of Directors to serve on the Executive Committee to broker the sale of Doble Engineering to ESCO Technologies.
Wayne is a graduate of Merrimack College, Harvard University, and the Executive MBA Program at Suffolk University in Boston, graduating with honors. Wayne speaks regularly at industry conferences and has published several articles and papers in industry publications including IEEE Power and Energy Magazine and T&D World Magazine.
Wayne and his family live in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
VP T&D Engineering
IEEE PES President
BIO
Dr. Shay Bahramirad is the Senior Vice President of Engineering, Asset Management, and Capital Programs at LUMA Energy, the power company responsible for electric service in Puerto Rico. In this role, she is responsible for the oversight, planning, and execution of plans to modernize the power infrastructure. This includes a foundation of developing local engineering talent, teams and processes, and the prudent application of new technology. Her primary goals are the safe, reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective delivery of electricity to the people of Puerto Rico.
Shay has held several positions in the sector including Vice President of Climate and Resilience at Quanta Technology, where she was responsible for assisting cities and utilities with climate change risk assessments for their assets, operations, and services and for developing investment strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Engineering and Smart Grid at ComEd, the electric utility serving Chicago and Northern Illinois, where she had led efforts to demonstrate and deploy technologies to ensure that the distribution system meets strategic goals related to reliability, resiliency and sustainability, while developing and implementing a broader community of the future vision including a focus on industry-informed STEM education for underrepresented communities in the industry including girls. She has been an expert witness testifying on several state and federal regulatory proceedings around microgrids, energy storage, investment strategies, and the interconnection of distributed energy resources.
Dr. Bahramirad is a leading figure in the industry. She is the President-elect of IEEE Power and Energy Society, an editorial board member of the Electricity Journal, US CIGRE Executive member, an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a founder of IEEE Women in Power.
She is a contributor to the United Nations SG7, Affordable and Clean Energy.
Shay completed her PhD in electrical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and has published more than many academic articles, as well as being the recipient of multiple US patents.
San Diego Gas & Electric
President & CEO
BIO
Caroline Winn is chief executive officer for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), one of Sempra’s
regulated California utilities. Sempra is a San Diego-based energy services holding company
whose subsidiaries provide electricity, natural gas and value-added products and services.
SDG&E provides service to 3.6 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more
than 873,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.
Winn became CEO of SDG&E in August 2020. Previously, she served as the chief operating
officer of SDG&E, overseeing operations of the utility’s gas and electric infrastructure assets,
and customer services. In that role, Winn is widely recognized for SDG&E’s national leadership
in sustainability, technology and innovation, including the company’s significant safety and
wildfire mitigation efforts.
Winn also served as chief energy delivery officer, managing all energy delivery activities for
SDG&E, including electric distribution operations and gas services, customer services, and
external and state legislative affairs.
Since joining the company in 1986 as an associate engineer, Winn has held several leadership
positions with SDG&E and Southern California Gas (SoCalGas).
Winn currently serves on the board of directors for Father Joe’s Villages and Monarch School;
the executive council for Western Energy Institute; and the director’s council of the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography. She also serves on the board as an independent director for both
Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. and Kayne Anderson NextGen Energy &
Infrastructure, Inc.
Previously, Winn has served as the board chair for the San Diego Regional Chamber of
Commerce and continues to currently serve as a board member. She has a bachelor’s degree in
electrical engineering from California State University Sacramento and is a registered
professional engineer in the State of California
California ISO
President & CEO
BIO
Energy Queensland
General Manager Renewables and Distributed Energy
BIO
Glenn Springall is Energy Queensland’s General Manager of the Renewables and Distributed Energy group. The team focuses on fringe of grid innovation, demand and energy management solutions, network connections including technical performance assessment, Isolated Systems/Microgrid asset management and decarbonisation along with the development of a cohesive future network strategy. Energy Queensland through its distribution network businesses Ergon Energy Network and Energex, service 2.35 million customer connections and maintain more than 210,000 km of electricity network. They are Australia’s largest electricity distribution company and are 100% owned by Queensland. Glenn holds a dual Degree in Bachelor Engineering (Electrical/Electronic) and Bachelor Science (Chemistry), a Master of Business Administration (Digital Transformation), is a Chartered Professional Engineer, a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland and is a Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors.
North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Chief Engineer and SVP
BIO
Mark G. Lauby is senior vice president and chief engineer at NERC. Mr. Lauby joined NERC in January 2007
and has held a number of positions, including vice president and director of Standards and vice president
and director of Reliability Assessments and Performance Analysis.
In 2012, Mr. Lauby was elected to the North American Energy Standards Board and was appointed to the
Department of Energy’s Electric Advisory Committee by the Secretary of Energy in 2014. Mr. Lauby has
served as chair and is a life member of the International Electricity Research Exchange and served as chair
of a number of IEEE working groups. From 1999 to 2007, Mr. Lauby was an appointed member of the Board
of Excellent Energy International Co., LTD, an energy service company based in Thailand. He has been
recognized for his technical achievements in many technical associations, including the 1992 IEEE Walter
Fee Young Engineer of the Year Award. He was named a Fellow by IEEE in November 2011 for “leadership
in the development and application of techniques for bulk power system reliability.” In 2014, Mr. Lauby
was awarded the IEEE Power and Energy Society’s Roy Billinton Power System Reliability Award. In 2020,
the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) elected Mr. Lauby as a member, citing his development and
application of techniques for electric grid reliability analysis. He is also a member of the IEEE Power & Energy
Society (PES) Executive Advisory Committee, focused on providing strategic support to the PES Board of
Directors.
Prior to joining NERC, Mr. Lauby worked for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for 20 years, holding
a number of senior positions, including: director, Power Delivery and Markets; managing director, Asia, EPRI
International; and manager, Power System Engineering in the Power System Planning and Operations
Program. Mr. Lauby began his electric industry career in 1979 at the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. His responsibilities included transmission planning, power system reliability
assessment, and probabilistic evaluation.
Mr. Lauby is the author of more than 100 technical papers on the subjects of power system reliability,
expert systems, transmission system planning, and power system numerical analysis techniques. He earned
his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. In addition,
Mr. Lauby attended the London Business School Accelerated Development Program as well as the
Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.
Super session 2
Global Perspectives on Decarbonization through Electrification
January 21: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Description
The transportation sector is rapidly transitioning to electric vehicles, which is expected to have a significant impact on the electric grid. The drivers and challenges of transportation electrification will be discussed, along with current efforts to address these concerns.
The adoption of EVs continues to rise, representing the biggest challenge — and opportunity — facing the utility industry today. On the one hand, EVs provide a tremendous source of new revenue generation, and the industry must move quickly to enable the construction of a robust charging infrastructure. But, on the other hand, EVs also pose a threat to grid stability.
Areas of focus for the group will include facilitating the adoption of electric vehicles among low- and moderate-income individuals and underserved communities; assessing the costs of vehicle and EV battery manufacturing and shortages of raw materials for batteries; identifying charging infrastructure, grid capacity, and EV cybersecurity needs; addressing grid capacity and integration; and identifying charging infrastructure regulatory issues. The panel is represented by organizations from around the world who will share their perspectives on decarbonization through electrification.
Landis+Gyr
Global Product Management Lead
BIO
Chan Wong is the Global Product Management Lead at Landis+Gyr, where he is responsible for developing strategic roadmaps related to grid flexibility, particularly in the areas of DERMS, electrification, AI, and smart grid technologies. Prior to this, Chan spent over a decade at Entergy Service Inc., contributing to projects in transmission, smart metering, and IoT. He holds a Ph.D. in Automotive Engineering from Clemson University, as well as an MBA, MS, and BS in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University.
A senior member of IEEE, Chan currently serves on the Member-at-Large Leadership Development Committee of IEEE PES and acts as the DOE liaison for the PES Industry Technical Support Leadership Committee, fostering collaboration between industry, DOE, and IEEE communities. He is also active in several standards committees, including CIGRE, ANSI, and IEC, with a focus on testing, interoperability, and cybersecurity. In addition, Chan serves on the advisory boards of Tulane University’s Department of Engineering Physics and the Freeman School of Business. Passionate about nurturing the next generation of talent, Chan is dedicated to mentoring young professionals to become creative leaders and technology catalysts in the industry.
SEV
Head of R&D
Denmark
BIO
Terji Nielsen received the B.Sc. Degree (Hons) in electrical engineering from the Engineering
College, Aarhus University, Denmark in 1999, and the MBA degree from Beuth University of
Applied Science, German, in 2016. He is currently the Head of the Researce and Development
Department, SEV (Faroese Power Company), where he has 25 years of experience from various
positions.
His main focus is on the company’s ambitious renewable energy target, heading for a 100%
renewable electricity sector by 2030 in the Faroe Islands. His research interests are integration
of renewable energy and flexible loads in islanded hybrid power systems, resource assessments
and techno-economic analysis of realistic RoadMaps in hybrid power systems.
IEMS
CEO
United States
BIO
Kaveh has nearly 20 years of experience in the power system and energy industry, spanning
roles in consulting, utilities, and technology vendors, with a strong background in engineering,
management, and leadership. He has successfully led and delivered electrification and grid
modernization projects across the Middle East, Europe, and North America. He holds a PhD in
Electrical Engineering and an Executive MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT –
Chicago). He currently serves as the CEO of IEMS Solution as his day job. In a volunteering role,
he serves as the Marketing Chair & Senior Advisor for the IEEE-PES Grid Edge Technologies
Conference 2025.
Amprion
Direct Asset Manager
Germany
BIO
Experienced Director of Asset Management at Amprion since
2009, overseeing long-term system planning, asset management, field operations, and
telecommunications. Leads a team of 800 people. Elected Chair of the ENTSO-E System
Development Committee in 2021. Collaborated with CIGRE and national associations.
Extensive experience with international collaboration, especially through engagement with
ENTSO-E. Possesses a solid engineering background in power system engineering and
knowledge of budgeting and finance.
ComEd
VP, Engineering and Smart Grid
United States
BIO
Dale Player is the VP of Engineering & Smart Grid at ComEd. This role has responsibility over Central Distribution Engineering, Regional Distribution Engineering, Distribution Planning, Smart Grid Engineering, Grid Analytics, and Grid Communication programs.
In his 19 years at ComEd, Dale has held positions in T&S Engineering, Protection & Control Engineering, Asset Management, Distribution Automation, and Testing & Commissioning Engineering. Dale has led several strategic initiatives in efforts to increase reliability, resiliency, and flexibility of the electrical grid at ComEd to better serve the needs of our customers. These initiatives include championing the ComEd 2030 vision, building the business case justification for the expansion of a fiber optic communication network to support grid assets, big data analytics programs, and analyzing the grid infrastructure needs for the next generation investment portfolios. Dale is an advocate for clean energy and is actively engaged with his team in creating grid enabling solutions that will advance green energy within the ComEd service territory.
Dale is a value-oriented leader that focuses on development of personnel, enhancing the grid, and serving the customer.
Dale earned both his Bachelor and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois. Dale is a licensed Illinois Professional Engineer.
Cholla Inc
CEO
BIO
Gideon O. Powell is the CEO of Cholla Inc. Under Gideon’s leadership, Cholla has continued a tradition of hydrocarbon exploration while expanding into other pioneering industries like Bitcoin mining, Data center development, and venture capital. From 2013-2017 Gideon was the Director of Acquisitions & New Ventures at Cholla, where he led the company’s entrance into the Permian basin of West Texas, leading to a step change in growth for Cholla and later a substantial exit. After the divestiture, Gideon pivoted to study the global power markets for investable CO2 utilization projects. Through this work he and his team identified bitcoin mining and flexible loads as an opportunity to provide dispatchable electrical capacity to local grids, alleviating the intermittency problems caused by renewable energy.
He is passionate about exploration, global energy abundance, #openSource, bottom-up innovation, individual liberty, and building strong communities. He spends his spare time advocating for policies to accelerate energy abundance for all, supporting criminal justice reform, reading, and enjoying time with friends and family. He is actively involved as an adviser to Buried Alive, an initiative focused on ending mass incarceration in America, and is a member of Stand Together, a philanthropic organization that empowers people dedicated to helping others improve their lives. Gideon serves on the Advisory Board of the MIT Energy Club and resides in Dallas, Texas with his beautiful, smart, patient, liberty-minded wife and four amazing children.
Super session 3
Critical Needs for Energy Innovation: Solving for an equitable clean energy transition
January 22: 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Description
With rising extreme weather events affecting grid reliability, population health and infrastructure costs, leading with innovation, clarity and compassion is essential to addressing critical needs for an equitable, clean energy transition. This session will highlight the commitments, progress and priorities of remarkable energy leaders who leverage innovation to foster inclusive prosperity and resilience in the communities they serve.
AEG
Founder and CEO
BIO
H.G. Chissell is the Founder and CEO of Advanced Energy Group (AEG), a competitive stakeholder mobilization platform for leaders and organizations committed to systemic change on climate, health and equity at the city and regional level. Serving 50+ million people and sponsored by over 65 companies, utilities and organizations, AEG supports public & private leaders across 8 US markets who understand that systemic change is not possible without effective, inclusive collaboration.
H.G. Chissell has designed and led hundreds of Stakeholder Challenges with 5,000+ leaders and 500+ speakers across the US, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. In 2024, H.G. Chissell launched The Carbon League, a non profit organization designed to support the growing number of volunteer Task Forces resulting from AEG stakeholder workshops committed to deliver measurable impact in 90 day sprints.
In 2020, H.G. Chissell was the featured moderator of the Department of Energy US Grand Storage Challenge/MidWest. In 2019, H.G. Chissell developed and facilitated the 2019 Microgrid Cost and Barriers Workshop for the National Renewable Energy Lab. From 2009 to 2015, H.G Chissell developed his leadership from Manager to Senior Vice President for Viridity Energy, a software/service firm focused on demand/supply energy optimization. Leading the company’s strategic expansion throughout 15 states, H.G. Chissell delivered the first behind-the-meter frequency regulation battery project in PJM, the first 1MW behind-the-meter battery project at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and managed a multi-site EV2Grid project with the Pentagon. In 2014, Chissell enrolled over 25 million ft2 of Class A NYC office buildings within 6 months into the DOE Interoperable Smart Grid Demonstration Program with Con Edison.
In 2014, Chissell received the Federal Energy Management Program Award for his work at US Army base, Fort Meade for ancillary market integration of critical assets. In March 2021, H.G. Chissell received the President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership from the National Society of Black Engineers Boston Professionals. H.G. Chissell recently served as Advisor to PR100, Board Director for the New England Clean Energy Council and HEET.org, currently serves as Chair of IEEE PES Grid Edge Innovation Showcase and Founding Director of Puerto Rico Energy Week. In September 2023, Chissell provided the ComEd Engineering Day Keynote.
Ameren
CEO
BIO
Leonard “Lenny” Singh is chairman and
president of Ameren Illinois, where he is
responsible for energy delivery to more
than 1.2 million electric and more than
800,000 natural gas customers in 1,200
communities across 43,700 square miles
of service territory.
Prior to joining Ameren Illinois in July of
2022, Lenny held a variety of senior
leadership roles across electric, natural
gas and steam operations, and customer
solutions in a 30-year career with
Consolidated Edison Company of New
York.
Lenny is leading Ameren Illinois through the clean energy transition, spearheading
initiatives to facilitate the adoption and development of local, renewable energy
generation and promoting the long-term growth of cleaner energy. He is leading the
effort to build a resilient and reliable grid capable of supporting the increased
electrification of the downstate Illinois economy with a focus on equitable justice and
economic development. At the same time, he is championing policies that will fortify
the state’s natural gas infrastructure while preparing for the sector’s transition to
renewable natural gas and emerging clean hydrogen technologies, critical enablers of
the energy transformation process.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Polytechnic University, and
a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University. He completed
professional certificate programs on electric and natural gas distribution at the Siemens
Power Technologies International Distribution Engineering and Gas Technology
Institute. He has also completed executive education programs at Harvard,
Georgetown, Cornell University ILR School, Dale Carnegie, American Management
Association, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
LADWP
CEO
BIO
Janisse Quiñones is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the nation’s largest publicly-owned water and power utility. She leads the organization of more than 11,000 employees, delivering water and power to the four million residents of Los Angeles.
Ms. Quiñones has over 25 years of leadership experience as a senior executive in utility and engineering industries and joined LADWP from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), where she first served as Senior Vice President of Gas Engineering and then as Senior Vice President of Electric Operations. In the latter, she oversaw electrical system operations and the power generation fleet, as well as the management of electrical assets that support the California Independent System Operator.
Prior to PG&E, Ms. Quiñones served as the Vice President of Gas Systems Engineering for National Grid, where she managed the engineering and design of natural gas distribution, transmission and infrastructure projects for National Grid’s U.S. territory, and oversaw various meter compliance, design and construction projects.
Ms. Quiñones’ experience also includes serving in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), both full-time and in the reserves since the 2004, including as a Commander and as Deputy, Planning and Incident Management. She is an active USCG Reserve Officer and has held prior key leadership roles at Cobra Energy, including Vice President of Operations, responsible for the restoration and reconstruction projects of the transmission and distribution electrical systems in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. She also held several leadership roles at San Diego Gas & Electric, including Director of Design, Planning, Construction and Vegetation Management.
Ms. Quiñones was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and attended the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (Magna Cum Laude). She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Advanced Studies in International Relations and is a licensed Professional Engineer in five states. She is a proud wife and mom of five and a 14-year-old puppy.
OATI
EVP
BIO
Dr. Ali Ipakchi brings close to five decades of experience in information technology applications to power systems, energy markets, and electric utility operations. As Executive Vice President, Technical & Strategic Directions & Chief Visionary Officer at Open Access Technology International, Inc. (OATI), he is responsible for product development, as well as business growth in Distribution Grid Modernization and Smart Grid areas.
CPS Energy
President & CEO
BIO
Rudy D. Garza is the President & CEO of CPS Energy, the nation’s largest community-owned electric and natural gas utility. He is the first Hispanic leader to hold the position. Rudy has more than 25 years of experience as a leader in the utility industry and has served in both the public and private sectors over the course of his career.
Rudy successfully led the company through the approval of two rate cases in 2022 and 2023. He also led the comprehensive strategic engagement plan for Board of Trustee approval of a blended generation planning approach to power our growing community now and in the future. To deliver on CPS Energy’s mission to serve our community, Rudy developed a strategic plan called Vision 2027, a roadmap to guide CPS Energy through the rapid transformation of the utility industry.
Rudy joined CPS Energy in 2012 and previously served as Chief Customer & Stakeholder Engagement Officer and as Senior Vice President of Distribution Service & Operations where he oversaw the maintenance and construction activity of the electric distribution system. He also served the company in the role of Vice President of External Relations.
Rudy has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Texas. He continues to serve his Austin alma mater as an Engineering Advisory Board member for the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Rudy is dedicated to public service and is actively engaged in his community through multiple board roles, including the Brooks Development Authority, greater:SATX, United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County, and the Large Public Power Council.
Siemens
VP Energy Solutions
BIO
Jim Taylor is a nationally recognized leader and innovator in the electric industry. His goal is to make complex ideas simple and inspire people to push the bounds of technology and their own barriers to achieve great results. He understands the need to pursue new ideas and technologies in order to continue to provide utility customers with leading-edge products and services. He is a professional Electrical Engineer with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Wyoming with more than 20 years’ experience leading technology advancements for utilities and suppliers. Jim is currently VP Energy Solutions for Siemens Smart Infrastructure, Grid Software.
Super session 4
Strategy and Customer Innovation at the Grid Edge
January 23: 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Description
As the energy landscape rapidly evolves, the grid edge has become a critical frontier for innovation and strategy within the electric utility sector. This panel will explore the dynamic intersection of utility strategies and customer-driven innovation at the grid edge, where emerging technologies, decentralized energy resources, and new business models are reshaping how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed.
The discussion will delve into how utilities are adapting to the increasing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar, energy storage, and electric vehicles, which are transforming traditional grid infrastructure. Panelists will explore innovative strategies for managing these resources, enhancing grid resilience, and ensuring reliability while providing customers with greater control over their energy use.
The conversation will also address the growing demand for personalized, digital-first customer experiences, driven by smart meters, advanced analytics, and demand response solutions. These innovations enable utilities to deliver more tailored services, while empowering consumers to optimize their energy consumption, reduce costs, and lower carbon footprints.
Key topics will include:
- Navigating regulatory frameworks and policies to enable grid edge innovation
- The role of partnerships between utilities, technology providers, and customers in driving success
- Leveraging data and analytics for smarter grid operations and customer engagement
- Overcoming operational challenges and scaling DERs for maximum impact
Immerman
NORESCO
SVP Strategy and Growth
IEEE PES VP of Strategic Communications and Partnerships
BIO
As part of the Carrier Building Technologies senior leadership team, Darcy Immerman manages a team designed to deliver innovative energy solutions, financing, utility demand management and demand response services across Carrier’s customer and distribution networks. A 35-year veteran of the clean energy industry, she helps clients meet energy transition challenges including decarbonization, digitization, resiliency, ESG compliance, and climate change adaptation. For her work in energy services, Darcy was awarded the Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Management from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Energy Efficiency Award from National Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency.
Darcy currently serves as the Vice President of Strategic Communications and Partnerships on the IEEE Power and Energy Society (IEEE PES) Governing Board. In this role, Darcy is responsible for cultivating a network of global organizations, advisors, and strategic collaboration partners to address increasingly complex challenges faced by our industry. She previously chaired the IEEE PES Executive Advisory Council – a select group of industry and utility leaders who shape IEEE PES strategy based on market drivers.
Darcy has a long record of supporting diversity and inclusion activities both in the workplace and in her community. When she joined NORESCO, a Carrier Company, she established the Women in NORESCO (WIN) program with two subcommittees: Mentoring and Sponsoring and Recruiting and Retention. At AECOM, Darcy was one of the co-founders of the Women’s Development Forum
Darcy is the immediate past Chair of the Northeast Arc Board of Directors, annually serving over 9,000 individuals in Massachusetts with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Darcy also served as the Chair of the Council of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and was the Vice Chair of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts where she was awarded the Molly Moon Award for Volunteerism.
For their leadership in the community, Darcy and her husband Dr. Stephen Immerman were awarded the Essex County Community Foundation George Peabody Award for Leadership in Philanthropy.
A native of Albany, New York, Darcy graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology and resides in Salem, Massachusetts.
AES
CIO
BIO
Raiford Smith is currently the Chief Innovation Officer at AES US Utilities and is a recognized innovator, leader, and technologist in the energy domain. He has helped develop sustainable solutions in tech, energy efficiency, and renewables. Raiford has worked with and led teams on new products and business models that contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the bottom line, hold multiple patents for various electric grid technologies, and am a noted speaker and author, having written several articles on analytics, economics, change management, and energy technologies.
Additionally, Raiford has served on multiple advisory boards for technology companies (ABB, Echelon, EnerNOC, Intel, Google, RTI, SAS, and Tendril/Uplight) and held various leadership positions on several non-profit boards (SEPA, SGIP, SEEA, MEEA, BSAG). Raiford is also a licensed North Carolina attorney and have testified as an expert witness before several states’ utility commissions.
San Diego Gas & Electric
COO
BIO
Kevin Geraghty is the chief operating officer and chief safety officer for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), one of Sempra Energy’s regulated California utilities. He is responsible for the safe and reliable engineering, construction, operations and maintenance of the company’s gas, electric and generation resources. He is also responsible for customer service and programs, workplace safety and public safety including emergency management.
Previously, Geraghty served as both chief safety officer and as senior vice president of electric operations responsible for all aspects of electric transmission, distribution and substation operations, enterprise engineering and major capital projects.
Geraghty has been in the gas and electric utility business for more than 35 years. Prior to joining San Diego Gas & Electric, he was senior vice president, operations at NV Energy.
Geraghty holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
He is a board member of the San Diego Habitat for Humanity.
S&C Electric Company
President and CEO
BIO
Anders leads our employee-owned company in its work to transform the grid through innovation and serve customers across the world.
Having spent nearly 30 years at ABB and 15 years in U.S. and North America markets, Anders has a global understanding of the current and future challenges facing the power industry. In his last role with ABB, Anders served as the Country Managing Director for the United States and Head of ABB Power Grids business in North America. Before that, he was President for ABB’s Power System Division in North America. Previous roles include a variety of senior management positions in the power systems and transmission and distribution businesses in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Spain, and Brazil, and at ABB’s corporate headquarters in Switzerland.
Anders is proudly engaged in U.S. power industry and manufacturing organizations. He currently serves on the board of governors of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and is a member of its Governmental Relations and Communications Committee. He is also on the board of trustees for Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovations (MAPI), a nonprofit professional alliance supporting manufacturing leaders. He is a former member of the board of Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit bipartisan alliance of businesses, government, environmental, and consumer leaders advocating for enhanced energy productivity to achieve economic growth, a cleaner environment, and greater energy security, affordability, and reliability.
Anders holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration Management and Analytical Strategy from the University of Lund in Sweden. He is also a member of the S&C Board of Directors.
Landis+Gyr
CTO
BIO
Amith Kota is the Chief Technology Officer at Landis+Gyr. Amith is a Global Executive with experience in aligning digital technology and innovation investments with business growth while reducing cost, complexity and risk. He has championed complex initiatives from idea generation through value realization, and delivered these capabilities aligned with business vision and strategies.
Prior to joining Landis+Gyr, he was the Chief Enterprise Architect and Global Head of Emerging Technologies at Gulfstream Aerospace, A General Dynamics company, where he was accountable for global enterprise strategy & architecture to create new revenue channels and optimize business margins through technology innovations.
Earlier in his career, Amith held various leadership positions at Progressive Insurance and various startups across Architecture & Strategy, Sales, Business Applications organizations responsible for digital customer experience, Omni-channel engagement and systems Amith holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and an Executive Certificate in Innovation and Strategy from the Case Western Reserve University.
Quanta Technology
President and Founder
BIO
Damir Novosel is president and founder of Quanta Technology and was also president of Quanta Energized
Services. Previously, he was vice president of ABB Automation Products and president of KEMA T&D U.S. Dr.
Novosel served on various boards and is presently a member of the Sandia National Laboratories Energy and
Homeland Security External Advisory Board and Mississippi State University Industry Advisory Board.
Dr. Novosel is also an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University.
Damir, a member of the US National Academy of Engineers and IEEE Fellow and Life Fellow, served on the IEEE
Standards Board and as IEEE PES President, VP of Technology, and chair of Industry Technical Support
Leadership Committee. He is IEEE PES Executive Advisory Council secretary and IEEE Strategic and Emerging
Standards Committee chair. He received the IEEE PES Meritorious Service and Leadership in Power awards.
Damir is the CIGRE US National Committee VP of Nominations and received the CIGRE Philip Sporn, Attwood
Associate, and Distinguished Member awards. Dr. Novosel holds 18 US and international patents, published
over 200 articles and reports, and contributed to 7 books.
Damir holds PhD, MSc, and BSc degrees in electrical engineering from Mississippi State University (where he
was a Fulbright scholar), the University of Zagreb, Croatia, and the University of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
respectively. Dr. Novosel was selected as Mississippi State University Distinguished Engineering Fellow and
received the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Super session 5
Data Centers, AI, and its Impact on the Grid
January 23: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Description
The rapid growth of data centers and the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the landscape of modern energy systems. As these technologies become integral to industries across the globe, they present both challenges and opportunities for the power grid. This panel will explore the impacts data centers and AI are having on grid operations, energy demand, and utility infrastructure.
Data centers, which house the infrastructure powering cloud computing, AI, and big data applications, are massive energy consumers. As demand for digital services continues to surge, especially AI, utilities face growing pressure to ensure grid reliability and meet the rising energy needs of these facilities. This discussion will explore how data centers are influencing energy consumption patterns and how utilities are working to accommodate this demand without compromising grid stability.
Key topics will include:
- The growing energy footprint of data centers and strategies for mitigating their impact on the grid
- The potential of AI and machine learning in optimizing grid operations and energy consumption
- The role of renewable energy and carbon reduction strategies in powering data centers sustainably
- Collaboration between utilities, tech companies, and regulators to ensure a balanced and future-proof energy ecosystem
AEP
SVP
Chair, IEEE PES EAC
BIO
Bob Bradish is senior vice president, Regulated Infrastructure Investment Planning for American Electric Power. He is responsible for identifying and implementing advanced infrastructure solutions for AEP’s regulated Generation, Transmission and Distribution businesses.
Previously he was vice president, Transmission Planning and Engineering, where was responsible for managing activities related to the planning and engineering of the transmission grid, the development of engineering standards, advanced technical/analytical studies addressing system dynamic analysis, and asset management functions. He is also responsible for managing AEP’s Transmission technology research and development Program.
Prior to returning to AEP Transmission, Bradish led the Market Operations group within AEP’s Commercial Operations organization. He was responsible for the development and execution of AEP’s day-to-day commercial strategy within the RTO wholesale markets.
Bob holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Clarkson University in New York. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from The Ohio State University and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio. He has completed the Tuck School of Business Leadership and Strategic Impact Program at Dartmouth College.
Bob is a member of the Engineering Advisory Council of Clarkson University, the Dean’s External Advisory Council for the Ohio State University’s College of Engineering, a member of the U.S. National Committee of CIGRE, a member of EPRI’s PDU Sector Council, a member of the Industry Leaders Council of the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS) and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Bob is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts.
Microsoft
Global Head of Energy
BIO
Hanna Grene is an energy and technology executive leading Global Go to Market and
Operations for the Energy & Resources Industry at Microsoft with responsibility for industry
strategy, operations, revenue growth, partnerships, and sales enablement. Hanna supports
Microsoft, its partners, and the largest oil and gas, power and utility, and mining companies in
the world with their digital transformation including the adoption of AI and navigating the
energy transition.
Hanna has a track record of leading growth in consulting, energy, and technology companies.
She previously served as Chief Commercial Officer for PXiSE Energy Solutions, a grid software
start-up from Sempra Energy. She has worked with governments and Fortune 500 companies
worldwide to develop policies and projects valued over $50B that accelerate investment in EVs,
storage, grid resilience, and renewable energy.
Hanna is a recipient of the 40 Under 40 Business Leader award in San Diego and was recognized
as the 2022 Women in Smart Energy Industry Leader. She has been featured as a thought
leader on energy transition and AI topics by IEEE, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, CERAWeek, and
Carbon Copy. She is a Board Member for GridWise and GridForward and has served on the San
Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Board. She is an adviser to the International Energy
Agency. She is based in San Diego, CA where she lives with her husband and son.
U.S. Department of Energy
Director, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response
BIO
Puesh M. Kumar leads the U.S. Department of Energy’s
Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency
Response (CESER). The office is focused on
strengthening the security and resilience of the U.S.
energy sector from cyber, physical, and climate-based
risks and disruptions.
Puesh manages over 150 federal employees and
numerous contractors who are engaged in National-
and State-level policy development, executing technical
assistance, conducting research, development, and
demonstration (RD&D) projects, managing the U.S.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and leading emergency
response efforts in the U.S. energy sector. He
represents the Department at National Security Council (NSC) meetings on cybersecurity
and resilience, leads executive-level coordination with the private sector including the CEO-
led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) and senior executive-led Oil and
Natural Gas Subsector Coordinating Council (ONG SCC), and leads U.S. energy sector
security and resilience coordination with Department of Homeland Security, Department of
Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other federal agencies.
Puesh has over 20 years of experience spanning grid modernization, security, and resilience
efforts within the energy sector. He has worked on issues ranging from cybersecurity to
wildfire resilience. He has also engaged on topics cloud security, artificial intelligence, grid
reliability, electrification, and supply chain security.
Previously, Puesh was the principal manager for cybersecurity engineering and risk
management at Southern California Edison, which is the largest electric utility serving the
Los Angeles area. There, he led a team that addressed cyber risks to electricity
infrastructure, including emerging technologies such as battery storage, renewable energy,
and operational technologies. Puesh previously served as director of preparedness and
exercises for DOE’s Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration division and as senior
advisor for policy and strategy at CESER.
Puesh has also held industry positions at the American Public Power Association as director
of engineering and operations and at Memphis Light, Gas, and Water as a power systems
electrical engineer. In 2020, Puesh received the United States Secretary of Energy’s
Exceptional Service Award.
Dominion Energy
VP, Strategic Partnerships
BIO
Robert S. “Robbie” Wright, Jr. is vice president– Strategic Partnerships, Dominion Energy Virginia.
He leads the company’s Strategic Partnerships team, which focuses on meeting the needs of the largest commercial, industrial, governmental, and electric wholesale customers for Dominion Energy Virginia. He also heads the Data Center Practice, Rural Broadband and Energy Conservation organizations at Dominion Energy Virginia.
Wright joined Dominion Energy in 1993 as an associate engineer and has held numerous technical, operational, and leadership roles related to the design, construction, and operation of the distribution system. In 2015, he was promoted to director–Electric Grid Planning and Asset Management, Dominion Energy Virginia, where he oversaw load planning and reliability performance for the electric distribution system, as well as vegetation management and asset data maintenance activities. Wright also has served as the lead witness for key areas of the company’s Grid Transformation Plan filings since 2018. In 2022, he was named vice president–Grid and Technical Solutions for the company’s Power Delivery Group. He assumed his current position in June 2024.
He serves on the board of directors of the GridWise Alliance and is a member of the SEE Engineering and Operations Executive Committee.
Wright received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Virginia.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
Chief Technology Officer
BIO
Gregary C. Zweigle is the chief technology officer at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL), where he fosters the development of innovative technologies and works in collaboration with executives and technical leads to set the technical direction of the company. Over the years, he has held a variety of roles in the Research & Development division (R&D) that were related to the development of protective relays, signal processing, software, and programmable integrated circuits. He has authored and co-authored more than 35 technical papers and holds 32 patents. He serves as the chair of the Washington State University School of Electrical & Computer Science Executive Council and is a senior member of the IEEE. He has a bachelor’s degree in physics from Northwest Nazarene University. He also earned a master’s degree in chemistry, a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and a PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from Washington State University.
EATON
President, Energy Solution and Services
BIO
Angie McMillin, President, Energy Solutions and Services organization in Eaton’s Electrical Sector, Americas, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is responsible for the Power Systems divisions, specializing in power delivery solutions for utilities and data centers; the Critical Power and Distributed IT divisions, focused on power quality of data infrastructure from cloud to edge; and the America Electrical Services teams, specializing in energy hardware, software, monitoring, and solutions.
Prior to this role, Angie was the Group CEO and VP of Industrial Products at Baker Hughes, most notably CEO of Bently Nevada. Prior to Baker Hughes, Angie was an executive at Vertiv, a critical data infrastructure company. Angie has experience in industrial, consumer, data infrastructure, oil and gas, and automotive industries. In her 30 years of experience, Angie has taken on roles of increasing responsibility in portfolio management, transformation, operations, strategy, sales and engineering.
Angie earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton, and a Masters of Science in Engineering and Technology Management from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Angie served as the executive sponsor of the Veterans Employee Resource Group at Baker Hughes. Angie was also founding executive member of the Women’s Employee Resource Group (and first official ERG) at Vertiv, WAVE (Women at Vertiv Excel); led the first virtual Women ERG at TE Connectivity (WIN). Angie remains an active promoter and advocate for the next generation of STEM leaders and is a supporter of a summer camp for young girls in engineering at the University of Dayton.
Verrus
Head of Energy
BIO
Jeff serves as Head of Energy. He brings over 25 years of experience developing the energy grid. Prior to Verrus, Jeff served as Meta’s Global Director of Energy where he led teams responsible for the development and execution of Meta’s energy strategy across its data center fleet. Over his career in energy, he also served in multiple executive roles at the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) supporting development and execution of MISO’s markets and technology Strategies, and leadership roles at companies including PJM Interconnection, Constellation Energy, DNV GL Energy and Gamesa.
Jeff holds an MBA with honors from the Stern School at New York University and a Bachelor of Arts from the Maxwell School of Public Affairs at Syracuse University.