Industrial Talk is chatting with John Gounaris, Vice President at G&W Electric Company about “The monumental changes impacting the utility market”.



Scott MacKenzie and John from G&W Electric discussed the challenges faced by the utility industry, including technological advancements, shifting consumer preferences, and the need for a more decentralized grid. John shared his 20+ years of experience, highlighting the importance of innovation, collaboration, and data-driven insights to adapt to these changes. Scott joined the conversation and emphasized the need for utilities to be more nimble and adaptable, and for regulatory evolution to accommodate the integration of inverter-based resources.
Action Items

[ ] Connect with John on LinkedIn or visit G&W Electric's website (gwel.ec) for more information on their solutions.
[ ] Promote an industrial technology or podcast on the Industrial Talk platform to target the industry audience.
[ ] Consider partnering with G&W Electric to find problems on the grid worth solving through custom engineered solutions.

Outline
Utilities, power generation, and industry challenges with John from GE.

John Gounaris discusses challenges in the utility space with Scott MacKenzie.
Scott MacKenzie highlights the importance of podcasts for industry marketing and offers help in starting a podcast on Industrial Talk.
Scott MacKenzie emphasizes the importance of providing solutions to industry leaders.

Solar eclipse and utility industry changes with 20+ year veteran.

John expresses excitement to be back home after a week in Canada, mentioning the solar eclipse and its potential impact on small communities.
John shares personal background, including their role in the utility industry, before discussing G&W's role in facilitating the industry's transition.

The challenges of adapting to a changing electric power industry.

John highlights slow change in industry due to conservative mindset and need for reliable power.
Climate change impacts industry, causing more extreme weather events and pressure to green power production.
John: Decentralized grid with renewables, inverter-based resources, and baseload power.
Utilities need to be nimble in face of changing market dynamics and technological advancements.
John discusses the challenges of integrating renewable energy sources into the grid, including technical, regulatory, and knowledge gaps.
Utilities face a retirement wave, with experienced workers exiting the workforce and younger, less experienced replacements entering, creating a knowledge gap.

Balancing grid transformation with affordability and reliability.

Utilities must adapt to changing power grid dynamics while managing consumer expectations.
John highlights the need for regulatory evolution to ensure affordable electricity for society.

Improving grid efficiency and affordability for renewable energy sources.

John highlights the need for transmission reforms to integrate solar and wind resources into the grid, particularly in areas with high sunlight and wind resources.
John suggests building high-voltage DC technology to efficiently transmit power from one region to another, citing examples from China and Europe.
John: Need regulatory structures to help utilities upgrade transmission lines (28:13)
John: Electrification and decarbonization will require more generation capacity (28:13)

The growth of electric power demand due to AI and data centers.

John: Data centers for AI and machine learning...