Redefining the utility playbook with PG&E’s Sumeet Singh

Whether it's a simple light switch in a residence or the massive electricity demands of heavy industry, powering the homes and businesses of 16 million people across California for utilities like Pacific Gas and Electric is no small feat.

And doing so amidst rising wildfire risk, rapid digitalization, and ever-increasing energy needs requires them to redefine their entire playbooks.

Doing so is a challenge for utilities of all types.

It means coming up with new processes that can best utilize predictive data, AI, and hardware-enabled analytics in order to drive down costs while keeping communities safe.

In short, it's a playbook that every utility in the country is having to rethink from the ground up.

But how do you translate high-tech data and predictive tools into real-world results that field crews can utilize, all while keeping power affordable for everyday customers? Smitsing is the chief executive officer at PG&E and executive vice president for energy delivery, which makes him somebody who lives at the intersection of those questions every day.

Having started his career as a frontline engineer before stepping into executive leadership, he brings a grounded technical perspective to a humongous energy enterprise and is somebody whose insights can provide us with a sense of where things are with all of these pieces as where they need to go with specific technical processes, but also with the wider utility culture.

So Sumit, it's great to connect with you.

Jeremiah, it's a pleasure and a privilege to be here with you.

And thank you so much for the opportunity to engage with you here today.

Excellent.