From Apprentice to Expert: Developing the Next Generation of Utility Professionals

Who will maintain and protect the power grid in the future? In this episode, host Dave Whitehead talks with Greg Sharpes of Avista about the growing demand for skilled utility workers, the importance of hands-on learning, and how mentorship and training programs can help prepare the next generation of relay technicians and other energy industry professionals.

Ensuring there is enough generation is becoming one of the most significant challenges facing the power industry. In this episode, guest host Jackie Peer talks with Dr. James Merlo, CEO of the North American Generator Forum (NAGF), about resource adequacy from the generator perspective. They discuss the realities of maintaining an aging generation fleet, the reliability services generators provide beyond energy production, and what it will take to keep the lights on as AI, data centers, manufacturing, and electrification drive unprecedented demand for electricity.

What does it take to ensure there's enough electricity available when people need it most? In this episode, host Dave Whitehead sits down with Scott Corwin, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA), to discuss one of the electric power industry's most pressing challenges: resource adequacy.

For 65 years, the Washington State University TRIGA nuclear reactor has been an invaluable resource for research, education and innovation. In this episode, Dave Whitehead visits the university to talk with President Betsy Cantwell and the Director of the WSU Nuclear Science Center, Corey Hines, about the origins and impact of the research reactor and how WSU is building on its legacy with new investments, expanded facilities and programs designed to train the next generation of nuclear professionals.

U.S. utilities are navigating a rapidly evolving threat environment shaped by unprecedented load growth, increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, and the growing overlap between cyber and physical risks. In this episode of Schweitzer Drive, guest host Frank Harrill, vice president of security at SEL, speaks with Sharla Artz, security and resilience policy area vice president at Xcel Energy. The discussion explores how AI, data centers, and the electrification of everything are changing the risk profile for utilities—and how technology and policy are evolving to keep pace with emerging threats.

In this episode, Robert Bryce returns to Schweitzer Drive for an in-person conversation recorded during a break at the University of Idaho Energy Symposium, where he delivered the keynote address. Host Dave Whitehead speaks with the veteran journalist and filmmaker about some of the hottest topics in energy and power. The conversation also explores Bryce's latest short-form documentary, Yacht Zee$, which examines the disconnect between public climate advocacy and the private, carbon intensive lifestyles of some of its most vocal supporters.

Power systems quietly and reliably move enormous amounts of energy every day. But when things go wrong—when there is too much current or a fault on the line, something has to act fast. That job belongs to the circuit breaker. In this episode, host Dave Whitehead and guest Kylan Robinson, engineering director at SEL, discuss how circuit breakers sense trouble, interrupt currents as powerful as a lightning bolt, work with protective relays to keep the grid safe, and are evolving to meet new demands.  

In this follow-up to our "Ask Dave Anything" episode, SEL President Dave Whitehead is back in the hot seat to tackle another round of listener‑submitted questions. Guest host Nic Seeley, senior vice president of Engineering Services at SEL, guides the conversation asking about everything from the challenges facing the electric power industry to how SEL is approaching innovation today—and how leaders can stay grounded while navigating rapid change. Dave also shares personal insights, lessons learned over his career, and a few stories that didn't make it into the first episode. If you enjoyed the candid, wide‑ranging discussion in Part 1, we think you will appreciate this deeper dive into the ideas shaping Dave's thinking and the future of our industry.

In this episode, we turn the tables on host Dave Whitehead and put him in the hot seat. Guest host Bryan Fazzari, SEL vice president of marketing, takes over the mic to ask Dave questions submitted by listeners. They wanted to know everything—from the future of electric power and emerging technologies to Dave's thoughts on leadership and innovation. If you've ever wondered what shapes his perspective on the industry and where technology is headed, this is your chance to find out.

Peter Godart, co-founder of Found Energy, visits Schweitzer Drive to discuss a novel approach to energy: using aluminum as a high-density, carbon-free fuel. Learn how this technology works, why it's 40x more energy dense than batteries, and how it could transform everything from long-duration storage to container ships and coal plant retrofits.