A Seat at the Table

Last month, in my first issue as Executive Editor, I wrote that I wanted to focus more on the people in our industry. After decades in this business, I still struggle to explain what I do to family and friends. I am lucky if they listen long enough to nod politely. But the minute I start talking about the people behind the work, everyone leans in.

We provide an essential service. It may be complicated to explain over Thanksgiving dinner, but it is (actually) deeply personal. Electricity powers my preteen’s video games and keeps a ventilator running in an ICU. It keeps my refrigerator stocked with cold Diet Coke and families safe during extreme weather. It hums quietly in the background of our lives until the moment it does not. Energy is physics and policy, yes. But it is also people.