Fortnightly Magazine - August 2018

Four CEOs on Innovation

Sustaining Momentum

A virtual roundtable with Patti Poppe of CMS Energy, Scott Prochazka of CenterPoint Energy, Connie Lau of Hawaiian Electric Industries and Ben Fowke of Xcel Energy.

Four CEOs on Innovation: Patti Poppe

CEO, CMS Energy

“We zero in on innovation and solutions closest to the work, by people who have human struggle, to eliminate waste and get our work done right the first time.”

Four CEOs on Innovation: Connie Lau

CEO, Hawaiian Electric

“You have to be able to match people’s dreams of a world powered by clean energy with the realities of technology and economics.”

Four Thought-Leaders: Brian Bird

CFO, NorthWestern Energy

“There was nothing wrong with a combustion engine until we got our electric hybrid. Even though half of the electric vehicles are in California, that’s going to change.”

Four Thought-Leaders: Frank Prager

VP – Policy and Strategy, Xcel Energy

“We need to protect the grid, and, as we approach new regulatory paradigms, we want to be sure that the grid remains reliable and modern.”

Four Thought-Leaders: Mike Deggendorf

CEO, Grid Assurance

“It's now a world where people ride-share, share Airbnb property, bike-share and car-share. The technology that enabled that to occur on the auto side, can occur on the energy side as well. Sharing of information, asset capacity and load, I think it's going to move in that direction.”
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