Today, we are launching something new: the Nameplate podcast.

Nameplate is an interview series with US power utility CEOs (and CEOs only), where we discuss a deeply complex and critical industry at an equally critical time for the sector, for artificial intelligence and for infrastructure in general.

Why this, and why now? There are 160 million US electricity customers; the sector invests $250 billion a year; it has $570 billion of revenue in the last 12 months…and even industry experts can have limited knowledge of how its key functions work across multiple business cycles. And, I think that people know even less about the people running these companies, and they really should know more.

Nameplate conversations are heads-up and candid, but also expansive. We go deep into what makes a utility work today, in a way that you can only achieve by speaking with chief executives. We discuss strategy, operations, a world with a changing climate and aging infrastructure, a growing population and soaring demand, and of course, artificial intelligence.

Here are the first five guests — and links to the first three episodes:

1. Pedro Pizarro, President and CEO, Edison International (listen)
2. Gil Quiniones, President and CEO, ComEd (listen)
3. Mary Kipp,  President and CEO, Puget Sound Energy (listen)
4. Ted Geisler, President and CEO, Arizona Public Service
5. Kim Greene, Chairman, President and CEO, Georgia Power

These first conversations have been both a delight and a revelation, in a way. These utilities — and the individuals running them — are far more fascinating than you might expect. They are PhD-trained physicists, former mayoral officials, and (yes) large animal veterinarians. They are consultants who became operators, attorneys who became CEOs, and some who joined a company from the jump, and made it their life's work. Every one is fascinating, and every one has a deep, and unique, view on how we build the future.

Nameplate launches today here at Halcyon, and at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on YouTube. I hope you’ll give it a listen, and share widely. Feedback is a gift, so please let us know what you think. Thank you for listening.