Schweitzer Drive
The Schweitzer Drive podcast explores what goes on between the generation of electricity and the light switch. In each episode, host Dave Whitehead, president of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, talks with the entrepreneurs, innovators, and experts who are inventing the future of electric power. Electricity is so fundamental to our daily lives, and yet it’s something so many take for granted. Come learn about, explore, and celebrate electric power on Schweitzer Drive!
Latest episode
Episodes
EP. 73
Safety, Reliability, and Innovation: PG&E’s Wildfire Mitigation Strategy
James Tuccillo
EP. 72
Protecting People, Property, and Power: Avista’s Wildfire Mitigation Strategy
Josh DiLuciano
EP. 71
Fortifying the Power Grid: The Role of IEC 62443 and Cybersecurity Standards
Andre Ristaino
EP. 70
The Resilient U.S. Power Grid: One Hundred Forty-Five Years and Going Strong
Gerardo Urrea and Bryan Fazzari
EP. 68
The Data Center Challenge: Build Faster, Be Efficient, and Keep the Data Flowing
Angad Sandhu
EP. 67
Transforming Substation Architecture: The Power of Centralized Protection and Control
Greg Zweigle
EP. 64
Keeping the Lights On: Microgrids and the Benefits of Localized Power
Mahmoud Kabalan
EP. 63
Hydroelectricity: The Carbon-Free Powerhouse of the Pacific Northwest Energy Mix
Rick Dunn
EP. 62
Health Is Power: The Value of Affordable, Transparent, Quality Healthcare
Michele Beehler
EP. 61
Finding the Right Fit: Early-Career Rotations for Long-Term Success
Lyssa Blood and Cameron Blegen
EP. 60
Shortening the Supply Chain: Strong Partnerships Bring Us Closer
Tyler Gould and Tom Schrader
EP. 56
OT Cybersecurity: Understanding the Threat, Determining How Much Protection is Enough
Andrew Ginter
EP. 54
Powering the Future: Generating Excitement About STEM Careers
Laura Harris and Caden Perry
EP. 53
Reinventing Hydropower: Balancing Generation, Reliability, and the Environment
Gia Schneider
EP. 50
Meeting the Clean Energy Challenge: Ensuring Reliability Amid the Electrification of Everything
Larry Bekkedahl
EP. 47
The Challenges of Inverter-Based Resources: Integrating the New with the Old
Dr. Normann Fischer
EP. 46
A Firewall for the Future: Educating the Next Generation of Cyber Professionals
Jim Alves-Foss
EP. 45
Can You Hear Me Now? Why “Best Effort” Isn’t Good Enough for Mission-Critical Telecommunications
Ken Fodero and Paul Robertson
EP. 43
Power System Oscillations: Maintaining Balance and Keeping the Lights On
Mani Venkatasubramanian
EP. 41
Powering the Future: Delivering Specialized Training at the Speed of Innovation
Hector Altuve
EP. 38
Solving Recloser High-Density Coordination Challenges: Innovation That Keeps the Power On
John Thorne
EP. 36
Getting to Root Cause: The Importance of Being Able to Turn a Problem On and Off
Gurvinder Singh
EP. 35
Better, Faster, Simpler, Safer: A New Approach to OT Network Communications
Rhett Smith
EP. 33
The Clean Energy Transition: Balancing Reliability, Innovation, Cost, and the Environment
Heather Rosentrater
EP. 30
Decarbonization, Government Mandates, and the Future of Electric Power
Thomas J. Pyle and Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III
EP. 28
Culture: An Essential Ingredient for Creating an Exceptional Company
David Costello and Tony Lee
EP. 27
Protecting the Grid: What Are Electromagnetic Pulses, and How Do They Affect the Power System?
Travis Mooney
EP. 24
Protecting the Grid: Creating Cyber Solutions That Are Inherently Secure
Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III
EP. 22
People, Power Density, Cost and Scale: The Challenges of Renewable Energy
Robert Bryce
EP. 18
It Can’t Be That Simple: How Creativity and Simplicity Combine to Create Innovative Solutions
Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III
EP. 17
Vertical Integration: Supplying Customers with Products and Services Faster, Better, and Cheaper
Jessi Hall
EP. 15
Texas Blackout: Why the Lights Went Out and How to Keep Them On
David Costello and Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III
EP. 10
Application Engineers: When You Really Need to Phone a Friend
Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III and David Costello
EP. 4
The Need for Speed and the Future of Power System Protection
Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III
Meet the Host
David Whitehead
President, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
A recognized leader in utility and industrial control system cybersecurity, Whitehead has testified before the U.S. Senate and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the importance of innovation and protecting against cyberattacks. He has presented at numerous cybersecurity conferences and authored dozens of papers on the topic.For more than a decade, Whitehead led the SEL Research and Development Division, an 800-person multidisciplinary team responsible for the research, design, development, and testing of systems that manage, monitor, and control critical electric infrastructure.Since joining SEL in 1994, he has been a driver of product and talent development and been instrumental in the development of the steady stream of inventions to come out of SEL. He has been awarded more than 73 patents around the world.Whitehead received his BSEE from Washington State University and his MSEE from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a senior member of IEEE and a registered Professional Engineer in Washington, New York, Michigan, and North Carolina.