March 16, 2022/in News, The Electric Wire Podcast /
Madison, WI – On the latest episode of the Electric Wire podcast, Rebecca Ryan and Lauren Azar join for a conversation about change in the energy industry and in our world. Rebecca, one of the nation’s leading futurists, discusses local and global trends that everyone should be preparing for. Lauren, one of America’s most respected utility attorneys, leads the conversation about change in the energy industry, as they answer the following questions, and more:
- How do we get those in the utility industry to start thinking like futurists?
- How important are governmental or industry goals to get where we want to go?
- What does the future look like for EV’s and electrification?
- What are the craziest changes coming by 2050 that we haven’t thought of yet?
Cari Anne Renlund, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Madison Gas and Electric Co., joins Kristin Gilkes, Executive Director of the Customers First! Coalition, as co-host (and bonus guest) for a lively and inspiring conversation about the direction of the industry.
Listen to the Electric Wire, Episode 23, “The Future of Utilities with Rebecca Ryan and Lauren Azar” wherever you get your podcasts, or on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/fgfVpRNS04o
Guest Bios
Rebecca Ryan is a futurist, an economist, and a gifted communicator and thought leader. She is the author of The Next Big Things: The Future of Local Government (2015), ReGENERATION: A Manifesto for America’s Future Leaders (2013), and Live First, Work Second: Getting Inside the Head of the Next Generation (2007). Her TEDx talk, Spring is Coming, was featured at the prestigious TEDxBeaconStreet in 2015. Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class, calls Rebecca “one of the most reliable sources for CEOs and Mayors who want to attract and keep the next generation of creative workers.” Rebecca is the founder of Futurist Camp, inventor of Futures Labs, and owner of NEXT Generation Consulting, Inc. She is a faculty member and Board Chair at the Institute for Zen Leadership.
Lauren Azar’s experience as a public service commissioner, senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy, and one of America’s most respected utility attorneys make her a valuable partner in bringing new technologies to market and assisting traditional utilities as a respected advisor.
Cari Anne Renlund is Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Madison Gas and Electric Co., an investor-owned, community energy company in Madison, Wisconsin. She is the officer in charge of Legal and Risk Management, Safety, Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, Legislative Affairs and NERC Compliance and Generation Operations.
Links from the Episode:
More on MGE’s 2030 and 2050 Carbon Reduction Goals:
https://www.mge2050.com/en/
IPCC: Sixth Assessment Report
https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/
Note from Rebecca: The Good Judgment Project (https://www.gjopen.com) makes predictions on EV penetration and MANY other things. The Good Judgment Project was founded by the author of Superforecasting, Phil Tetlock who found that regular people can learn to do foresight as well or better than trained CIA agents.
Long Bets is also does long term wagering about the future, fueled by a bunch of futurists and thought leaders. I just dropped on and Steven Pinker has a challenge about Bioterrorism.
How to Become a Cyborg from MIT Technology Review:
Customers First Coalition Blog
