Welcome Your New Expert Interview Series: Jason Price, New Expert in the Utility Management Group – [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Expert Interview]

Read on to learn more about his journey and what he continues to bring to the table for his Energy Central peers.

Matt Chester: Thanks for agreeing to be one of our experts, Jason. For our community members who are unfamiliar with you, please start by sharing a bit about your background in the industry so our community better understands what went into you being established as an expert?

Jason Price: It is great to be a member of Energy Central. It’s a great and welcoming community. I am an unconventional hire in this industry. I am a director with West Monroe in the Energy & Utilities practice and made my career pivot by graduating through the NYU Clean Energy program. My capstone was creating a business case on behalf of Con Edison for a utility scale microgrid. What inspired me to make the career move was the massive transformation in the energy field. This structural change reflected a similar transformation brought on by the commercialization of the Internet. eCommerce disrupted traditional business models and introduced new ways of thinking. The grid modernization movement and drive to decarbonize our energy system is equal if not more monumental and transformational given what is at stake.

MC: Our community members who do recognize you may know you as the host of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast. Can you share a bit about what the journey of this podcast has been and what value you hope to provide its listeners week in and week out?

JP: My name may have some recognition in the Energy Central community serving as the host of Power Perspectives. I pitched the idea to the leaders of Energy Central and were very much aligned on the value this could serve the community and industry at large. I was honored to be selected to host the show and I am surrounded by an incredibly talented production and editing team and thrilled to meet exciting and passionate people serving who are dedicated to transforming and modernizing our energy system. We have surpassed 130 shows with a rate of two a month. We’ve exceeded 1,000 downloads per podcast and is a show that many in the community rely on and trust. The 25-minute format works. And most of all, we have a lot of fun!

MC: Your background earlier in your career was not in the energy sector—but were there any lessons you learned from your time in the hospitality industry that you think have afforded you a different view on the power sector? And do you think your status as a one-time ‘outsider’ has allowed for some unique perspectives on the topics of the day?

JP: The energy field is undoubtedly far more complex and risk averse in a highly regulated environment. As a natural monopoly, the utilities have a defined market share and are mandated to deliver reliable, safe, and low cost power. The hospitality industry is hypercompetitive fighting for market share and practically uninhibited on how it goes about selling its perishable inventory each day. The industry has many remarkable and equally talented and devoted people and was proud to deliver technology to make hotels operate more efficiently and profitably. Keep in mind, hospitality is all about the customer. Not always the case for utilities given its monopolistic position. Hotels were early adopters of new business models, technology, and marketing practices – quite the opposite for utilities.  I had a learning curve to overcome to understand the how and why. Fortunately I am surrounded by really smart people at West Monroe and the Energy Central community to help me understand the drive to change the bi-directional relationship that has existed between the customer and the utility for over a century. This bi directional relationship was fairly simple: The utility bills the customer and the customer calls to complain when the power is out. Pretty simple relationship that has transformed under grid mod, EV, decarb, DER, and so much more happening now.

MC: What technologies and topics get you most excited and do you think will guide the coming years in the power sector the most?

JP: I feel technology wise we have yet to scratch the surface on what is possible and durable for the industry. The rate of change is extraordinary in not just technologies but the rate to adoption. Energy is as ubiquitous as it gets. It is in our pocket, our car, our home, as well travel and communicate, and of course the implications it has on how we function as a society. For topics, right now the focus is on the oversized government and private sector attention and financial commitments to this entire domain. It is nearly impossible to go through a day without looking through the lens of IIJA and IRA and what this means for the industry.  If COVID drove utilities, and all industries to modernize, the IIJA and IRA put the modernization and digitalization of the industry on steroids.

MC: Why did you feel compelled to get more involved in the Energy Central Community? And what value do you hope to bring to your peers on the platform?  

JP: It is simple. It is about knowledge sharing. The energy and utilities field is about sharing knowledge, learning best practices, and collaboration. This is a far more rewarding environment to operate under then a hyper competitive and mature environment where margins are thin and edging toward commoditization. Of course, this sounds contradictory but even though electrons and hotel rooms are each basically a commodity or approaching commoditization, I have learned to appreciate the value and differentiation of the clean source of electron as much as a clean hotel room, both are welcomed.

MC: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know that you didn’t get a chance to touch upon above?

JP: I have always been impressed with the Energy Central community and value the many articles and varied conversations taking place on the platform. The webinars are always thought provoking and usually walk away with a bit more knowledge than when I arrived. It is definitely a trusted source and one that I value as I continue to work in this industry. I encourage everyone to explore the richness of the platform and take advantage of what the community has to offer. .

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Thanks to Jason Price for joining me for this interview and for providing a wealth of insights and expertise to the Energy Central Community. You can trust that Jason will be available for you to reach out and connect, ask questions, and more as an Energy Central member, so be sure to make him feel welcome when you see her across the platform.

The other expert interviews that we’ve completed in this series can be read here, and if you are interested in becoming an expert, you can reach out to me or you can apply here.