Welcome Your New Expert Interview Series: Chris Erpelding, New Expert in the Digital Utility Group – [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Expert Interview]

Join us as we dive in to some of the insights Chris gained along his utility industry journey, taking a closer look at the collaborative efforts and strategic thinking essential for propelling the industry forward.

Matt Chester: Thanks for joining me for this expert interview, Chris, and for being one of our newest members of the Network of Experts! We love to introduce new experts by conducting these interviews, allowing our community to learn about who you are. So let’s start there. Would you share a bit about both your role with POWER Engineers and also how you got into this line of work in the first place?

Chris Erpelding: My journey through the utility industry began almost 40 years ago as a software developer. It was right after the punch card era, and I worked on greenscreen applications, databases, and system integrations. For the first decade of my career, I was heavily involved in software development—focusing on languages like COBOL and Fortran—and primarily worked on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and asset management solutions.

Interestingly, the only job I ever formally interviewed for was my very first one; since then, my career path has evolved through mergers, acquisitions, and internal promotions. My time with POWER Engineers (POWER), in fact, began about 15 years ago through an acquisition. At that time, POWER was primarily focused on engineering services like transmission line design, but they were keen to expand into technology. My group—originally focused on GIS and asset management—gradually expanded into operational technologies like ADMS and DERMS, which has become what we now call Advanced Utility Solutions (AUS).

In addition to my work with technology implementation and integration, I’ve also been part of building and managing production teams, sales and marketing efforts, and managing operations. What I truly enjoy is the strategic aspect of consulting—working closely with utilities to develop roadmaps that guide them toward their future goals and ensure they get the most value from their investments.

Recently, POWER formed the Advisory Services Group, which was created to consolidate and enhance our various advisory services across the company. I’ve become the Director of Grid Modernization within this group. This new role is exciting because it allows me to focus more on strategic consulting while also engaging more broadly with the energy community through platforms like Energy Central.

MC: How do you approach the development and management of IT/OT solutions for diverse clients such as gas and electric utilities, telecommunication companies, and municipalities?

CE: From my roots in GIS, I’ve worked with a wide range of utilities, municipalities, and telecommunication companies over the years. Typically, I help organizations transition their siloed IT/OT applications into fully integrated enterprise systems. This equips them with clear data ownership and the ability to use that data across the organization to increase efficiency and enable better decision making.

For electric utilities, a significant focus over the past decade has been on modernizing their grids to improve resilience, reliability, and sustainability; adding extra grid flexibility; increasing equity and affordability; and enhancing cybersecurity. Needs assessments and strategic roadmaps provide a lot of value to utilities for planning and prioritizing the work that needs to be done.

In addition, I’ve worked on projects involving multiple commodities—such as electric, gas, water, and fiber—particularly in municipal settings. Understanding the interdependencies between all networks is crucial for ensuring infrastructure resilience, especially during disasters. Rather than viewing them in isolation, I encourage a holistic approach that considers how these networks interact.

MC: How do you foresee industry trends evolving in the next five to ten years, particularly in relation to modernizing our grid?

CE: I’m seeing a number of common themes and trends as I talk with utilities across North America. As I mentioned earlier, all utilities are at some stage in their grid modernization journey—from initial road mapping and budgeting to full scale implementation. Electric utilities are struggling with the challenges of aging infrastructure and technical debt in their IT/OT systems, so my belief is that they will be in a continuous improvement loop to modernize grids for a long time.

Decarbonization is a major focus for all industries, not just electric utilities. Some of the newer,  promising green energy technologies—hydrogen, small modular reactors, and advanced solar, for example—in combination with grid-scale energy storage can be coupled with both mature and emerging energy technologies to gain momentum. As utilities face increasing pressures (i.e., growing energy demands from AI and data centers), there is a need to balance these demands with decarbonization and grid resiliency.

Digital transformation is another trend that will continue to evolve over the next decade. Utilities are increasingly dependent on highly integrated digital technologies along with accurate and complete data to allow them to support the integration of renewables in the grid and the grid flexibility that is needed for Distributed Energy Resources (DER). Most utilities are striving for a real-time “digital twin” of their grid to support operational awareness and allow for quick and confident decision making that is required for system operators. Digitalization increases operational efficiency and reduces the cost of access to reliable energy.

While there are numerous trends to consider, the key focus is to ensure that as the energy infrastructure evolves, so, too, does its resilience and security against both traditional and emerging threats. The role of cyber security will evolve significantly in the next decade, particularly in response to ever-evolving threats and technological advancements.

MC: What do you see as the key value in your time with Energy Central? What do you hope to learn from your peers and what values do you have to share with the community in these conversations?

CE: The key value in my time with Energy Central lies in fostering collaboration. While there are competitive pressures in certain areas, it’s crucial for people in the industry to learn from one another and avoid starting from scratch. This has been a long-standing passion of mine—encouraging utilities to share insights and experiences, while respecting non-disclosure agreements and protecting trade secrets.

Over my nearly 40 years in the industry, I’ve witnessed the evolution of systems and practices. I think sharing some of those experiences with this community can be valuable, and I think I can learn from the experiences others share as well. I think the industry benefits when we share lessons learned and help each other navigate the unique challenges and opportunities in the energy sector.

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Thanks to Chris for joining me for this interview and for providing a wealth of insights and expertise to the Energy Central Community. You can trust that Chris is available to you, so reach out and connect, ask questions. As an Energy Central member, be sure to make him feel welcome when you see him 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.