How PG&E Designs and Builds a More Sustainable, Resilient and Affordable Grid

Mike Beehler P.E. is the national spokesperson for the Power Delivery Intelligence Initiative and the chief opportunity officer for Mike Beehler & Associates LLC. He started his career designing and building transmission lines and substations for Tucson Electric Power and the Hawaiian Electric Co. and then spent more than 20 years designing T&D infrastructure and consulting on emerging trends at Burns & McDonnell. He has written, presented, and consulted on reliability-centered maintenance, critical infrastructure protection, and program management.

In addition, he is a well-known industry writer and speaker on the early definition of the smart grid, 3-D and building information modeling applications in T&D, and development plans for smart cities. Most recently, he is sought for his strategic leadership and vision on the application of emerging technologies in changing business models to include the integration of distributed energy resources, augmented/virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. He authored the book, The Science of the Sale.

Beehler is a registered professional engineer in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Georgia, and Alabama. He also is a Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of IEEE and CIGRE.

Rod Robinson serves as Vice President of Electric Systems Operations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), bringing decades of leadership and operational expertise to the role. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he launched his energy career at PG&E in 2002, before advancing through key leadership positions at CAISO and PG&E, where he has been instrumental in strengthening grid reliability and emergency preparedness. Robinson returned to PG&E in 2012, as a Transmission Grid Control Center Supervisor and has since taken on progressively senior roles, including Manager and Senior Manager, Director of Transmission Grid Operations, Interim Senior Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, and most recently, Senior Director of Transmission System Operations. Robinson holds an Associate Degree in Electronics Technology from the Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and an MBA from St. Mary’s College, becoming the first in his immediate family to achieve this milestone. Originally from Louisiana, he is a devoted husband and father of two adult sons. His leadership at PG&E continues to drive improvements in system operations, committed to ensuring safe and efficient energy operations.