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Episode #161: 'Revving Up on Fleet Electrification' with Megan Truman, Transportation Electrification at Burns & McDonnell [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]

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Much of the broad conversation on electrifying transportation tends to focus on individuals making the decision to purchase an EV, but the real scale for widespread electrification takes place on the fleet level. Both in terms of the challenges presented to the grid by electric transportation and the true opportunity for tools like V2G and demand flexibility come with fleets, and Megan Truman (Staff Electrical Engineer and Business Development Manager at Burns & McDonnell) joins the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast fresh off her compelling session at Distributech 2024 to unravel these major themes driving the energy industry.

With a spotlight on the electrification of commercial fleets, Megan shares with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester how Burns & McDonnell is leading the charge in preparing the grid for this transformative shift. From discussing overlooked challenges to exploring cutting-edge solutions, Megan offers a unique perspective on the intersection of transportation and energy. Listen in to join the conversation that’s sure to spark new ideas and ignite your curiosity.

 

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Thanks to the sponsor of this episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast: Burns & McDonnell

 

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TRANSCRIPT

Jason Price:

Welcome to the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast. We bring leading minds from the energy industry into the podcast booth to discuss the challenges and trends that are transforming and modernizing our energy system.

And new for 2024, our listeners can now submit a recorded question to a future podcast episode. Just look for the SpeakPipe link in the show notes below this episode, and leave us a voicemail with a question for a future guest. And a quick thank you to Burns McDonald, our sponsor of today's show. Now, let's talk energy.

I am Jason Price, Energy Central podcast host and director with West Monroe. Coming to you from New York City and with me as always, from Orlando, Florida is Energy Central producer and community manager, Matt Chester. Matt, you and I have recently come back from the DISTRIBUTECH 2024 in Orlando to meet and learn from some of the greatest innovators in the utility industry today. What were some of the topics you heard at this year's conference?

 

Matt Chester:

Hey, Jason. Yeah, it was indeed a great conference. And I'd say the topics that came up a healthy amount were of course consideration of artificial intelligence. That was something that's prominent everywhere from the opening keynote speech through the entire conference floor.

And then as well as how AI and then other digital tools could help utility stakeholders prepare for the grid of the future that we've all been hearing about. One that's more distributed, has a higher load, aims to be more flexible, is integrating a host of new technologies as the world aims to electrify. There's a lot of forward-looking digital conversations happening at DISTRIBUTECH and it was really great to be a part of it.

 

Jason Price:

Yeah. Thanks, Matt. Indeed, it was a great show and a lot of learning, networking and more. And one of the great things about our podcast is we have an avenue to make sure those conversations don't just stop at DISTRIBUTECH but can continue onward throughout the year.

And to help us with that, we're going to be chatting with Megan Truman, electrical engineer and business development manager at Burns & McDonnell. Megan and her team indeed were a strong presence at DISTRIBUTECH, particularly at the session that Megan spoke at, preparing the grid for commercial fleet electrification. Please join me and let's welcome Megan Truman to the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast.

 

Megan Truman:

Hey, Jason. It's good to be here. Thank you so much for having me.

 

Jason Price:

Absolutely. We're thrilled to have you here. Megan, let's start quickly in case there are any listeners out there who are not familiar with Burns & McDonnell. Can you give us a quick elevator pitch for how you and your team help the utility sector?

 

Megan Truman:

Sure. In the utility sector, Burns & McDonnell provides turnkey engineering and construction services to utilities nationwide. We support everything from power generation to transmission lines to substations to distribution. And then, we also support behind the meter infrastructure to support electric vehicle adoption.

 

Jason Price:

Fantastic. Megan, we're talking in the aftermath of DISTRIBUTECH 2024, where I know Burns & McDonnell had a notable presence. Share with our listeners who weren't able to make it to Orlando, what were the major themes that you saw and heard?

 

Megan Truman:

Yeah. To reiterate what Matt said, I think AI was a major theme across the conference. And all of the keynotes were about AI. Where I think this is going to tie into the utility sector most is in streamlining application processes and how utilities do business to make those processes more effective and efficient as we see a huge influx of new distributed energy resources and zero emission assets coming onto the grid.

 

Jason Price:

Yeah, absolutely. And I would agree with you that you are also talking about different types of DER. You spoke at a session titled Preparing the Grid for Commercial Fleet Electrification. And I understand you had a highly engaged audience. Share with us what you presented and why it garnered so much attention.

 

Megan Truman:

Sure. We discussed the impacts that commercial fleet electrification are going to have on the distribution grid, specifically in areas where there are high concentrations of commercial and industrial customers where all of them are looking to electrify their fleets and there will be large new loads coming on those distribution circuits.

This is going to create a bottleneck in distribution upgrade timelines for utilities, especially in areas that are seeing early adoption right now. And so we talked about some of the ways that utilities can start to identify where those key areas are going to be and think of ways that they can begin the upgrade process proactively.

 

Jason Price:

Yeah. And for sure. And when we were talking about vehicle electrification, this has been a topic for decades or more. We've had a number of presenters on the podcast talk about EV transformation. But surely it seems to be we're reaching a crescendo in areas of attention, investment and overall study. It seems to be like a bit of a maturing in the marketplace to some degree. What is it about this moment in the power industry that is uniquely setting up for these kinds of conversations to be happening now?

 

Megan Truman:

I think utilities as large organizations are dealing with a very challenging situation as they try to manage an insane amount of new service requests, both from electrification and from new load growth. They try to meet the requirements for high reliability while meeting decarbonization requirements and zero emission goals. That we're also dealing with large number of super storms and cybersecurity issues. To handling all of those challenges while still providing reliable and affordable power makes it really tough for utilities.

 

Jason Price:

For sure. Let's drill down on fleets for a moment and the work you're doing. I'd really like to understand the fleet impact on the utility industry and what aspects are Burns & McDonnell taking to put more focus and attention on this?

 

Megan Truman:

Yeah. Specifically with fleet electrification, obviously companies nationwide are either voluntarily committing to electrify their fleets and decarbonize. Or in some areas they are being mandated to by legislation such as California. A lot of these companies are being forced to and also are committing to because they want to take care of our earth and our environment.

And with fleet specifically, we help our companies on the fleet side electrify as efficiently and effectively as possible. And then on the utility side, we try to help utilities plan for long-term electrification by helping them innovate their current business models.

 

Jason Price:

Yeah. All right. Let's talk a little bit more about, this is a utility audience listening in. Tell us more about the types of solutions you're bringing to the table to help utilities get through this transformation.

 

Megan Truman:

We're starting to see three key areas where I think utilities can improve how they currently operate in a step function above what they currently do to prepare for this influx of new loads. The first I would say relates to AI, which I think ties into the theme of DISTRIBUTECH quite well.

Looking at innovation and automation, how utilities can better utilize their data to automate load studies and help prepare for those new load requests more proactively. Proactive customer communication is a huge part of this and that was one of the key components that we talked about in our panel. I had three utility representatives who run commercial fleet electrification programs at their utilities speak on the panel with me.

And some of the things that we discussed were what does that proactive customer communication look like? How do they create a program where customers want to engage because it also provides a value back to them? It's a two-way communication stream that needs to happen. Fleets have to share information about their plans for electrification with the utility in order for this to be a win-win situation and utilities have to communicate back that they're going to hold that information in confidence, not share with their competitors.

The next area that we see solutions coming up in is in the standard and specification realm. Modularizing new substation design and construction as much as possible will help utilities upgrade those key distribution circuits quickly to prepare for significant electrification. Also speaking more on the residential side and just with utility systems in general, increasing the standard transformer sizing and the standard new build requirements that utilities build to will be very helpful. Going through proactive voltage upgrades instead of just upgrading from a 4kV line to 12, maybe you go from 4kV to 35kV because you know that's going to be an area of dense electrification.

And then finally on the construction side, we see utilities starting to, for two the meter infrastructure or the distribution side of the infrastructure, looking at prefabricating and modularizing as many components as possible to make installation times quicker. And for behind the meter infrastructure, we see utilities offering make ready programs and providing combined design build services in their make ready programs to make the actual deployment of charging infrastructure as quick as possible.

 

Jason Price:

All right. Having the industry-wide motivation for electrification is one thing and advancement of the technology is another. But in the end the challenges still seem immense. What is an area of focus that you think is not being discussed enough as it pertains to upcoming hurdles we'll have to overcome?

 

Megan Truman:

One area that I think we tend to gloss over in the industry is specifically understanding how battery technology fits different vehicle use cases. This is critical to successful phased electrification projects for these large fleet customers.

I think policy makers can sometimes tend to get ambitious and we want to say, "We want to electrify everything." But listening to the technical realities of what current technology allows is really important in making sure our dollars are invested in the best way possible and going to have the most impact that they can have with current available technology.

Focusing on the low-hanging industries to achieve carbon reduction goals, I think is going to be the best path forward so that we don't end up with a bunch of stranded assets that cannot function properly or can't fit the use case. And still achieves emissions reduction in some of the key areas where we see smog as a big issue, such as the port districts, such as congested cities and things like that.

 

Jason Price:

That's interesting. If I could pull a thread there, Megan. You're basically saying that we should look at how these electric vehicles could serve as a grid asset. Is that what you're basically thinking or saying?

 

Megan Truman:

Not quite. I'm saying that in order to achieve successful electrification, we want to make sure that our dollars are going to the right size charging infrastructure. And vehicles being purchased are the most effective for the current use case. Current bucket truck technology, fully electrified bucket trucks are not feasible for utilities because what happens in emergency situations. But there's a lot of alternative areas and there's light duty fleet electrification models out there that they can do.

 

Jason Price:

Megan, this has been a great rundown of DISTRIBUTECH and the EV conversations that utility leaders should be having. But now we want to peel back the curtain and learn more about you, the person rather than the professional. And that means we're moving to our lightning round where we're going to throw at you a series of questions that you only need a brief answer. Are you ready?

 

Megan Truman:

Yes.

 

Jason Price:

All right. Fantastic. Megan, favorite vacation destination?

 

Megan Truman:

Hawaii.

 

Jason Price:

What's your favorite comfort food?

 

Megan Truman:

I'm going to go with Andy's Frozen Custard.

 

 

Jason Price:

What's your favorite board game or card game?

 

Megan Truman:

I love playing Speed, which is a card game.

 

Jason Price:

Do you currently drive or plan to own an electric vehicle?

 

Megan Truman:

I do. I have a Tesla Model 3 that I've had for about four years. And fun piece of that is one of the reasons that I decided to purchase an EV is that we have access to employee charging here at the Burns & McDonnell campus in Kansas City. And even though I lived in an apartment and didn't have access to charging at home, I knew that I had reliable workplace charging available. I think I'm a great use case for employees who are considering transitioning to electric, really benefit from employers providing this as a benefit to their employees.

 

Jason Price:

Okay. Now it's your turn to ask a question for a future guest on a lightning round. What would you like to challenge a future guest with?

 

Megan Truman:

I would ask them what they are most excited about, what piece of technology they're most excited about in the year 2024 and beyond that they think is going to have lasting impacts on the utility industry.

 

Jason Price:

And lastly, what are you most motivated by?

 

Megan Truman:

I would say I'm motivated by problem solving and finding creative solutions. I think that is what drew me to the energy industry in the first place, was just the vast complexity of the industry and how unique situations are.

Getting to wake up every day and think about how can we deliver reliable and affordable power while still supporting electrification is one of the favorite things that I enjoy doing. And I also think that taking care of the earth is something that we as humankind are called to do. And being a good steward of what we have been given is very motivating to me. And that is my guiding principle as I go about it.

 

Jason Price:

That's great. And I really enjoyed this conversation with you. I appreciate you taking the time to share this wisdom with us. I would like to give you the final word and message for our listeners to take away. What would you hope that people remember from today's conversation?

 

Megan Truman:

I tend to be an optimist in things. And I know there's a lot of craziness going on in the world right now, but I have to remind myself, go out, take a walk in the sunshine and remember all that we have and all that we have to be thankful for. I think sometimes we can see all of these problems and take the weight of the world on our shoulders.

And I truly don't think that's the purpose of life. I think the purpose of life's much greater than that. And so remembering that we have relationships with people too, and the richness of our relationships and the people that we get to interact with every day is so valuable. How we interact with creation is so valuable too. And so, that's probably what I would leave listeners with.

 

Jason Price:

Well stated. And I'm excited to see what our listeners think and surely they'll do so in the comment section of Energy Central where we post this episode. And hopefully you can hop back and answer any questions that may pop up. But until then, we just want to thank you for sharing your insight with us on today's episode of the podcast.

 

Megan Truman:

Yeah. Thanks so much for having me again. It was great being with you.

 

Jason Price:

And you can always reach Megan through the Energy Central platform where she welcomes your questions and comments. I want to give a shout out of thanks to the podcast sponsors that made today's episode possible. Thanks to Burns & McDonnell. At Burns & McDonnell, our engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists do more than plan, design, and construct. With a mission unchanged since 1898, make our clients successful.

Our more than 14,500 professionals partner with you on the toughest challenges, constantly working to make the world an amazing place. Each professional brings an ownership mentality to projects at our 100% employee-owned firm, which has safety performance among the top 5% of AEC firms. That means we think like owners, working through each challenge until it's resolved, meeting or exceeding our client's goals.

Once again, I'm your host, Jason Price. Plug in and stay fully charged in the discussion by hopping into the community at energycentral.com. And we'll see you next time at the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast.

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About Energy Central Podcasts

The ‘Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast’ features conversations with thought leaders in the utility sector. At least twice monthly, we connect with an Energy Central Power Industry Network community member to discuss compelling topics that impact professionals who work in the power industry. Some podcasts may be a continuation of thought-provoking posts or discussions started in the community or with an industry leader that is interested in sharing their expertise and doing a deeper dive into hot topics or issues relevant to the industry.

The ‘Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast’ is the premiere podcast series from Energy Central, a Power Industry Network of Communities built specifically for professionals in the electric power industry and a place where professionals can share, learn, and connect in a collaborative environment. Supported by leading industry organizations, our mission is to help global power industry professionals work better. Since 1995, we’ve been a trusted news and information source for professionals working in the power industry, and today our managed communities are a place for lively discussions, debates, and analysis to take place. If you’re not yet a member, visit www.EnergyCentral.com to register for free and join over 200,000 of your peers working in the power industry.

The Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast is hosted by Jason Price, Community Ambassador of Energy Central. Jason is a Business Development Executive at West Monroe, working in the East Coast Energy and Utilities Group. Jason is joined in the podcast booth by the producer of the podcast, Matt Chester, who is also the Community Manager of Energy Central and energy analyst/independent consultant in energy policy, markets, and technology.  

If you want to be a guest on a future episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast, let us know! We’ll be pulling guests from our community members who submit engaging content that gets our community talking, and perhaps that next guest will be you! Likewise, if you see an article submitted by a fellow Energy Central community member that you’d like to see broken down in more detail in a conversation, feel free to send us a note to nominate them.  For more information, contact us at [email protected]. Podcast interviews are free for Expert Members and professionals who work for a utility.  We have package offers available for solution providers and vendors. 

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