How Utilities Are Changing While Keeping The Lights On – Nicole Pearson & Brad Johnson of Bentley Systems

“The really great thing about electric utilities is that they maintain a singular focus almost regardless of what’s going on around them. It’s safety, reliability, resilience. So they’ll adapt and flex…They’re not going to take a risk that sacrifices safety, that sacrifices your light coming on….The difference now that I’ve noticed is their willingness to move forward with Technology and change decades, long processes and workflows and Legacy built systems……. because they see how they can still maintain and maintain more efficiently, safety, reliability, resiliency.”

Nicole Pearson on Electric Ladies Podcast

Utilities are being transformed even as they keep the lights on. They have to become more resilient to the effects of climate changes and be responsive to new energy sources and technologies and even invent new business models while also regulated – all without dropping a moment of power. How?

Listen to Nicole Pearson, Director of Marketing for Energy and Brad Johnson, Industry head of Energy Systems at Bentley Systems in this fascinating conversation with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson. It was recorded live at the Bentley Systems “Year in Infrastructure” 2025 conference.

You’ll hear about:

● How utilities have evolved and are evolving without risking service, safety, reliability and under the regulatory microscope.

● How Bentley Systems’ software is reducing risk and increasing resilience of utilities.

● How utilities are leveraging A.I. while monitoring for cyberattacks and hallucinations to keep systems, workers and consumers safe.

● Utilities have to plan decades ahead, even 30+ years ahead, yet technologies evolve so fast. How can they plan that far ahead?

● Plus, career advice, such as:

“The first one is own it. Own it. What is it? Your career. And when I say own it, I’m constantly, even today having meetings with people that I don’t know, requesting mentorship, reaching out through LinkedIn, going to events. I try to stay very connected and not just people in my close industry or even work type …Every single person you meet is a connection and could have an impact on your life and vice versa….When you meet somebody, keep the conversation going. …So one day if they need something or you need something, you have a connection….My second piece of advice is… you should always have a list of things that you want to accomplish, that you want to put on your résumé. And regardless of what’s going on around you in your job, focus on those things.” Nicole Pearson on Electric Ladies Podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes article on whether A.I. makes our infrastructure safer or not here, and her Joan’s other Forbes articles here.

You’ll also like:

· Using Software & AI to Reduce CO2 & Increase Resilience – Lydia Walpole & Chris Bradshaw of Bentley Systems

· Leveraging AI for Sustainability – Mandi McReynolds, VP of External Affairs & Chief Sustainability Office at Workiva

· Artificial Intelligence and the Climate: Stephanie Hare, Ph.D, author of “Technology is Not Neutral” and BBC Broadcaster

· How Design & Technology Are Redesigning Cities: Nikki Greenberg, Real Estate of the Future, live at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025

· 88% of Companies Say Sustainability Increases Long-Term Value: Maura Hodge, Chief Sustainability Officer, KPMG

· The Politics of Climate & Energy – with Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, Co-Chair, Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our podcasts, blog, events and special Coaching offers.

Thanks for subscribing on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review!

Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson

Most Recent Episodes

June 17, 2026

What's Sustainable Fish & Seafood? – Amanda Leland, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Author of "Sea Change: Unlikely Allies and a Success Story of Oceanic Proportions"

"Sustainable aquaculture needs to be part of the solution set for Health, for feeding a growing population, and it increasingly can be done well, that's the thing. There's been a lot of Innovation in...

Listen · 50:55

June 10, 2026

Innovative Climate Finance – Kanika Singh, Milken Institute, Director of Catalytic Capital

"We're seeing hurricanes, four of the 10 most damaging hurricanes in the United States happened in the last 10 years. Recovery and rebuild continues in many cases. Last year we had the world's most...

Listen · 48:24

June 3, 2026

How Stories Can Shift Culture – Melissa Jun Rowley, Author of "Beyond The Mic Drop: How Stories Can Shift Culture, Power & Policy"

"What are the stories that people can participate in and see themselves in? I think that's one of the keys that we can unlock when it comes to the whole climate narrative is telling stories that...

Listen · 1:20:08

Load More Episodes

Joan Michelson Electric Ladies Podcast - Innovation, Energy, Climate, Careers

Joan Michelson, MBA is a highly accomplished business leader and award-winning strategic social impact and ESG – environment, social, governance – leader, who drove breakthrough results at Chrysler (in EVs), American Express and Deloitte, small businesses, and government agencies. She is an instructor on ESG issues to professionals, leaders and board members across industries. Her specialties include leveraging ESG solutions and partnerships strategically for maximum benefit, helping organizations recruit innovative, diverse women, and helping these women thrive in their careers. She is based in the Washington D.C. area.

Joan is also an accomplished journalist who has worked with top media organizations and hosts and produces the acclaimed Electric Ladies podcast (formerly known as Green Connections Radio), about innovation and leadership in energy-, climate- and sustainability-related issues across industries, featuring women experts.

She writes regularly for Forbes on these issues and has also been in the Harvard Business Review, HuffPost, TheAtlantic.com, Greenbiz, The New Economy magazine (distributed at the World Economic Forum), New Thinking magazine, regional business journals; and various other media. She coproduced segments with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” ABC News, and “The Crusaders,” and television specials on NBC.

Joan has spent her career working in energy-sustainability-climate-ESG issues and in marketing communications, including as head of communications and co-leader of the sales and marketing team of Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), driving “best year ever” growth and significantly accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles. Prior to GEM, she led marketing communications efforts to high-net-worth and high-visibility clients in management consulting-financial services companies Deloitte and American Express. She's a native of NYC and has a BA from UCLA, an MBA from Baruch College at City University of NY, and post-graduate studies at Harvard Business School, The New School and The Aspen Institute, among others. She has a Sustainability and ESG certification from Competent Boards.