Why Tech Giants Must Build Trust as Well as Tools to Advance the Grid

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of trust and governance as tech giants partner with utilities to advance grid technology amidst rising energy demand.

As energy demand surges, tech giants are stepping up as key partners to utilities navigating a rapidly changing grid. At CERAWeek 2026, Bryce Yonker explored this topic speaking with Hannah Green, Global Operations & GTM Leader for Energy & Resources at Microsoft, and Rayford Smith, Global Head of Power and Energy for Cloud at Google. They detailed how digital infrastructure, the cloud and AI are reshaping how utilities plan and operate the grid. From faster forecasting to smarter operations, these technologies are unlocking new efficiencies. But as new tech become embedded in critical infrastructure, building trust through strong governance, transparency and accountability is increasingly essential. Listen in to understand the evolving dynamic between these two mission-critical industries and the path to "getting it right."

People in this episode

Host: Bryce Yonker

Guests: Hannah Green, Rayford Smith

Topics covered

• energy
• technology
• grid
• AI
• digital infrastructure

Keywords

• trust
• governance
• transparency
• accountability
• utilities

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Microsoft, Google Cloud

More episodes of GridPulse, a Grid Forward podcast

• The Grid is Not a Lab: How Avista Drives Innovation Across the Utility · April 21, 2026 · 30 min
• The Unexplored and Unknown: How ARPA-E Is Advancing Energy Innovation · April 3, 2026 · 21 min
• Electric Co-ops Meet the Moment as Technology Advances and Demand Surges · March 24, 2026 · 31 min
• Balancing Growth and Affordability While Building the Grid We Need Today · March 11, 2026 · 33 min
• Season 6 Finale — The Benefits of AI Technologies on Grid Modernization · November 11, 2025 · 40 min
• AI Impacts for a Resilient Grid with Duke Energy, NextEra and PG&E · November 5, 2025 · 48 min