How PG&E is using batteries to improve service

Heather Rock has always liked grappling with big, existential questions. Knowing she wanted to “serve a carbon-neutral future,” she left Chevron in 2018 to become senior director of strategy for Pacific Gas & Electric.

When she joined PG&E, it was on the brink of bankruptcy due to billions of dollars in liability after its equipment sparked wildfires. But Heather says the utility is now building a safer grid that is more resilient to climate change. In her current role she’s also scaling innovations to improve the customer experience and lower costs.

This week, Heather talks with Brad about how PG&E is using batteries to resolve a service bottleneck in northern California. She also weighs in on being an agent for change in a large organization. “Because of the size and the scope and the scale, if you can make change internally, you can really steer a ship in a different way,” she says.