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How do you bridge the gap between fast-moving renewables and slow-moving utilities? Brian Nelson has spent the last two decades doing exactly that - from building house-sized transformers to now leading ABB’s renewables segment. At ACP 2025, he sat down with Nico to pull back the curtain on how utilities think, why they’re cautious, and what it really takes to bring innovation to the grid.
"Virtual power plants are one of the coolest things in energy right now. If we can’t build more transmission, we have to go distributed." - Brian Nelson
In this episode, you’ll hear why Brian believes in the future of smart substations, 2,000-volt switches, and solid-state breakers - all designed to meet utilities where they are while pushing the envelope of what’s possible.
Expect to learn:
🔹 Why utilities are risk-averse—and how that impacts tech adoption
🔹 How ABB is accelerating virtual power plants and grid-scale DC systems
🔹 The surprising bottlenecks holding back renewable deployment
🔹 What "local-for-local" manufacturing means post-IRA
Whether you’re frustrated by permitting delays or excited by the future of DC microgrids, this one’s a must-listen.
RESOURCES:
Connect with Brian Nelson:
Check out ABB:
"You’ve got to push in if you want a seat at the table. Standards are being written - don’t wait for them to happen to you." - Brian Nelson
Noteworthy Quotes:
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Nico Johnson
Entrepreneur & Podcaster
In my 20 year career, I've worked with dozens of entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and professionals in transition to clarify their mission, set or stretch their goals, and work through the barriers to their growth.
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