Welcome Your New Expert Interview Series: Patrick Smith, New Expert in the Grid Professionals Group - [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Expert Interview]
Grid resilience, smart grid, expanding transmission capacity, and more: these are the topics that have a focus on the power grid on the headlines, in focus for political and industrial leaders, and capturing the attention of the energy industry leaders. The utility industry is undergoing a transformation the likes of which it’s never seen, and as we move into an unchartered and uncertain future for the sector it’s going to be more important than ever to listen to the leaders who are driving the conversation.
At Energy Central one of the key ways we do that is by ensuring our Network of Experts accurately represents the voice of industry leadership who can answer questions, guide conversation, and bring authority to the Community. With that in mind, we’re excited to welcome the latest member of our Network of Experts focused on the Grid Professionals Group: Patrick Smith.
Patrick is the SVP of Operations and Technical Services at Ameren Illinois, and he is responsible for the oversight and support of all electric and natural gas field operations, including subtransmission and distribution maintenance, engineering design, safety and training, reliability planning, dispatch operations, electrical and natural gas emergency response, and construction services for the utility that serves 1.2 million electric customers and 816,000 natural gas customers. This experience and perspective makes him a welcome and critical voice for our community.
With that, we’re excited to jump-start Patrick’s Expert status in the traditional way: with his participation in a New Expert Member Interview:
Matt Chester: Thanks for agreeing to participate in our interview series, Patrick. As one of our newest experts, we want to use this as an opportunity to introduce you and why we’re happy to have you in our Expert Network. Can you give the quick background on how you got started in the power sector and what your role is today?
Patrick Smith: Thanks for having me and I'm happy to be part of the network. I have 38 years in the industry, mostly in operations; but with an extensive vertically integrated work experience. I started as a meter reader in 1985 and entered our apprenticeship program in 1988, eventually becoming a journey Lineworker in 1991. My management journey started in 1995 as a first-line supervisor and I worked in progressively responsible leadership roles becoming an officer in 2017 as VP Division Operations. In 2021 I jumped into the growth side of the business and became Ameren Missouri's VP, Economic, Community, and Business Development. After a year in this role and tremendous learning, I joined our Ameren Illinois company as Senior Vice President of Operations and Technical Services. In this role, I am responsible for the oversight and support of all electric and natural gas field operations, including subtransmission and distribution maintenance, engineering design, safety and training, reliability planning, dispatch operations, electrical and natural gas emergency response, and construction services for Ameren Illinois.