In this episode of Grid Talk, host Marty Rosenberg talks with Rudy Wynter who is the president of National Grid New York. The discussion focuses on the investments needed to reach the state’s climate goals.
“We have very ambitions climate goals in New York State, 70% renewable electricity by 2030; 100% decarbonized electricity by 2040. In order to get to those kinds of targets we need to start now,” said Wynter.
According to Wynter, that means massive investments in infrastructure and technology.
“We’re going to need all of it. We’re going to need electric vehicles. We’re going to need to electrify big portions of the heating sector. We’re going to need battery energy storage. We’ll need solar, wind. We’ll need carbon capture and storage. But we will also need to identify a role that the existing natural gas network can play and I think there is clearly a role it can play.”
Wynter also talks about the prospect of using hydrogen in natural gas.
“Blending green hydrogen, hydrogen that’s produced by renewables, but blending that hydrogen into the gas distribution network to create a lower carbon fuel in that network.”
Finally, Wynter reveals what concerns him about our energy future.
Rudy Wynter leads National Grid’s regulated energy delivery portfolio that provides electricity and natural gas service to 4 million customers across New York. He is responsible for the financial, operational, and customer-focused performance of the New York business and manages the relationships with regulators, government officials and the communities National Grid serves.
In his more than 30-year tenure at National Grid and its legacy companies, Mr. Wynter has served in several senior and operational roles, most recently as Chief Operating Officer of the company’s Wholesale Networks & Capital Delivery business.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pratt Institute and an MBA from Fordham University.