Ride Along
Ride-Along with John Swanson from Substation Maintenance
From breakers to protective relays, reliable power depends on experts who know every detail of the system.
Diving into the heart of energy issues
We’ll dive into the heart of energy issues, from reliability to wildfire mitigation, and share firsthand insights relevant to rural, agricultural and mountain communities across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.
Ride Along
Ride-Along with Adrian Garcia from Line Maintenance
Keeping the power on often requires long days, tough conditions, and strong leadership in the field.
All Episodes
Ride Along
Ride-Along with Nick Franklin from Telecommunications
Reliable power starts with reliable communication.
Episode 17
Law & Order: Water Court with Jackie Brown
What do river rapids, rural Colorado, and the future of Western water policy all have in common?
Episode 16
Mend the Gap with Duane Highley
What happens when parts of the Western grid aren’t fully connected — and how do we fix it?
Episode 15
Energy Shavings with Demand Response
From planning the environment to shaping the future of energy. Jennifer Prokop joins Elizabeth Shilling and Julia Eshelman on Western Watts to share how Tri-State’s Demand Response program is transforming grid reliability and cutting costs for members. Discover the innovative strategies behind smart thermostats, irrigation management, and industrial load adjustments, and learn why collaboration and education are key to powering communities across the rural West.
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Meet your hosts
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Elizabeth Schilling
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Melissa Swinehart
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Julia Perry
Elizabeth Schilling
With over 20 years of experience in corporate communications, Elizabeth is committed to finding meaningful connections behind the scenes while amplifying the voices of the people behind the power. Her mission at Tri-State is to help employees celebrate the strong connection between their individual work and the greater purpose of the organization—powering the West—reliably, affordably, and responsibly.
I love highlighting the people who are big picture thinkers, problem solvers, and passionate about their work. No matter the scale of the challenge at hand, I believe our collective brainpower can get us to solutions.
Melissa Swinehart
Melissa is a charismatic professional who specializes in transforming complex ideas into executable concepts. With a deep expertise and talent in marketing, branding and communications, she’s breathing life into brand awareness to deliver fresh, impactful results.
The podcast is a cool way to get to dive deeper into what we are as a cooperative and learn more about the people we work with on a personal level.
Julia Perry
With a background in graphic design, Julia’s tackling interviews from a whole different angle. A lifelong learner, she’s passionate about understanding not only her coworkers, but also piecing together Tri-State’s role in the larger U.S. grid and disseminating that to a wider audience.
My main contribution seems to be recklessly voicing intrusive thoughts that may or may not survive the final edit.
The views and opinions expressed on the Western Watts podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., its members, or its employees. The content of this podcast is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Tri-State makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on the podcast or found by following any link mentioned in any episode.