Understanding Modern Energy Infrastructure, Demands, and Resiliency Needs with ABB

Surging demand from data centers, AI-driven infrastructure, and electric vehicles is straining power grids already under pressure. States like Texas are seeing especially sharp growth, with grid operators warning of capacity concerns due to accelerating industrial and residential loads. This pressure is prompting urgent conversations about how to build and adapt modern energy infrastructure to avoid major service disruptions. The rapid growth is forcing the utility industry to confront serious challenges around reliability, sustainability, and labor shortages.

The rapid growth is forcing the utility industry to confront serious challenges around reliability, sustainability, and labor shortages.

How can utilities and commercial users build infrastructure fast enough and smart enough to keep pace with electrification?

Ben Thomas, the host of Pro AV Today, is joined by two leaders from ABB: John Hayter, Vice President of Marketing & Sales for the Utility Market in the U.S. West Region, and Jack Bellissimo, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Marketing & Strategy. Together, they explore how electrification, distributed energy, and digitalization are transforming modern energy infrastructure. The conversation touches on the impact of data center growth, the urgent need for grid hardening, and how technology and workforce development are key to maintaining system resilience.

Highlights from the Episode

• Data centers are driving unprecedented energy and cooling demand, sparking utility challenges and infrastructure upgrades across the country.
• Grid hardening and resiliency are critical focal points as weather events, electrification, and aging infrastructure test reliability.
• Labor shortages in skilled trades threaten to slow progress, even as technologies like digital substations and predictive analytics become more accessible and essential.

John Hayter is Vice President of Sales & Marketing for ABB's Utility Market in the U.S. West Region, bringing over 30 years of experience across energy, industrial, and commercial sectors. He has held multiple leadership roles at ABB, driving regional sales strategy, channel development, and performance optimization across key U.S. markets, including utilities, oil and gas, and food and beverage. Hayter is known for his strategic vision, mentoring skills, and deep expertise in electrification and power grid technologies.

Jack Bellissimo is Senior Vice President of Product Portfolio & Strategy at ABB, where he leads product management, marketing, pricing, and strategic growth initiatives across the U.S. and Latin America. He brings over 18 years of leadership experience spanning product development, P&L management, operations, and global supply chain, with prior roles at Hubbell, Michelin, and GE Power. Bellissimo is known for guiding business transformation, building high-performing teams, and aligning innovation with disciplined execution across industrial, utility, and commercial markets.