123. A Pillar in the Community and Collaborator Around the World: DLC Lights Pittsburgh

The Duquesne Light Co. (DLC) may not be among the best-known electric power companies in the U.S., but for its customers in Allegheny and Beaver counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, the company has been a steady presence in the community for more than a century. “We are a Pittsburgh-based utility company. We’ve been in operation for over 140 years, serving the Pittsburgh area,” Kevin Walker, CEO of DLC, said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. “We are very entwined with our community, doing a lot of community service and corporate giving. And since we’re a small but mighty utility, we know, live, and work with all of our customers. I see many customers in the supermarket and in the barber shop and those kinds of places. And so, I love to feel that we are really making an impact for the people we know and serve.” Pittsburgh was the site of the Global Clean Energy Action Forum (GCEAF) in late September. Delegates from around the world gathered at the event hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy and Carnegie Mellon University. It was the first time the GCEAF was held in the U.S. The three-day event featured high-level plenary sessions and topical roundtables with energy and science ministers, CEOs, and other experts and leaders (Figure 1). There were also various side events, technology demonstrations, and other activities throughout the week. Walker was a member of the host committee. “We’re still riding the high off of that event. It was so exciting to have people from across the globe, here in Pittsburgh, really, to showcase the evolution and continuing evolution of Pittsburgh,” Walker said. “It was a great knowledge share both ways. We learned things from around the globe, as well as sharing our wisdom with folks around the globe.” Walker said innovation and creativity are in Pittsburgh’s DNA, as is a willingness to collaborate. “I think that’s our secret sauce here as a region—we really collaborate well and there’s a low-to-no barrier to the folks helping each other,” he said. Walker felt the collaborative spir