The Utility of the Future: Electrification, Innovation and the Energy Transition

A Global Energy Transition Talk Series Panel Discussion

Speaker: 

Sumeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E); Executive Vice President, Energy Delivery

Sumeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, previously served as Executive Vice President (EVP), Operations and Chief Operating Officer of PG&E, responsible for the utility’s operations, including gas, electric and generation, as well as the safety, vegetation management, wildfire and emergency operations. Prior to that, he was the EVP, Chief Risk Officer (CRO) and Chief Safety Officer, overseeing the company's integrated workforce health and safety strategy, its safety culture, and management of both operational risks such as wildfires, nuclear, dams, natural gas, natural disasters and non-operational risks such as cybersecurity, pandemic and others.

Singh has held other leadership roles within PG&E, including serving as the Senior Vice President, CRO, and Vice President, Asset Management and Community Wildfire Safety Program. Singh also served as Vice President of Portfolio Management & Engineering in PG&E's Gas Operations, responsible for planning, prioritizing and providing oversight of Gas Operations' portfolio of work, and as Vice President, Asset & Risk Management in PG&E's Gas Operations. He joined PG&E in 2000 as an engineer, and also worked in various natural gas distribution and transmission engineering roles, as well as in the Finance and Energy Procurement functions.

In 2025, Singh won the Top Chief Operating Officer sponsored by the San Francisco Business Times. Singh holds a Bachelor's Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley; and a Master of Business Administration degree from UCLA Anderson School of Management. In 2024, he completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nuclear Reactor Course for Utility Executives. He is a registered professional Civil Engineer in the State of California. Singh serves on the Boards of GTI Energy, American Gas Association (AGA), and Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

Moderator: 

Nicola De Blasio, Research Associate, Harvard-China Project

Dr. Nicola De Blasio is a globally recognized energy scholar and innovator whose work has shaped the intersection of energy technology, policy, and sustainability for over 25 years. His career spans leadership roles in industry, academia, and strategic consultancy, with a focus on advancing the global energy transition through innovation, strategic alliances, and actionable evidence-based solutions. Renowned for integrating interdisciplinary expertise with practical applications, Nicola has made significant contributions to developing and deploying pathways toward a low-carbon economy and sustainable energy systems.

View a list of past Global Energy Transition Talks here

Sponsored by Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)