VIDEO: People Who Power New York: A Global View on the Grid in Transition
As the child of a diplomat, Udayan Nair traveled with his family across continents, experiencing different cultures and witnessing firsthand the challenges of a changing world.
Their adventures in bustling cities like Hong Kong and Chicago and still-developing nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were carefully documented by Udayan’s father on an old-school camcorder.
Now, as the NYISO’s first-ever Director of Grid Transition, he’s channeling that global perspective into one of the most pressing puzzles of our time: how to maintain grid reliability and keep the lights on for millions of New Yorkers as the electric system undergoes unprecedented change.
A year ago, Udayan moved from Toronto, Ontario, to upstate New York for a position at the NYISO, where he oversees the integration of new elements of the energy industry into the organization’s operations and planning functions.
In the past, the energy sector saw little change. Most reliability concerns could be addressed through tried-and-true strategies. But today, the grid is being reshaped by the electrification of homes and vehicles, a sharp growth in data center development, semi-conductor manufacturing and artificial intelligence, as well as the rise of wind and solar power, and the growing impact of extreme weather. All of this combines for a dynamic set of new challenges.
According to Udayan, these challenges require new approaches—and smarter tools.
“A key piece of this is data is our friend. We need more sources of it so we can understand the coincident impacts of all these technologies and variables converging at the same point in time,” Udayan said.
The monumental task ahead requires collaboration between departments within the NYISO as well as conversations with state and federal entities and neighboring power grid operators. Udayan oversees a team of professionals who are up for the challenge.
“New York is not alone on an island. We're part of this big eastern interconnection. From north to the south, what impacts them impacts us.”
Meet Udayan, one of the People Who Power New York.
Learn More
- Podcast Ep. 33: Udayan Nair is NYISO’s First Director of Grid Transition
- Visit our careers page for more information on working at the NYISO