Guest: Bruce Nordman, Retired Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

After nearly 40 years at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Bruce Nordman has stepped into retirement — leaving with some big ideas about the future of our electricity system. In this episode, host Elisa Wood speaks with Bruce about the insights he’s gathered over his career and why he believes the grid has strayed from its original purpose: serving customers.

Bruce argues that today’s electricity system is structured around the needs of the grid, rather than those of the consumer. He makes the case for a reimagined model—one where electricity behaves more like the internet: plug-and-play, universal, and simple for the end user. From networking electricity inside buildings to creating globally harmonized standards, Bruce shares a vision for how to make energy systems both more efficient and more customer-friendly.

This conversation covers:

• Bruce’s pioneering work on the energy use of electronics and IT networks at LBNL

• How a “lightbulb moment” in 2010 changed the trajectory of his career

• Why electricity should be networked like the internet—universal, seamless, and behind-the-scenes

• The hidden complexity of today’s demand response and why it burdens customers unnecessarily

• Why virtual power plants miscast customers as power plants rather than treating them as customers

• The three essential ingredients for a truly customer-centric electricity system:
  

• 1. Dynamic pricing

  2. Communications infrastructure

  3. Automation at the device level
     

• Lessons from Scandinavia, California, and Australia—and why no place has yet put all the pieces together
  

• What global harmonization would mean for future innovation and affordability
  

Bruce also shares his optimism about what lies ahead and why he believes the greatest barrier isn’t technology—it’s changing the way we think about the grid.

Bruce Nordman recently retired after nearly four decades as a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His work has focused on energy efficiency in electronics and IT networks, the intersection of digital technology with electricity use, and advancing standards to support smarter, more sustainable systems. His innovative thinking has shaped policy, regulation, and the way we view the customer’s role in the grid. Today, Bruce continues to consult and advocate for globally harmonized, customer-centered approaches to the electricity sector.

• Learn more about Bruce Nordman on LinkedIn or at brucenordman.com 

• Join the Energy Changemakers community: energychangemakers.com

• Follow host Elisa Wood on LinkedIn

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