 Welcome back everybody. Jeff Frick here with theCUBE. We are live at Pure48 in San Francisco at the GE Minds and Machines Show. About 3,000 people all involved with big iron. And this isn't big data center iron. This is like big iron, big iron. And we're talking to a lot of GE folks but we're really excited to have a practitioner on who's basically taking the leap of faith in this whole world. And so we'd love to welcome Susan Landahl, an SVP at Exxon Generation. That's right. Welcome. So give us a little bit on Exxon for people that aren't familiar with the company. Exxon is a fully integrated utility company. We have about 10 million customers. We have 37,000 megawatts of generation. So we have nuclear generation. We have gas, solar, wind, hydro. So runs the gambit. So we have the generation piece of the business. We have the sales piece of the business. And then we have the actual distribution of electricity to our customers. So my role at Exxon is I'm in the nuclear division, part of the generation company. And I have a background in engineering and operations. And my current role, one of my responsibilities is to be the lead executive for innovation within the nuclear organization. So that's why I'm here and that's why I'm involved with GE and Pre-Dex. So were you in that role when the nuclear generation was kind of growing? Yes, I've been almost 30 years in nuclear power of one type or another. I've worked for Exxon for 17 years. So I've run our plants and been in a number of senior positions there. So I really come from that engineering operations background but now I'm in the new world of digital technology which is pretty different than the world I grew up in. So big announcement. We heard from Ganesh earlier today that you guys signed a strategic deal that you're going to be basically buying GE software, right? That's right. I mean, you already own a bunch of their physical plant. We do, we do. So this is very different. I think we really strive for excellence in all aspects of our operation. And there are a lot of things where Exxon really is an industry leader but we're always looking for what's the next thing that's going to improve our performance. And when we look at the possibility of digital technology especially the idea of being able to predict events and be able to predict the failure of a piece of equipment before it actually fails and go in and fix it ahead of time. And you think about all those possibilities that's sort of the next big step for us to continue our improvement. And GE being the technology leader that they are coupled with ourselves as excellent in operations made a really sensible partnership. So that's where kind of the concept that bore the predicts deal for us. Right. And when you decided to do this with GE and with predicts specifically were you able to do kind of an ROI analysis? Was it kind of a leap of faith? We know we have to start doing some things and this is a way to get started. What was kind of the process that you guys went through? We thought there was great potential. So we went into an arrangement where we did five different pilots across our business units. So each one, it was wind, power generation nuclear and we each looked at possible use cases would be the term that GE would use. What are things we could get out of predicts and is there enough there that makes sense to actually proceed? So through that pilot process we saw some real value that we've already been able to recognize and then we saw some huge potential going forward. So the decision to actually enter into the agreement was really based on the results of those pilots really bearing fruit and saying, hey, this has great potential to take our performance in terms of efficiency in particular to the next level. Right. And then you'll actually implement it through a series of specific projects. That's right. That's right. Once we're pursuing each of the pilots and in some cases they will clearly kind of get finalized and then we'll roll them out like in the case of our nuclear fleet. If we implement a program at a particular site and it works, then we're just going to roll it through the rest of the fleet. So we'll get that benefit. And then as new projects, because as you know with these kind of technologies as soon as you start using it, it's like, well, we could do this and we could do that. Right. And as each of those ideas come through then we have to say, hey, is this really where we want to invest in terms of our next project beyond these pilots and we'll do an initial or additional cost-benefit analysis at that point more to decide what's next though. Right. Yeah. It's interesting on the nuclear side because we think of, I didn't think of nuclear as relatively sophisticated technology, highly regulated. Yes. You know, it's potentially dangerous and also generates a lot of electricity. So, I would think you guys had it pretty well nailed. And yet you see this huge opportunity for new levels of efficiency and new levels of output. Where was the inefficiency that you're now squeezing more out? We have focused very much on safety and reliability and we have an excellent safety record and an excellent reliability record and excellent for the past 10 years, our capacity factor. So the percentage of time our plants are running consistently 93, 94%, which is the best in the industry. So we think from a safety and reliability perspective, we were doing very well, but there's always ways to be more efficient. You know, can we collect a lot of data? Can we use it to be even more reliable? Even more efficient with the people that run our plants and make their jobs easier as well as make the actual output of their work more effective. So in nuclear, it's really more around the efficiency and we are the lowest cost generator in the country, but we're always looking to be better and especially if it makes people's lives easier at the same time. Right, right. And this concept of the digital twin, I'm sure this has been part of your conversation. A little bit. Just a little bit. A little bit. Not going to have a digital twin of a big coolie tower. No, but it's an interesting concept. Yeah, because that's going to be a big piece of it. Well, I think certainly when you talk about the equipment at the plant, the idea is, you know, can you create this virtual twin that looks on, you know, that's made of electrons instead of iron and steel, but can capture the information that the actual piece of equipment, you know, contains and sees and then use it to make decisions. So I think it's a very interesting concept and anytime you talk about really being able to use the technology to make the equipment run better, that digital twin idea is kind of a natural outcome, but it's a pretty, it's an attention-getting name for it, I think. Right, right. I'm just curious from your perspective as the energy landscape just seems to be changing so dramatically now and you've been in the business for a long time. And again, nuclear, I grew up in Portland, so the Trojan plant was, we used to take field trips when I was in school. And now really with the rise of electric and hybrid cars and the change in the oil dynamics, where we saw the price go for over a hundred bucks a barrel to less than, it was like I down to like 25 bucks or something crazy. So it's a really super dynamic situation. That said, population's still growing, people are still consuming more and more and more energy. It's a pretty complicated environment. It is complicated and I think, you know, on the customer side, our customers are much more demanding, you know, the old-fashioned utility, you know, just get your bill, that, you know, that doesn't fly anymore. We want to be the utility of the future for our customers and really be modern in how we interact with them and the services we provide so that they can make more efficient use of their electricity. And I think, you know, over time, you look at any industry kind of ebbs and flows and we're, you know, you continue to look at that, but while you're, while you have all that information from a generation perspective, we really focus on that safety and reliability. We want to be there 24-7, you know, to make sure that we're providing the electricity that our customers need and that we're doing it safely and reliably day in, day out. And if we can be more efficient along the way, then we're going to enter in these kind of partnerships to do that, but, you know, it can be a complex business, but we've got a lot of terrific people that work in it and we'll figure it out as we, you know, learn these new technologies. I think it's really exciting. And you're kind of like the refs, right? You don't want anyone to really know you're in the game. That means everything's going smoothly. Oh, yeah, yeah. I just was thinking, you know, wasn't that long ago in California, we were having these massive brownouts, scheduled brownouts, and it suddenly throws into focus that, you know, it's a big, complex system that delivers our power to us that we, you know, we plug in and the presumption is it's there. It is, but I think the more people understand it, the smarter they get about, you know, where their electricity comes from and what are those decisions that, you know, different states are making. And, but there were no brownouts in Illinois or Pennsylvania or Washington DC. So I could tell you that much. Those are your areas. Yes, primarily. Okay, so before I let you go, as you kind of look forward and you come to an event like this, 3,000 people, it's all about the technology surrounding the infrastructure and the power generation. What are your kind of impressions? What are you looking forward to? What will we be talking about a year from now, two years from now at this show? Well, I really think that this field is changing exponentially. And as, you know, just from a few months ago to now, you see new technologies coming out. You see new startups coming with these great ideas. And I think it's hard to even imagine what it's going to look like a year from now, but there's no doubt that, you know, this is the world we live in and this is how it's going to, you know, this is how it's going to be. So we want to be, you know, at the forefront of understanding that and being able to take advantage of it. But I think it's really exciting. I've learned a lot just being here in a day and a half and I think it's been a really exciting conference. And the Cubs won. And the Cubs won, yes. Go Cubs. All right, Susan, we'll leave it at that. Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day. You bet. Susan Landolph from Exelon Generation. I'm Jeff Frick, you're watching theCUBE where G-Mines and Machines in San Francisco will be right back after this short break. Thanks for watching.