The energy landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with utilities and energy companies facing increasing pressure to enhance operational efficiency, integrate advanced technologies, and navigate the complexities of the energy transition. From the rise of AI-driven analytics to the growing need for resilient grid infrastructure, industry leaders are rethinking traditional approaches to stay competitive. Success in this shifting environment requires a strategic blend of innovation, adaptability, and a deep understanding of the market's evolving demands.
In this latest Expert Interview for the Energy Central Community, we welcome an industry leader with firsthand experience in these critical areas. We're excited to introduce Danny Petrecca, the latest addition to Energy Central’s Network of Experts (specifically in the Digital Utility Community) as well as Vice President of Business Development at Locusview. Danny has played a key role in shaping strategies that drive efficiency, sustainability, and digital transformation in the energy sector. As a part of joining our Network of Experts, Danny agreed to sit down for the requisite New Expert interview, allowing him the platform to share his perspective grounded in deep industry knowledge and forward-thinking leadership.
Read on to learn more about Danny’s background and the expertise they bring to our community.
Matt Chester: Welcome to Energy Central as one of our Featured Experts! I’d love to give you a chance to have the community get to know you, so please start by introducing yourself, sharing your role in the power sector, and maybe what your key areas of interest and expertise are?
Danny Petrecca: I’ve been in the utilities industry since I graduated from college in the late 90s. My first few years were spent in environmental consulting, helping utilities clean up contaminated sites. But in 2001, I shifted to the value-add side of utilities, specifically in the geospatial space. I worked for a company that pioneered GIS for utilities and expanded into mobile GIS, graphic work design, ADMS, and the full IT/OT spectrum for electric, gas, and telecom utilities.
For the past 25 years, I’ve had a front-row seat to see how utilities have evolved digitally and behaviorally. I’ve watched the industry transition from mainframes to web services, mobile, big data, cloud, and now AI. My entire career has been spent at the cutting edge of utility technology, which has given me deep insights into how the industry adapts to change.
MC: With the rapid evolution of digital tools in utilities, how has Locusview been able to stay ahead in providing solutions for field operations and project execution?
DP: Utilities are known for being conservative; they run critical infrastructure that requires thorough scrutiny before adopting new technology. The key to successful digital adoption is ensuring that technology solves a real, pervasive problem, is easy to use and adds value to utility operations.
At Locusview, our DNA is rooted in working directly with the industry and utilities to build tools tailored to their specific workflows. We don’t develop solutions in isolation and then try to fit them into utilities—we create tools designed specifically for the mobile utility workforce. We believe field workers need intuitive, purpose-built applications, not repurposed GIS tools that don't align with their workflows. Our approach ensures that the technology we develop is both practical and widely adopted.
MC: Many utilities are navigating the challenges of adopting advanced technologies like IoT, GIS, and AI. What advice would you give to organizations hesitant to embrace these innovations?
DP: The key is incremental adoption. Utilities often ask why we’re still working with digital as-builts and barcode scanning instead of jumping straight to AI-powered field operations. My response is simple: field workers still rely on pencils and paper. Before we introduce AI-powered solutions, we need to help them transition to mobile tablets and intuitive apps that feel familiar.
Many advanced technologies hold promise, but they must integrate seamlessly into existing workflows. AI, for example, should enhance field operations—such as automatically capturing high-fidelity data about transformer installations—rather than trying to replace existing processes outright. If utilities introduce technology that genuinely makes workers' jobs easier, adoption becomes a natural progression.
MC: What excites you most about the future of utilities, and how do you see you and your team at Locusview contributing to that vision?
DP: The utility industry is a great space to be in because electricity, gas, telecommunications and water will always be needed, and the sector is ripe for modernization. The electric grid is often called the largest machine ever built, yet it hasn’t seen significant updates in over a century—until the emergence of the “smart grid”.
Right now, several forces are driving utility transformation: the need for grid modernization, widespread problems such as climate change and wildfires that demand solutions, and significant government funding for infrastructure construction. These factors create an environment where both legacy software vendors and new entrants—such as private equity and venture capital-backed startups—can bring novel ideas to utilities.
At Locusview, we’re excited to play a role in this transformation by helping utilities bridge the gap between legacy operations and modern digital solutions.
MC: What are you excited about when it comes to becoming a part of the Energy Central Community? What value do you hope to bring to your peers and what are you hoping you’ll get out it personally?
DP: The key word is engagement. As a solution provider, much of our interaction with utilities happens in a sales context. Energy Central provides a more balanced platform for sharing best practices, thought leadership, and insights into how different utilities organically solve common challenges.
I look forward to engaging with industry professionals, learning from those with decades of experience, and contributing to meaningful discussions that drive the industry forward.
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Thanks to Danny for joining me for this interview and providing a wealth of insights and expertise to the Energy Central Community. You can trust that Danny will be available for you to reach out and connect and ask questions as an Energy Central member, so be sure to make him feel welcome when you see him across the platform.
Other expert interviews in this series can be read here, and if you are interested in becoming an expert, you can reach out to me or apply here.