A New Energy

Dave Velazquez, 64, loves his city, his sports teams (especially The Birds) and his job. “The opportunity to lead an organization like PECO in your hometown is a dream,” says the father of three. “Our employees are incredibly dedicated. It’s Philadelphia. You wouldn’t expect anything else!”

With connected homes, electric cars, and home offices moving to the mainstream, the stress on the power grid has never been greater. PECO is creating job programs, investing in clean energy (and working to make it affordable for all), and committing $9 billion to upgrade infrastructure.

How important is clean energy to the future of PECO, and the region and why?

It all comes back to climate change, and what we need to do, as a company, a community, and a region to help advance clean energy. And that all starts with our customers. It’s important to PECO because it’s important to our communities. Our job is to serve our customers and provide them with the safe and reliable energy they have come to expect and the options they want.

I often say, “If it’s not affordable, it’s not sustainable.” Some of the new clean energy sources could be more expensive, or create additional costs. We serve a diverse set of communities, including under-resourced communities, so we need to make sure sustainability is done equitably and affordably.

“As the reliance on the grid continues to grow, the reliability of the grid is going to become more important.”

What is the best energy conservation habit that you personally have that you wish others might adopt?

I grew up being told every day to turn out the lights, so I still turn out the lights when I leave a room. The important thing for customers to realize, with respect to clean energy or climate change, is that even though you may think something is too big, or “I can’t impact it,” that’s usually not the case. It’s the little things we all can do, whether it’s turning out lights or switching to LED lightbulbs.

Turn up your thermostat a couple degrees in the summer, and turn it down a little bit in the wintertime. If you buy an air conditioner, look for a higher efficiency unit. All those little things add up over time. Don’t not do anything because you don’t feel like you can do a big thing. Lots of little things can make a big difference.

When people hear “PECO,” what do you want them to think about?

PECO has been part of this community for more than 140 years. We have a real commitment to help grow our community in any way we can. From a workforce development standpoint, we are investing in the community with our Infrastructure Academy, which we run every year.

We want people to realize, “Oh, I could work at PECO.” PECO is not just there to send you an electric bill. We are in the community, looking for people to help us provide their service.

Where do you see PECO in 10 years?

Twenty years ago, if the lights went out, you couldn’t cook, maybe the refrigerator went out. But now, if the internet goes out, you can’t work from home. The kids can’t do school work. If you have an electric vehicle and you can’t charge it, you can’t go to the store tomorrow. So as the reliance on the grid continues to grow, the reliability of the grid is going to become more important.

The energy industry right now is undergoing tremendous change. We’re probably going to undergo as much or more change in the next 10 years, as I’ve seen in the last 40. We are investing heavily in the grid, making more than $9 billion of investments over the next five years.

What’s your favorite Philly team?

I like all the Philly teams, but the Eagles are my favorite. I like the fact that football never stops, no matter what the weather. It makes me think about the business we’re in, and the line mechanics and all the field people who have to be out there, no matter what.

Often when the weather’s the worst and everybody’s huddled inside, that’s when our employees are out there, making sure that the lights stay on, the gas flows, or they’re working on restoring power. So to me, football has that same sort of mentality. No matter what the weather, they’re out there on the field. In our case, no matter what the weather is, we’re out there working.

“I like that football never stops. Often when the weather’s the worst and everybody’s huddled inside, that’s when PECO employees are out there, making sure that the lights stay on, the gas flows, or they’re working on restoring power. Football has that same sort of mentality.”

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a CEO or executive?

First, as you move through jobs, stretch yourself: If you don’t take a job or an opportunity that scares you a little bit, you’re not stretching yourself far enough.

Secondly, never stop learning: Even at this point in my career, I’m still learning. Businesses change, and technology changes the way we need to do things. The moment you stop learning, you stop growing.

Thirdly, find a company or job you feel passionate about: You’re gonna be doing it for 10 to 12 hours a day. You’ll be miserable if you don’t find something that lines up with your passion. What do you really want to do? It’s not specific, but it works for everybody, no matter their job.

Complete the following sentence: Philly’s great, but you don’t know Chester County until you… Have had dinner at The Whip Tavern.

Fill in the blank: I feel most like a Philadelphian when… I’m eating a cheesesteak and yelling at the Dallas Cowboys.

What’s the biggest misconception that non-locals have about Philly?

It’s their perception of Philadelphia sports fans. We are passionate, and we’re proud. I think sometimes that comes across wrong to people who are from out of town.

LUCY DANZIGER is a journalist, author and the former editor-in-chief of Self magazine, Women Sports & Fitness, and The Beet.