Landon Williams, Senior Public Engagement Specialist at Duke Energy
Duke Energy: Utility Initiatives for a Low Carbon Future
Monday, November 26 | 4:00 - 5:00pm
Plemmons Student Union, Room 201B Table Rock
FREE and open to the public
During his six years’ employment at Duke Energy, Landon Williams has worked as a Senior Business Energy Advisor and as a Senior Outreach Specialist. In these roles he gained first-hand knowledge of the variety of initiatives that Duke Energy is engaged in that are beyond what some might consider the “normal” utility business. For example, Williams worked with Duke’s Smart Saver Business program, which has provided over $125 million in incentives and direct rebates to commercial and institutional clients to support energy efficiency upgrades. Williams will also discuss initiatives underway in the arena of battery storage, which is an integral part of expanding the state’s renewable energy portfolio, allowing the utility to more effectively and efficiently handle the fluctuations inherent in energy production associated with utility-scale photovoltaics (PV), and ultimately to integrate larger amounts of PV-generated electricity into their services. All of these initiatives require that Duke Energy Carolinas and regional businesses develop symbiotic relationships that highlight the dramatic changes underway in the utility industry as we transition to a less carbon-intensive future. Williams, who earned his MS in Technology degree from Appalachian in 2010, will also offer career advice for students in attendance.
Landon Williams is a graduate from Appalachian State University's Master of Science in Technology program. His area of professional building science expertise focuses on commercial and residential utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs. He has broad experience developing technical program standards, providing advanced industry-specific training workshops, and responding to RFPs for future energy efficiency business opportunities. Williams also spent time as the production supervisor for a commercial-scale PV company, leading projects as large as 1 MW for military bases in Louisiana.
Williams' previous role was a mid-size account manager for Duke Energy’s customer base. There he was directly responsible for customers with a range of $50,000 to $1 million utility spending per year. He recently had the opportunity to step outside of his comfort zone in the energy efficiency space to learn another vital aspect of the utility business in Duke Energy’s grid solutions group. His new role is with the Targeted Underground Program, converting overhead power lines to underground in outage-prone areas.
Duke Energy Landon Williams
Duke Energy Landon Williams