#04: Gridlocked or Grid-Ready? What’s Next for Energy and Supply Chains

In this episode of Moving the World, Susan Uthayakumar, chief energy and sustainability officer at Prologis, welcomes Dr. Arun Majumdar, dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, to explore the forces shaping the future of energy and infrastructure. From distributed energy systems and grid resilience to AI-driven innovation and supply chain decarbonization, they break down what’s technically possible, economically viable and urgently needed to accelerate the transition to a sustainable global economy. In this episode:  How energy fuels both the economy and national security, and the importance of finding balance among decarbonization, energy security and climate goals The push for reliable energy in a power-hungry world, and the role of nuclear power in the conversation  How AI and cloud computing are impacting electricity demand Today’s experts: Susan Uthayakumar is Prologis’ chief energy and sustainability officer, leading the company’s Energy, Mobility and Sustainability (EMS) businesses along with its Global Impact and Sustainability team. She drives customer-focused solutions that support Prologis’ strategic objectives, net zero commitments and social impact initiatives. Before joining Prologis, Susan held leadership roles at Schneider Electric, including president of its global sustainability business division and chief executive officer of Schneider Electric Canada. Dr. Arun Majumdar is the inaugural dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Jay Precourt provostial chair professor at Stanford University. He holds appointments in mechanical engineering, energy science and engineering and photon science at SLAC, and is a senior fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and, by courtesy, the Hoover Institution. He previously served as the founding director of ARPA-E under President Obama and as acting under secretary of energy, where he oversaw major clean energy initiatives and advised on policy, strategy and crisis response. Dr. Majumdar has chaired multiple DOE advisory boards, led the Biden-Harris DOE, FERC and NRC transition review, and previously served as Google’s vice president for energy.  Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Prologis.