I started adding intelligence to the grid in the work I was doing going back to 1974.
What we have now I call the “Smarter Grid”.

John McDonald was in sixth grade when he realized he wanted to be an electrical engineer. A half century later, he is a legend in the industry. McDonald is an active member of the IEEE Power & Energy Society, a subcommittee chair of the society’s Long Range Planning Committee, and a mentor to young professionals entering the field. McDonald has authored and co-authored more than 100 technical papers and articles and five books. Alan Ross spoke with McDonald about the smart grid (both past and present) and what seasoned professionals can do to help young generations enter the ever-changing field of transformer technology.

Transformer Technology: What are your thoughts on the Smart Grid, and how have you seen technology progress towards that goal recently and in the past?

John McDonald: About 12, 13, or 14 years ago we started hearing the term “Smart Grid,” but a lot of us that had been in the industry a long time initially kind of took offense to it, because this wasn't new. I started adding intelligence to the grid in the work I was doing going back to 1974 when I started doing my full-time engineering work.

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