Bob Stuart

Bob is an internationally recognized expert in electric utility system operation and system protection design for generation, transmission, and distribution systems. Bob is responsible for all aspects of ZGlobal electric utility-related business and maintains an active leadership role in the design of military utility systems. Bob retired as Manager of Operations Engineering from PG&E where he led major initiatives in system protection, transmission operation, control, and disturbance analysis. At PG&E, Bob championed the application of microprocessor technology for system protection and the use of fault-tolerant remedial action schemes. He was involved in power system reliability, design/review of protection standards, and led the effort to design and implement special protection and remedial action schemes to prevent blackouts. He was responsible for the development of unique operating procedures utilizing the dispatch of generation for San Francisco Bay Area reliability and helped in the development of PG&E’s three-stage electric emergency plan.

Bob served as the transmission team lead for the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) in investigating the August 14, 2003 northeast blackout. He also chaired an operating capability study group which developed the methodology and procedures to restore the reliable operation of the Western U.S. electrical grid. He won the WECC outstanding contributor award for his work on that committee. He was Principal Engineer for Elequant, Inc., and Senior Director of BrightSource Energy, Inc. Over the last 4 years, Bob has served as the Principal Investigator for NASA Phase 1 and 2 projects for NASA’s Manned Mission to MARS project in terms of modeling Spacecraft DC microgrids for autonomous control of aircraft for long term flights to MARS.