Power Industry Is Growing Faster Than Anyone Expected | Drew Welton, Intellirent

The power industry isn't just growing — it's growing faster than anyone expected. And the companies that can't keep up are already falling behind. At the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Show, Alan Ross of APC Media sat down with Drew Welton, VP of Business & Technical Development at Intellirent, for a wide-ranging conversation on what 30% year-over-year growth in the electrical rental industry really means — and why the biggest bottleneck isn't equipment. It's people. From a $20 million fleet expansion to a brand-new Phoenix facility, Drew pulls back the curtain on how Intellirent is scaling to meet the demands of a grid industry in overdrive — while fighting the same workforce crisis everyone else is. 🔍 In this episode: • Why 40% of Intellirent's rental business is now going to data center projects • How the industry went from 10–15% growth post-COVID to 30% in a single year • $20 million invested in new fleet assets — and why that was necessary • "Intellirent Prime": 93–94% of shipments go out next-day or two-day delivery • New Phoenix facility: serving the fastest-growing chip & data center market in the US • The workforce crisis: why NETA Level 2 technicians are walking for $45/hr sign-on bonuses • NETA's new apprenticeship program: pulling high schoolers directly into the trade • 24/7 customer support — "Don't despair, call Pierre" • Why working at Intellirent means mastering every manufacturer, not just one • The IEEE Transformers Committee: how industry standards get built — and why it takes 3–4 years 📌 CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Introduction & IEEE PES T&D 2026 0:30 – Meet Drew Welton, Intellirent 1:12 – What's Happening in the Marketplace Right Now? 2:07 – 30% Growth: Why the Rental Industry Is Booming 3:01 – $20 Million Fleet Investment 4:10 – New Phoenix Facility & Same/Next-Day Shipping 5:38 – The Workforce Crisis: Attracting & Retaining Technicians 6:47 – NETA Apprenticeship Program: Training the Next Generation 8:24 – 24/7 Customer Support: "Don't Despair, Call Pierre" 10:08 – Why Work for Intellirent? Making the Case 11:28 – IEEE Transformers Committee: How Standards Are Built 14:34 – NETA Training: Getting Technicians to the Next Level 17:18 – Reverse Power Conditions & New Working Group Research 17:39 – Closing Remarks 🎙️ Guest: Drew Welton, VP of Business & Technical Development, Intellirent 🎤 Host: Alan Ross, Managing Editor, APC Media 📍 Filmed at: IEEE PES T&D 2026 🔗 Learn more about Intellirent: https://www.intellirent.com 🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn for exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes moments: 👉 Power Systems Technology Page:   / power-systems-technology   👉 Transformer Technology Page:   / transformer-technology   👉 Women in Power Systems:   / women-power-systems   🌐 Visit our website to dive deeper into our offerings and discover valuable resources: https://powersystems.technology/ 📧Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and stay in the loop with exciting developments: https://powersystems.technology/subsc... #ElectricalTesting #TransformerTesting #Intellirent #WorkforceDevelopment #NETACertification #ElectricalApprenticeship #PowerIndustry #GridModernization #DataCenterPower #SubstationTesting #IEEEPES #EnergyInfrastructure #PowerSystems #ElectricalEngineering #TestEquipmentRental