People Behind Your Power: Xuan Wu

June 26, 2024

 

The people behind your power are people just like you. We live, work and play in Central Indiana. We have families, pets, hobbies, and quirks. We volunteer and strive to make a difference. We are also a part of a dedicated team focused on powering your essential needs.

Meet Xuan Wu, Senior Manager for Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Standards and New Technologies for AES U.S. Utilities (AES Indiana and AES Ohio). Xuan focuses on industry best practices and technologies for T&D engineering analysis, designs, and implementations.

He and his team work on cutting-edge projects, including government-funded innovations in Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), Electric Vehicles (EVs), large-scale renewable energy connections, and advanced grid protection and control technologies. Xuan joined AES in March 2022 as the Manager for AES Indiana's T&D Planning, after working eight years at another major utility company. He was promoted to his current role in October 2023.

Here’s more about Xuan:

  • Xuan is originally from China.
  • He earned his master’s degree as a Sun Devil from Arizona State University. He moved to Columbus, Ohio for work and got his Ph.D. from Ohio State University as a Buckeye. Now, he’s a Sycamore pursuing an MBA at Indiana State University.
  • He started dreaming of becoming an NBA player in elementary school but quickly gave it up when he realized he would never grow to Michael Jordan's height. Later, Nikola Tesla's stories captivated him, shifting his focus to electrical engineering and setting his sights on becoming an engineer.
  • Xuan’s why for doing what he does at AES is his passion and interest in helping shape a more sustainable, reliable, smart and affordable grid. He is particularly drawn to the strong customer focus and growth commitment of AES Indiana and AES Ohio. In his current role, he enhances the safety, reliability, quality, compliance, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of multi-million-dollar investments towards the grid of the future.
  • Xuan is a proud father to two young children — a two-year old and a two-month old. Balancing work and family have become a significant part of his life, especially with his passion for work and personal development. He is dedicated to contributing to the future of clean energy, prioritizing a cleaner and more sustainable world for future generations, including his own children.
  • If he had a superpower, he would want to be Flash, allowing him to travel long distances and do many things instantly. With that superpower, he could multitask better and visit his family in China more often.
  • Xuan volunteers with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power & Energy Society (IEEE PES). As the IEEE PES Central Indiana Chapter Chair, he organizes technical and social events for professionals and university students. He also actively participates in various IEEE working groups and editorial boards, focusing on bridging the gap between industry and academia.
  • Xuan recently earned the prestigious IEEE PES Outstanding Young Engineer Award for his leadership in connecting industry and academia, and for his technical contributions to grid reliability, resilience and security.
  • The best piece of advice he ever received: Stay humble and never stop learning something new.