Tricia Breeger, CEO, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. (MEPPI)

Tricia Breeger, CEO of Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. (MEPPI), spoke with Invest: about being the driving force of energy innovation in Western Pennsylvania. “We are known for technical excellence, quality and our commitment to customers,” said Breeger. “We are a long-term player in this segment — engineering the infrastructure of the future.”

What changes over the past year impacted Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (MEPPI), and in what ways?

We serve energy, data and mobility markets as well as other select infrastructure markets, and we’ve been supporting these sectors for 40 years. We are customer-centric and focused on delivering excellence and quality in our products, solutions and services.

The energy market is challenged right now from a grid-capacity standpoint. We need to better utilize existing capacity with digital solutions, but we also need more power generation and more transmission and distribution infrastructure to move that power. There is also a growing need for power reliability, along with the increasing pressure to help utilities meet their decarbonization goals. Technology is shifting toward next-generation solutions that reduce carbon footprints and enhance power quality. As a designer and manufacturer of new technologies in electrical power, we are in a strong position to do more.

Customer demand for power equipment currently exceeds supply.  In response, MEPPI is building an Advanced Switchgear Facility, a Power Electronics Lab and a Power Electronics Center.  These investments support the delivery of power equipment and power electronics that will support increases in grid capacity and improvements in power quality. The solutions we provide strengthen grid reliability, and our next-generation technologies support customers’ decarbonization objectives.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are driving tremendous growth in data centers. We support the equipment operating inside those facilities and help them manage energy needs across their campuses. 

We also serve the transportation sector. Historically, we’ve supported passenger rail in the Northeast Corridor, including New York City Transit and Boston’s rail system. During the COVID years, ridership declined as hybrid work expanded, but that trend now appears to be reversing, and ridership is rising again. Transit authorities are making new investments, digitizing their rail systems and seeking more support from companies like MEPPI and Mitsubishi Electric, which provide computer-based train propulsion and control systems.

All three markets we serve are interconnected — and are often customers of one another. Growing data center demand drives the need for additional power generation.  Electrification of transportation also increases energy demand. Each market shares infrastructure and software systems, growing individually while accelerating growth across the others.

How does this new facility enhance Mitsubishi Electric’s capabilities in serving the U.S. power sector?

The Advanced Switchgear Facility will help us expand our design, manufacturing, testing and supply of switchgear ranging from medium-voltage to high-voltage transmission classes. With capital investment support from local economic councils, including the Allegheny Conference and funding from the state of Pennsylvania, we were pleased to make an investment that strengthens our commitment to critical energy infrastructure in the region.  We are also engineering alternatives to SF6, an insulating medium with a significant greenhouse gas footprint, and transitioning to zero-carbon technologies like vacuum switching technology. 

Local manufacturing requires a strong, end-to-end supply chain. A capital investment alone isn’t enough without reliable supplier and workforce capacity. That’s why we consider our suppliers true partners. We all have to grow and adapt together to support the demands on critical energy infrastructure.  Manpower is a major component as well. Our workforce development programs in Pittsburgh, along with internal training and recruitment strategies, give us confidence that this region is the right place for us. We’ve built a strong presence here through years of outreach. We also have strong partnerships with local nonprofits and manufacturing and electric-industry groups that help us meet workforce needs. We want to shine a spotlight on the great careers available in manufacturing and attract talent of all ages. Our Jumpstart programs help employees begin their careers on the right foot, and we offer continued education and advancement opportunities throughout their time with us.

How is MEPPI balancing global operations with local execution?

Today the energy landscape is a technology landscape, and MEPPI is an innovative technology company. At MEPPI, we emphasize the purpose we bring to our markets, our customers, and even our daily lives. Working at MEPPI means applying that purpose to your work that directly supports electric power challenges across our nation. 

There is a great deal happening within the energy market, but MEPPI stays focused on excellence and our long-term commitment to our customers and to the markets that we serve. We build strong strategies that move us forward and highlight the value only Mitsubishi Electric can deliver. We are known for quality and our commitment to customers. We are a long-term player — engineering the infrastructure of the future.

How does the company engage with organizations like Catalyst Connection and others to strengthen the regional economy?

We are committed to the Greater Pittsburgh area and are proud to give back to the community. The Catalyst Connection Manufacturing Extension Partnership supports small and medium manufacturers in our Region that are vital to our supply chain’s overall success. I’ve proudly served on Catalyst’s Board for many years, and I am honored to currently serve as Chair. Catalyst Connection supports our regions’ manufacturers by helping them strengthen their businesses and their supply chains, earn certifications, advance quality programs, and address workforce development needs, among many other vital services.  

Since 2005, we have also partnered with Life’s Work of Western Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that supports individuals with disabilities and other barriers. Life’s Work has played an important role in several aspects of our manufacturing operations for 20 years now.  

At MEPPI, our philanthropic efforts are a core part of who we are. The broader Mitsubishi Electric family across the United States has a well-organized national philanthropic program that complements MEPPI’s work in the region.

Looking ahead, what are your top goals and priorities for MEPPI over the next two to three years?

In the years ahead we are expecting significant growth across all three of the industries that we serve. As MEPPI has evolved from a products company to a solutions company, it means we provide software systems to our customers and the grid.  To better utilize existing grid capacity, we need to digitize and modernize the power distribution system.  At MEPPI we develop grid-enhancing software technologies for that purpose — such as distributed energy resource management systems — to allow the aggregation of available generation sources and move more power through existing wires.

In the years ahead, we will bring additional facilities online, we will deliver more products, systems and solutions to our customers, and we will support the build out of data centers and the related generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. We are also collaborating with partners to deliver game-changing technologies from Chip to Grid that support the rapid expansion of AI and the rising demand from data centers.