Michael E. Legatt, PhD
Chief Executive & Technology, Founder
Michael E. Legatt, PhD is Founder and CEO of ResilientGrid, Inc., whose mission is to empower critical infrastructure operations to continually strengthen resiliency and reliability. Dr. Legatt has PhDs in both Energy Systems Engineering and Clinical Health Psychology/Neuropsychology. He has used the integration of these fields in his approach to building software solutions and management techniques which focus on optimizing human performance in complex technical operating environments.
Prior to founding ResilientGrid, Dr. Legatt spent a decade as the principal human factors engineer for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), where his development of the Macomber Map® software system has been helping ERCOT operators for over ten years, and Southwest Power Pool operators for over three years maintain situational awareness and manage transmission operations. The results of which include achieving a new record for integration of wind generation (62% SPP, 54% ERCOT), maintaining increasingly complex real-time operation, and providing advanced tools for operator training and grid simulations.
Dr. Legatt’s work with electric utilities facilitates and fosters a transformation towards improved organizational culture, enhanced collaboration in emergency situations, and a support of organizational creativity as a means to both reduce operating errors and operational costs. In one example, a company improved from a bottom 10th percentile work environment, into a top ten “Best Places to Work” culture in under two years.
He has also done work on the behavioral aspects of electric vehicle to grid integration, leading a project with ERCOT, University of Texas at Austin, EV-TEC and Pecan Street Project to understand the impact of electric vehicle charging and driver behavioral patterns on the bulk electric system. The final result showed ways that EVs can be optimized for distribution operations though intelligent charging, providing ancillary services, and by enhancing grid stability and resiliency.
Dr. Legatt presents regularly at energy industry and government events about the impact of organizational culture and the importance of optimizing human-computer interaction within complex socio-technical systems, and he has contributed to several articles, research projects, and books on the subject.
It was the 2003 blackout in the Northeastern United States which sparked his interest in the psychology of critical infrastructure management. He provided emergency communications as an amateur (ham) radio operator during the event, and was recognized with a commendation from Westchester County, New York for his participation.
In 2018 Dr. Legatt was honored as one of the U.S. Army’s “Mad Scientists”, by Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), for his work focusing on the future of situational awareness and common relevant operational pictures.
In 2016 he became a Certified Performance Technologist.