Speakers

Dr. Andrew J. Gonzales is the Hazard Mitigation Principal Specialist and Fire Protection & Prevention Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Vistra/Luminant Corporation, one of the largest power generation and retail electricity companies in the U.S. He is responsible for translating advanced risk management and emergency response principles into actionable, fleet-wide safety strategies across critical energy infrastructure.

Dr. Gonzales’s insights are uniquely informed by his Doctoral Degree in Strategic Leadership (DSL) from Liberty University, which he couples with over two decades of executive experience in the Fire Service and dedicated public service. His formal education in strategic thinking allows him to look beyond prescriptive compliance and develop innovative, data-driven solutions for complex industrial hazards.

Key Focus Areas:

Combustible Dust coal sites, gas fleet power plants, solar sites and BESS Fire Mitigation program management: Dr. Gonzales is a leading contributor to Vistra/Luminant’s Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) development, architecting essential fire protection and suppression policies to safeguard these emerging assets and ensure operational continuity along with supporting local fire departments with development of fire pre-plans.

Enterprise-Level Risk Management: As the Project/Hazard Manager for the corporate Fire Protection and Prevention Administration program and the Combustible Dust (CD) Administration program, he drives programs that have achieved significant results, including leading audits that contributed to over $100 million in insurance cost savings and developing new digital risk management and audit tracking systems.

Strategic Emergency Preparedness: Drawing on his background as a former Assistant Fire Chief, Training Chief/Battalion Chief, and Fire Marshal, he continually develops and refines Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and Fire Pre-Plans, ensuring the highest level of preparedness for both natural and industrial disasters.

His previous experience includes serving as an Advisor HSE for Occidental Petroleum, where he notably developed digital inspection systems and coordinated more emergency drills than the region had conducted in the previous decade. A former adjunct instructor for the New Mexico Firefighters Training Academy and recipient of the New Mexico Fire Investigator of the Year award, Dr. Gonzales leverages his expertise in incident analysis to predict trends, identify potential risks, and implement processes of elimination and engineered controls across the power generation landscape.

Dr. Gonzales is a proven leader, dedicated to fostering a culture of safety and resilience through strategic succession planning, technical curriculum design, and the integration of advanced leadership principles into critical infrastructure management. He brings a rare and invaluable perspective to the POWERGEN audience, bridging the gap between frontline emergency response and high-level corporate risk strategy.