What Lockheed Martin Is Doing at the Utility Table
Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet is redefining what defense technology can do—partnering with utilities to fight wildfires, restore communication, and build a workforce that spans sectors.
When you hear “Lockheed Martin,” you probably think fighter jets, missile systems, maybe even the Pentagon. It’s the kind of company you associate with military operations and war rooms—not wildfires and power outages.
But that’s only part of the story.
At this year’s Edison Electric Institute conference, Lockheed’s CEO, Jim Taiclet took the stage during the Closing Keynote Conversation—not to talk defense, but to outline how the company is stepping into climate response and grid resilience, the innovative opportunities it’s creating, and how they’re partnering with utility companies to get this vital work done.
Fighting Climate Disasters with Defense Tech
“Fire is just another enemy to us.” That’s how Taiclet framed Lockheed’s wildfire detection strategy from the stage.
The same satellite and missile detection systems originally designed to spot the flash of a rocket launch are now being adapted to detect the early signs of a wildfire from space. It’s a hallmark of modern leadership: taking stock of what a company already has, and reimagining its use for public impact.
Using FlashTracker—a proprietary system developed by Lockheed—satellites can identify specific types of lightning strikes, including those most likely to ignite fires on dry land. Right now, it covers 12 states. By the end of the year, coverage will expand nationwide, giving fire-prone communities and power companies precious minutes—or even hours—of warning before a blaze can take hold. In places like California, where wildfires have leveled entire towns, those extra minutes could mean everything.
When fires or storms knock out critical infrastructure, Lockheed has another line of defense: telecom-equipped drone swarms. Originally developed for military communications, these autonomous drones can fly over affected areas and temporarily restore cell service—connecting utility workers, emergency responders, and residents when it matters most.
The company is also working to declassify portions of its missile warning technology to support real-time wildfire response. Tools once used to track threats across battlefields are now being trained to scan remote forests and vulnerable transmission corridors—places where a single spark could trigger widespread devastation.
For Lockheed, it’s a redefined mission—and for CEOs like Taiclet, thinking beyond the bounds of industry has become the new standard. The company’s attention to this space shapes better preparedness—and creates best-case outcomes when the unpredictable happens.
How Lockheed Is Partnering with Utilities
In 2025, Lockheed teamed up with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to demonstrate an autonomous Black Hawk® helicopter, equipped with the company’s advanced autonomy systems, for potential use in wildfire suppression. That same year, its FlashTracker system began rolling out to utilities across the West. Quietly and consistently, the defense giant has been partnering with electric companies to apply its military-grade tools to civilian-scale challenges.
Lockheed has helped modernize infrastructure, strengthen grid security, and pilot tools designed to help energy providers respond faster and smarter in crisis conditions through earlier smart grid collaborations with PPL Electric Utilities, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, and Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative.
These partnerships show how defense tech is moving from theory into field operations—and how utility companies are looking to Lockheed not just for innovation, but for impact.
The Innovation Workforce: What Mission-Focused Companies Are Looking for Now
Innovation leveraged in new ways creates new opportunities—and Lockheed’s strategic partnerships are opening the door to a new kind of workforce: one that spans energy, aerospace, emergency response, and AI.
The collaboration between Lockheed and utility companies is generating demand for talent that didn’t exist a decade ago—or at least, not in the same job description. And for leaders like Jim Taiclet, that means rethinking who gets hired, and why.
When asked how he attracts talent, Taiclet didn’t lead with credentials. He led with qualities: technical skills, curiosity, a desire to be exposed to new challenges, mission focus, outcome orientation. He also acknowledged what many workers already know: culture and compensation both matter.
It’s an often-echoed philosophy of the modern workforce: today’s most future-focused companies are hiring for mindset, not just skill set.
And from CEOs to frontline workers, from individual companies to entire sectors, the future will belong to those willing to think beyond what their roles—or their industries—were built for, and imagine what they could become.