Dr. Steve Bukowski is an engineering leader with over 30 years of experience operating at the convergence of power systems, telecommunications, and operational technology (OT). He currently leads two startup ventures focused on grid innovation. As Founder and CTO of NyquistAmpere Corporation, he is developing physics-informed Machine Learning Relays (MLR) designed to detect high-impedance faults and mitigate wildfire risks. Additionally, as Founder and COO of CryoStorePower, Dr. Bukowski is commercializing a new approach to Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) that utilizes advanced thermodynamic management to improve efficiency and eliminate the geological siting constraints of traditional storage systems.
Dr. Bukowski possesses a unique “full-stack” perspective on grid modernization, grounded in two decades of deep technical work in the telecommunications sector. Prior to his focus on power systems, he served as a Senior Network Consultant at Sycamore Networks and a Senior Systems Engineer at MCI and Ascend Communications. In these roles, he specialized in designing and optimizing large-scale data networks, mastering the protocols (SONET, ATM, IP/MPLS) and architectures that now form the nervous system of the modern smart grid.
This foundational expertise in data communications directly informs his approach to OT security. As a Senior Researcher at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Dr. Bukowski led research on securing the communication networks essential for grid resilience, developing the Constrained Communication Cyber Device (C3D), a patented technology for OT security that earned him a Laboratory Director Award.
Dr. Bukowski also served as the Director of New Technology and Integration at El Paso Electric, where he developed the utility’s 10-year modernization roadmap and implemented enterprise-wide OT cybersecurity programs based on the NIST 800 framework. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer.