Joe Stewart is the System Protection and Control Manager at Mississippi Power Company, where he is responsible for the power system coordination and protection of the transmission and distribution systems, as well as the SCADA control systems. He is also responsible for remote communication to all substation equipment, including the protective relaying systems, physical security systems, and substation equipment monitors used to drive condition-based maintenance. Along with internal IT experts, he has championed the development and implementation of a comprehensive substation cybersecurity program.

Throughout his 42-year career at Southern Company, he has held various positions within the System Protection and System Operations organizations, including the role of Transmission Disaster Director for Mississippi Power. He is active in the EPRI Cyber Security program initiatives, as well as other utility and industry-led substation cyber industry programs, including the deployment of the Mississippi Power portion of the Southern Company CYOTE pilot. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1984 and is a registered professional engineer in Alabama and Mississippi.