An electronic circuit includes a primary wide bandgap bipolar power switching device configured to supply a load current in response to a control signal applied to a control terminal thereof, and a driver device configured to generate the control signal. At least one of the primary switching device or the driver device may include an optically triggered switching device. A discrete wide bandgap semiconductor device includes a primary bipolar device stage configured to switch between a conducting state and a nonconducting state upon application of a control current, and a bipolar driver stage configured to generate the control current and to supply the control current to the primary bipolar device stage. At least one of the primary bipolar device stage and the bipolar driver stage may include an optically triggered wide bandgap switching device.