Grid Forward Podcasts and Presentations

What are the barriers to building transmission infrastructure? We know them well as planning, permitting, and paying. Rob Gramlich (founder and president of Grid Strategies LLC, executive director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid and executive director of the WATT Coalition) joins the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Rich Glick to unpack the complexities behind these barriers and update our listeners to the rulemaking that is in process to overcome these barriers. They also discuss how the tension between landowners and stakeholder interests can be balanced to reasonably move transmission development forward. To meet clean energy goals, stakeholders and policy makers must keep their eyes focused on this important issue.

This special episode of Grid Forward Chats starts with a conversation with Katherine Blunt, a reporter from the Wall Street Journal. Katherine recently published book California Burning which has been widely read and details PG&E in regard to the devastating California wildfires. Katherine and Bryce talk about lessons that grid stakeholders are learning as wildfires have increasing impact on energy systems, what the toolkit of mitigating wildfire risk looks like, and how utilities and various energy stakeholders can work together to address the increasing risks of wildfire relating to grid infrastructure.

In the second part of the episode Bryce talks with LiAnne Drissen with Trilogy Excursions one of the largest Lahaina companies and saw first hand the devastation from the recent Maui wildfires. LiAnne recounts the impact of the wildfires on her family, the company and the wider community. If you would be interested to join us in contributing toward the long road ahead for Lahaina recovery please consider donations to: 

• Hawaii Community Foundation – https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong
• Maui United Way – https://mauiunitedway.org/disasterrelief
  Lahaina Salvation Army – https://fundraise.salvationarmyhawaii.org/give/508336
• Global Empowerment Movement / Trilogy Maui Fire Fund – https://gemlink.me/TrilogyMauiFireFund

Henry Sanderson, Executive Director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and author Volt Rush, wrote the book after he became aware of the scale of the resources needed for the clean energy transition. For the supply chain to provide the materials necessary for next-generation batteries, sourcing needs to be diversified to decrease risk. Geopolitical issues must also be considered when creating a stable supply chain for the future. Automations may alleviate some supply chain pressure and allow the cost of materials to remain affordable. Henry also discusses how government policies and investments impact the speed and support behind the clean energy transition.

Debra Smith, the General Manager and CEO of Seattle City Light, interviews Mike Hummel after his recent retirement as general manager and CEO of Salt River Project. They reflect on how the industry has changed during his career and look ahead to the exciting advancements SRP will make to provide clean, reliable energy to its customers. Mike shares about his career including some of his proudest accomplishments, lessons learned along the journey, and keys to leading others well.

On this episode Grid Forward Advisor and guest host Ann McCabe, commissioner with the Illinois Commerce Commission, interviews Audrey Zibelman, former market operator in Australia, former regulator in NY, former investor at Google X, now an advisor to clean tech companies and organizations. They discuss how the industry can prepare the grid for future flexibility, while also protecting the interests of consumers. As higher levels of renewable energy sources are integrated into the power grid, the need for grid flexibility becomes more urgent. Consumers are showing that they will drive much of the clean energy transition, with or without government and utility incentives. Therefore, the grid must be ready for the transition as consumers decide to electrify their homes, vehicles and more. How can regulators and other key grid stakeholders keep up with the demands on the system? Listen in to learn more.

How do we modernize the grid when fast-moving technology innovation hits the seemingly glacial pace of change in regulated markets like energy? To explore that quandary we gathered the CEOs of an earlier stage, a growth stage and a later stage innovative grid solutions companies. Kaitlyn Albertoli of Buzz Solutions, Bill Burke of Virtual Peaker and Josh Wong of GE Digital. Listen in as they dive into market barriers, utility adoption cycle, culture of innovation, funding landscape and more. Can utilities break through the ‘death by pilot’ dilemma? Can promising solutions companies navigate complex approvals processes? How do solutions scale to meaningful commercial levels? We cover the key issues related to what it takes for game-changing solutions to come onto the electric grid.

In this edition we explore the role of small modular nuclears (SMRs) in the energy system by talking with two industry veterans. Clayton Scott is EVP at NuScale Power, the first SMR company to receive Nuclear Regulatory Commission design approval. Ben Porath is COO at Dairyland Power Cooperative, a Midwest co-op looking to deploy SMRs on its grid. The two discuss the promise of modular nuclear power, how these systems fit into a changing energy mix, cost, safety, grid resiliency, system flexibility and more. Will SMRs play a significant role on the grid in the next 10 years? Listen in to decide for yourself. This episode hosted by Virtual Peaker.

The Evergreen State has long pioneered efforts to advance the energy system. In this episode we talk with the U.S.’s longest standing governor, Jay Inslee of the state of Washington. Gov. Inslee is truly a leader on issues related to energy and the grid. We discuss the priorities for the state’s energy system, how the federal resources will impact the grid in the state, the role of state regulators, the importance of innovation, economic development opportunities and more. All of the efforts for the governor align to make sure states can do their part to progress climate action — progress he is confident we can achieve together.

To start season 4 of the Grid Forward Chats podcast, we sit down with Jon Creyts, the new CEO of RMI. He discusses how to ensure the energy system aligns to the requirements for the climate in light of roughly $110 billion a year coming into the system over the next five to ten years thanks to recent federal legislation combined with peak oil demand occurring in regions across the world. From virtual power and decarbonized heavy industry to hydrogen and transmission, listen in to this wide-ranging discussion on the key pillars of the energy transition in the near to mid-term. This transition requires various stakeholders row in the same direction, and Jon lays out his thoughts regarding the central role that the grid plays. For more resources on recent RMI efforts, check out:

Launch of VP3: https://vp3.io 
Tracking overall energy investments: https://rmi.org/peaking-the-series/
The promise of green jobs: https://rmi.org/insight/realizing-the-green-jobs-promise/

The need for a more resilient power system in California, and locations across the country, is evident. In the recent past, wildfires, storms, extreme heat, and other threats have all wreaked havoc on the energy grid. Communities of the largest utility in America in Northern and Central California know this all too well. Patricia K. Poppe, Chief Executive Officer of PG&E Corporation, joined the podcast to discuss how Pacific Gas & Electric is working diligently to improve the resiliency of California’s grid and to serve their customers better. No magical solution exists that will address every issue, but with a combination of various improvements, and we cover a lot in this session, PG&E is aggressively working to leverage modern capabilities to manage their grid effectively. Grid Forward chats is supported by Itron visit Itron.com to learn more. 

Success for the energy sector will not come overnight but through small, meaningful steps that move the industry forward in its goal of a sustainable future. Paula Gold-Williams and Jackie Flowers joined the show to discuss the challenges facing the electric industry as it seeks to evolve with the various dynamics that are currently in motion. With more visibility to the end state and less clarity on the path to get there, they discuss why innovation is critical and how a diverse workforce is needed who can think creatively, problem solve and embrace new solutions.

 

Over the past decade, Green Mountain Power (GMP) has prioritized finding solutions that address the climate crisis. The company holds one of the nations most aggressive goals to provide 100% renewable energy by 2030. Advancements in technology not only make this ambitious goal possible, but also provide an opportunity for reliability and resiliency improvements. Mari McClure, president and CEO, discusses the company’s distributed resource programs and grid optimization technologies that they are leading the way deploying now and working to bring to Vermont in near future. This session is supported by Virtual Peaker.

Congress has made a huge next step in supporting the advancement of the electric grid. The Inflation Reduction Act passed the House on Friday and has about four times as much energy related investments as the infrastructure package that passed last year. From tax incentives, consumers credits, rural operator support and much more this set of investments is a major package to accelerate grid investments over the next 10 years. We jump on with two reporters who are closely following this — Catherine Morehouse of Politico and Jeff St John from Canary Media — and dive into the details.

 

In quarter one of 2022, 16% of all new car sales were zero-emission vehicles. On this episode, California Public Utilities Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen and California Energy Commissioner Siva Gunda discuss the adoption of electric vehicles in California and the innovation needed for the electric grid to handle the increase in load. The commissioners also discuss four compounding challenges that the grid is facing: climate change, rapid decarbonization, changing energy sources and reckoning with equity and social justice. How can all of these challenges be solved? Only through cooperation, coordination and consensus among industry leaders.

 

The landscape of energy is changing rapidly. Are the investments being made today enough to meet needs we put on our grid?

On this episode of “Grid Forward Chats,” Gary Rackliffe, VP market development and innovation at Hitachi Energy, and Sanjeet Sanghera, head of grids and utilities at BloombergNEF, discuss the need to invest dollars into the electric system today to prepare for future demand. They also talk about centralized versus distributed generation, policies and structures that may hinder investments, the electrification of transportation and the government’s role in expanding advanced grid capabilities.

This episode was recorded LIVE at DistribuTECH 2022 in Dallas.

“Prioritizing grid expansion, modernization, and security has to be a priority for us.” U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has long rolled up her sleeves to work deeply on critical energy policy. Murkowski’s priority is to ensure that the energy sector can keep up with the changes and challenges our country is facing. In this episode, Bryce chats with Senator Murkowski about the Energy Act of 2020, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, and more broadly about grid modernization and the benefits of bipartisan work on energy policy for Americans. This session is supported by our series sponsor Itron.

 

To close the live GridFWD event April 20th in Seattle, Snohomish County PUD General Manager John Haarlow and Chief Policy Officer of Sunrun Ann Hoskins chat with Bryce. They cover wide ranging topics to examine the rate of the change on the grid, the dynamics driving those changes, barriers to overcome key obstacles, and then a listing of the solutions that need to develop and scale. You can feel the energy in the room being back together again at the packed gathering, listen into our first live edition of Grid Forward Chats. On demand recordings of a dozen sessions from the event are available — contact gerard@gridforward.org

 

ENMAX, one of the leading grid operators in Alberta, is leaning into the transformation of their energy system and the acceleration of innovation. Our advisor Mischa Steiner of Awesense chats with Jana Mosley President of ENMAX Power. They discuss the dynamics of grid needs in the pandemic and fluctuating energy markets, trends in decarbonization, culture and talent needs in the industry, and how the grid capabilities advance to meet the requirements that customers have for their energy service.

 

Guest host Cameron Brooks a friend of Grid Forward who runs Think Microgrid talks with Terry Mohn of General Microgrids and Hamideh Bitaraf of Hitachi Energy. Terry and Hamideh bring their hands-on experience with many of the leading microgrid deployments sharing insights on what is driving the dynamics for microgrid expansion worldwide. They touch on specific examples around the globe, share perspectives on policy and market dynamics, and highlight what is driving them personally to be a part of the exciting developments as microgrids become increasingly mainstream.

 

Season III of Grid Forward Chats kicks off with Energy Impact Partners’ (EIP) Managing Partner and Founder Hans Kobler. 2021 was a banner year for grid and energy venture investments. Hans shares perspectives about the landscape for fund raising by grid innovation companies which seem poised for strong continued activity after reaching record levels. EIP recently raised a $1B fund which in just a few months has already committed to about 70% of its investments. Our series sponsor for Grid Forward Chats is Itron. To learn more about about building tomorrow’s active grid visit them at www.itron.com. 

 

The U.S. Department of Energy has been active and busy rolling up its sleeves to engage topics for advancing capabilities of the grid. The recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (bipartisan infrastructure bill) will certainly only accelerate this work. From advanced tools for grid simulation and modeling for national resiliency to new competitions for energy storage and planning for transmission corridors, the diversity of work aligns to the complex needs of the electric grid. The Deputy Secretary will share about initiatives and priorities at the agency and how industry can engage with and benefit from the work that DOE is embarking upon.

Europe has been quite active with regards to energy of late. Natural gas and other energy-related prices have been quite volatile. The green energy recovery strategy is unfolding but within a complex pandemic backdrop. The energy transition continues, although with some bumps in the road. The UK finished its Brexit and wrapped up hosting COP26 last week. Germany has a new Prime Minister. Did we say it’s been busy? Laurent Segalen is an investor in the energy transition who co-hosts the podcast Redefining Energy and will help us understand some of the complexity around energy and grid issues in motion in Europe.

 

ESS Inc. recently went public, raising over $300 million to scale its long-duration iron flow battery technology in the market. We talk with ESS CEO Eric Dresselhuys about the energy transition and the role of long-duration energy storage and grid flexible resources. What does this mean internationally, for the U.S., regionally, and specifically for customers buying batteries — we cover it all. We dive into value streams of energy storage, energy storage’s role in grid resiliency, market structure and dynamics, the talent pipeline, and more.

 

Congress is working on two massive legislative packages — a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package (through the Senate) and potentially a multi-trillion dollar reconciliation spending package (drafts through House committees). Both would have significant impact for the grid and their fates seem intertwined as Congress works toward the latest imposed deadline of October 31. In this episode we talk with U.S. Congressman John Curtis of Utah, who chairs the Conservative Climate Caucus which includes 72 House members. Rep. Curtis covers the climate and energy topics important to him and a solid number of House Republicans including grid modernization capabilities, cyber security investment, nuclear fleet utilization, wildfire mitigation, grid resiliency, energy storage innovation, natural gas capacity, and much more. How can the country meet the needs of communities like Carbon County in Utah as the Biden Administration would like to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half? What breakthrough is Emery County Utah cooking up? Listen to our conversation as Congressman Curtis lays out how starting with the bipartisan infrastructure package and addressing other important areas are critical steps for the country.

Major corporate entitles, in particular the big tech companies, are rapidly accelerating their positions in expanding clean energy and supporting the energy transition. Microsoft ramped up its commitment earlier this year to 100% clean energy for the entire reach of its company, 100% of the time, by 2030. That is certainly an ambitious target and meeting it will bring a diversity of lessons for the industry along the way. Listen is as we talk with Brian Janous, General Manager of Energy and Renewables at Microsoft on the role of their partners (including utilities), what they are learning along the way, and how they believe they can meet their significant commitments.

 

For this session we talk with Jay Brister of General Fusion and one of their early investors and Board members Wal Van Lierop about the future of fusion energy. We hear about their recent demonstration plant in the UK, how they see the tech advancing, the difference in regulation vs fission nuclear energy, and much more. Can the future of a deeply decarbonized grid happen without fusion? Is the tech still far in the future? listen into the discussion for the latest and judge for yourself.

 

What if you could ask the author of 2020 book Power After Carbon, ‘OK, what’s next’? Listen in as Scott Harden of Microsoft interviews Peter Fox Penner about energy policy, measuring impact and foundational clean energy technology. Want to dive in deeper on the aspects of business models in the energy transition and how they will impact each link in the system? Get a copy of Peter’s book Power After Carbon here.

 

How does the US Department of Energy Loan Office actually work to finance clean energy? Audrey Lee of Microsoft asked the source, the new director Jigar Shah. The conversation highlights a number of breakthroughs in the energy sector and how senior debt from the federal government helps accelerate them. Hear how Jigar describes the role of the loan office, how they plan to put their billions of dollars of funds to use, and how you can get involved. 

 

To go deeper on the topic of his recent article, “Beyond solar and wind: 10 steps to meet President Biden’s clean electricity target,” Bryce Yonker chats with Michael Pesin, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Jennifer Potter, Hawaii PUC Commissioner; and Bill Ritter, former Colorado Governor and Director, Center for New Energy Economy. The conversation ranges from distributed energy (“In Hawaii, DERs are our one choice.”) to R&D (“That’s what we need to get to 100%.”) to investments (“We know: hardware is hard.”) and more. Don’t miss this live recording featuring three expert viewpoints in one lively discussion.

 

Representative Joe Fitzgibbon leads the the Washington State House Energy & Environment Committee and has made fighting climate change a priority for his more than 10 years in service in the state congress. The 2021 legislative session has been an especially busy one with the narrow passage of two major pieces of policy: a low carbon fuel standard as well as a carbon tax. Added to the clean energy legislation from 2019, the state has one of the most aggressive packages to set a path for decarbonization not only of the energy system but the overall state economy. Listen in as we chat about the lessons and insights from the state’s historic legislative actions with Rep. Fitzgibbon guiding at the helm. 

 

We got the chance to sit down with the new CEO of GridWise Alliance Karen Wayland. She shared her perspectives on the priorities for grid modernization from the new administration, as well as the possibility of significant funding for expanded capabilities for the grid through infrastructure investment via the America Jobs Plan. You’ll find a lot to learn from her broad experience and perspectives in this episode. For more details see the $50B policy framework for modernization funding prepared GridWise Alliance. 

 

In part two of our two-part discussion with Elliot Mainzer, the President and CEO of CAISO, we discuss how the organization and region are taking lessons from the last year into plans going forward. Hear insights on the importance of resource diversity, priorities for decarbonization pathways, how the region is collaborating and preparing for future stresses to the system, efforts to consider resource adequacy, and other topics.

 

In the first episode of our two-part series, we hear from new President and CEO of the California ISO Elliot Mainzer. After a longer career at Bonneville Power Administration, including the last seven years as Administrator, Elliot moved over to head up CAISO in October of 2020. Tune in to hear his thoughts on the roles of regional markets and the plans CAISO has for upcoming summer and beyond.

 

From their start as an Italian utility to becoming a multinational energy solutions provider targeting 67 GW of capacity with clean energy resources, Enel and Enel X are leading the way in the deployment of new energy opportunities. Listen to our conversation with Surya Panditi, CEO of Enel X North America, as we explore the various leading-edge capabilities that they are bringing across the globe to help grid operators and other energy stakeholders.

 

Our new Grid Forward Chats podcast goes deep with Commissioner Neil Chatterjee of the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee. During his tenure, FERC issued significant rulings about the opportunity for aggregated DERs to access markets, interconnection for storage and related resources, expanding the potential of cloud investments, and other key topics. Listen into our discussion about the role that markets and the federal regulator plays among the rapid dynamics unfolding in the electric sector.

 

Dr. Ryan Wartena grew Geli to be the leading software and storage optimization solution provider over the last decade. Now Geli is part of solar leader Q CELLS where Ryan is now VP of Strategy. Listen into this fascinating discussion on the evolution of the organization as it drives open a wider space in the industry. We also dive deep on how market dynamics need to evolve to unlock big advances of the FERC Order 2222. Will storage and integrated edge solutions be entering a new frontier and bring the flexibility and resiliency our energy systems are requiring? Ryan thinks so. Listen to see if you agree.

 

Season two of Grid Forward Chats kicks off with special guest host and a former guest Debra Smith, general manager and CEO of Seattle City Light, in discussion with Paula Gold Williams the President & CEO of CPS Energy in San Antonio Texas. As these two municipal power leaders talk, they cover various topics around the acceleration of innovation on our grid, including as Paula puts it how to “blend the tried and the true with the new.” We hope you are inspired by the authentic leadership both Paula and Debra bring to their organizations and the practical ideas they share for how we can progress our energy systems to meet rapidly evolving changes.