The Energy Gang

This week, we'll forget the political train wreck in Washington (for a little while) and instead turn our attention to the business leaders helping build new wealth opportunities in clean energy. Energy Gang co-host and SunEdison Founder Jigar Shah is out with his new book, Creating Climate Wealth. We'll discuss his philosophy on what it takes for entrepreneurs to succeed in the market. But we can't help ourselves. We'll also turn back to Washington and examine how the political shutdown will impact the clean energy sector. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

Almost everyone admits it: utilities are going to be in for some serious trouble if they don't start thinking about how to properly manage the coming surge in distributed energy. But we can't entirely blame the utilities for moving slowly; regulators play a key role in setting the rules for how power companies operate. In this week's show, we'll look at a comprehensive new report aimed at these decision makers, called America's Power Plan, which lays the foundation for the future of electricity. We'll also discuss a few tremendous improvements in renewable energy economics, as well as the coming surge in Home Energy Management tools that are making houses into virtual power plants. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

After failing to pass a climate bill in 2010, the environmental movement has seen a new surge of activism mobilized by the fight against Keystone XL. So what are the implications for the clean energy sector? And are advocates and business leaders learning anything from this new movement? This week, the Energy Gang will debate the effectiveness of the environmental movement, and look at its relationship with the clean energy business community. Then, we'll look at the political fight around Ron Binz, the man tapped by President Obama to run the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. FERC is not usually in the news, but new fears about the death of coal are infusing Binz's confirmation with partisan politics. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

California is a bellwether for the solar industry, which is why a new bill being considered in the state could have wide-ranging impacts around the country. The state is currently considering a bill that would make significant changes to electricity pricing structures that could eat into the value of solar. But the industry is cautiously backing the bill because it also extends net metering policies. The end result could have equally positive and negative consequences. We'll look at the entire picture, as well as parse the true value of solar on the grid. We'll also discuss the viability and cleanliness of Bloom Energy's fuel cells, and talk about the slew of positive efficiency news in recent weeks. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and GTM Editor Stephen Lacey.

Venture investments in cleantech have taken a nosedive after bringing in poor returns. But the problem isn't in cleantech -- it's in the investment strategy. On this week's podcast, The Gang will talk with Rob Day of Black Coral Capital about how the "next wave" of investment is bringing innovative and realistic opportunities for the industry. Then we'll talk about what the coming closure of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant says about the state of nuclear power in the U.S., as well as discuss the coming dark clouds for clean energy in Congress this fall. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

Utilities are on the verge of a "death spiral" as more customers leave the grid and implement distributed energy technologies like solar. The same thing happened in Telecom as the rise of mobile phones made copper lines nearly obsolete. We'll ask what lessons the utility sector can learn from telecom companies that have already navigated the shift to distributed technologies. We'll also discuss why the Tea Party and other unlikely groups are supporting renewables, as well as ask what we've learned about grid management ten years after the notorious 2003 Northeast blackout. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

Filmmaker and activist Josh Fox has just released his new film on the U.S. natural gas fracking industry, Gasland 2. As expected, environmental activists are holding it up as gospel and the natural gas industry is frantically trying to discredit Fox’s claims. And we’re all left wondering who to believe. We'll review the film and talk about what we do and don't know about natural gas. The Gang will also discuss the debate around peak oil. The popular website the Oil Drum recently closed down, and we'll ask what it means about the peak oil discussion. Finally, we'll talk about the prospects for a major energy efficiency bill moving through Congress. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

With a heat wave gripping the central and eastern U.S., concerns about the impact of water supplies on the power sector are growing. This week, the Gang will discuss a detailed new report looking at how to break the nexus between power generation and water consumption. We'll also look at the factors behind the high cost of gasoline and their impact on the cleantech business. Finally, we'll look at another powerful study that makes a counterintuitive conclusion on the value of siting renewable energy in low-resource areas. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

America is kicking butt at energy efficiency. Well, sort of. It depends on which way you look at the issue. In this week's show, the Energy Gang will discuss the economic, technology and policy trends helping -- and hurting -- America's efficiency. Then, we'll ask if a new agreement between the U.S. and China represents a positive shift in stalled climate negotiations. Plus, we'll debate whether the fossil fuel divestment campaign is a worthy or lost cause. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

The International Energy Agency has once again revised its figures for renewable energy upward, showing that the industry continues to outperform previous projections. But is the industry truly ready to address climate change? This week, the Energy Gang will look at which sectors are leading and why. We'll also analyze the international clean energy trade dispute between China and the U.S. and take a look at the political reaction to Obama's recent climate speech. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.

After promising to deal with climate change in his second term, President Obama unveiled a comprehensive climate plan this week. But how comprehensive is it? We'll take a look at the details and debate its effectiveness. We'll also take a look at the importance of data privacy issues in the energy sector in the aftermath of revelations about the NSA data mining program, and ask whether the U.S. has hit "peak car." The Energy Gang is produced by GreentechMedia.com.

In this week's show, the Energy Gang talks about the strong growth in U.S. solar PV, debates the future of offshore wind, and asks whether utilities are prepared for true "grid resiliency" in the face of extreme weather. (Ironically, the episode was recorded in Washington, DC just minutes before a short, powerful storm overtook the region and knocked out power to thousands.)

Welcome to the first episode of the Energy Gang -- an energy digest hosted by cleantech journalist Stephen Lacey, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and energy futurist Jigar Shah. In this week's show we'll talk about leadership changes in Washington, the health of leading electric vehicle companies, and whether attacks on state-level renewable energy programs are backfiring.