The Energy Gang

In this live episode from New York City, the Energy Gang is joined by two prominent energy journalists — Yuliya Chernova of the Wall Street Journal and Chris Martin of Bloomberg — to talk about the hottest stories in energy and cleantech. We’ll talk about bankruptcies, politics and the latest from New York’s bold plan to reform its energy market.

Terry Jester started her solar career in 1979 as the VP of engineering at ARCO Solar, one of the early oil companies investing in photovoltaics. Over the years, the company was sold to Siemens, Shell and SolarWorld -- and Jester stayed through it all. Jester, who has also worked for SoloPower and SunPower, is now CEO of a solar-grade silicon manufacturer Silicor. We'll talk with her about the early days of solar, how the upstream business has changed, and discuss the future of solar production. In the second half of the show, we'll discuss a comprehensive bipartisan energy bill passed by the Senate this week. We'll end with the legacy of Rhone Resch, who is retiring as president of the solar industry’s national trade group after 12 years. Make sure to buy tickets for our upcoming live event on May 4: http://www.cleanecnyc.org/next-event/

The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is changing the way people think about operating financial markets and banking systems. Meanwhile, distributed energy is changing the way people think about running grids. Can the two influence one another? Many experts believe that the blockchain -- the public database that tracks Bitcoin -- will be the catalyst for the distributed, transactive grid. This week, we'll talk with Paul Brody of Ernst & Young about how the blockchain can be applied to energy and the internet of things. We'll describe how blockchains work, why they're useful, and when they'll start influencing the energy business. In the second half of the show, we'll discuss concerns about rolling blackouts and too much renewable energy in California. We'll end the show by talking about a controversial proposal to give away millions of free solar kits in Kenya.

Many are billing Tesla's Model 3 launch as an iPhone moment. If the hype and pre-orders are any indication, the boutique electric vehicle manufacturer has indeed taken another step toward transforming the auto industry. But could the Model 3 also be a Blackberry moment? If sales don't live up to expectations and Tesla faces any sort of quality control issue, it could take a big hit. And there are plenty of incumbents looking to fill Tesla's role. In this week's show, we'll talk about the meaning of the Model 3 with Dana Hull, a Bloomberg business reporter covering Tesla and SpaceX. In the second segment, we'll ask how consumers can better protect themselves from fraud or poor investments in home solar systems. And we'll finish with a conversation about James Hansen's latest dire (and controversial) warning on climate change. Make sure to come to our live show in New York City on May 4. We'll be joined by Yuliya Chernova of the Wall Street Journal and Chris Martin of Bloomberg for a discussion of the hottest topics in energy and cleantech. Our last show sold out, so make sure to get your tickets today! Get tickets here: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-energy-gang-live-a-candid-take-on-the-clean-energy-transition-tickets-24231943395 The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.

Amazon upended book publishers and brick-and-mortar retailers. Is it about to upend solar installers too? Two months ago, GTM researchers stumbled upon a patent filed by Amazon for a drone-based solar installation system. After an extended investigation, we've confirmed that the company is working on the technology as part of its broader drone-based package delivery service. Amazon already has FAA approval to pilot the drones, and plans to roll out the service within two years. If Amazon is successful, drone-based solar installation could completely change the way consumers buy solar. In this episode, we'll outline how the service will work and what impact it may have on the installation business. This podcast is part of GTM's premium service, Squared. Enjoy this week's episode for free. Sign up for Squared to hear more in-depth analysis every week. (If you're still reading this, please note the publish date: April 1.)

Utilities are often criticized for not connecting deeply enough with their customers. In a world where choice is becoming more important -- turning ratepayers into dynamic consumers -- power companies need to offer a wider range of services and communications outlets. One way to better connect: use more consumer-friendly language. According to a report in the Huffington Post this week, the Edison Electric Institute recently hired a marketing expert to help member companies better message themselves. “They view us a monopoly, no incentives to serve the customers. They view us as stuck in the past in terms of technology," said PR guru Michael Maslansky in a presentation to the EEI board this January on consumer focus groups. "We need to be able to think about something sustained, something repetitious, something ongoing.” Is this just a public relations ploy to improve the image of utilities? Or is it a serious attempt to engage with customers? We'll discuss in this week's show. In our second segment, we'll talk about the Energy Information Administration's new report defending its forecasting and data gathering. Finally, we'll discuss a new analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory showing that America can technically get 39 percent of its electricity from rooftop solar. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.

It wasn't just science that got Eli Lehrer to accept the reality of climate change. It was insurance markets. As a free-market expert on insurance policy, Lehrer realized many years ago where the industry models were headed. "Every modeling firm used by the insurance industry acknowledged climate change is real. If markets have the ability to aggregate information, then either markets don't work or climate change is real. My judgment is that markets work and therefore climate change is real," says Lehrer. In 2012, Lehrer founded the R Street Institute, a think tank devoted to spreading free market principles. In recent years, he's become a libertarian thought leader on environmental protection, carbon pricing and, most recently, the distributed energy transition. In this episode, the gang talks with Lehrer about how to make these issues more palatable to the political right. In our second segment, we'll talk about a new consumer poll on rate design and subsidies for solar. We'll end the show with a look at United Airlines' big biofuels announcement.

America is undergoing a second wave of storage growth. The first wave came between 2011 and 2013, when grid-scale projects backed by the government stimulus came online. The second wave is based largely on two applications for lithium-on batteries: frequency regulation and demand charge management. These two applications helped the U.S. storage market grow 243 percent in 2015, according to the new Energy Storage Monitor from GTM Research and the Energy Storage Association. In 2020, America’s energy storage market will be 28 times bigger than it was in 2015. This third wave of growth, says GTM Senior Storage Analyst Ravi Manghani, will be catalyzed by a broader range of revenue streams as regional wholesale markets get more sophisticated. In this week's show, we'll look at the trends behind America's storage surge. In the second segment, we'll talk about China's war on coal. In the last segment, we'll discuss the consequences of Vivint's decision to kill an acquisition agreement with SunEdison.

ARPA-E, the government agency founded in 2007 to support R&D in cutting-edge energy technologies, has invested $1.3 billion into power electronics, new solar materials and novel battery chemistries over the years. According to the agency, the private sector has already responded with $1.25 billion in follow-on funding. Much of that money is going toward technologies that will help enable a distributed, responsive, renewable grid. In this week's show, we're joined by Jeff St. John, GTM's senior grid reporter, for a discussion on ARPA-E's grid edge strategy. How's it working? Later in the show, we'll have an update on the drama surrounding Exelon’s $7 billion bid to acquire Pepco. Is the deal dead? We will end by talking about a WTO ruling against India’s local content requirements for solar. How will it impact the country’s burgeoning solar market? The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.

Nest, the smart home company acquired by Google in 2014, is under scrutiny. In the wake of multiple glitches that screwed with Nest thermostats this winter, there are now reports of unrest within the company. But are these issues really that big of a deal for the maker of smart home devices? We’ll dissect the speculation about "internal problems" and ask whether recent bugs will impact Nest's position in the market. Then, we’ll look at what the sudden death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia means for President Obama’s climate plan. We’ll end with a heated conversation about whether solar is really capable of helping developing countries leapfrog the grid. Check out our Grid Edge Customer Network here: www.greentechmedia.com/customernetwork

In 2012, Wired magazine ran a prominent feature on why "the cleantech boom went bust." A couple years later, after a slew of venture investment failures in the industry, 60 Minutes ran a major story on "the cleantech crash." The stories were widely criticized by cleantech experts as incomplete or inaccurate (the Energy Gang even ran its own critique of the 60 Minutes story). But they did reveal some hard truths: venture investors lost a lot of money on clean energy investments. There was indeed an investment bubble -- and it popped. Over the last couple of years, investors have taken on a more capital-lite, software-dominant approach to cleantech. But now some of the biggest companies in Silicon Valley are taking on one of the most capital-intensive industries of all: automobiles. So what are we to make of the venture investment climate? This week, we'll talk with Katie Fehrenbacher, a senior writer at Fortune, about trends she's seeing in the sector. Later in the show, we'll take a look at SunEdison's latest troubles. And we'll end with a discussion about the recycling industry's economic woes. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.

What does it take to truly change a large utility? Not just cosmetic changes to branding -- but true structural changes around distributed energy deployment and customized offerings for customers. In this week's show, we’ll talk with an industry veteran who’s trying to usher in those changes. Ed White, vice president of New Energy Solutions at National Grid, joins the Gang to discuss the utility's new plan to integrate solar, efficiency, storage, electric cars and grid automation all into one area of the business. It's not an easy task. But we'll talk with White about how he hopes to pull it off. Later in the show, we'll discuss two major Supreme Court decisions on demand response and Obama's landmark climate rule. And we'll finish with a quick discussion of the positive outcome of California's net metering debate.

Nevada's sweeping changes to net metering last December shook the solar industry. And the drama continues in 2016. Our GTM editorial and research team has been consumed by the situation in the state. Will consumers start defaulting on their PPAs? Will solar companies permanently leave the state? Will it make solar a bigger national political issue? In this bonus episode, we'll bring on GTM Senior Writer Julia Pyper to dissect the situation in Nevada. We'll get a detailed update on one of the most controversial stories in solar.

Many states prioritize tech incubators for a variety of economic reasons. The Energy Excelerator in Hawaii has a much more specific mission: tie support for startups to a 100% renewable energy target set by the state last year. That mission guides the way Energy Excelerator funds projects, chooses awards, and works with incumbents. This week, we'll talk with Dawn Lippert, the organization's co-founder and director, about how Hawaii plans to support innovation in distributed energy. Later in the show, we'll look at where Generate Capital (where co-host Jigar Shah acts as president) is deploying $150 million for "infrastructure-as-a-service" projects in underserved markets. We'll finish with a look at the political prospects for a carbon tax in 2016. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.

In 2012, an NAACP analysis found that Americans living within three miles of a coal plant are disproportionately low-income and disproportionately non-white. The report echoed government studies from the 1980s showing how toxic waste facilities and power plants were overwhelmingly located in communities of color across the U.S. -- studies that helped spark the environmental justice movement. Today, environmental justice isn't just about fighting toxic facilities. It's about ensuring the transition to clean energy is fair, inclusive and economically beneficial. In this week's show, we'll talk with Jacqueline Patterson of the NAACP about what clean energy can learn from the environmental justice movement. In the second part of the show, GTM's Eric Wesoff joins us to talk about his analysis of Vinod Khosla's venture investments in biofuels, batteries, solar and materials. We'll finish by talking about the natural gas leak outside Los Angeles that has forced thousands of people from their homes.