The Energy Gang

The final month of 2015 was one of the best in recent memory for climate action. The world's carbon emissions dipped for the first time during a period of economic growth. The Paris climate talks ended with a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gases. And America extended key tax credits for renewables that will ensure strong growth in the years ahead. Some are cheering. But others are not so sure we should be optimistic. Brad Plumer, a senior editor at Vox, shares the cautious view on these developments. In this week's show, we'll talk with Plumer about the hard work that comes after Paris if world leaders are serious about decarbonizing the global economy. Later in the show, we'll talk with GTM Senior Reporter Julia Pyper about how electric cars and autonomous vehicles are playing into the Consumer Electronics Show. We'll wrap up with a discussion about Nevada's controversial decision to slash net metering for all solar customers in the state.

For our last podcast of the year, we offer up our picks for the top stories from the last 12 months. In the first segment, we'll get Katherine's take on policy developments for climate and clean energy. In the second segment, Jigar will describe why he thinks the R&D versus deployment debate has been resolved. And in our last segment, Stephen will talk about the dislocation for public solar companies. This podcast is sponsored by Huawei Technologies, a leading global ICT solutions provider. Huawei is proud to offer its FusionSolar PV solution -- a unique approach to integrating, optimizing and digitizing solar-power plants.

The world’s biggest automakers are suddenly under threat from consumer technology companies in Silicon Valley. Are they up to the threat? This week, we talk with Anand Shah, the leader of the autonomous mobility unit at Albright Stonebridge Group. Anand worked previously at Audi and the BMW group, where he analyzed all the forces changing the auto industry. We’ll discuss those forces, which include autonomous driving, electrification and ride sharing. In the second half of the show, we’ll talk about some positive developments for renewable energy tax credits. We’ll also look at the details of the international climate deal signed in Paris. This podcast is sponsored by Huawei Technologies, a leading global ICT solutions provider. Huawei is proud to offer its FusionSolar PV solution -- a unique approach to integrating, optimizing and digitizing solar-power plants.

There are roughly 8 million jobs globally in the renewable energy sector. A lot of people -- both young students and those with established careers -- want to know how they can be one of them. In this week's podcast, we'll talk with Dawn Dzurilla, founder of Gaia Human Capital Consultants, about best practices in job hunting: Should you get a graduate degree? What kind of skills are employers looking for? How do you keep yourself relevant during a long job search? In the second half of the show, we'll discuss the deep troubles at Abengoa. We'll end with a brief synopsis of what's happening during the final hours of the Paris climate talks. This podcast is sponsored by Huawei Technologies, a leading global ICT solutions provider. Huawei is proud to offer its FusionSolar PV solution -- a unique approach to integrating, optimizing and digitizing solar-power plants.

Will developing countries sign on to binding carbon reduction targets? Will rich and poor countries agree to a financing package for climate adaptation? Will anyone pay attention to Republican climate deniers posturing on the global stage? Those are the questions people are looking to answer at the ongoing UN climate talks in Paris. In this week's show, we'll talk with ClimateWire Deputy Editor Lisa Friedman about how things are playing out at the negotiations. In the second half of the show, we'll look at a couple shakeups and spinoffs in the utility sector: David Crane's departure as NRG's CEO, and RWE's decision to split up its distributed energy and conventional energy businesses. We'll end with a conversation about how the U.S. government can more effectively support offshore wind. This podcast is sponsored by Huawei Technologies, a leading global ICT solutions provider. Huawei is proud to offer its FusionSolar PV solution -- a unique approach to integrating, optimizing and digitizing solar-power plants.

This week, we're serving up a couple of our favorite Interchange podcasts from this fall. In our first segment, we talk with Ravi Manghani, a senior storage analyst at GTM Research, about where residential storage makes sense economically. In our second segment, we chat with MJ Shiao, the GTM's director of solar research, about what will happen to the U.S. solar industry if its tax credit isn't extended. Every week, we're having deep conversations about what's driving change in the cleantech and utility sectors. If you like what you hear, visit GTM Squared to become a subscriber and learn more about our premium content. http://www.greentechmedia.com/squared

This week, we have a live podcast from the Solar Focus conference in Washington, DC, hosted MDV-SEIA. The theme of the discussion: what role utilities play in implementing solar and other distributed resources. We’ll start with a conceptual framework in our first segment and look at some specific utility ownership programs in our second segment. At the end of the show, we’ll talk about the state of play for extending the Investment Tax Credit. This week’s guest host is Tanuj Deora, the chief strategy officer of the Solar Electric Power Association.

We use labels to advertise fuel economy of automobiles and the efficiency of appliances. Why don’t we do the same thing for our buildings? There are now 16 cities around the U.S. with building energy disclosure laws in place. Early data shows the laws are working to encourage efficiency measures and behavior change. But how far can they take us? In this week’s show, we’ll talk about the effectiveness of building energy disclosure laws with Cliff Majersik, the executive director of the Institute for Market Transformation. In the second half of the show, we’ll dissect President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline and discuss why SolarCity’s stock has taken such a big hit. This show is sponsored by Huawei Technologies. Find out more: http://www.huawei.com/us/ Find out more about our new premium service, GTM Squared: http://www.greentechmedia.com/squared

Opower has evolved a lot over the years. The software provider started with a simple efficiency solution for utilities, and has since deepened its analytics and moved into demand response, billing, segmentation and customer care. One thing has stayed the same over the years: Opower firmly believes that the utility will be the arbiter of the distributed grid. In this week’s show, we’ll talk with Opower CEO Dan Yates about the promise and perils of selling software to utilities. He’ll also discuss why he believes strengthening utility interactions with customers will be crucial for realizing a renewables-heavy grid. Later in the show, we’ll discuss Hawaii’s decision to slash net metering. And we’ll wrap up with a preview of the Paris climate talks -- will an agreement be reached? Don't forget to check out our new premium service, GTM Squared: http://www.greentechmedia.com/squared.

At a time when Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are criticized for their lack of ambition to create world-changing ideas, Elon Musk has emerged as a hero to many. Like Steve Jobs, Musk is both loved and reviled for his unwavering commitment to his vision. That vision: power the world with solar, make electric cars the dominant form of transportation, and revolutionize space travel. Some believe Musk is overhyped. Others think he's a savior of American manufacturing and innovation. Who is the man behind the myth? And how does run his companies? In this episode, we'll talk with Bloomberg Businessweek writer Ashlee Vance about his new book, "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future." Vance describes Musk's leadership style, ambitious goals, and potential legacy. Later in the show, we'll discuss ISIS hacking attacks on the U.S. grid. We'll finish the show with a look at how Canada's new prime minister may influence climate and clean energy policy. Don't forget to check out our new premium service, GTM Squared: http://www.greentechmedia.com/squared.

When a slew of leading developers started forming YieldCos in 2013, they were hailed as a revolution in renewable energy financing. Not so much anymore. After enjoying a long surge in stock pricing, YieldCos have come crashing down -- some falling as far as 50 percent in value since July. Why did they all see such a dramatic reversal all at once? Is it that YieldCos are inherently risky? Or was there just an irrational exuberance that has leveled out? We'll answer those questions in this episode. We talk with finance expert Tom Konrad about how YieldCos are structured, why they were overvalued, what a market correction looks like, and whether they still represent the future of financing renewable energy projects. The Interchange is a brand new podcast available to GTM Squared subscribers. For one month, we’re giving away the show for free. Visit the http://www.greentechmedia.com/squared to find out more about our premium content.

When the Obama Administration released its carbon rule this summer, it was hailed as a "historic step" to cutting carbon pollution. But is it really? Lots of supporters and analysts think the targets are too weak. Many now worry that the government created a rule so fragile that it could break down with a modest change in the energy mix. The reason: existing nuclear has been left out. In this episode, we'll talk with energy analyst Jesse Jenkins about why maintaining nuclear plants is vital to keeping Obama's climate rule from collapsing. Later in the show, we'll talk about the fight over demand response that hit the Supreme Court this week. We'll also look at how energy and climate were discussed during the Democratic presidential debate.

Solar has been around for decades. But it’s only in the last 10 years when the billion-dollar companies have emerged. With solar business models still so new, there a lot more room for many more startups to emerge as the next behemoths in the industry. But can software companies do it? In this episode of The Interchange, we’ll talk with Emily Kirsch, the co-founder and CEO of Powerhouse, an incubator and accelerator dedicated to the distributed solar industry. She’ll discuss where she sees the greatest opportunities for growth. We’ll talk about why Powerhouse is so focused on software companies, hear about common mistakes made by entrepreneurs pitching their companies, and discuss some alternatives to venture capital. The Interchange is a brand new podcast available to GTM Squared subscribers. For one month, we’re giving away the show for free. Visit the http://www.greentechmedia.com/squared to find out more about our premium content.

After a few years of struggles, tech providers are finally getting traction in home energy management. This is partly due to the rapid adoption of smart phones, which give companies cheap ways to interact with customers and monitor their energy consumption. It's also due to the success of laying energy services on top of home security packages, cable and internet packages, and solar contracts. So who will emerge as a winner in the space? In this edition of The Interchange, Stephen Lacey and Shayle Kann talk with Omar Saadeh, a senior grid analyst at GTM Research, about winning strategies in HEMS 2.0. The Interchange is a brand new podcast available to GTM Squared subscribers. For one month, we're giving away the show for free. Visit the gtmsquared.com to find out more about our premium content.

It's been a tough summer and fall for the world's biggest renewable energy developer. Since SunEdison announced its acquisition of Vivint Solar in July, the company's stock price has fallen by 70 percent. Just this week, executives announced they are laying off 15 percent of the company's workforce -- amounting to a cut of around 1,000 people. How did a leading renewable energy company riding so high earlier in the year reverse course so quickly? In this week's podcast, we'll discuss the factors behind SunEdison's recent woes and look at its new plan to get back on track. Later in the show, we'll provide updates on Exelon's bid to buy up Pepco, Shell's decision to abandon Arctic drilling, and some energy bills making their way through Congress.