Shows
Factor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (02/20/2026) - Putting retired EV batteries back to workTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Arcelia Martin from Inside Climate News, who wrote about how Texas is using hundreds of retired, repurposed EV batteries as grid-connected energy storage.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is David Kirkpatrick, Managing Director at SJF Ventures. David recently published a piece titled, “Climate Tech is Not Endangered” on LinkedIn. The pie...
2026-02-2319 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (02/13/2026) - Trump removes legal basis under Clean Air ActTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Matthew Daly from The Associated Press, who wrote about how the EPA has rescinded the 2009 “endangerment finding,” the scientific and legal basis under the Clean Air Act that allowed the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions to address climate change.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Brian Hurley, execut...
2026-02-1314 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (02/06/2026) - Can this safer nuclear fuel make a comeback?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Monika Gerhart, executive director at Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association, who is championing clean energy benefits and opportunities in a region well known for its fossil fuel legacy. Monika orchestrated an event last week where various businesses and trade associations held panels on several topics, one of which being how to...
2026-02-0613 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (01/30/2026) - How much can New England really depend on Canadian hydro?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Jon Chesto from The Boston Globe, who wrote about new questions about how dependable Canadian hydropower will be during severe winter storms.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Andrew Beebe, Managing Director at Obvious Ventures. This week, the company announced Fund 5, which closed at $360,360,360. Congratulations, Andrew!Th...
2026-01-3023 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (01/23/2026) - What's a life worth to the EPA?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Maxine Joselow from the New York Times, who wrote about the EPA's decision to stop assigning a dollar value to lives saved in cost-benefit analyses for major air pollution rules.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is funeral director Eric Chamberlain, who helped bring wind power to Rock Port, Missouri, ma...
2026-01-2320 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (01/16/2026) - Can American batteries keep up the pace?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Nico Rivero from the Washington Post, who wrote about how the rapid growth of grid-scale batteries in the U.S. is likely to pause in 2026.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Darian Nagle-Gamm, Iowa City’s transportation director, who is also the program owner for the city’s fare-free bus sy...
2026-01-1617 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (01/09/2026) - Time for a nuclear renaissance?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Ivan Penn from The New York Times, who wrote about surging optimism for nuclear power in the U.S.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Mariangela Hungria, a Brazilian agronomist and microbiologist who won the 2025 World Food Prize for her work on microbes that feed plants nitrogen, allowing farmers to...
2026-01-0923 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (12/19/2025) - Cleantech 2025: a year in reviewTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Dana Clare Redden from our “Cleantecher of the Year” committee, who announced our “Cleantechers of the Year.”This Week in Cleantech — December 19, 2025 Electricity Is Now Holding Back Growth Across the Global Economy — BloombergFord pulls the plug on the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck – NPRThere’s a New Color for Hyd...
2025-12-1925 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (12/12/2025) - Can these senators save NEPA?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Jael Holzman from Heatmap News, who wrote about several senators who came out against the SPEED Act, a bill that would change the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Ryan Johnson, the CEO of Culdesac Tempe, a rental development outside of Phoenix. He mo...
2025-12-1219 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (12/05/2025) - 'Amid the ashes' of the 2025 LA wildfiresTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Justin Worland at TIME Magazine, who wrote about the fires that hit Los Angeles in January 2025, and how to prevent similar disasters in the future. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Josh Silverman, the CEO of Windfall Bio, which figured out how to create microbes that consume leaking methane fro...
2025-12-0522 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (11/21/2025) - Oil industry gears up for a comebackTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Amy Harder from Axios, who wrote about an oil industry lobbying group spending big to advertise during Paramount’s second season of “Landman."This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Glenna Gannon, an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Glenna led research for an...
2025-11-2123 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (11/14/2025) - Can rising electricity prices be a winning issue for Democrats?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest Rachel Frazin from The Hill, who wrote about Democrats' plans to continue to focus on rising electricity prices in hopes that it's a winning strategy. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Tyler Norris, Head of Market Innovation at Google. Tyler wrote an op-ed in The New...
2025-11-1420 minFactor ThisGridFAST and furious: EPRI initiative expediting EV infrastructure deploymentTell us what you think of the show! Ready or not, electric vehicle adoption is happening in America. It feels like we’ve reached an inflection point- especially as range increases, EVs are simply proving to be a better mousetrap- and now there’s a race coast-to-coast to bulk up the charging infrastructure needed to enable the scaling of fleets and longhaul trucking. That’s no easy thing to figure out- developers must work closely with utilities to bring these power-sucking sites online without overworking the local grid. And since everyone needs power YESTERDAY, there’s a timel...
2025-11-1247 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (11/07/2025) - What does a pragmatic 'climate reset' look like?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest David Roberts, host of the Volts podcast, who recently sat down with clean-energy analyst Michael Liebreich to discuss calls for a “climate reset” that emphasizes costly technologies over proven clean energy solutions. This week's "Cleantechers of the Week" are:Andrew Otazo who has hauled m...
2025-11-0727 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (10/31/2025) - Are data centers really to blame for rising electricity costs?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest Shannon Osaka from The Washington Post, who wrote about a new study that blames rising electricity bills on the rising fixed costs of the power grid, rather than just data center growth. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Jonathan Shaw, CEO of Nuru. Under his lead...
2025-10-3122 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (10/24/2025) - Why are Democrats suddenly downplaying climate change?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. Clarion Events Content Director Jeremiah Karpowicz is filling in for Paul Gerke while Paul is on paternity leave.This week's episode features special guest Kate Yoder from Grist, who wrote about how Democrats are downplaying the term “climate change” after the 2024 election. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Cédric Ringenbach, creator...
2025-10-2419 min
Clean Power HourHow Microgrids and Batteries Future-Proof Grid Resilience#315 The American grid faces a triple threat: climate disasters, explosive AI data center growth, and mass electrification. Paul Gerke, Content Director for Renewables at Clarion Events and host of Factor This podcast, breaks down how batteries, microgrids, and smart grid technology provide the path forward for grid resilience and reliability.Paul leads content strategy for Factor This, the rebranded home of three legacy energy publications: Renewable Energy World, Power Grid International, and Hydro Review. He covers utility innovation, grid modernization, and clean energy deployment through both written journalism and weekly podcasting.Key Discussion Points:
2025-10-2343 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (10/17/2025) - Who's winning the renewables race?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Evan Halper from The Washington Post, who wrote about how global economics are accelerating a renewable surge led by China and India.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Rishan Wong, former CEO of Reddit and CEO of Terraformation. Terraformation just rolled out its latest product, wh...
2025-10-1727 minFactor ThisThe reality of residential solarTell us what you think of the show! The U.S. residential solar industry has seen better days. Electricity bill credits in rooftop solar-saturated states like California are a fraction of what they once were. Tariffs have made components more expensive, just as federal tax credits are set to sunset. Anti-renewables legislation is casting a long and dark shadow, and a series of bankruptcies among established names in the space has cast further doubt on whether the dollars and cents still make dollars and sense.But at least one man thinks residential solar c...
2025-10-1346 min
Platten Panorama Vinyl und Musikpodcast#64: Zwischen Herz und Haltung - Marlo Grosshardt findet die eigene Frequenz
Heute ist Marlo Grosshardt bei uns zu Gast. Seine Musik vereint provokante und zugleich sozialkritische Texte mit klassischen Einflüssen - mal zart, mal direkt, immer reflektiert. Marlo setzt sich mit persönlichen Sorgen und Ängsten auseinander, mit Gesellschaft, Liebe, Alltag und Politik. Als Singer-Songwriter, Popmusiker und gelegentlich auch Rocker bringt er alles zusammen, was moderner deutscher Pop sein kann: emotional, intelligent und handwerklich stark. Seine Songs lassen einen träumen, aufhorchen, nachdenken - oder einfach fühlen. Mit seiner aktuellen EP „laut“ zeigt Marlo, wie deutsche Popmusik heute klingen darf: ehrlich, detailverliebt produziert und voller Herz. Seine Songs laufen au...
2025-10-111h 28Factor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (10/10/2025) - Private equity's bet on utilitiesTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Alexandra White from the Financial Times, who wrote about how private equity firms are rapidly acquiring utilities to capitalize on soaring electricity demand.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Baltimore-based blind man, Kevin Stanley. A Bloomberg story notes that Kevin survives on disability payments, but say...
2025-10-1022 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (10/03/2025) - Rick Perry's nuclear betTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Claire Hao from The Houston Chronicle, who wrote about a Texas-based nuclear and data center start-up co-founded by former Gov. Rick Perry that went public on Wednesday after being founded just earlier this year. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Samuel Gantner, founder of...
2025-10-0320 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (09/26/2025) - Solar-powered vehicles, on a road near you?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Christopher Mims from The Wall Street Journal, who wrote about how several startups are bringing solar-powered vehicles closer to reality.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Ramón Méndez Galain, Uruguay’s energy secretary. Under his leadership, the country went from relying heavily on fossil...
2025-09-2626 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (09/19/2025) - Will rate cuts provide relief for renewables?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Tom Steyer, Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize. He reminds us that when we talk about climate now, the conversation is about technology, costs, and politics, which is important. However, we cannot lose sight of what this is truly about: passing on a livable planet. Tom reminds us about th...
2025-09-1915 minFactor ThisWoodMac weighs in on the state of the clean energy industry at RE+Tell us what you think of the show! In a special edition of the Factor This podcast from the road at RE+ 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, host Paul Gerke meets up with Chris Seiple, the Vice Chairman of global consulting firm Wood Mackenzie's Power & Renewables group. Over the course of a diverse discussion, the two touch on recent reports issued by WoodMac that show how stakeholders are handling increased electricity demand and navigating shifting federal policy to get clean energy projects connected to the grid. Other topics include:The reality of project cancellationsRapid growth o...
2025-09-1541 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (09/12/2025) - New battlefronts in Trump's war on windTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode, recorded at RE+ in Las Vegas, features special guest Jake Spring from The Washington Post, who wrote about the Trump administration's plans to cancel permits for a wind project off the coast of Massachusetts that would initially power about 400,000 homes.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Nantu Cane...
2025-09-1219 minFactor ThisCalifornia utility reflects on learnings from the largest virtual power plant test in US historyTell us what you think of the show! This summer, key stakeholders across the state of California teamed up for a first-of-its-kind, coordinated test of virtual power plant (or VPP) capabilities. Thousands of systems dispatched a whopping 535 megawatts and reduced net load during the evening peak in a successful demonstration of the potential impact that distributed energy resources can have.On this episode of the podcast, Factor This host Paul Gerke welcomes Kendrick Li, who handles demand response for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, one of the three California utilities that teamed up for the...
2025-09-0827 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (09/05/2025) - Utilities brace for data center unknownsTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Jennifer Hiller from The Wall Street Journal, who wrote about utilities' fears that overbuilding for planned data centers could increase rates for consumers if the projected demand does not materialize.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Paul Riley, CEO of Lululemon-backed recycling startup Samsara Eco...
2025-09-0518 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (08/29/2025) - Is electricity just going to keep getting more expensive?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Dharna Noor from The Guardian, who wrote about how household electricity bills have increased by 10% since Trump re-entered the White House.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Jingjing Zhang, a Chinese lawyer who pioneered environmental lawsuits at home. Now, she helps communities in the Glob...
2025-08-2921 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (08/22/2025) - Can Google reduce it's AI energy footprint?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Tim McDonnell from Semafor, who wrote about Google's moves to drive down the energy consumption of AI search queries to lower its carbon footprint.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Guy Nicholson, head of zero-carbon grid solutions at Statkraft. StatKraft is a Norwegian startup that...
2025-08-2221 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (08/15/2025) - A more affordable electric pickup truck?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. It recently ranked 13th on Feedspot’s 50 Best Solar Energy Podcasts and cracked the top-25 in its 80 Best Energy Transition Podcasts.This week’s episode features special guest Camila Domonoske from NPR, who wrote about how Ford plans to retool an assembly plant to build a more affordable midsize electric pickup truck.This w...
2025-08-1523 minFactor ThisHarvesting sunlight: Agrivoltaics is winning over middle AmericaTell us what you think of the show! Agrivoltaics, or using land for both farming and solar energy generation, is becoming more popular in the United States. Such dual-use practices are a 'middle ground' between critics who argue too much prime farmland is being used for utility-scale solar projects and proponents, who point out significantly more real estate is dedicated to ethanol production. In many situations, it's an attractive proposition for land owners to lease a chunk of their property to a developer for 20-30 years, at which point, the plot is r...
2025-08-1146 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (07/25/2025) - A win for a utility in the data center struggleTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Dan Gearino from Inside Climate News, who wrote about how an Ohio utility has won a fight over who foots the costs of grid infrastructure upgrades from the buildout of data centers.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Russ Bates, Founder of NXTGEN Energy Solu...
2025-07-2520 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (07/11/2025) - Uncertainty killed these clean energy projectsTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Sam Black, a filmmaker and journalist for More Perfect Union, who began investigating the early impacts of political uncertainty on clean energy sectors following Donald Trump's re-election. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Kevin Doffing, from Project Vanguard, who just shared a post on solar...
2025-07-1817 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (07/11/2025) - More handouts for big oil?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Mark Gongloff from Bloomberg, who wrote about how Senate Republicans are proposing nearly $18 billion in new subsidies for fossil-fuel companies over the next decade.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Mark Jacobs, co-founder of EVmath. Mark led marketing for the DOE-funded EMPOWER Project which help...
2025-07-1117 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (07/07/2025) - How can data centers become more flexible?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Maeve Allsup from Latitude Media, who wrote about how a a new startup allowed an Oracle data center using Nvidia GPUs to cut its power consumption 25% during hours of peak grid demand without sacrificing performance.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is JoeBen Bevirt, founder of J...
2025-07-0720 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (06/27/2025) - Can we meet climate goals without fixing our food?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Michael Grunwald from the Atlantic, who wrote aobut how we won’t meet climate goals without fixing our food system.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Kakani Katija, creator of the gaming app FathomVerse. This summer, Katija’s team plans to test an AI underwat...
2025-06-2721 minFactor ThisPreparing the grid for the climate of tomorrowTell us what you think of the show! Since 2022, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a nonprofit, independent research and development group focused on the generation, delivery, and use of electricity, has been developing a framework to help utilities enhance the resilience of their infrastructure. The Climate READi initiative aims to strengthen the power sector’s collective approach to managing climate risk to power systems.On this episode of the Factor This podcast, host Paul Gerke chats with EPRI's Laura Fischer and Andrea Staid about the ongoing initiative, a robust collaboration including insights from more th...
2025-06-2538 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (06/23/2025) - Is Trump crippling climate research?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Scott Waldman from E&E News, who wrote about how the Trump administration is "crippling" the government’s ability to research global warming.This week's "Cleantechers of the Week" are the slain and wounded MN legislators, Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman. Rep. Hortman was th...
2025-06-2320 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (06/06/2025) - Trump wants to repurpose Biden's green bankTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Ari Natter from Bloomberg, who wrote about how the Trump administration plans to repurpose Biden’s $400 billion green bank to fund loans for nuclear, geothermal, and critical mineral projectsThis week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Mayor Mondale Robinson of Enfield, North Carolina. He led a plan...
2025-06-0616 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (05/30/2025) - The solar industry needs a winTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Kathiann Kowalski from Canary Media who wrote about how Ohio’s House Bill 1 is seen as a win by the solar industry.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Adam Hall, who had his 8th grade students give him a “Solar Mohawk” at their Viva el Drágon...
2025-05-3020 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (05/22/2025) - A breakthrough in EV batteries?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Jack Ewing from The New York Times, who wrote about how Massachusetts start-up Factorial Energy, led by Siyu Huang, has successfully tested its solid-state battery in a Mercedes-Benz EQS sedanThis week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Carlo Angeles, of the Biodiversity Credit Alliance who post...
2025-05-2317 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (05/16/2025) - Is it time for a zeppelin resurgence?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Nico Rivero from The Washington Post, who wrote about how some startups are are reviving zeppelins as a low-emissions option for cargo and tourism.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is one of our previous ‘This Week in Cleantech’ guests, Michael Thomas, founder at Cleanview and Dist...
2025-05-1618 minFactor ThisUtilities, data centers, and grid flexibility: How does the customer benefit?Tell us what you think of the show! Utilities are doing all they can to accommodate large load customers like AI data centers, but some worry those efforts come at a cost to other customers. On this episode of the Factor This podcast, West Monroe Partner Sam Uyeno explains how the proliferation of data centers could actually lower electricity prices. In a far-reaching discussion, Uyeno and host Paul Gerke touch on demand flexibility, the potential benefits of AI in grid planning, and the complexities of co-location and supply chain issues. Uyeno also previews his participation in the...
2025-05-1417 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (05/09/2025) - Are Trump's cleantech cuts undermining his mineral plans?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Alex Kaufman, who wrote for the The Atlantic about how Trump’s administration is fast-tracking domestic mining projects, pushing executive orders and green-lighting new rare earth and mineral ventures to reduce reliance on foreign sources like China.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Meredith Connol...
2025-05-0921 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (05/02/2025) - Is the NRC stifling nuclear innovation?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Molly Taft from WIRED, who wrote about how several states and startups are suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), arguing its strict, slow regulations stifle innovation in small nuclear reactor development.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Maddy Mowrey, Event Specialist at National Grid Rene...
2025-05-0221 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (04/25/2025) - Climate tech's shaky footing in 2025Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features MIT Technology Review's Casey Crownhart, who wrote about how $8 billion of US climate tech projects have been canceled so far this year. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Rev. Nate Pyle, senior pastor at Christ’s Community Church in Fishers, Indiana for supporting rooftop solar on his chu...
2025-04-2515 minFactor ThisHow utilities can 'shield' equipment from wildfire riskTell us what you think of the show! Sponsored content.In the territories of many electric utilities, wildfires loom as an increasing threat, becoming larger and more frequent, necessitating proactive solutions.In this episode of the Factor This podcast, host Paul Gerke taps into the brain of a leading expert, Craig Clements of San Jose State University, to discuss the evolving threat wildfires pose to utility infrastructure and explore how a rigorously tested product, Hexion's ArmorBuilt, could stand as an effective means of protecting vital equipment.Want to make a suggestion...
2025-04-2227 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (04/18/2025) - Trump's clash with offshore wind escalatesTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features Jake Spring from The Washington Post, who wrote about how the Trump administration ordered an immediate halt to construction on the Empire Wind project, a major offshore wind development off the coast of New York. This week's "Cleantechers of the Week" are Andrea Giampoli & Alyss...
2025-04-1820 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (04/11/2025) - How will Trump’s latest round of tariffs affect clean energy?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features Akshat Rathi from Bloomberg, who wrote about Trump's new tariffs will affect the U.S. clean energy industry.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Charles Bolden who leads SEIA’s energy and carbon portfolio. He has previously helped lead an Energy and Commerce Commit...
2025-04-1122 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (04/04/2025) - Geothermal wins Trump's favorTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features Cat Clifford from Cipher News, who write about how geothermal has emerged as the only renewable energy source seen favorably by the Trump administration. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Tom Weirich at EDP Renewables for hosting a terrific Transformers Summit. He’s put on...
2025-04-0418 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (03/28/2025) - A new high for renewablesTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features Seth Borenstein from the Associated Press, who wrote about how worldwide installations of renewable energy hit a new high last year, driven largely by China. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Andrew Reagan, President of Clean Energy for America, who is one of the m...
2025-03-2818 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (03/21/2025) - Getting 'forever chemicals' out of the chips raceTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.This week’s episode features Aaron Clark from Bloomberg, who wrote about efforts to reduce "forever chemicals" in semiconductor production. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Gregor Hintler. He shared that we should not be fooled by the negative rhetoric about renewables from the current administration, since clean energy is growing exponential in the US, and globally. Gregor shared some images of solar gro...
2025-03-2118 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (03/14/2025) - Emergency powers to restart coal plants?Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Elliot Coad, founder of 30x30 United Kingdom and Ecologi, who shared research that stated the world is losing 4-14% of its staple crops due to microplastics, since they are hindering plant photosynthesis. Researchers say this problem could increase the number of people at risk of starvation by 400M in the next two decades. Thanks to Elliot Coad for sharing...
2025-03-1417 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (03/07/2025) - Trump's tariffs make things complicatedTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.This week’s episode features Lisa Martine Jenkins from Latitude Media, who wrote about how Trump's tariffs will complicate the U.S. energy supply chain.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Dhruv Patel, COO of Renewable Energy at McCarthy. He celebrated National Energy Efficiency Day with his team at McCarthy on Wednesday and shared his experience on LinkedIn with the quote, “But...
2025-03-0717 minFactor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (02/28/2025) - How the solar power industry is rebranding to meet an ‘energy dominance’ edictTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.This week’s episode features Kate Yoder from Grist, who wrote about how the solar industry is rebranding itself as a symbol of American "energy dominance" to survive a second Trump term.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Daniela V. Fernandez, Founder and CEO of Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Daniela shared a Consumer Reports study on LinkedIn about the chemicals and microplastics fou...
2025-02-2814 minPlatten Panorama Vinyl und Musikpodcast#39: Optimismus und Melancholie: Das neue Kapitel von Florian Paul und der Kapelle der letzten Hoffnung
In dieser Episode von „Platten-Panorama“ begrüßen wir Florian Paul, den kreativen Kopf hinter Florian Paul & die Kapelle der letzten Hoffnung. Mit seinem neuen Album „Alles wird besser“ lässt der Singer-Songwriter seine melancholischen Anfänge hinter sich und taucht in eine Welt voller Hoffnung und Aufbruchsstimmung ein. Wir sprechen mit Florian über die Entstehung der Songs, seine Inspirationen und wie die Erlebnisse der letzten Jahre seine Musik geprägt haben. Dabei verrät er uns, warum er trotz seiner nachdenklichen Grundstimmung immer an einen besseren Morgen glaubt. Und was er politischer Musik hält. Freut euch auf ein Gespräch über No...
2024-10-261h 46Platten Panorama Vinyl und Musikpodcast#38: Vinyl-Reinfälle: Unsere größten Fehlkäufe und Soundtrack-Enttäuschungen
In dieser Folge sprechen wir über Platten, die uns zunächst neugierig gemacht, dann aber enttäuscht haben. Ob schlechte Songauswahl, schlecht produzierte Soundtracks oder einfach nur Vinylpressungen, die klanglich zu wünschen übrig ließen - wir teilen unsere Geschichten und kleinen Katastrophen aus unseren Plattensammlungen.
Themen dieser Folge:
Vinyl-Käufe, die wir bereuen: Alben, die sich beim zweiten Hören als Enttäuschung entpuppten.
Soundtracks, die ihr Geld nicht wert sind: Warum die Auswahl mancher Film- und Serien-Songs einfach nicht funktioniert.
Materialqualität und Produktionsprobleme: Von schlecht gepresstem Vinyl bis zu Cover-Artworks, die uns die Tränen...
2024-10-121h 44Factor ThisGreetings from Asheville. We need your help.Tell us what you think of the show! Hello, Factor This! listeners. This is John Engel, editor-in-chief of Renewable Energy World and POWERGRID International. As many of you know, I live in Asheville, which was devastated from Tropical Storm Helene. This conversation between myself and Renewable Energy World content director Paul Gerke was hastily recorded on Wednesday, Oct. 2, so please excuse the production quality. Some of the conditions discussed in this podcast have changed since recording-- gas is now readily available in Asheville and Duke Energy has restored power to at least 90% of the Carolinas.
2024-10-0727 min
Factor ThisThis Week in Cleantech (5/17/24) — Biden slaps new tariffs on Chinese importsTell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less. This week's episode features Oliver Milman, an environment reporter for The Guardian, who covered a new report that casts doubt on sustainable aviation fuel prospects.This Week in Cleantech — May 17, 2024This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Paul Carp, Independent Climate Consultant for his recently launched Carpe Diem Climate Consulting 1. Biden sharply hikes US tariffs on an array of Ch...
2024-05-1715 minFactor ThisPerovskites: Solar power revolutionary or cleantech fad?Tell us what you think of the show! In the year since the Inflation Reduction Act supercharged clean energy manufacturing, rarely does a week go by without a new solar factory notice. Rich incentives have led to unprecedented investments.But making solar panels is really hard. Not only does it require a lot of energy, but complicated global supply chains leave profit margins razor thin. And existing technology is bumping up against theoretical efficiency limits.Industry heavyweights see perovskite solar cells as the heir apparent to the crystalline chemistries that currently dominate global...
2023-08-2147 minFactor ThisTalking energy storage with Yann BrandtTell us what you think of the show! It's time that we talk about energy storage.Not just because solar-plus-storage is a natural fit, but more and more developers will soon be branching out into the world of batteries, emboldened by new federal incentives.That transition could be overwhelming for some. Energy storage deployment comes with its own unique set of nuances and challenges.What differentiates one energy storage company from another? How do investors view the nascent sector? What are some of the risks to avoid?Yann Brandt...
2023-02-1340 minFactor ThisThe grid is fragile. Is distributed energy the answer?Tell us what you think of the show! Our grid is vulnerable to disruption and even failure. Wildfires, floods, and more frequent extreme weather events routinely highlight the imperative of adding distributed energy not just for resiliency, but to reach our climate goals.But incumbents, purposefully or not, are delaying the transition. And markets still don't fully value the qualities of distributed energy resources. Will we come to embrace DER's myriad benefits before it's too late?Episode 34 of the Factor This! podcast features Tim Hade, the co-founder and COO of Scale Microgrid Solutions.
2023-02-061h 03Factor ThisCommunity solar: Can California get it right this time?Tell us what you think of the show! California is a leader in the energy transition. There's no doubt about it.But even the most mature solar market in the country hasn't always gotten it right.A community solar program implemented in 2013 never really panned out. And while the community solar sector grew rapidly in other states, California watched as few projects got built. Episode 33 of the Factor This! podcast features Aaron Halimi, president and founder of the California-based community solar developer Renewable Properties. Halimi breaks down the state of community sol...
2023-01-3038 minFactor ThisIn North Carolina, a lesson on the pitfalls of the energy transitionTell us what you think of the show! The pitfalls of the energy transition are on full display in a Southeast state. A 2021 law set North Carolina on its way to slashing carbon emissions by 70% by the end of the decade and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. HB 951 represented an unprecedented, bipartisan effort for a state to tackle climate change and deploy clean energy.But clashes between Duke Energy, the utility governed by the law, and clean energy developers showcase that historic policy is only part of the equation. Execution is just as challenging.
2023-01-2341 minFactor ThisToledo Solar founder Aaron Bates on the 'untruths' of American solar manufacturingTell us what you think of the show! This episode of Factor This! is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler company.Episode 31 of the Factor This! podcast features Aaron Bates, the CEO and founder of Toledo Solar, a manufacturer of cadmium telluride thin-film solar modules.Bates cares deeply about who is making solar modules and, just as importantly, where. And he has strong opinions about the direction the solar industry is heading.In response to the Inflation Reduction Act, Toledo Solar is scaling its production capacity to 2.3 gigawatts by 2027. It's bringing...
2023-01-1657 minFactor ThisWhy 2023 is about to be the biggest year yet for C&I clean energy with PowerFlex CEO Raphael DeclercqTell us what you think of the show! This episode of Factor This! is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler company. Corporate demand for clean energy couldn’t be hotter. And it’s not just for far-away solar and wind farms anymore.In a year plagued by trade disputes, supply chain constraints, and missed targets, onsite commercial and industrial deployment of solar, batteries and EV charging grew in 2022 when other areas sank.Leaders in the C&I space say it’s about to explode. That growth doesn’t come without its own chal...
2023-01-0927 minFactor ThisWill solar energy’s challenges finally ease in ’23? Market analyst Paula Mints weighs inTell us what you think of the show! It was a best-of-times, worst-of-times sort of year for solar: long-awaited federal policy support tempered by ongoing trade disputes involving some of the industry’s biggest suppliers. As the year closes, giving new meaning to the term ‘solar coaster,’ we invited Paula Mints, who has been tracking the industry for more than two decades, to shed some light on what 2022 means to the solar industry and what to watch out for in the new year. She joined Episode 29 of the Factor This! podcast to break down eve...
2022-12-1941 minFactor ThisEurope wants its own Inflation Reduction Act momentTell us what you think of the show! When the American clean energy industry met at RE+ in September, seemingly every conversation exuded an optimistic tone about the future. Historic incentives for clean energy in the Inflation Reduction Act, paired with a generational industrial policy, brought U.S. climate goals within reach at a point when their prospects appeared bleak at best. Now, billions of dollars of investment is flowing into American clean energy manufacturing. The outlook couldn't be more different in Europe, where industry leaders recently came together at Enlit Europe in...
2022-12-1224 minFactor ThisClimate tech takes on clean energy's biggest headachesTell us what you think of the show! Clean energy is in broad agreement: the Inflation Reduction Act is a game-changer for the industry and our goals of staving off the worst effects of climate change. But underneath the optimism is a shared anxiety that significant headwinds still plague the industry. Costly and time-consuming permitting and interconnection processes remain poison pills for projects. On Episode 27 of the Factor This! podcast, we introduce you to two climate tech entrepreneurs who are taking on these challenges. Robin Laine, CEO and co-founder of Transect, use...
2022-11-2852 minFactor ThisCalifornia NEM 3.0: Unpacking rooftop solar’s fateTell us what you think of the show! After a series of starts, stops, and outright confusion over the future of rooftop solar, California regulators have released their latest proposal to reform the state’s net metering program. The process known as NEM 3.0 has pitted advocates against investor-owned utilities over how customers should be paid for sending excess solar power to the grid. And since it involves the country’s largest solar market, the entire industry is paying attention. Vote Solar’s executive director, Sachu Constantine, returns to the Factor This! podcast to break d...
2022-11-2122 minFactor ThisWomen in renewables: 3 female execs share their stories and recruitment strategiesTell us what you think of the show! A look around one of clean energy's largest events offered a common sight: There were a lot of men. The challenge is well-known in renewables. Women make up only about a third of the workforce. And they hold an even smaller share of executive positions. On Episode 25 of the Factor This! podcast, three senior female executives weigh in on how to effectively recruit women to clean energy.Guests:Julia Bell, Chief Commercial Officer, CleanCapitalCarey Kling, Director, BQ Energy DevelopmentJen...
2022-11-1436 minFactor ThisTexas grid braces for winter. What’s changed since Uri?Tell us what you think of the show! It's been more than 600 days since the lights went out for millions of Texans during Winter Storm Uri. The near-total collapse of the Texas grid can be attributed to a number of culprits— and there has been no shortage of finger-pointing. Promises were made that what happened in February 2021 would never happen again. And a market redesign that's underway is supposed to be the solution. To better understand what's happening, and what's to come, Episode 24 of the Factor This! podcast features Texas Capitol mains...
2022-11-0757 minFactor ThisInterconnection woes make strange bedfellowsTell us what you think of the show! Bringing new distributed energy resources to the grid often comes with delays and costly upgrades. Interconnection woes create a contentious relationship between utilities and developers.That’s why Clarion Energy is launching the GridTECH Connect Forum— a regional event designed to break down industry silos by bringing together DER developers and utilities to find common ground to improve the interconnection process. Registration is now open for the inaugural GridTECH Connect Forum in San Diego, California on Feb. 6, 2023. To learn more, be sure to downlo...
2022-10-3128 minFactor ThisA bright future for brownfield solar developmentTell us what you think of the show! More than a decade ago, the proverbial lightbulb glowed over Chad Farrell’s head. Trained as a brownfield remediation engineer, he decided to develop solar projects on otherwise unusable land. His company, Encore Renewable Energy, became a first-mover in brownfield solar development, boosted by federal incentives.Fast forward to today, and Farrell sees an even brighter future for brownfield solar project development due to another big chunk of federal help: the Inflation Reduction Act.On Episode 22 of the Factor This! podcast, Farrell shares how...
2022-10-2437 minFactor ThisThe climate law will have an impact on PPAs. What’s in store for 2023?Tell us what you think of the show! The market for procuring clean energy is enduring one of the most tumultuous stretches in history. A global pandemic, trade disputes, and federal policy near-misses over the past two years contributed to fears that either side of a power purchase agreement was getting a raw deal. That volatility added pressure on developers, investors, and corporations pursuing net-zero goals.But historic incentives for clean energy baked into the Inflation Reduction Act have shifted the industry’s trajectory, backed by the certainty of 10-year tax credits. Wh...
2022-10-1745 min
Factor ThisIntroducing the Texas Power PodcastTell us what you think of the show! We're happy to share with you the first episode of Renewable Energy World's newest podcast, the Texas Power Podcast.In each episode, Doug Lewin guides listeners through the complicated world of Texas energy, introducing them to the people and policies behind it all. In Episode 1 of the Texas Power Podcast, host Doug Lewin is joined by Pat Wood, former chairman of both the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Public Utility Commission of Texas. He helped deliver former Texas Gov. George W...
2022-10-131h 01Factor ThisClean energy is popular but NIMBYism remains potent. What gives?Tell us what you think of the show! Solar and wind enjoy broad public support, but the fight in Congress over the Inflation Reduction Act showed that the industry can be held hostage by a single vote, as proven by Sen. Joe Manchin’s nail-bite tactics. And for all the IRA promises to do to fuel clean energy deployment, the law doesn’t cure the industry’s persistent NIMBY problem.On Episode 20 of the Factor This! podcast, veteran clean tech communicator Mike Casey shares his vision for establishing long-term political power to prevent the nex...
2022-10-1044 minFactor ThisLIVE from RE+: The race is on to meet demand with made-in-America solar modulesTell us what you think of the show! In June, President Joe Biden announced a two-year pause on new tariffs on solar modules imported from Southeast Asia— much-needed relief for the industry that was brought to a standstill.Weeks later, though, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act took effect and has resulted in the detention of modules believed to have been manufactured in the Xinjiang region of China using forced labor.Vulnerabilities in the solar supply chain have been magnified over the past year. With historic incentives for domestic solar production secured by th...
2022-10-0328 minFactor ThisCelebrating clean energy risk takersTell us what you think of the show! Before the Inflation Reduction Act, working and succeeding in clean energy came with quite a bit of risk. Now with the historic legislation in place, it's time to honor those risk takers for laying the groundwork for a new level of certainty not seen before in the industry. Tom Weirich, who leads marketing efforts in North America for EDP Renewables, chronicles the stories of those clean energy visionaries in his forthcoming book We Took the Risk. Weirich joined Episode 18 of the Factor This! podcast from Re...
2022-09-2630 minFactor ThisSolar’s report card is coming. And a reckoning could followTell us what you think of the show! Over the past year, DroneBase, a company that conducts aerial assessments of utility-scale solar projects, drove up and down the western and eastern seaboards of North America to develop what it hopes will become a comprehensive database of every major solar project.A resource like this would give DroneBase the ability to rate developers, EPCs, asset owners, and manufacturers of modules, trackers, and inverters, based on performance. That report card could bring a new level of transparency, and a reckoning, to the solar industry. ...
2022-09-1938 minFactor ThisFERC Commissioner Allison Clements on record heat, resiliency, and smart gridsTell us what you think of the show! As Labor Day weekend came to a close, a sense of dread settled in at the home of Allison Clements, who was appointed to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2020.On the cusp of entering fifth grade, Clements' daughter was tasked with completing a homework assignment over the summer break. And of course, it wasn’t done.Upgrading the U.S. electric grid is akin to the nation's own summer homework, Clements said on Episode 16 of the Factor This! podcast. And La...
2022-09-1235 minFactor ThisBeware of the clean energy gold rush with Leyline Renewable Capital CEO Erik LenschTell us what you think of the show! The Inflation Reduction Act established historic incentives for clean energy and climate change. It may have also created a gold rush with potentially dangerous consequences.In Episode 15 of the Factor This! podcast, Erik Lensch, founder and CEO of Leyline Renewable Capital, shares how the Inflation Reduction Act is impacting clean energy capital markets, which he said were already oversaturated with investors chasing projects before the climate bill passed.Remember to leave a rating or review of FactorThis! wherever you get your podcasts. Show no...
2022-09-0550 minFactor ThisRethinking solar development from the ground up with Terabase CEO Matt CampbellTell us what you think of the show! With the Inflation Reduction Act's historic investments in clean energy and climate change in place, U.S. solar power development is expected to explode over the next decade. But meeting lofty decarbonization goals won't be easy— siting challenges, interconnection delays, and supply chain constraints all stand in the way. In Episode 14 of the Factor This! podcast, Terabase co-founder and CEO Matt Campbell shares how his company is using software and automation to redefine how gigantic solar farms get built and are managed. Show note...
2022-08-2928 minFactor ThisGoing beyond the PPA with Clearloop CEO Laura ZapataTell us what you think of the show! The power purchase agreement has done wonders for the deployment of clean energy. Corporations can offset their annual energy consumption with long-term offtake contracts for solar and wind farms.But what if that financial model doesn't work for every business—especially smaller ones that still want to make an impact? And does traditional clean energy procurement offset as much carbon as possible? There's a new player solar that thinks they can address both of those challenges. In Episode 12 of Factor This!, Laura Zapata expl...
2022-08-2239 minFactor ThisGreen hydrogen: What’s next for the energy transition’s secret weapon?Tell us what you think of the show! In this bonus episode of Factor This!, we introduce you to the RENWABLE+ Series™ from Renewable Energy World. Don't worry, we'll get back to tackling solar's biggest stories on Monday.In this +Series discussion, panelists from EDP Renewables, Generate Capital, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory break down what's next for green hydrogen— the energy transition's secret weapon. Bryan Pivovar, Senior Research Fellow I-Materials Science, NRELAna Quelhas, Managing Director for Hydrogen, EDP Renewables (EDPR)Brandon Moffatt, VP, Generate CapitalWhile green hydrogen’s versatility offers potentia...
2022-08-191h 06Factor ThisTaking on solar's recycling imperative with SOLARCYCLE CEO Suvi SharmaTell us what you think of the show! Around 70% of solar systems in the U.S. are less than five years old, and with a lifespan of 30 years or more, recycling may not seem urgent. But multi-gigawatt demand for solar recycling awaits the industry in the decades to come. The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates global solar PV waste will reach 78 million tonnes by 2050—with those raw materials worth $15 billion. How can solar recycling scale to meet the need, and who’s going to capture that market? On Episode 11 of the Factor...
2022-08-1541 minFactor ThisWhat's going on in clean energy capital markets? Pine Gate Renewables CEO Ben CattTell us what you think of the show! Think back to June. President Biden had just paused new tariffs on solar modules imported from Southeast Asia—a lifeline for the solar industry after months of tumult caused by the Auxin Solar tariff petition. Shipments resumed. Projects restarted. Stability returned. Then came rising interest rates, record inflation, and recession anxiety, all complicating the buildout of clean energy infrastructure. In Episode 10 of the Factor This! podcast, Pine Gate Renewables CEO Ben Catt breaks down what's going on in clean energy capital markets, fresh off rais...
2022-08-0850 minFactor ThisBreaking down FERC's interconnection reform plan with AEE managing director Jeff DennisTell us what you think of the show! Up until a few days ago, Congress had been a frequent disappointment to clean energy advocates. Even the current optimism around budget reconciliation is... cautious. But a few blocks north of Capitol Hill, seismic change has been underway. In June, FERC laid out a set of proposed rules to address what possibly is the biggest threat facing clean energy deployment goals in the US: interconnection delays. The notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) identified ways to tackle widespread challenges that have led to years-long i...
2022-08-0149 minFactor ThisBonus Episode: Manchin makes a dealTell us what you think of the show! In a shocking turn of events late on the afternoon of July 27th, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced that he had reached a deal with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on a budget reconciliation package that includes $369 billion. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes: 10-year extensions of the ITC for residential and commercial solarA new ITC for standalone energy storage Credits for domestic solar manufacturing Credits for new and used EVs Jose Zayas, EVP of Policy and Programs, American Council on Renewable Energy, joined the F...
2022-07-2816 minFactor ThisBetting big on 'Made in America' solar with Nextracker CEO Dan ShugarTell us what you think of the show! In Episode 7 of the Factor This! podcast, Nextracker founder and CEO Dan Shugar explains his company's decision to invest heavily in U.S. manufacturing amid supply chain constraints and trade disputes facing the solar industry. Plus, he gives a sneak peek at Nextracker’s next manufacturing announcement.Enjoying Factor This!? Leave a rating and review. Programming note: Factor This! will publish every Monday beginning Aug. 1. Show notes: 'Big Horn' green steel solar farm in ColoradoSubscribe to the free Renewable Energy World newsletter to st...
2022-07-1839 minFactor ThisRooftop solar's biggest fight is back on with Vote Solar executive director Sachu ConstantineTell us what you think of the show! In Episode 6 of the Factor This! podcast, rooftop solar's biggest fight — California's net energy metering reform process — is back on. The California Public Utilities Commission has reopened the docket for NEM 3.0, which rooftop solar advocates warn could have a devastating impact on the industry nationwide.Vote Solar's new executive director, Sachu Constantine, takes Factor This! to the frontlines of the policy fight and shares how he plans to move one of the leading solar advocacy groups to its next chapter.Show notes:-Subscribe to the...
2022-07-0140 minFactor ThisSpecial Edition: Shaping the grid of the future with GE Digital's Jim WalshTell us what you think of the show! How to manage and monetize distributed energy resources is one of the most rapidly changing pieces of the energy transition.Every few weeks it seems a new software startup has raised tens (sometimes, hundreds) of millions of dollars in pursuit of those challenges. Meanwhile, utilities are watching the electricity distribution model that has stood up for a hundred years get turned on its head.In a special edition of Factor This!, live from DISTRIBUTECH and POWERGEN International in Dallas last May, hear from Jim Walsh...
2022-06-2718 minFactor ThisA lifeline from President BidenTell us what you think of the show! In Episode 4 of the Factor This! podcast, Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association trade group, shares how the solar industry swayed President Joe Biden to pause new tariffs on module imports from Southeast Asia, while also boosting domestic manufacturing.And later in the episode, Intersect Power CEO Sheldon Kimber discusses the early days of Recurrent Energy, tariffs, and solar's path forward.This is the fourth and final episode of the Factor This! Auxin Solar tariff petition series. The full...
2022-06-2047 minFactor ThisSupply chain sacrificeTell us what you think of the show! In Episode 3 of the Factor This! podcast, Rhone Resch, the CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association from 2004-16, looks back at solar’s “boom” and his regret as the former head of the industry’s leading trade group of not prioritizing domestic solar manufacturing. He explains why now is the time to invest in a domestic supply chain.Plus, Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of North American solar manufacturer Heliene, joins the podcast to talk about the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act and how proposed incentives for domestic...
2022-06-0645 minFactor ThisSolar's political riskTell us what you think of the show! In Episode 2 of the "Factor This!" podcast, Lightsource bp Americas CEO Kevin Smith describes how one of the world's largest solar developers is approaching the Auxin Solar tariff petition and the threat of additional tariffs on imported modules.Also in this episode, American Clean Power Association CEO Heather Zichal, a former Obama administration climate and energy official, takes us behind the scenes of the $5 million to oppose the Biden Administration on tariffs. The episode is the second in a 4-part series on the Auxin S...
2022-05-2343 minFactor ThisWho is Auxin Solar? Exclusive interview with Auxin Solar CEO Mamun RashidTell us what you think of the show! For the first episode of the "Factor This!" podcast, Auxin Solar CEO Mamun Rashid gives his first extensive interview since filing the tariff petition that has rocked the solar industry.The episode is the first in a 4-part series on the Auxin Solar petition.Find more information about the Auxin Solar tariff petition, show notes, and a transcript from this episode at Renewable Energy World. And don't forget to subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts so that you don't miss an episode of the series.
2022-05-0923 min