GridPulse, a Grid Forward podcast

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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