Founder of Idealab, Heliogen, Energy Vault, and Carbon Capture
“The clean energy transition is the single biggest economic opportunity in history—bigger than the industrial revolution and bigger than the computing revolution. Nussey’s broad coverage of systems large and small, as well as different geographies around the world, brings the whole situation into perfect perspective to drive both optimism and action.”
“A passionate, valuable, and detailed blueprint for remaking the shape of everyday energy production… The author is passionate in advocating for change, but he’s also unfailingly realistic. Skeptics wary of overly idealistic daydreaming on the subject of clean energy will find Nussey a doggedly clear-eyed guide to what he rightly calls “the treacherous divide between wild-goose-chases and billion-dollar opportunities.” He tackles the implementation of these alternatives on every level of manufacture and production, and his emphasis on individual options will deeply engage readers who feel trapped on the treadmill of big energy.” (full review)
Founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance
“Bill has grasped a fundamental truth about the transition to a zero-carbon economy: energy is no longer about capturing and exploiting resources, it’s about technology, speed, innovation and agility.”
CEO of RMI (previously Rocky Mountain Institute)
“Nussey is spot on about the economic opportunity that comes with the shift to renewable energy, with a compelling angle about the role of local energy and action each of us can take. The clean energy transition is accelerating faster and further than most models predicted, and this book is a useful and timely read for anyone who wants to be part of it.”
CEO and Founder of Acumen, and author of Manifesto for a Moral Revolution
“Freeing Energy, an inspiring and practical guide for enacting an energy revolution is a must read for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone that wants to understand how technologies and innovators are upending systems to improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”
Chief Investment Officer at Advantage Capital, and former US Congressman
“Freeing Energy is one of the most encouraging and inspiring books I’ve read in years. Nussey is comprehensive and convincing in his portrayal of the relentless technological innovation driving down costs for small-scale solar and battery solutions, and the ability of these systems to improve energy and social equity in the US and around the world.”
Former deputy editor, Wired; current editorial director Godfrey Dadich Partners
What Bill has done is really extraordinary. He has taken a topic that could be dry and riddled with jargon, and he has brought it to life in a book that is as informative and readable as it is enlightening and inspiring. In making his case that local-scale solar and batteries can literally change the world, Bill takes the reader from Puerto Rico to Tennessee; from a modern-day meeting in Rwanda featuring an energy minister frustrated that the price of solar is falling too fast to a 19th century materials innovation that enabled the Wright brothers’ first flight.
Every chapter is equal parts scene, character, technical explanation, and big-picture thinking about how the plummeting cost of solar technology, and the breakneck innovation in battery storage capacity, has the potential to lift millions of people out of poverty, disrupt the dirty, inefficient legacy grid systems, and power an entire new industry.
The writing is fresh and approachable, from smile-provoking phrases like “Batteries are like bacon. They make everything better,” to pithy insights (“Solar is a technology, not a fuel.”) Also, prepare to clench your fists and grit your teeth when you read about how legacy energy interests resist these technological and systemic changes. The book is for potential investors, entrepreneurs, students and rising engineers, regulators … and you, a concerned citizen eager to see how actual attainable technology can help the world reach an actual attainable goal.
VP Large Renewables at New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
The future of energy in the US will inevitably be a mix of traditional, large scale utility infrastructure and millions of smaller-scale solar and battery systems. Freeing Energy lays out an engaging and insightful path forward that allows every scale of energy system to co-exist and thrive.
Jeff St. John, Director of News and Special Projects
Nussey makes the case for a radical redistribution of electricity generation and consumption from the centralized power grid of the 20th century to a distributed and localized system, a multitrillion-dollar economic opportunity that’s also, he argues, the surest way to raise people out of energy poverty and put them in control of their own energy futures. Nussey’s casual and sometimes cursory treatment of complex concepts is counterbalanced by the accessibility of his approach and his focus on the people solving the problems of an increasingly costly, inflexible and fragile centralized electricity system. (read full review)
Dr. Janis Petzel, reviewer
“After my disappointment with Bill Gates’ book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, I was prepared for yet another rich white guy trying to show us all how smart he is. But this book is nothing like Gates’ book. Nussey is like your favorite teacher–passionate and knowledgeable about his subject, with contagious enthusiasm and injections of humor to make a point… He explains his material in a way that we can all get without dumbing it down.” (read full review on page 23)
Co-founder of OpenSolar and solar industry pioneer
Nussey has captured the excitement of the moment: the inflection point where technology and an army of small businesses and consumers change the way energy flows. No more exclusivity for the big guys, the protective layer is being torn down by a better way, and we’re Freeing Energy. Nussey has pulled all this together into a readable & fun narrative. Freeing Energy is a must read for all those looking to understand the how, why and when of the transition to renewable energy.
Internationally recognized energy expert, Principal at Rábago Energy, past public utility commissioner, past utility executive
The success of energy market transformation is a function of three key forces: technology, economics, and policy. Many observers understand one or maybe two of these. The book you want to read is the one from the author that gets all three and how they relate. Bill Nussey’s ‘Freeing Energy’ is that book about distributed energy resources, and you want to read it.
CEO and Co-founder of Kenya-based SunCulture
I bought this book for all of our directors, investors, and board members. It’s clear that Bill has spend a lot of time in field understanding complexities from a first principles perspective, something that’s lacking in many other resources. This is essentially a playbook for ANYONE wanting to get involved in clean energy, in other words, anyone wanting to make the world a better, cleaner, healthier, and more equitable place. It is a perfect combination of history, economics, predictions, and anecdotes on how we can transition to clean energy.
Founder and General Partner of climate tech venture capital firm, VoLo Earth Ventures
Freeing energy is a North star for entrepreneurs and investors looking to navigate the energy industry. Nussey offers both Billion dollar opportunities and clear-eyed conceptual frameworks so readers can act fast and smart.
Previous Division President at General Electric
Fantastic read for electric grid newbies and veterans alike. There is a massive shift going on in the electric grid and the worlds transition to clean energy. Not because of climate, but because clean energy is now less expensive. Freeing energy provides a comprehensible explanation of what, why and how this is happening, whether you simply want to understand it or want to play a role in shaping /accelerating it.
Founder of the Intuit Factory and Blockchain Expert, and author of Prophets in Chaos
“As I read through Freeing Energy, I was struck with one thought: Decentralized Energy is an idea whose time has come. This book explains scientific concepts, busts myths and shares enthralling personal stories, illuminating a compelling narrative for us to take climate action now.”
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