Podcast 064: Jorge Elizondo – How computer science is radically simplifying the design and operation of microgrids.
How one technology is changing the way microgrids are managed and operated, making each component MUCH SMARTER and more resilient.
July 2021 Clean Energy Headlines
July 2021 clean energy news and a quick look at why installing local energy in the US is 2.5-times more expensive than Australia! Other news include problems with Europe’s RED, and 2 million EVs sold in the US…
Podcast 063: Bill Nussey – The vision behind Freeing Energy and lessons learned from three clean energy entrepreneurs.
Bill Nussey shares why the local energy approach will reshape the transition to clean renewable electricity and shares lessons learned from some of the new breed of clean tech entrepreneurs interviewed in the past year.
June 2021 Clean Energy Headlines
California’s new hybrid microgrids, NASA’s new local energy, Holy Grail’s fund for carbon capture devices, lots of coverage of Ford’s new F150 lightning EV pickup truck, and much more…
Podcast 062: Loren McDonald – Could the new Ford electric pickup truck disrupt the century-old electric grid?
Loren and Bill take a drive through the unexpected twists and turns that EVs will face in reshaping our electric grid. With hundreds of billions being invested, the implications of electric vehicles goes so much further than cleaner transportation.
The best local energy advocacy organizations in 2021
Which solar and local energy advocacy groups are making the biggest difference? Check out our list.
Podcast 061: Garrett Nilsen – The Department of Energy may be the best way to fund energy tech startups that no one knows about
Bill Nussey interviews Garrett Nilsen, Deputy Director of the Solar Industry Technologies Office in the US Department of Energy about the amazing scope and scale of DOE work across the energy landscape.
Podcast 060: Jemma Green – Will peer-to-peer electricity trading unlock local energy and transform the grid?
Bill Nussey interviews Dr. Jemma Green, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Australian-based Power Ledger which is pioneering the technology and policy behind peer-to-peer electricity trading.
May 2021 Clean Energy Headlines
* A cyberattack crippled the east coast’s gasoline supply
* The top-selling pickup in the U.S. goes electric
* Increased radioactive activity inside the ruins of Chernobyl
* Plus articles and podcasts from the Freeing Energy team
Podcast 059: Steph Speirs – Not everyone can afford solar. Here’s what one visionary company is doing to change that.
Host Bill Nussey catches up with Steph Spears, CEO of community solar leader, Solstice, to learn how her team is working to bring clean energy to people who otherwise couldn’t afford it.
Podcast 058: Samir Ibrahim – The story behind an affordable solar-powered irrigation system that is changing the lives of smallholder farmers in Africa
Host Bill Nussey interviews Samir Ibrahim, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Kenya-based SunCulture.
April 2021 Clean Energy Headlines
* New data on wind’s role in the Texas energy crisis
* Updates on the Tesla Powerwall and their new solar roof
* New growth in the advanced energy sector
* Plus articles and podcasts from the Freeing Energy team
Podcast 057: John Farrell – Monopoly utilities and consumers are headed for a collision over local energy. The rules must change, but how?
In this second of a two-part series, John Farrell, Director of Energy Democracy at the Institute for Local Self Reliance, walks us through how the power and influence of investor-owned utilities is trampling customers and how necessary changes in that relationship can benefit all parties.
Podcast 056: John Farrell – One organization is working to bring power to the people. Literally.
In this first of a special two part interview, John Farrell, Director of Energy Democracy with the Institute of Local Self-Reliance, describes the challenges and barriers we face in shifting to clean local energy and the programs his leading think tank believes will move us toward a more equitable energy future.
March 2021 Clean Energy Headlines
* South Korean investment into U.S. battery manufacturing
* Utilities attempting to shift costs to homeowners with solar
* Record-breaking adoption of batteries and PV solar in 2020
* Plus articles and podcasts from the Freeing Energy team
Podcast 055: Steve LeVine – Batteries were invented 220 years ago. Why are they suddenly critical to our grid?
Batteries are not a new idea but plummeting costs have positioned them to disrupt two of the world’s biggest industries: automobiles and the electric grid. Listen in as battery guru Steve LeVine helps us understand how this will all unfold.
Podcast 054: Abigail Ross Hopper – What are the top policy priorities shaping the future of the solar industry?
What should the new administration focus on? How do we balance domestic manufacturing with low cost imports? Abby shares her insights on this and much more.
Natural gas was the biggest contributor to the Texas grid outage of 2021
The real cause of the Texas grid outage of 2021 have been lost amidst misguided political bickering. This graph, which is based on undisputed publicly available data, makes it clear what happened.
Making ethanol from corn is the least efficient use of farmland
Corn is the #1 crop grown on US farms. Most of it is used to make gasoline-additive ethanol. Solar is the much smarter option.
February 2021 Clean Energy Headlines
* Breaking down the situation in Texas
* A look at the forces seeking to limit residential solar
* Diving into arguments against renewables
* Plus two exciting podcasts from the Freeing Energy team