Clean Energy Today

B2U Storage Solutions, which provides repurposed electric-vehicle (EV) batteries, now has more than 50 MWh of storage operating in Texas and plans to add another 50+ MW in ERCOT over the next six months. The company's Bexar Martinez battery storage project, a 28-MWh facility near San Antonio connected to CPS Energy's service territory, will provide grid services to ERCOT. In early November, the company's CEO, Freeman Hall, was named to the 2026 TIME100 Climate list, which recognizes the most influential and innovative business leaders in climate this year. In this interview, Hall said repurposed EV batteries are 40% less expensive than conventional stationary storage systems. Background: BTU Begins Operation of its Second Repurposed Battery Project in Texas 2026 Time100 Climate List   Send podcast episode ideas to [email protected] Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts Visit host Lisa Cohn at CleanEnergyWriters.com

With Voltpost, an electric vehicle (EV) driver can park in front of a utility pole or lamppost and, using a phone app, lower a charger from it. The company says the Voltpost system can cut charging infrastructure costs for communities by up to 70% because it requires no construction or trenching. Voltpost won the 2026 Electric Innovation and Discovery Award from the Electric Innovation Initiative. About the guest: Jeff Prosserman is CEO and co-founder at Voltpost, which aims to democratize charging access, decarbonize mobility and lower the footprint of charging infrastructure. Send episode ideas to [email protected] Visit host Lisa Cohn at CleanEnergyWriters.com  

A report from the research and consultancy group Wood Mackenzie found that, as the Middle East conflict creates volatility in global oil markets, three factors could drive EV sales higher. In fact, total EV ownership costs could reach parity with total gasoline vehicle ownership costs by 2031, the report said. But the U.S. is falling behind in EV deployment, the report said. What bold steps are needed to ensure the U.S. improves its position in the global EV market? My guest is David Brown, director, Energy Transition Practice at Wood Mackenzie. Background information: Michigan's managed charging program Trump administration rolls back fuel economy standards  Send podcast episode ideas to [email protected] Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts Visit host Lisa Cohn at CleanEnergyWriters.com        

Utilities are struggling to provide enough capacity to meet the needs of data centers and other large loads. To address this challenge, GridCARE performs an "MRI" of the grid and finds unused capacity in utility systems, cutting utility costs and helping avoid building fossil-fired plants. For example, for Portland General Electric, GridCARE identified 400 MW of existing infrastructure to meet the needs of five data centers, and the data centers signed flexible interconnection agreements with the utility. GridCARE is also working with National Grid. Data centers, large loads and developers pay GridCARE, which partners with utilities and doesn't charge them. About the guest: Cariana Morales is chief of staff at GridCARE.   Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Send podcast episode ideas to [email protected] Visit host Lisa Cohn at CleanEnergyWriters.com          

The Sunrise Toyota dealership on Long Island achieved 55% energy savings and reduced peak demand by 101 kW with a microgrid comprised of energy storage and solar, and is expected to ultimately cut utility costs by 90%. Guests Maria Fields and Dennis Quinn, co-founders at Sprocket Power, describe the "unpredictable and shocking" demand charges car dealerships and other businesses experience when they install electric vehicle charging, and how to lower those charges with clean energy. They also share their thoughts on how more utilities are open to using distributed energy resources to help address their power shortages. Partners in the project include Sprocket Power, which installed the microgrid, Evo Power , which provided the battery energy storage and Ranial Systems ,which supplied the controller. Background information Evo Power and Ranial Systems recently formed a partnership to provide battery storage and controls to commercial and industrial sites like the Toyota dealership. Sprocket is taking advantage of New York State's Value of Distributed Energy Resources program to lower energy costs.   Send episode ideas to [email protected] Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Learn about host Lisa Cohn's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com          

What makes disruptive new energy technologies succeed or fail?  Mathias Schlecht, president and CEO at ColdStream Energy for over 27 years, has built and scaled disruptive energy technologies from lab to field. He answers the question: How to scale these technologies while grappling with water, capital and grid constraints? Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts Email host Lisa Cohn with ideas for podcast episodes at [email protected] Learn about Lisa's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com  

At The Great Transformation conference in Bend, Oregon in July, a panel addressed the question: How much will the creation of the new grid be in the hands of utilities versus the customers? Moderated by Elisa Wood, founder and Editor at Energy Changemakers, the panel included Cameron Brooks, executive director, Think Microgrid, Greg Castle, commercial leader, power & grid segment, Schneider Electric and Michael Grenier, president at Elexity. The panel also discussed how the energy industry can help address opposition to data centers by delivering community benefits.  Moderator: Elisa Wood, founder, editor and publisher at Energy Changemakers. Panelists: Cameron Brooks, executive director at Think Microgrid. Greg Castle, commercial leader, power and grid segment at Schneider Electric. Michael Grenier, president at Elexity. Also discussed in this episode is a separate panel about creative interconnection ideas. David Namura, Google's government affairs and public policy manager for the Pacific Northwest, described the company's Clean Transition Tariffs. Send podcast episode ideas to [email protected]. Learn about Lisa's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com.        

A report from consultant Wood Mackenzie pointed to the dangers of bursts of power demand in AI data centers. ZincFive says it has an answer. The company's nickel-zinc energy storage provides short, high-power dischages for data centers to address AI power surges and also provides outage backup. The Oregon-based business has deployed 2 GW of its product, saw its annual revenue doubling from 2024 to approximately $66.9 million in 2025 and has plans to go public. Tod Higinbotham, CEO of ZincFive, explains the company's technology, describes its partnership with Spark I Acquisition and says why the company believes ZincFive's storage is less expensive than lithium-ion based batteries. Subscibe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Learn about host Lisa Cohn's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com Email Lisa with podcast episode ideas: [email protected]              

In Iceland, which has vast geothermal resources, Syntholene Energy, with support from Idaho National Laboratory, is testing synfuel production that combines geothermal heat with high-temperature electrolysis. The company says its synfuel is 70% less expensive than synfuels produced using other clean energy options and could reach price parity with fossil fuels in about 10 years.  While Iceland has plenty of water resources, the company says water management will be critical as it rolls out its product commercially to other, less water-rich regions. About the guest: Dan Sutton, co-founder and CEO at Syntholene Energy. Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Email host Lisa Cohn with episode ideas at [email protected] Learn about Lisa's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com    

In December 2023, a winter storm hit Highland Park, Michigan, and the ensuing power outage lasted four days – a common occurrence in the community, which has a high poverty rate. Partially in response to the outages, Juan Shannon created Parker Village, with plans to provide clean, low-cost local energy to the residents, including net zero homes, two solar microgrids and an electric transportation loop. Another goal is to keep wealth in Highland Park, which covers three square miles close to Detroit and ranks in the 94th percentile for low-income status in the U.S., with 45% of the population living at or below the poverty line. About the Guest: Juan Shannon, executive director, Parker Village Foundation   Send podcast episode ideas to [email protected] Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts Learn about host Lisa Cohn's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com