Solving Speed-to-Power and Future Grid Needs with Behind-the-Meter Generation

Can electricity become more affordable and reliable without fundamentally changing how we plan and invest in the grid? In celebration of Grid Forward's 100th podcast episode, Bryce Yonker sits down with Jigar Shah (Energy Empire), Audrey Zibelman (Zibelman Energy Advisors) and Herman Trabish (Utility Dive) to wrestle with some of the industry's toughest questions. They discuss:  how AI and distributed energy resources could transform grid operations, how the industry can rebuild public trust amid rising electricity costs and reliability concerns, why more coordinated grid planning is essential to managing costs, whether traditional electricity rate structures need to change and who should pay for grid investments, how to strengthen domestic energy supply chains and reduce investment risks, and much more! Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear four grid veterans paint the really big picture for our energy system on GridPulse. Thank you to our listeners for tuning in to our podcast over the past six years! And to our sponsor Virtual Peaker and all our guests, thank you for helping make 100 episodes possible!

Driven largely by the AI energy demands and grid reliability needs, significant investment has gone into developing long-duration energy storage solutions. The question now becomes: is the technology ready to scale across the market? Bryce Yonker interviewed two analysts and two tech innovators to unearth recent developments in the energy storage market and the barriers that still remain to roll them out more broadly. They discuss emerging technologies such as compressed-air and thermal energy storage, as well as the growing need for flexible capacity and how to make scaling these technologies work financially. Tune in as these four guests unpack this emerging technology:    Allison Weis, Global Head of Energy Storage at Wood Mackenzie Lukas Karapin-Springorum, Long-Duration Energy Storage Analyst at Currence Claudio Spadacini, Founder & CEO at Energy Dome Jason Evans, Vice President, Energy at Antora Energy

Consistently delivering affordable, reliable electricity is a hallmark of Nebraska’s public power utilities. How does that work, and how can the state maintain that track record? Three leaders from Nebraska public power utilities discuss how they are balancing costs, aging infrastructure and an increase in demand while ensuring communities continue to thrive. They also talk about grid modernization and how utilizing data and demand-side management can assist utilities in making wiser investments and give consumers more control over their energy use to save money. Listen in as Emeka Anyanwu (CEO, Lincoln Electric System), Tom Kent (President & CEO, Nebraska Public Power District) and Javier Fernandez (President & CEO, Omaha Public Power District) explain the state of public power in Nebraska. 

For years, energy providers have operated on the basis that adding additional meters spreads energy costs and makes the grid more affordable for everyone. But is that true when a data center needs a city’s worth of electricity? Drawing on their current research in energy policy, markets and transitions, Paulina Jaramillo of Carnegie Mellon University and Abe Silverman of Johns Hopkins University discuss how rapid data center growth is challenging preconceptions about reliability and rates. They also talk about how flexibility, tariffs and new investment practices could keep the costs needed with rapid growth from falling on current customers. Listen now - you won't find a more informed discussion on the rising impact of data centers on the electric system.

For large facilities scrambling to bring new energy capacity online, waiting several years for a new grid connection is not a viable option. John Carrington, CEO of ERock, and Jesse Noffsinger, Partner at McKinsey & Company, discuss current trends in behind-the-meter (BTM) generation and how it can provide a faster solution while utilities build needed grid connections. Over the long term however, BTM resources could shift from serving individual customers to supporting the larger power system. John and Jesse also explore the challenges that come with rapid growth on the grid, including supply chain constraints, complex large-load rate structures, and how costs and benefits should be shared. Hear two expert viewpoints on this fast-evolving BTM area in this episode.

Saint John Energy exemplifies how modernizing the distribution grid can be a productive path for greater affordability and resiliency. In this episode, CEO Ryan Mitchell shares how Saint John Energy has using a range of hardware and software innovations -- such as renting high-effiiciency heating and deploying advanced demand management -- to meet growing customer demand with the lowest rates in the region. He also discusses their new Plugin Labs, a digital twin of system data designed to give innovators and developers a safe environment to test new ideas before launching software solutions. Listen in to this success story of grid modernization delivering power more efficiently and economically.

As electricity demand continues to climb, geothermal energy is emerging as a key source of reliable, around-the-clock clean power. In this episode of GridPulse, Bryce Yonker sits down with Sarah Jewett, chief operating officer at Fervo Energy, to discuss how the company is scaling the next generation of geothermal power. Sarah explains how Fervo is applying technologies pioneered in the oil and gas sector to reduce costs and accelerate deployment. They also explore locational factors, timelines, permitting, and how enhanced geothermal is poised to play a major role in the future of the electric grid. Don't miss this excellent discussion of how next-generation geothermal can help shape a clean, reliable energy grid.

Energy affordability is a growing problem across the commercial, industrial, and residential sectors. In this episode, Christopher Knittel of MIT and Ryan Hledick of The Brattle Group turn to recent research to unpack the many factors pushing up electricity prices, including infrastructure replacement, climate change impact, fast-growing demand and evolving energy policies. They then lay out potential solutions using grid flexibility and energy pricing to help manage costs while advancing a reliable, capable grid. You won't find a better up-to-date explanation of the dynamic between energy affordability and grid modernization. Listen in! 

The ability to double grid capacity is here today, ready to work in existing transmission corridors. Get grounded in advanced reconductoring options in this episode with Zach Zimmerman from the AMP Coalition and Theodore Paradise, Chief Policy and Grid Strategy Office at CTC Global. They explain how advanced conductors can move more energy using existing poles and corridors or boost capacity of new projects. Utilities and grid operators can reduce grid expansion timelines, lower costs compared with new transmission builds, and even improve affordability. Listen in to this "technology whose time has come." 

Virtual power plants (VPPs) are entering a new phase. Utilities and regulators are moving beyond pilot programs and enrollment metrics toward dispatchable distributed capacity that can reliably support the grid. At the same time, new policy frameworks, funding mechanisms, and technology capabilities are accelerating deployment. In this episode, leaders from Tesla (Kevin Joyce), Virtual Peaker (Jeff Quigley) and Ohm Analytics (Madeline Turner) explore how DERs, and especially storage, are being deployed at scale to provide fast, flexible capacity. They discuss the way these systems are already reducing pressures on costs, improving reliability and helping utilities respond to quickly shifting conditions.