December 15, 2022

551: Squeezing More Money From Clean, Green Energy. Soluna Computing CEO John Belizaire’s promise to Sell.Every.Megawatt and End Curtailment Forever.

1 hour 41 minutes

Today's conversation is a wide-ranging look at how to provide reliable power using renewables while mitigating intermittency and helping Independent Power Producers (IPPs) deal with the annoying curtailment problem through novel software and hardware solutions. Been wondering when I’d do an episode on Bitcoin mining + Renewables? Buckle up and let’s roll.

"Curtailment" occurs when a clean energy electric generating system is prevented from exporting to the grid or is temporarily shut down by the grid operator (usually because of a glut of electricity in the market), effectively wasting energy.

Many people have talked about this issue, but few have delivered on it like John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna.

Soluna Holdings develops green data centers that convert excess renewable energy into global computing resources. Soluna builds modular, scalable data centers for computing-intensive, batchable applications such as cryptocurrency mining, AI and machine learning.

John said Soluna provides a cost-effective alternative to battery storage or transmission lines by using technology and intentional design to solve complex, real-world challenges. It's addressing significant changes in the electric grid — away from power plants fired by coal, oil and gas that contribute to climate change — to more sustainable green electricity generation.

But even the staunchest supporters of clean electricity acknowledge the industry is dealing with growing pains, including curtailment. John said up to 30% of renewable energy goes to waste. To address it, Soluna is building data centers that enable clean electricity asset owners to 'Sell. Every. Megawatt.'

In today's podcast, John breaks down Soluna's mission and how its solutions address curtailment. Join us for insights on an increasingly critical renewables issue.

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By Nico Johnson

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