Demand for electricity is surging in America, driven largely by AI data centers and other energy-intensive users powering the digital economy. This rapid growth has heightened concerns among businesses and consumers over rising costs and grid reliability. In response, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 6 (SB6), a sweeping overhaul of how the state regulates large power users and behind-the-meter projects such as solar, battery storage, and data centers. 

These changes could significantly influence the state’s energy future. But what does SB6 mean for renewable energy project financing in Texas? How might it affect solar, storage, and other emerging projects? And how can investors position themselves to take advantage of the new opportunities?

In the eighth episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner Ken Irvin welcomes Chris Panaro, Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel at Nomura, a global leader in wealth management, investment management, and investment banking. Together, they discuss how SB6 is reshaping the financing and infrastructure development landscape in Texas. Their conversation examines the structural shifts investors are seeing in project financing, the evolving allocation of risk to developers, and whether these policy changes are encouraging new capital to flow into Texas energy projects.

 Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is now law, marking a major shift in U.S. energy policy and the beginning of a broader effort to rewire America’s energy future. With its passage, the OBBBA rolls back many key clean energy tax incentives and reestablishes a focus on fossil fuel development. This seismic shift comes just as the stakes for U.S. leadership in climate and technology continue to rise. 

How can policymakers and businesses keep pace with an evolving energy landscape? As AI drives unprecedented demand for reliable power, could current policies send investment abroad? And can the U.S. lead on both decarbonization and innovation? 

In the seventh episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner Ken Irvin speaks with Mark James, interim director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment and associate professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School. Together, they unpack what made it into the OBBBA, assess its impact on U.S. competitiveness in the global AI race, and explore the federal government’s role in meeting the demands of new and emerging energy-intensive technologies.

 Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

All of a sudden there’s a new landscape for energy transition. The new administration is reducing the workforce of several federal agencies, including the EPA, where administrator Lee Zeldin is committed to eliminating 65 percent of what he calls the agency’s wasteful spending, and President Trump just signed four executive orders that direct different agencies of the federal government to revive American coal. State governments, businesses, and financial stakeholders will need to navigate all of this agency change to meet their existing energy mandates. Will there be a new way forward for battery, wind, and solar energy technologies? And are there long-term investment strategies and out-of-the-box energy opportunities for investors to support the ongoing energy transition?

 In the sixth episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner, Ken Irvin, speaks with John Skrinar, a partner at Cresta Fund Management, a company dedicated to assisting stakeholders and funding businesses to achieve a strong return on their investments, while creating a more sustainable future. Together, they discuss how investors can drive the energy transition forward through finding innovative investment opportunities which utilize proven technologies but also balance out the bottom line for stakeholders. 

 Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

The countdown has begun on statewide zero-emission mandates. Blue state governors have created strict timelines for implementing their renewable energy objectives. And these mandates will significantly impact operations for utility companies and the United States power grid. Will power-hungry data centers and extreme weather events impede success for these goals? And what will be the impact of the Trump administration, which has just declared an “energy emergency,” and is promising to increase drilling and end support for electric vehicles? How likely is the nation to meet its long-term energy requirements? 

In the fifth episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner, Ken Irvin, speaks with Tom Vaccaro, Clean Energy Development Director at National Grid, a company that has ties to both the U.S. and European energy sectors and finds solutions to keep energy systems clean, fair, and affordable. Together, they discuss the ins and outs of energy consumption and how utility companies are navigating the energy transition and a rapidly evolving grid. 

 Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

Renewable energy can be intermittent, making it a challenging power source for power grid operators to manage. But the burgeoning technology of battery energy storage systems (BESS) is poised to help fill those critical gaps. BESS is expected to quintuple in capacity by the end of this decade. These systems play a crucial role in the renewable energy life cycle, ensuring a stable supply of electricity to customers, data centers, the national grid, and energy needs worldwide. But the installation costs for some large-scale systems are high, along with a number of maintenance and environmental issues to consider. 

In the fourth episode of Accelerating Energy, Pat Wood, CEO of Hunt Energy Network, a developer and operator of distributed energy resources in Texas, talks with host and Sidley partner, Ken Irvin. Pat, the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under President George W. Bush and of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, discusses what’s in store for battery energy storage systems and how industry stakeholders can offset the barriers to their wider use. 

The future of commercial transportation is zero-emission. More than one million medium- and heavy-duty trucks are expected to hit the highways by 2031. But as the fleet of commercial zero-emission vehicles begins to grow, the infrastructure needed to power these trucks is struggling to keep up. In response to this reality, a coalition of major truck manufacturers have launched an initiative to help speed the deployment of charging stations nationwide. 

In the third episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner, Ken Irvin, speaks with Dawn Fenton, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs at Volvo Group North America, a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer committed to shaping the future of sustainability transport and infrastructure solutions. Together, they discuss what businesses should know about the nascent zero-emission commercial transportation industry and what Volvo Group North America and its partners are doing to accelerate electric-charging infrastructure development. 

Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

The United States government is authorizing millions of dollars in grants to electric cooperatives in the hopes of promoting grid resiliency and alternative energy adoption. Will grants and other incentives entice businesses to adopt clean energy? Or will political uncertainty in this election year tamp down these efforts?  

 In the second episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner, Ken Irvin, speaks with Robin Lunt, Chief Commercial Officer at Guzman Energy, a wholesale power provider dedicated to helping communities seeking affordable and reliable energy. Together, they discuss what businesses need to know about adopting clean energy and infrastructure amid legislative and regulatory uncertainty. 

 Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

 U.S. energy regulators warn that elevated threats of outages from storms and prolonged cold snaps will continue to impact our electric grid and the economy. The Biden administration recently announced $3.5 billion in grants to fund clean energy projects that combat climate change and promote renewable energy; but mounting costs, development snags, and regulatory roadblocks threaten to impede progress. 

In this introductory episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner, Ken Irvin, speaks with Larry Gasteiger, Executive Director of WIRES, a nonprofit trade association that promotes investment in the North American electric transmission system. Together, they discuss the challenges and opportunities of energy transmission as the U.S. works to electrify our economy and enhance the resilience of our grid. 

Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.