Earthlings 2.0 Podcast

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with longtime renewable energy journalist Mitchell Beer, founder and publisher of The Energy Mix, about the widening gap between political promises to supercharge fossil fuel production and the financial reality facing oil and gas companies today. We explore why fossil fuel companies, despite political pressure, can’t return to unchecked expansion, how global markets from China to Pakistan are rewriting the demand outlook for oil and gas, and why North America is falling behind countries that have embraced electrification as a strategic advantage. Mitchell also unpacks Canada’s evolving energy politics and whether he sees reason for optimism in a decade defined by climate emergencies and rapid technological change.

We also discussed several stories that his team covered this year, including:

1. Oil Companies, Investors Talk Down Trump’s ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ as Prices Stay Low, Exploration Budgets Shrink
2. Where Are the Customers? Why the Idea of a Pipeline to Asia Is Built on a Fantasy

Key Points:

1. Investor pressure is reshaping the future of fossil fuels – Even with political support, oil and gas companies cannot revive large-scale drilling because investors are prioritizing clean energy, stability, and long-term value over new fossil expansion.
2. Clean energy now attracts roughly twice the investment of fossil fuels – According to the International Energy Agency, global capital is flowing toward renewables, storage, and efficiency technologies, reflecting their falling costs and proven ability to scale.
3. Momentum for clean tech is strong, but timing is critical – Mitchell emphasizes that the climate crisis is severe, yet not predetermined. Progress since the Paris Agreement shows what's possible, but the outcome depends on accelerating solutions and resisting disinformation.

1. Mitchell Beer, Founder and Publisher of The Energy Mix, LinkedIn

1. Luis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

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Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we talk with Cole Ashman, founder and CEO of Pila Energy, about a new class of home energy storage designed for the way people actually live today. While grids around the world face increasing strain from extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and rising electricity demand, from AI data centers to air conditioning, most households still lack affordable, accessible backup power. Pila aims to change that with a plug-in, room-by-room battery system that installs in minutes, works like a mesh network, and brings resilience to renters and homeowners alike.

Key Points:

1. Grid outages are accelerating globally – Extreme weather, heat waves, and rising electricity demand are straining infrastructure, while renters and low-income households often lack access to traditional backup power solutions.
2. Pila offers plug-in, appliance-level resilience – Instead of a single, expensive whole-home battery, Pila distributes multiple 1.6 kWh LFP batteries throughout the home, each placed where power matters most—refrigerators, home offices, sump pumps, or medical devices.
3. A future with billions of intelligent nodes – Cole predicts that within a decade, most buildings will have multiple distributed batteries acting as local grid resources, making the power system more resilient, flexible, and affordable.
4. Cole Ashman, CEO and Founder of Pila Energy
5. LinkedIn
6. Pila LinkedIn
7. Pila Energy's Mission: Energy Independence for All
8. Instagram, TikTok, X: @pilaenergy

1. Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

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Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website

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Mentioned in this episode:

Q3 End Credits

Greenlane, Ampion, Tigo, USBI, 247 Solar

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Anthony DeOrsey, head of research at Cleantech Group, to break down the biggest forces shaping clean technology heading into 2026. Anthony explains why cleantech is better understood as a broad theme spanning energy, agriculture, materials, chemicals, transportation, and waste — and why some sectors are accelerating regardless of policy while others are feeling the impact of shifting U.S. incentives. We also discuss what we can expect to come out of Cleantech Forum North America happening on January 26 - 28 in San Diego, California. The event connects investors, corporates, and innovators to fuel the cleantech sector. There’s still time to register! For more details, click here: https://cleantech.swoogo.com/CFNA-26/begin.

Key Points:

1. AI-driven baseload demand is reshaping the market – Technologies like small modular reactors, geothermal, and fusion are accelerating due to market pull, not policy, with rising electricity demand driving new partnerships, PPAs, and capital flows.
2. Renewables face a temporary slowdown from policy shifts – The early phaseout of the ITC and PTC under OBBBA has created a short-term rush to build, followed by expected cooling, blunting the pull-through for storage but not eliminating long-term momentum.
3. The next frontier: reducing energy use inside data centers – Innovations in liquid cooling, direct-to-chip cooling, and advanced heat-transfer materials could become one of the most impactful ways to curb electricity demand from AI infrastructure.

1. Anthony DeOrsey, Head of Research at Cleantech Group, LinkedIn

1. Luis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

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Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website

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Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

Mentioned in this episode:

Q3 End Credits

Greenlane, Ampion, Tigo, USBI, 247 Solar

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Mike Hejmej, CEO and co-founder of Senpilot, to explore how AI agents can help modernize one of the world’s largest and most complex machines: the electric grid. Mike explains what AI agents actually are, how they differ from simple chatbots, and why utilities are starting to use them for everything from wildfire risk detection to regulatory research. The conversation covers how Senpilot trains AI agents, how retrieval-based models and verification layers dramatically reduce hallucinations, why utilities are both cautious and eager to adopt AI, and what the next few years might look like for grid operators who embrace (or ignore) these tools.

Key Points:

1. AI agents behave like digital coworkers – Instead of simple prompt-and-response tools, agents can clarify tasks, run multi-step workflows, and return with full research reports, spreadsheets, or recommendations.
2. Wildfire and regulatory use cases deliver immediate value – Utilities are already using AI agents to scan grid data for fire risks and to digest thousands of pages of regulatory filings, cutting months of manual work into minutes.
3. AI boosts capacity without replacing people – In an industry where teams are overloaded, and regulators limit hiring, agents take on the “busy work” so humans can focus on analysis, planning, and decision-making.

1. Mike Hejmej, CEO and co-founder of Senpilot, LinkedIn
2. Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

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Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website

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Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

Mentioned in this episode:

Q3 End Credits

Greenlane, Ampion, Tigo, USBI, 247 Solar

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Alex Ip, co-founder and CEO of CERT Systems. CERT is a Canadian startup developing an electrochemical process that converts captured CO₂ into high-value chemicals, such as ethylene, using only electricity and water. Alex explains why these chemicals are so foundational to modern life, and why they’re also responsible for a significant share of global emissions. We unpack how CERT’s room-temperature “CO₂-to-chemicals” process works, what it means to replace both fossil fuel energy and feedstocks, and how circular carbon feedstocks could reshape supply chains on Earth, and maybe even enable local manufacturing on Mars.

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded and edited before the National Renewable Energy Laboratory was renamed to the National Laboratory of the Rockies

Key Points:

1. Chemicals are a major but overlooked emissions source – Products like ethylene, ammonia, and methanol are essential to modern life yet account for a significant share of global greenhouse gases, making chemical manufacturing a critical and often ignored sector for decarbonization.
2. CERT turns CO₂ into chemicals at room temperature – Using electrochemistry instead of heat, CERT’s process converts CO₂ and water into valuable chemicals like ethylene using only electricity, eliminating fossil feedstocks and enabling a low-temperature, modular approach.
3. Circular feedstocks can reshape supply chains – As CO₂ capture scales from point sources today to direct air capture in the future, chemical production could become more distributed, climate-aligned, and locally sited, breaking dependence on fossil infrastructure.
4. Alex Ip, CEO and co-founder of CERT Systems, LinkedIn
5. Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

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Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus, about how a new generation of blended wing-body aircraft could reshape both air cargo and, eventually, commercial passenger flight. The conversation explores why e-commerce has created a perfect moment for rethinking aircraft design, how starting with freight helps de-risk the path to passenger service, and what it will really take, from certification to autonomy, for these unusual-looking planes to start quietly moving our packages (and later, us) across the sky by the end of the decade.

Key Points:

• Blended wing-body design changes the fundamentals – Unlike traditional tube-and-wing aircraft, Nautilus’ configuration lets the fuselage generate significant lift, cutting drag and improving aerodynamic efficiency.
• Lower emissions per ton and per passenger – The aircraft targets around 30% lower fuel burn and can carry substantially more volume, which together translate into up to 50% lower emissions per pound of cargo or per passenger-trip.
• Cargo first, passengers next – Nautilus is starting with a regional freighter to connect smaller airports and remote communities to major hubs, then scaling the same core architecture into a passenger narrow-body aircraft for longer routes.

• Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
• LinkedIn
• #12: Flying the Sustainable Skies

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

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Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Eric Owski, CEO and co-founder of Treehouse, to explore how electrification is reshaping the way we power and operate our homes—and why upgrading the underlying electrical infrastructure remains one of the biggest hurdles. Eric explains how Treehouse is rethinking the entire homeowner journey by bringing technology, automation, and coordinated service delivery to a traditionally manual and fragmented industry. The conversation looks at what it takes to simplify electrification at scale, how software can support an overstretched electrical workforce, and why improving the customer experience is essential for accelerating the transition to cleaner, all-electric living.

Key Points:

• Electrification demand is rising quickly – Heat pumps are now outselling gas furnaces, and interest in EV chargers, home batteries, and electric appliances continues to grow.
• Electrical service upgrades are the biggest barrier – About 70% of U.S. homes need electrical improvements, and today’s upgrade process is slow, fragmented, and requires coordination across multiple trades.
• Treehouse streamlines the entire electrification process – Their software delivers instant, often guaranteed pricing, automates permit plans, and manages projects end-to-end to make upgrades far easier for homeowners.
• Eric Owski, CEO and co-founder of Treehouse, LinkedIn
• Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
• LinkedIn
• #14: Electrification: The Smart Home Upgrade

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we talk with Gary Ong, CEO of Celadyne Technologies, a company focused on making hydrogen a more accessible energy source through its membrane technology. We explore why hydrogen adoption has lagged, how issues such as hydrogen crossover and membrane degradation hold back today’s fuel cells and electrolyzers, and how Celadyne’s low-permeability membrane addresses these problems and significantly improves durability. Gary explains how the technology functions as a true drop-in solution, why Celadyne is focusing on supplying membranes to partners like General Motors and the U.S. Army, and how he expects hydrogen to scale across heavy transportation and energy systems by 2035.

Key Points:

• Hydrogen for heavy transport and industry – Hydrogen is emerging as a strong option for decarbonizing heavy-duty sectors—trucks, logistics, shipping, rail, aviation, and other long-life industrial applications—where today’s energy solutions, including diesel and natural gas, face limitations in meeting long-range, continuous-operation demands.
• Why membranes matter so much – Proton exchange membranes must block gases, conduct protons, and block electrons; today’s mostly Teflon-based membranes let too much hydrogen cross over, causing unwanted side reactions like hydrogen peroxide formation that drive degradation and limit durability and efficiency.
• Celadyne’s low-permeability membrane – By more effectively blocking hydrogen while still conducting protons, Celadyne’s membrane reduces crossover and side reactions, which Gary says can quintuple durability in applications like fuel cell trucks, bringing lifetimes closer to 15–20 years.
• Gary Ong, CEO of Celadyne Technologies, LinkedIn
• Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

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Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website

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Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we talk with Alex Zorniger, Chief Commercial Officer at Power to Hydrogen, about how new hybrid electrolyzer technology could make green hydrogen more affordable and reliable. Power to Hydrogen’s system combines the best parts of existing designs to work directly with renewable energy while using common materials like nickel and iron instead of costly precious metals. We discuss how this technology could bring hydrogen production closer to the $2-per-kilogram goal, the challenges of storing and moving hydrogen, where green hydrogen is most likely to scale first, and how it fits into the global clean energy transition.

Key Points:

• Cheaper materials – Power to Hydrogen’s hybrid electrolyzer replaces platinum and iridium with nickel and iron, reducing stack costs by roughly 65% while maintaining performance.
• Flexible performance – The system can operate efficiently with variable wind and solar power, allowing hydrogen production even when the renewable energy supply fluctuates.
• Built-in pressure boost – By generating hydrogen at high pressure electrochemically, the system reduces or eliminates the need for expensive compressors, making transport and storage more economical.
• Alex Zorniger, Chief Commercial Officer at Power to Hydrogen, LinkedIn
• Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
• LinkedIn
• Episode #12: Flying the Sustainable Skies
• Note on hydrogen from the episode: high pressure doesn’t make hydrogen more stable; it just makes it easier to move and store
• Hydrogen Delivery | Department of Energy
• Hydrogen Storage | Department of Energy 

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

Visit our website for more episodes!

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We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be!

Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website

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Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we chat with Rob Alexander, CEO of AlumaPower, about a new way to generate clean, on-demand electricity using recycled aluminum. AlumaPower’s galvanic aluminum-air generator releases the energy already contained within aluminum through a chemical reaction with air and water — producing zero-emission power at the point of use and a reusable byproduct. We discuss how the company overcame the chemistry hurdles that held back aluminum-air systems for decades, the path to commercialization, and why aluminum could emerge as a global, circular energy carrier.

Key Points:

• Recycled aluminum as fuel – The system extracts stored energy from low-purity scrap aluminum, avoiding landfill and turning waste metal into a clean power source.
• Backup power focus – Early deployments target data centers and other critical infrastructure where reliability, quiet operation, and reduced emissions replace diesel generators.
• Modular scalability – Each cell generates 150 watts, stacking into containerized systems for megawatt-scale power; commercial launch planned for 2026.
• Rob Alexander, CEO of AlumaPower Corporation, LinkedIn
• Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
• LinkedIn
• Episode #99 – Beyond Lithium: How Air, Water, and Rock Could Power the Grid with Hydrostor

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…  

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Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website

Thanks for tuning in! If you like what we’re doing over at Earthlings 2.0, you can support us by heading over to our Patreon Page.

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Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

Mentioned in this episode:

Q3 End Credits

Greenlane, Ampion, Tigo, USBI, 247 Solar