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Utilities are doing all they can to accommodate large load customers like AI data centers, but some worry those efforts come at a cost to other customers. On this episode of the Factor This podcast, West Monroe Partner Sam Uyeno explains how the proliferation of data centers could actually lower electricity prices. In a far-reaching discussion, Uyeno and host Paul Gerke touch on demand flexibility, the potential benefits of AI in grid planning, and the complexities of co-location and supply chain issues. Uyeno also previews his participation in the upcoming DTECH Data Centers & AI event in San Jose, California.

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This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.

This week’s episode features special guest Alex Kaufman, who wrote for the The Atlantic about how Trump’s administration is fast-tracking domestic mining projects, pushing executive orders and green-lighting new rare earth and mineral ventures to reduce reliance on foreign sources like China.

This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Meredith Connolly, who shared a story from her first road trip in an electric vehicle. Charging her car cost just $22, but the station was in front of a Target so she ended up spending more inside the store than she did on charging. Her point: businesses should want EV chargers, because they bring in more customers.

This Week in Cleantech — May 6, 2025

1. Why Going Nuclear Is the Only Good Choice: Merryn Talks Money — Bloomberg
2. Republicans say EVs don’t pay their fair share. Here’s the math. — The Washington Post
3. India Sees a Future Making Solar Panels for Itself, and Maybe the World — The New York Times
4. United Bets on Photosynthesis and Limestone to Fuel Net-Zero Flight Path — The Wall Street Journal
5. The Missing Part of Trump’s Minerals Math — The Atlantic

Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  [email protected]

Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

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This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.

This week’s episode features special guest Molly Taft from WIRED, who wrote about how several states and startups are suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), arguing its strict, slow regulations stifle innovation in small nuclear reactor development.

This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Maddy Mowrey, Event Specialist at National Grid Renewables. She was the point person for the National Grid Executive Parnter Summit event in Nashville last week. Congratulations Maddy!

This Week in Cleantech — May 2, 2025 

1. U.S. Needs More Power for AI—but Critical Equipment Is Pricey and Scarce — The Wall Street Journal
2. Video: Underwater windmills could revolutionize our energy systems — CNN Business
3. How a Carbon Pipeline Is Turning Iowa Against Wind — Heatmap News
4. Farmers are making bank harvesting a new crop: Solar energy — Grist
5. States and Startups Are Suing the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission — WIRED

Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  [email protected]

Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

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This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.

This week’s episode features MIT Technology Review's Casey Crownhart, who wrote about how $8 billion of US climate tech projects have been canceled so far this year. 

This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Rev. Nate Pyle, senior pastor at Christ’s Community Church in Fishers, Indiana for supporting rooftop solar on his church and helping show the community how caring for the planet is part of their faith.

This Week in Cleantech — April 25, 2025

1. US Imposes Tariffs Up to 3,521% on Asian Solar Imports — Bloomberg News
2. The Heat Coming Out of Your Car’s Tailpipe? Some Can Be Turned Into Electricity — The Wall Street Journal
3. Scientists say they can calculate the cost of oil giants’ role in global warming — The Washington Post
4. As Tesla Falters, These New EVs Are Picking Up the Pace – Bloomberg
5. $8 billion of US climate tech projects have been canceled so far in 2025 — MIT Technology Review

Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  [email protected]

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In the territories of many electric utilities, wildfires loom as an increasing threat, becoming larger and more frequent, necessitating proactive solutions.

In this episode of the Factor This podcast, host Paul Gerke taps into the brain of a leading expert, Craig Clements of San Jose State University, to discuss the evolving threat wildfires pose to utility infrastructure and explore how a rigorously tested product, Hexion's ArmorBuilt, could stand as an effective means of protecting vital equipment.

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This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.

This week’s episode features Jake Spring from The Washington Post, who wrote about how the Trump administration ordered an immediate halt to construction on the Empire Wind project, a major offshore wind development off the coast of New York. 

This week's "Cleantechers of the Week" are Andrea Giampoli & Alyssa Edwards who were Chairs for the (sold out!) ACP Siting + Permitting Conference in Seattle this week. Congratulations Andrea and Alyssa!

This Week in Cleantech — April 18, 2025

1. This Massive Hydrogen Project Could Hurt the Climate More Than It Helps — Heatmap News
2. Google’s geothermal energy ambitions are growing — The Verge
3. New technologies are helping to regrow Arctic sea ice — Grist
4. Bringing back evaporative cooling for data centers — Latitude Media
5. Trump administration halts New York offshore wind project — The Washington Post

Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  [email protected]

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This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.

This week’s episode features Akshat Rathi from Bloomberg, who wrote about Trump's new tariffs will affect the U.S. clean energy industry.

This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Charles Bolden who leads SEIA’s energy and carbon portfolio. He has previously helped lead an Energy and Commerce Committee round table on diversity in the energy industry. Charles has played an important role in industry lobbying days on Capitol Hill. Congratulations, Charles!

This Week in Cleantech — April 11, 2025 

1. 'States are not powerless' against federal clean energy pushback. It's community solar's time to shine — Factor This
2. Key EU lawmaker says 90% emissions cut too ambitious for 2040 climate goal — Reuters
3. Trump’s new goal: Revive a major climate pollutant that power markets have turned against — POLITICO
4. Scoop: DOE proposes shutting down clean energy office — Axios
5. Clean Energy Already Has Big Trade Barriers. Now Comes Trump — Bloomberg

Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  [email protected]

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Decarbonizing the power sector attracts most of the energy transition’s attention. While replacing fossil fuel generation with solar, wind, and battery storage is a critical step to combating climate change, it only addresses a piece of the challenge. Modernizing the power grid from interconnected poles and wires to an intelligent and dynamic machine is paramount to meeting the moment.

The digital grid is coming, and just in time. Utilities in the U.S. are still in the early stages of realizing this opportunity, but change is coming swiftly, and their European counterparts have created a blueprint for what that could look like.

Episode 83 of the Factor This Podcast features Arnaud Cantin, senior vice president of digital power at Schneider Electric.

Cantin shares why a smart grid, not only clean power, is crucial for the energy transition. Why do we need it, what it could do, and what’s stopping us?

That’s all next on Factor This.

Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

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This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.

This week’s episode features Cat Clifford from Cipher News, who write about how geothermal has emerged as the only renewable energy source seen favorably by the Trump administration. 

This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Tom Weirich at EDP Renewables for hosting a terrific Transformers Summit. He’s put on this summit for 3 years in a row. Congratulations, Tom! 

This Week in Cleantech — April 4, 2025

1. US electricity prices are surging. These Louisiana companies want out – Floodlight News
2. The Trump administration could green-light deep-sea mining for the first time – The Verge
3. Dow drops 1,400 as US stocks lead worldwide sell-off after Trump's tariffs ignite a COVID-like shock – AP News
4. Pension Funds Push Forward on Climate Goals Despite Backlash – New York Times
5. Geothermal is the rare renewable energy winning favor in Trump’s America – Cipher News

Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  [email protected]

Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

Tell us what you think of the show!

This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.

This week’s episode features Seth Borenstein from the Associated Press, who wrote about how worldwide installations of renewable energy hit a new high last year, driven largely by China. 

This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Andrew Reagan, President of Clean Energy for America, who is one of the many clean energy advocates on Capitol Hill pushing the Trump administration to keep the energy tax credits that create good-paying jobs, lower energy bills, and strengthen domestic manufacturing. Congratulations, Andrew!

This Week in Cleantech — March 28, 2025 

1. DOE axes 4 major efficiency rules — E&E News
2. Startups That Set Out to Fix the Climate Are Now Talking About Jet Fighters — WSJ
3. The Vicious Cycle of Extreme Heat Leading to More Fossil Fuel Use — The New York Times
4. Climate groups could beat Trump in fight for $20B. It may be too late. — POLITICO
5. Renewable energy jumps to new high, powered by China solar boom — AP News

Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  [email protected]

Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast