PetroNoia

PetroNoia host Dan Romito sits down with Sean Kelly, CEO of Amperon, to explore how rapid load growth is reshaping power markets, forecasting, and the grid.

Kelly discusses his journey from power trading at Tenaska to building Amperon, an AI-powered energy forecasting company serving traders, utilities, and municipalities across 26 countries.

They unpack probabilistic forecasting, weather-driven risk, AI adoption in the utility sector, and the challenges facing power markets across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

00:00 Podcast Introduction

00:38 Meet Sean Kelly

01:15 Trading Roots to Amperon

02:15 Power Goes Mainstream

03:21 Grid Reality Check

04:22 New York Aha Moment

06:02 Customer Led Building

08:50 What Amperon Does

09:25 Probabilistic Forecasting

10:42 Weather Data Secret Sauce

12:05 AI Changes Risk

13:46 AI Adoption and New API

15:18 Global Investors and Markets

17:37 Europe Heat and Old Grid

20:40 US Grid Load Growth

22:20 ERCOT Demand Explosion

23:39 Nuclear and SMR Outlook

24:43 Checks Balances Tradeoffs

25:16 Permit Reform Frustrations

25:51 Private Grid Campuses Debate

28:08 Solar Duck Curve Reality

29:01 Gas Peakers Geothermal

30:51 Transmission Permitting Bottleneck

31:42 Batteries Duration Sweet Spot

33:05 2030 Outlook Queue Reform

35:03 How The Interconnection Queue Works

37:30 Forecasting Uncertainty Analogy

38:38 Founding Story Ampron

44:26 Entrepreneur Advice Product Market Fit

47:00 Closing Thanks Next Time

The U.S. power grid is under pressure and data centers are changing the game.

PetroNoia host Dan Romito sits down with Travis Fisher, Director of Energy Policy at the Cato Institute, to explore grid reliability, rising electricity demand, and the infrastructure needed to keep up.

They discuss the challenges facing U.S. transmission, the rise of privately financed power networks, and the future of nuclear, geothermal, and AI-driven energy innovation, along with the case for federal permitting reform.

00:00 Podcast Introduction

00:38 Meet Travis Fisher

01:21 Career Path in Energy

03:14 2017 Grid Reliability Report

05:10 Load Growth Changes Everything

07:28 New England Fuel Constraints

10:52 Senate Testimony Insights

13:31 Transmission Planning and Costs

15:54 Data Centers and Ratepayers

17:30 Virginia and Cost Allocation

18:51 Private Off Grid Power

23:13 Nuclear and SMR Outlook

24:35 Crazy Ideas Win

25:24 Geothermal Everywhere

27:52 Permitting Reform Fight

31:04 Clean Water Act Vetoes

32:40 Targeted Fixes Only

34:01 Writing and State Reforms

35:23 Data Center Backlash

38:09 Why Pro AI

42:28 Grid Outlook Ahead

45:30 Private Grids Gamechanger

46:32 Closing Thoughts

What if old oil fields could become the batteries of the future?

PetroNoia host Dan Romito sits down with Mike Umbro to unpack GeoTest, a new approach to long-duration energy storage that uses concentrated solar thermal to store energy underground.

They discuss Kern County’s demonstration project, the potential for multi-week energy storage, grid reliability, critical minerals, and what it will take to scale GeoTest.

Could California’s oil fields become a blueprint for the next generation of energy storage?

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:39 Meet Mike Umbro

02:00 Project Permits Update

03:12 Repurposing Oil Fields

03:58 Old Wells Reality Check

06:49 Geotest Versus Geothermal

09:31 Solar Heated Reservoirs

13:36 Grid Storage And Dispatch

16:53 Battery Benefits Explained

20:23 Politics And Permitting

22:52 Gigawatt Scale Potential

26:36 Cost Versus Natural Gas

28:44 Forecasts Versus Reality

29:37 Three Constraints On Price

31:30 DOE Partnership Origin Story

35:30 How Grants Really Work

38:33 Energy Tech Becomes Infrastructure

42:23 AI Hype And Market Risk

46:41 California Grid Needs Diversity

49:21 Scaling GeoTest To Commercial

52:24 Permits Capital And Fast Drilling

55:24 Wrap Up And Next Steps

PetroNoia host Dan Romito sits down with Osama Rizvi, global product and market strategist at Primary Vision, to unpack what Pakistan’s rapid solar adoption can teach us about the future of energy.

From cheaper solar technology and changing energy economics to grid challenges, EVs, and battery storage, they explore what these shifts mean for businesses, consumers, and energy leaders navigating an increasingly complex market.

The energy transition isn’t one-size-fits-all. So what can other markets learn from Pakistan?

Tune in to the full conversation.

P.S. Osama also explores how Qatar’s LNG disruption is reshaping global supply relationships in the latest issue of Desert Capital Series 2. Read the full analysis here: https://uprightdigital.substack.com/p/qatars-buyers-are-calling-everyone?r=88drem

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:39 Meet Osama Rizvi

01:14 Osama Background

03:05 Why Global South Matters

06:07 Pakistan Solar Boom

08:26 Multilevel Framework

12:23 Lessons From Solar Shift

13:35 Complex Systems Explained

15:47 Energy Transitions Portfolio

18:03 Equity And Emissions

22:08 Scalability Reality Check

24:40 Energy Additions Not Swaps

26:35 Coal Reality Check

28:41 Global South Priorities

29:45 Pakistan Solar and EV Economics

31:58 Green Lockdowns and Smog Fixes

33:43 UK vs Pakistan Regulation

37:04 Net Zero Timelines Debate

40:53 Water and Minerals First

43:56 Battery Storage Outlook

46:04 Three Takeaways and Wrap

On Petronoia, host Dan Romito sits down with Ahmad Eldemerdash of Baker Hughes and Ghazal Izadi, COO of XGS Energy, to discuss the growing demand for reliable clean power and the future of geothermal energy.

They explore how next-generation closed-loop geothermal technology could overcome traditional barriers to scale, Baker Hughes’ role in advancing the sector, and XG’s 150 MW New Mexico project with PNM and Meta.

00:00 Podcast Introduction

00:38 Meet the Guests

01:22 Ahmad Energy Journey

02:48 Ghazal Geothermal Path

04:04 Rewriting Energy Equation

05:32 Demand Growth and Net Zero

08:06 Why Geothermal Fits

09:02 Geothermal Myths and Costs

10:08 XGS Closed Loop Breakthrough

12:51 Field Pilot and Predictability

14:25 Baker Hughes XGS Partnership

17:05 Scaling Geothermal Explained

22:29 Geothermal Potential by 2050

24:59 Geothermal Economics Math

25:55 Beyond 15 Percent Potential

26:39 Grid Constraints And Baseload

28:57 Supply Chain Resilience

32:38 New Mexico Data Center Project

34:26 Baker Hughes De Risking

37:46 Scaling Barriers Worldwide

41:06 Utilities Adoption Tipping Point

42:42 Ten-Year Success Vision

46:23 Developing Economies Leapfrog

48:41 Microgrids And Closing Thoughts

Where energy, finance, and technology intersect.

In this episode of PetroNoia, Dan Romito sits down with Dynamix Founder and CEO Andrejka Bernatova to break down SPACs, digital assets, and the leadership mindset driving the energy transition, offering sharp insights into what’s shaping the future of the global economy.

Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction to PetroNoia Podcast

00:41 Meet the Guest: Andrejka Bernatova

01:16 Andrejka's Fascinating Journey

07:01 Lessons in Resilience and Success

08:05 The State of the US and Global Perspectives

13:14 Insights on SPACs and Their Viability

18:37 Energy Transition and SPACs

19:47 The Role of Team and Strategy in SPAC Success

25:17 Exploring Digital Assets and Crypto

27:07 Energy and Crypto: Transformative Technologies

27:49 The Evolution of Communication and Crypto's Role

28:53 Bitcoin vs Ethereum: Different Roles in the Crypto Space

29:40 Disruptive Potential of Crypto in Financial Transactions

33:03 Crypto's Impact on Mortgages and Everyday Transactions

35:59 Digital Assets in the Oil and Energy Sector

39:55 Renewables vs. Traditional Energy Sources

40:56 European Energy Policies and Challenges

49:52 Future Predictions for 2026

Is natural gas the only energy source that actually scales with demand?

In this episode, Dan Romito sits down with Marshall Dodson, CEO at Key Energy Services, to break down the fundamentals behind today’s energy market: cash discipline, capital allocation, and what investors are really looking for.

They cover labor shortages, how AI is improving field safety and operations, and why natural gas remains the most practical solution for powering data centers. Plus, real insights on navigating regulation in markets like California.

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:37 Meet Marshall Dodson

01:18 From Accounting to Energy

03:08 Key Energy Turnaround

04:13 Bankruptcy to CEO

05:02 COVID and Negative Oil

06:17 Capital Discipline Returns

08:35 Labor and Energy Reality

10:52 Why Wind Math Fails

13:01 AI Optimism and Use Cases

14:27 Project Bob Safety Tool

16:05 AI Optimism vs Fear

17:22 Efficiency vs Training Loss

18:34 Energy Sector Tailwinds

20:23 Investors Return to Oil

21:10 Regulation and California

22:05 Permits and Plugging Wells

24:21 Three Year Priorities

25:02 Labor Shortage Reality

26:12 Oil Prices and Inventory

27:08 AI Hype and Returns

29:18 Compute Costs and Gas

29:53 Wrap Up and Thanks

Is sustainability a buzzword or a business advantage?

Recorded Live at the Baker Hughes Annual Meeting, PetroNoia host Dan Romito sits down with Allyson Anderson Book, Baker Hughes Chief Sustainability Officer, for a straight-talking conversation on accountability, ESG, and why emissions reductions can actually drive cost efficiency.

From Deepwater Horizon to U.S. policy and corporate strategy, Allyson breaks down what’s signal, what’s noise, and what the industry needs to get right next.

Less rhetoric. More results.

00:00 Podcast intro

01:30 Just the facts banter

03:18 Allyson career path

06:35 Deepwater Horizon role

10:08 Policy vs people

14:46 Sustainability meaning

18:57 Business case at Baker

23:15 Regulation and markets

25:45 Developing world policy

28:30 Finding common ground

30:33 America as Energy Provider

31:43 AI Hype and Energy Reality

32:42 Sustainability Demand Rising

34:21 Where Regulations Hit Hardest

40:44 Why People Reject Facts

52:20 CCS and Financing Hurdles

53:28 Adaptation and Physical Risk

56:14 Wrap Up in Florence

What happens if the foundation of U.S. climate regulation is pulled back?

In this episode, Dan Romeo sits down with Houston attorney Marcella Burke—founder of Burke Law Group and former EPA official—to break down the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding” and the proposed 2025 repeal.

They discuss how Massachusetts v. EPA (2007) led to CO₂ being regulated under the Clean Air Act, why that decision still drives vehicle standards and permitting today, and what a repeal would realistically mean. From expected legal battles to state pushback and industry reactions, this episode unpacks what’s truly at stake.

00:38 Meet Marcella Burke

02:21 Endangerment Finding 101: Clean Air Act basics

05:17 2025 Re-Evaluation: Reopening the science

07:09 Massachusetts v. EPA (2007)

11:10 Legal vs. policy impact

14:22 The Court Battle Ahead

20:10 Industry Divide & Political Stakes

32:29 Immediate Impact: Vehicle standards & permitting

35:23 State Pushback: California & federal tension

36:49 Suncor v. Boulder County & climate litigation

38:40 The Economic Argument for Rescinding

54:06 Closing Thoughts & What’s Next

Can free markets unlock the next wave of energy innovation?

On the PetroNoia Podcast, host Dan Romito is joined by Drew Bond, co-founder and chairman of C3 and CEO of PowerField Energy. Together, they trace his journey from Capitol Hill to clean tech leadership, tackling nuclear policy challenges, permitting reform, and what it will take to power the future.Listen now and join the conversation shaping tomorrow’s energy!

00:00 Introduction to PetroNoia Podcast

00:38 Meet Drew Bond: Energy Expert and Entrepreneur

01:13 Drew Bond's Career Journey

04:38 Optimism in the Energy Sector

08:39 Free Market Principles and Environmentalism

15:49 Challenges and Innovations in Energy

28:12 The Human Cost of Rapid Development

29:09 Tech Bros vs. Farmers: A Growing Rift

29:46 Farmers: The Original Environmentalists

31:04 Data Centers and Rural America

32:31 Energy Sources: A Balanced Approach

37:32 The Role of Solar and Wind Energy

40:21 Nuclear Energy: Subsidies and Regulations

42:36 The Candidate Briefing Book

47:22 China's Strategic Dominance

50:36 Conclusion and Contact Information