Schweitzer Drive

One of the most significant limiting factors of renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, is intermittency. When the wind isn't blowing or sun shining, there's no generation. This is why billionaires like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson are all looking for a way to store energy and are investing heavily in grid-scale battery research. In this episode, Dave Whitehead talks with Brian Starling, from Dominion Energy, about a different kind of battery—the Bath County Pumped Storage Station, which is often referred to as the biggest battery in the world.

The number of STEM related careers has increased by nearly 80 percent in the last thirty years, and it's a trend that continues. However, based on current statistics, filling these roles in the future is going to be a challenge. In this episode, Dave talks with Laura Harris and Caden Perry, two recent high school graduates who are already on the path to careers focused on science, technology, engineering and math. They discuss what inspired their career choices, share what excites them about the future, and offer advice for getting more young people excited about STEM.

Hydroelectric power is reliable and renewable, but it's not without its challenges. That's changing with innovative companies like Natel Energy. In this episode, Gia Schneider, Natel CEO, discusses the fish-safe turbine the company has developed and how they are reinventing the future of hydroelectric power.

If you've ever tried out a new technology and thought "Wow, that was easy!"—chances are a user experience (UX) designer played a part in your delight. Join Dave Whitehead as he talks with UX expert Bryan Foutch about the origins of UX and the hard work that goes into making products that are easy to use.

In this episode, Dr. Jacob Leachman breaks down why hydrogen might be the coolest fuel in the universe. The Washington State University Associate Professor joins host Dave Whitehead to discuss the benefits and challenges of hydrogen as a fuel source, ways it's already being used and the innovation happening at WSU's cryogenic hydrogen research lab.

One quarter of the energy homeowners use is electric, and that's predicted to double by 2050. Larry Bekkedahl, senior vice president of Portland General Electric, joins host Dave Whitehead to discuss how the push toward electrifying everything, from appliances to vehicles, combined with the rapid adoption of intermittent energy sources is challenging how utilities provide customers with a reliable flow of power.

Only 30% of women who earn bachelor's degrees in engineering are still working in the field 20 years later. Burns & McDonnell Engineering Director and Society of Women Engineers Board Member Kerrie Greenfelder joins host Dave Whitehead to discuss ways to help decrease that statistic and increase inclusivity in the field.

Of the 1.3 billion people on the planet without access to reliable electricity, 600 million are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dedicated to solving this problem are organizations like Power Africa, a U.S. government-led partnership that advances inclusive, low-carbon economic growth. Power Africa Coordinator Mark Carrato joins host Dave Whitehead to discuss how they're collaborating with local communities, U.S. businesses, and others to bring sustainable power to 60 million homes and businesses in the region by 2030.

Of the 1.3 billion people on the planet without access to reliable electricity, 600 million are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dedicated to solving this problem are organizations like Power Africa, a U.S. government-led partnership that advances inclusive, low-carbon economic growth. Power Africa Coordinator Mark Carrato joins host Dave Whitehead to discuss how they're collaborating with local communities, U.S. businesses, and others to bring sustainable power to 60 million homes and businesses in the region by 2030.

Inverter-based resources put a new spin on power generation, replacing the large rotating masses that have been the mainstay of power generation for the past 100+ years. Join host Dave Whitehead and Dr. Normann Fischer, SEL vice president of Research & Development, as they discuss the challenges of bringing resources that don't abide the laws of physics into the power grid.