The Solar Coaster Podcast

The Solar Coaster Podcast

By Anna CovertTechnologyTech News
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The Solar Coaster Podcast episodes

  • Does Solar Actually Raise Your Electricity Bill? MIT Has New Answers | Solar Coaster Podcast
    **New MIT research is challenging some long-held assumptions about solar energy.**
    A new study finds that utility-scale solar is associated with lower residential electricity prices, while rooftop solar is associated with higher prices.
    But there's much more to the story.
    In this week's episode of *The Solar Coaster Podcast*, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera unpack the research and explore what these findings really mean for homeowners, solar companies, and the future of clean energy.
    **Here's what we're discussing:**
    - Why large solar farms may help lower electricity costs
    - How rooftop solar affects grid economics and utility rates
    - The controversial debate over who pays for grid infrastructure
    - What MIT's findings do—and don't—prove
    - How policymakers could make solar more affordable and equitable
    **The big question:** Is solar the problem, or is the way we price electricity the real issue?
    **WATCH THE EPISODE**
    https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook
    **LISTEN TO THE PODCAST**
    https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    Whether you're in the solar industry or simply wondering where electricity prices are headed, this is a conversation worth hearing.
    See you on The Solar Coaster!
    **Anna Covert & Alex Herrera**
    *The Solar Coaster Podcast*
    Sponsored by Sun Energy Today
    https://sunenergytoday.com/
    22 min
  • Residential Solar in 2026: Prices Rise, Tax Credits End & Financing Shifts | Solar Coaster Podcast
    Residential solar is entering a new era. Prices are rising, the federal residential solar tax credit has expired, financing options are changing, and homeowners are increasingly interested in battery storage—even as installation costs climb.
    In this episode of **The Solar Coaster Podcast**, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera examine the latest findings from EnergySage's Home Electrification Marketplace Report covering the first half of 2026.
    **The numbers tell a fascinating story:**
    ☀️ Median quoted solar prices increased 3.2% to $2.57 per watt.
    🏠 A typical 12 kW residential solar system costs approximately $30,712 before incentives.
    💰 Third-party ownership quotes surged from 14% to 41% during the first half of 2026.
    📉 Median quoted solar loan rates remained at 7.5%, while typical loan terms shortened from 25 to 20 years.
    🔋 Battery storage interest reached 76%, but attachment rates declined to 31%.
    ⚡ Median battery storage prices increased to $1,130 per kWh.
    🏗️ Nearly 74% of surveyed contractors reported rising hourly labor costs.
    📈 58% of contractors identified expansion into adjacent services—including EV charging, HVAC, and electrical upgrades—as a leading growth strategy.
    Anna and Alex explore what these developments mean for the future of residential solar and debate whether the industry is becoming more adaptable or simply more complicated for homeowners.
    **Topics covered:**
    - The impact of the expired federal residential solar tax credit
    - Solar loans versus leases and power purchase agreements
    - Why pre-paid financing options are gaining attention
    - Battery storage demand versus actual adoption
    - Solar equipment market share changes
    - Regional installation price differences
    - Labor costs and installer profitability
    - The transition from solar-only contractors to home energy service providers
    **The big question:** Can residential solar remain attractive to homeowners without relying on the old 30% consumer tax credit?
    Explore more from The Solar Coaster:
    Website: https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook
    Extended content: https://solarcoasterbook.com/extended-content/
    Get The Solar Coaster book:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X
    Presented by Sun Energy Today:
    https://sunenergytoday.com/
    #ResidentialSolar #SolarEnergy #SolarTaxCredit #SolarFinancing #BatteryStorage #EnergySage #SolarCoasterPodcast
    18 min
  • Solar Grazing: Can Sheep Replace Mowers on Solar Farms? | Solar Coaster Podcast | EP 61
    Can sheep replace traditional mowing equipment on solar farms? Solar grazing is gaining momentum as developers look for smarter ways to manage vegetation, support local agriculture, and reduce reliance on mechanical maintenance.
    In this episode of **The Solar Coaster Podcast**, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera explore the growing business of solar grazing and agrivoltaics—and debate whether the model is ready for widespread adoption.
    A 2024 national census reported more than 113,000 sheep grazing across 129,000 acres of solar sites. Companies including Nexamp and ReVision Energy are expanding grazing partnerships, while farmers are finding new opportunities to grow their operations.
    But is solar grazing truly scalable?
    **In this episode, we discuss:**
    - Why solar developers are turning to sheep for vegetation management.
    - How Nexamp expanded its grazing program from one site in 2019 to 89 sites across five states.
    - How ReVision Energy and Black Earth Grazing are combining solar operations with local agriculture.
    - Whether cattle can safely graze beneath solar trackers.
    - The potential benefits of reducing mechanical mowing and fossil fuel use.
    - Why fencing, animal welfare, insurance, communication and long-term agreements matter.
    - How the American Solar Grazing Association is helping professionalize the industry.
    - Whether solar grazing can become a dependable part of solar operations and maintenance.
    Solar grazing may offer a practical way to combine renewable energy production with continued agricultural use—but successful programs require more than simply putting sheep beneath panels.
    **Explore The Solar Coaster:**
    https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    **Watch more episodes:**
    https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook
    **Extended content:**
    https://solarcoasterbook.com/extended-content/
    **Get The Solar Coaster book:**
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X
    **Sponsored by Sun Energy Today:**
    https://sunenergytoday.com/
    **Listen on Spotify:**
    https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o
    **Listen on Apple Podcasts:**
    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656
    *Production disclosure: This episode uses AI-generated voices representing Anna Covert and Alex Herrera.*
    #SolarGrazing #Agrivoltaics #SolarEnergy #SheepGrazing #SolarFarms #RenewableEnergy #TheSolarCoaster
    23 min
  • Solar Trackers Hit 90% Market Penetration. Now What? | $1.6 Billion in Acquisitions | Solar Coaster
    **Solar Trackers Hit 90% Market Penetration. Now What? | $1.6 Billion in Acquisitions**
    **THE SOLAR COASTER PODCAST**
    What happens when a solar technology becomes so successful that nearly everyone in its market is already using it?
    That's the question Anna Covert and Alex Herrera explore in this episode of The Solar Coaster Podcast.
    According to the industry article discussed in this episode, solar trackers have achieved more than 90% penetration in North American utility-scale solar projects. Meanwhile, leading tracker suppliers have invested more than $1.6 billion in acquisitions since 2024, expanding beyond solar mounting into adjacent clean energy businesses.
    It's a fascinating shift.
    For years, tracker manufacturers could grow by convincing solar developers to adopt tracking technology. But when a product becomes the standard choice, that growth strategy becomes harder to sustain.
    Now, leading suppliers are looking for new opportunities through mergers, acquisitions and broader clean energy offerings.
    Anna and Alex examine what this means for solar developers, manufacturers, investors and the future of utility-scale solar.
    **IN THIS EPISODE**
    - Why solar trackers have become the standard in North American utility-scale solar.
    - What more than 90% market penetration means for future growth.
    - Why tracker manufacturers are pursuing acquisitions.
    - The significance of more than $1.6 billion in reported acquisition investment since 2024.
    - Why much of that capital has circulated within the United States.
    - How suppliers are expanding beyond trackers and solar mounting.
    - The opportunities and risks of becoming a one-stop shop for clean energy.
    - What consolidation could mean for procurement and competition.
    - Why successful acquisitions require more than buying adjacent businesses.
    - How solar developers and smaller suppliers may respond.
    - What the next phase of utility-scale solar industry growth could look like.
    **THE BIG QUESTION**
    When a company dominates its original market, should it remain focused on what made it successful—or use that success to become a broader clean energy platform?
    **EXPLORE THE SOLAR COASTER**
    Website: https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    Buy The Solar Coaster: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X
    Extended content: https://solarcoasterbook.com/extended-content/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook
    **CONNECT WITH ANNA COVERT**
    Website: https://annacovert.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert
    **SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY**
    Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/
    Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/
    Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/
    Solar projects: https://sunenergytoday.com/solar-projects/
    Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/
    **LISTEN TO THE SOLAR COASTER**
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656
    Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast
    iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/
    Subscribe for more conversations about solar energy, technology, business and the future of clean energy.
    #TheSolarCoaster #SolarTrackers #UtilityScaleSolar #SolarIndustry #CleanEnergy #MergersAndAcquisitions
    20 min
  • Solar Panel Efficiency vs. Climate.Are We Designing Solar Systems All Wrong? | EP 59 | Solar Coaster
    Is the most efficient solar panel always the best solar panel?
    Not necessarily—and that's exactly what we're debating in this episode of The Solar Coaster Podcast.
    Join Anna Covert and Alex Herrera as they challenge the solar industry's focus on module efficiency ratings and explore whether local climate conditions should play a much bigger role in how photovoltaic (PV) systems are designed.
    A solar installation in the Swiss Alps faces very different challenges from a project in the North African desert or a tropical environment like Singapore.
    Snow accumulation, reflected sunlight, extreme temperatures, dust, sandstorms, ultraviolet exposure and humidity can all influence system performance, durability, maintenance requirements and long-term costs.
    But should climate be the organizing principle for solar design? Or should engineers balance climate considerations with efficiency, standardization, cost and commercial feasibility?
    Anna and Alex examine both sides of the debate, exploring why the best-performing solar system may not always be the one with the highest efficiency rating.
    **IN THIS EPISODE**
    - Why nameplate efficiency doesn't tell the whole story.
    - How snow loads and reflected sunlight affect alpine solar installations.
    - Why desert solar projects must account for dust, heat and sandstorms.
    - The challenges of tropical humidity, moisture and UV exposure.
    - Whether steep panel tilt angles improve performance in snowy climates.
    - How climate affects mounting systems, materials and maintenance.
    - The trade-offs between efficiency, durability, cost and standardization.
    - Why project developers need to think beyond initial installation costs.
    - How climate-specific design could improve long-term reliability.
    - The importance of transparent engineering decisions and realistic performance expectations.
    **THE BIG QUESTION**
    Should we continue designing solar projects around efficiency ratings, or should we start by asking what the local environment will do to the system over its lifetime?
    **EXPLORE THE SOLAR COASTER**
    Website: https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    Buy The Solar Coaster: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X
    Extended content: https://solarcoasterbook.com/extended-content/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook
    **CONNECT WITH ANNA COVERT**
    Website: https://annacovert.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert
    **SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY**
    Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/
    Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/
    Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/
    Solar projects: https://sunenergytoday.com/solar-projects/
    Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/
    **LISTEN TO THE SOLAR COASTER**
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656
    Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast
    iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/
    Subscribe for more conversations about solar energy, innovation, technology and the future of our planet.
    #SolarCoaster #SolarPanelEfficiency #SolarEnergy #SolarDesign #RenewableEnergy #SolarEngineering
    23 min
  • Can Batteries Really Power the Data Center Boom? | EP 58 | Solar Coaster Podcast
    AI is driving a massive expansion of data centers—and those facilities need enormous amounts of reliable power.
    So where do batteries actually fit?
    In Episode 58 of The Solar Coaster Podcast, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera examine the growing role of battery energy storage systems in data-center infrastructure and challenge one of the industry's biggest assumptions: that batteries can simply solve the data-center power problem.
    The reality is much more interesting.
    Recent analysis from the Volta Foundation divides battery applications for data centers into three categories. Batteries are winning in peak shaving and bridge power, competing in curtailment flexibility, UPS ride-through, grid services and sub-second power quality, while other technologies remain better suited to applications requiring sustained energy, long-duration backup and continuous prime power.
    That makes the real question less about whether data centers need batteries—and more about which jobs batteries should actually perform.
    IN THIS EPISODE:
    • Why AI data centers are creating a new power challenge
    • Where battery energy storage is already winning
    • Why peak shaving can create significant value
    • How electricity tariffs change battery economics
    • The role of batteries as bridge power
    • Why bridge power will often require hybrid systems
    • Batteries vs. diesel, gas turbines and fuel cells
    • Why batteries aren't automatically the answer for long-duration backup
    • The difference between high-power and high-energy applications
    • Why integration and controls may matter as much as battery chemistry
    • How dispatch governance affects battery reliability
    • The opportunity for batteries to provide grid services
    • Why developers need to understand actual data-center load profiles
    • How hyperscalers could influence future battery-system design
    • Why the future may belong to hybrid power architectures
    Volta Foundation says batteries are particularly attractive because of their deployment speed, estimating roughly 12–18 months for battery deployment compared with a four-plus-year median wait for grid interconnection. That time-to-power advantage could make storage increasingly valuable even when it isn't the lowest-cost source of energy for every hour of operation.
    But batteries have limits.
    The future of data-center power probably won't be defined by a single technology. It will be defined by combining technologies and assigning each one the job it performs best.
    EXPLORE THE SOLAR COASTER
    https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    FOLLOW ANNA COVERT
    Website: https://annacovert.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert
    CONNECT WITH ALEX HERRERA
    LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/atzael-herrera-84223436
    PRESENTED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY
    https://sunenergytoday.com/
    This episode features AI-generated voice narration of Anna Covert and Alex Herrera.
    17 min
  • Solar Land Leases, Foreign Ownership & the New USDA Proposal | EP 57 | Solar Coaster Podcast | Sponsored by Sun Energy Today
    A federal agricultural land disclosure rule might not sound like a solar story.
    But a new USDA proposal could have significant implications for certain utility-scale solar projects involving foreign ownership or investment, long-term land leases, and agricultural property.
    In Episode 57 of The Solar Coaster Podcast, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera examine USDA's proposed overhaul of regulations implementing the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978, better known as AFIDA.
    The proposed rule would expressly include solar electric power generation under NAICS code 221114 in an expanded definition of agricultural land when applicable. It would also narrow the general lease exemption for foreign persons from leases under 10 years to leases of less than one year. For foreign adversaries and foreign-adversary-controlled entities, USDA proposes eliminating the lease-duration exemption altogether.
    That could make land control, ownership structures and federal reporting a much bigger compliance consideration for some renewable-energy developments.
    IN THIS EPISODE:
    • What AFIDA is and why it matters to renewable energy
    • Why USDA is specifically addressing solar electric generation
    • How agricultural land and utility-scale solar can overlap
    • The proposed change to the lease exemption
    • Why foreign ownership and beneficial ownership structures matter
    • How complex solar capital stacks could complicate disclosure
    • The importance of accurate land and ownership records
    • Why project mapping and land-use information could become more important
    • How financing and compliance can intersect
    • Proposed penalties for late or incomplete reporting
    • Why developers should distinguish between current law and proposed requirements
    • What solar developers, investors and landowners should watch as rulemaking continues
    USDA's own research illustrates why renewable-energy leases are relevant to this discussion: it found that 85% of foreign-leased U.S. agricultural land in its 2022 dataset was associated with renewable-energy development, compared with 2% of foreign-owned agricultural land.
    The important distinction is that these changes are proposed, not a blanket new reporting requirement already in force for every solar project. The existing AFIDA framework applies to qualifying foreign interests in U.S. agricultural land, and the exact requirements of the proposed revisions depend on the final rule.
    EXPLORE THE SOLAR COASTER
    https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    FOLLOW ANNA COVERT
    Website: https://annacovert.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert
    CONNECT WITH ALEX HERRERA
    LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/atzael-herrera-84223436
    PRESENTED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY
    https://sunenergytoday.com/
    This episode features AI-generated voice narration of Anna Covert and Alex Herrera.
    15 min
  • Can America Power the AI Revolution? | Climate Week Special Series | Solar Coaster
    Artificial intelligence is transforming our world, but what will it take to power the technology behind it?
    For our Climate Week Special Series, Anna Covert welcomes Chip Comins, founder of AREDAY, Chairman and CEO of the American Renewable Energy Institute and Chairman of the American Energy Initiative's HVDC SuperGrid effort.
    Chip has spent decades bringing together leaders in energy, science, business, technology and entertainment. In this conversation, we explore the infrastructure challenges accompanying the AI boom and Chip's vision for connecting America's electricity resources through an underground, nationwide high-voltage direct current (HVDC) SuperGrid.
    **In this conversation:**
    * Why AI data centers are changing electricity demand.
    * The water and cooling challenges associated with data center development.
    * How a nationwide HVDC SuperGrid could connect electricity markets.
    * Why Chip proposes underground transmission along existing transportation corridors.
    * Potential opportunities for solar, wind and energy storage.
    * How the proposed grid could work with existing utilities.
    * Financing, regulatory coordination and the practical challenges of major infrastructure development.
    * Chip's work with AREDAY and the role of film and storytelling in public education.
    Chip also shares stories from more than two decades of convening energy and environmental leaders, his work on *Racing Extinction* and his collaboration with Dr. Sandy MacDonald on the SuperGrid concept.
    **CONNECT WITH CHIP COMINS**
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipcomins/
    AREDAY / American Renewable Energy Institute: https://areday.net/
    American Energy Initiative: https://americanenergyinitiative.net/
    HVDC SuperGrid: https://areday.net/hvdc-supergrid/
    **THE SOLAR COASTER**
    Website and book: https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook
    **FOLLOW ANNA COVERT**
    Website: https://annacovert.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert
    **SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY**
    Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/
    Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/
    Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/
    Projects: https://sunenergytoday.com/solar-projects/
    Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/
    **LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS**
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656
    Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast
    iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/
    Subscribe for more conversations from our Climate Week Special Series.
    #ClimateWeek #SolarCoaster #ChipComins #ArtificialIntelligence #SuperGrid #RenewableEnergy
    53 min
  • The U.S. SuperGrid: Powering America’s Energy Future | Climate Week Special Series | Solar Coaster
    Welcome to The Solar Coaster Podcast’s Climate Week Special Series, where Anna Covert sits down with innovators and industry leaders exploring the future of clean energy, technology and our planet.
    Our special guest is Dr. Alexander “Sandy” MacDonald, an atmospheric scientist, former director of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory, inventor of NOAA’s Science On a Sphere and CEO of American SuperGrid LLC.
    What if America could move electricity across the country as efficiently as goods travel along our interstate highways? Sandy joins Anna to discuss his vision for a nationwide high-voltage direct current (HVDC) SuperGrid and what it could mean for renewable energy, grid resilience and America’s energy future.
    **In this conversation, we explore:**
    * How Sandy’s career in meteorology led him to renewable energy.
    * His proposal for an underground, nationwide HVDC transmission network.
    * Why the Great Plains could play a major role in supplying electricity to other regions.
    * How the SuperGrid could work alongside existing utilities and AC infrastructure.
    * Opportunities for solar developers, wind farms and energy storage.
    * Extreme weather, cybersecurity and the importance of a resilient electric grid.
    * The technological, economic and policy challenges of building a national system.
    **GUEST LINKS**
    Dr. Alexander “Sandy” MacDonald on LinkedIn:
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-macdonald-6825667
    The SuperGrid Working Group:
    https://americanenergyinitiative.net/
    NOAA Science On a Sphere:
    https://sos.noaa.gov/about/history/
    **THE SOLAR COASTER**
    Website and book: https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    Buy *The Solar Coaster*: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook
    **FOLLOW ANNA COVERT**
    Website: https://annacovert.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert
    **SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY**
    Sun Energy Today develops commercial solar, utility-scale and energy storage solutions.
    Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/
    Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/
    Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/
    Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/
    **LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS**
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656
    Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast
    iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/
    Subscribe for more conversations from our Climate Week Special Series featuring Chip Comins and Henk Rogers.
    #ClimateWeek #SolarCoaster #SuperGrid #SandyMacDonald #RenewableEnergy
    56 min
  • Beyond Tetris: Henk Rogers’ Vision for a Sustainable Future—On Earth and Beyond | Climate Week Special Series
    What happens when the entrepreneur who helped bring Tetris to the world turns his attention to the future of our planet?
    For our Climate Week Special Series, Anna Covert welcomes Henk Rogers, co-founder of The Tetris Company and founder of Blue Planet Foundation, Blue Planet Energy and Blue Planet Alliance.
    Following a near-fatal heart attack in 2005, Henk began rethinking what he wanted to accomplish with the rest of his life. His first mission was to end the use of carbon-based fuels, starting in Hawaii.
    That decision helped launch a movement that contributed to Hawaii becoming the first U.S. state to establish a legal commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2045.
    In this wide-ranging conversation, Anna and Henk discuss how Hawaii became a model for renewable energy, why Henk is investing in new battery technologies, how his work is expanding to islands and countries around the world, and what space exploration can teach us about sustainability here on Earth.
    They also explore the potential of AI, the importance of engaging children in environmental action, Henk's new Action app and an unexpected idea: Tetris as meditation.
    IN THIS CONVERSATION
    The personal experience that inspired Henk's environmental mission.
    How Blue Planet Foundation helped advance Hawaii's renewable energy legislation.
    The role of children in creating lasting change.
    Sodium batteries, supercapacitors and the future of energy storage.
    Solar, hydrogen and virtual power plants.
    How Blue Planet Alliance is sharing Hawaii's experience with other islands and countries.
    What the HI-SEAS Mars simulation can teach us about living sustainably.
    Gamification, AI and Henk's upcoming Action app.
    Why Henk believes determination is more important than hope.
    CONNECT WITH HENK ROGERS
    Official website: https://www.henkrogers.com/
    Blue Planet Alliance: https://blueplanetalliance.org/
    Blue Planet Foundation: https://blueplanetfoundation.org/
    Blue Planet Energy: https://www.blueplanetenergy.com/
    Blue Startups: https://www.bluestartups.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henkrogers/
    THE SOLAR COASTER
    Website and book: https://solarcoasterbook.com/
    Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook
    FOLLOW ANNA COVERT
    Website: https://annacovert.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert
    SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY
    Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/
    Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/
    Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/
    Solar projects: https://sunenergytoday.com/solar-projects/
    Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/
    LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656
    Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast
    iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/
    Subscribe to The Solar Coaster for more conversations from our Climate Week Special Series.
    #ClimateWeek #HenkRogers #TheSolarCoaster #Tetris #RenewableEnergy #BluePlanetAlliance
    55 min

About The Solar Coaster Podcast

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Welcome to The Solarcoaster Podcast — your ultimate guide to navigating the fast-changing solar industry. Each episode delivers actionable insights, industry best practices, and expert strategies to…