In this special Earth Day episode, Tim and Sara take a step back from the headlines to explore one of the biggest levers we have to impact the planet: electricity.

Because while Earth Day often brings to mind recycling, planting trees, or driving less, the reality is that nearly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity and heat production making the power sector central to any meaningful progress on sustainability.

So, what’s actually moving the needle?

Featuring insights from industry expert Mike Grable, this episode dives into the real-world challenges behind building a more sustainable grid from integrating renewables and scaling storage to managing explosive demand growth driven by AI and data centers.

Along the way, Tim and Sara keep things grounded with a mix of optimism, hard truths, and a few reality checks, unpacking what’s working, what’s not, and where the industry still has work to do.

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Hosts: Tim Stafford & Sara Tupac

Topic: What does sustainability really look like for the grid and can we achieve it without compromising reliability and affordability?

Overview:As the push for cleaner energy accelerates, utilities are navigating a complex balancing act. Sustainability today isn’t just about reducing carbon — it’s about delivering resilient, reliable, and affordable power in a world of growing demand and increasing uncertainty.

Highlights:

• Why electricity is one of the biggest drivers of global emissions and opportunity 

• How sustainability and reliability are becoming fundamentally linked 

• The realities of integrating renewables, storage, and new technologies 

• What extreme weather events have taught us about grid resilience 

• The growing impact of AI, electrification, and data center demand 

• Why the energy transition is a mix of technologies, trade-offs, and timing