Podcasts about clean energy

Michael Spencer is the Founder and CEO of Zeno, an electric mobility company building electric motorcycles, battery-swapping infrastructure, and distributed energy systems across East Africa. Drawing on experience from nearly a decade building businesses in East Africa and four years at Tesla during its hypergrowth era, Spencer is applying lessons from EV charging infrastructure to one of the world's largest transportation markets: two- and three-wheel vehicles. In this episode of Inevitable, Spencer explains why electrifying motorcycles in emerging markets may be one of the most efficient ways to reduce transportation costs and emissions. He discusses how Zeno combines hardware, software, and energy infrastructure to create a business that looks like an electric vehicle company on the surface but increasingly operates like a distributed utility. The conversation explores lessons from Tesla's Supercharger network, why Kenya became Zeno's launch market, how battery swapping and AI-powered infrastructure management drive capital efficiency, and why building hard-tech businesses may become even more valuable in an AI-driven world. Spencer also shares his vision for turning Zeno's charging network into a distributed renewable energy platform capable of serving both mobility and grid customers. Note: Zeno is an MCJ portfolio company  Episode recorded on June 8, 2026 (Published on June 23, 2026)  In this episode, we cover:  [00:00] The Trojan horse: what Zeno actually is [03:00] From East Africa to Tesla: Michael's path [04:36] Inside the supercharger rollout — and what it really taught him [08:02] Why two-wheelers are paradoxically easier to electrify [10:17] The Kenya opportunity: spending half your income on fuel [16:19] 200 charge points, $8M spent — how they did it [20:27] The AI matching algorithm behind 75% network utilization [23:20] Building a world-class team across four continents [28:17] Supply chain, oil prices, and the double-edged sword [32:03] Why hardware can't be vibe-coded [36:41] The five-year vision: from motorcycle company to distributed utility Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

A report unveiled at the Summer Davos forum shows that technologies with huge impact are moving off screens and into the physical systems that underpin modern economies. The top 10 emerging technologies of 2026 include everything-to-grid energy, direct lithium extraction and passive radiative cooling materials.

Guest host Rob Fai spoke with Francis Syms, Head of the School of Clean Energy and the associate Dean of ICT at Humber Polythetic about using AI in detecting cancer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The era of top-down energy projects is over. Today demands collaboration, equity, and stakeholder engagement. And in the clean energy movement, Indigenous partnerships often lead the way. James Jenkins, Executive Director of Indigenous Clean Energy, joins thinkenergy to unpack the Regenerative Energy 2026 Report. He explores what a just transition looks like, how Indigenous communities are shaping the future, and what the industry can learn from working together. Related links:  Indigenous Clean Energy: https://indigenouscleanenergy.com/ James Jenkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-jenkins-27787913b/ Regenerative Energy 2026 Report: https://indigenouscleanenergy.com/regenerative-energy-national-survey-2026/ Bringing it Home Program: https://indigenouscleanenergy.com/our-programs/bringing-it-home/  Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-p-eng-8b612114  Hydro Ottawa: https://hydroottawa.com/en    To subscribe using Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405 To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkenergypod Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkenergypod/  Stay in the know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkenergypod  Keep up with the posts on X: https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod -- Transcript: [00:00] Trevor Freeman: Welcome to Think Energy, a podcast that dives into the fast-changing world of energy through conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and people on the front lines of the energy transition. Join me, Trevor Freeman, as I explore the traditional, unconventional, and up-and-coming facets of the energy industry. If you have any thoughts, feedback, or ideas for topics we should cover, please reach out to us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com. [00:26] Trevor Freeman: Hi everyone, and welcome back. We often talk on this show about the what of the energy transition. What needs to happen, what is happening, what technologies or initiatives are growing or up-and-coming. But it's also important to consider the how of it all. Energy systems are complex. That is something that should be clear in all the conversations we have around here, but it's not just technical complexity that we need to consider. Our energy systems are also socially, politically, and societally complex. It's not just a matter of picking the right technology and implementing it. If it was that case, we've got, you know, most of the technology we need, and we'd be in a much better position than we currently are. We have to figure out how we move these projects forward. [01:14] Trevor Freeman: Traditionally, energy projects have been these large, top-down infrastructure projects. But increasingly, we're moving into a time when collaboration, equity, and stakeholder engagement are critical components of project success. One area where this can be seen—and, in fact, it's an area that's really pushing a lot of this change—is Indigenous leadership. [01:38] Trevor Freeman: Over the past decade here in Canada, at least, we've seen a profound evolution where Indigenous communities are not just participants in the clean energy transition or kind of bystanders; they are actively leading it in many cases. That's not to say all the problems or challenges have been solved, but we're seeing a lot of movement here. And that's the topic of my conversation today. [02:02] Trevor Freeman: To help us understand the scale of this movement, I'm joined by James Jenkins. James is the Executive Director of Indigenous Clean Energy, which is a leading organization accelerating First Nations, Inuit, and Métis participation in clean energy projects from coast to coast. I'm really excited to have James on the show today because his expertise comes straight from real, actual experience on these projects. As a proud member and former CEO of the Walpole Island First Nation, James personally drove the equity development for two 100-megawatt wind farms for his community. Today, he leverages that firsthand experience along with a diverse background in consulting, local government, and academia to serve as a national champion for Indigenous clean energy partnerships. [02:54] Trevor Freeman: His organization just released their third national survey, the Regenerative Energy 2026 report, which provides a really eye-opening snapshot of how Indigenous communities are shaping Canada's energy future through innovation, equity ownership, and community-driven solutions. So today, we're going to dive into the findings of this report, talk a little bit about, you know, what a just energy transition looks like, and explore what utility and industry players can learn from these successful partnerships. James Jenkins, welcome to the show. [03:31] James Jenkins: Hi Trevor, thank you for having me. [03:34] Trevor Freeman: So, James, let's start a little bit with some background. Tell us about Indigenous Clean Energy and how your organization works to advance First Nations, Inuit, and Métis participation in the clean energy sector. [03:47] James Jenkins: Sure. Indigenous Clean Energy is a not-for-profit organization, and we've been operating for about 10 years. So we started 10 years ago with the 2020 Catalyst Program, which was designed to develop a cohort of clean energy leaders coming primarily from Indigenous communities and businesses that could really shape the future of Indigenous participation in the energy transition. So we started with a cohort. It was led by just a few staff and our founding director, Chris Henderson. And this is our 10th year, so we'll be celebrating 10 years of the 2020 Catalyst Program at our national gathering in August. [04:24] Trevor Freeman: Awesome. Congrats. [04:26] James Jenkins: Thank you so much. So the goal of that program was to really expand the opportunities, the capacity, and the number of communities engaged in clean energy. And we have seen that progress tremendously over the last 10 years. We've seen federal grant programs to support that work also emerge as major contributors, and we've seen utilities across the country get on board and try to find ways to expand Indigenous participation. [04:54] James Jenkins: So we've seen quite a bit of success, and with that success, we've grown as well. So we're now a team of about 35, and we're much larger. So we've expanded into a few other areas. One of them is youth, so we have two different youth programs. And we've expanded into energy efficiency as well, mostly under our "Bringing It Home" umbrella. [05:16] James Jenkins: And the idea behind that is we've seen the success of the 2020 Catalyst Program and clean energy leaders really pushing the envelope in terms of what is possible when it comes to Indigenous-led generation projects. So now we're identifying a gap still existing when it comes to energy efficiency. And so, in a way, we're trying to replicate the success of the 2020 Catalyst Program. We'll be running our third year of the Project Accelerator soon. So that's geared towards energy efficiency; it's an intensive training program, and it comes with a grant. [05:47] James Jenkins: And finally, we have a policy arm as well that's also very involved in engaging at the community and regional level. So that's through our Energy and Climate team, and we have a national hub that just completed a series of directional gatherings regionally. We also have a global hub as well that's active in Oceania and Latin America. [06:09] Trevor Freeman: Oh, that's fantastic. Tell me a little bit about the youth programs that you're running. [06:14] James Jenkins: So, we support youth across our programs, but we have two programs in particular that are geared towards youth. One of them is the Imagination Program, which comes with wrap-around supports and training. Right now, we're developing a micro-credential with the University of Saskatchewan for our program participants. It comes with a grant to lead a community-scale project. A good example might be a solar-powered greenhouse. Many of them are linked to schools, and, you know, we see the passion of younger members of communities that want to move these projects forward, but it's entrepreneurial in spirit. [06:49] James Jenkins: The second is called Generation Power, which is a wage subsidy program for Indigenous youth, and we pair them with employers in the clean energy field. So some of them are utilities or renewable businesses; in some cases, they're communities or Indigenous businesses that are moving forward on projects. And it's more than just a wage subsidy; we identify all of the potential barriers for Indigenous youth entering these jobs and provide those kinds of support to increase their chance of success and staying in the workforce after the placement. [07:22] Trevor Freeman: Oh, that's very cool. We've talked a few times on this show about building that next generation of energy champions and people that are focused, you know, on this new form of energy—this new energy transition or this new world of energy that we're moving into. So fantastic to see you guys participating in that. That's really cool. [07:42] Trevor Freeman: So, I want to spend some of our time here talking about the report that your organization recently released titled Regenerative Energy 2026. So before we dive into the specific data and the numbers, let's talk about, you know, just that title itself and what the document sets out to achieve. So first of all, tell us about that term, "regenerative energy." What does that mean? Why did you choose that title? [08:09] James Jenkins: Sure. So just generally, regenerative energy is the idea that these projects are doing more than producing electricity for the market and potentially bringing in revenue. They're also contributing to the broader ecosystem, which could mean the ecology of the landscape or a reduction of carbon into the atmosphere. So it's looking at the wider impacts and planning energy with that in mind. [08:33] James Jenkins: In the Indigenous context, it goes deeper than that. We're incorporating sovereignty, energy sovereignty, and acknowledging that communities are increasingly expecting to be able to move through their energy journey on their own terms. And so that could mean other outcomes in addition to just energy stability and security. It expands to food security, but also ultimately the community being able to plan its future—how does energy fit into that? [09:03] James Jenkins: I think it fits into what we're seeing in Indigenous communities in general, where there is a need to revitalize our cultures, our practices, our governance structures. We're finding that the energy sector—it's a business sector and an opportunity and an expanding sector—but there's also alignment in terms of values in many places, with communities looking to have an impact on their landscape, on the ecology, and this is a way to do that. [09:30] James Jenkins: So regenerative energy is acknowledging that there is this revitalization happening. It's not as though our communities, our governments, our nations were extinguished over the last 300 years. What does it mean in terms of revitalizing those practices, and how do all of these projects and ambitions when it comes to energy fit into that? [09:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I like that description. Thanks for that, James. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but is it fair to say that the choice to use "regenerative" instead of "renewable"—which is fairly buzzy as a term, everyone kind of has renewable energy on their mind—was a deliberate choice? You're building more aspects to it; there are more facets of the description you just gave of regenerative energy compared to just renewable energy. Is that fair to say? [10:19] James Jenkins: Well, and that's true as well. And as you've read in the report, we're seeing projects expand beyond just what we would term "renewable" projects. So that was the bulk of the projects up until recently, but now transmission lines and battery storage are becoming more prominent. [10:36] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, absolutely. Great. Okay, I do want to talk to you about that. So my second question kind of at a high level around the report is, you know, one of the goals or one of the things you're doing in this report is really compiling and tracking national data around these projects. Why is that important? Why is that something that you're striving to do—to really track and compile that data? [10:59] James Jenkins: Well, in the context right now, we have a federal government that is trying to identify meaningful projects that can have an impact on the economy, have an impact on spurring economic growth in different regions. And so it's a critical time for us to broadcast information on our dataset because collectively, these projects that have Indigenous ownership and co-ownership are a massive portion of the electricity generating infrastructure of Canada, and they have a meaningful impact on the economy, but also the ability for communities to finance their own programs, to reinvest in economic development. [11:36] James Jenkins: So it's a critical time from that perspective. I think there's a need for us to be even louder because collectively as a nation, we seem to be looking for these wins that can be a shot in the arm. You know, we're worried about economic growth, and here we have many examples of projects that have Indigenous participation and that are having these benefits that are allowing different regions that are not participating in the economy in as active a way—this is a real opportunity for them. [12:05] James Jenkins: And unlike many of the mega-projects that we're thinking about right now, these have shorter timeframes, less challenges, and the risk is much more manageable in comparison. So, you know, we are trying to point out that, A, these kinds of projects—which are renewables, but also battery storage and some of these other projects—these are important for the federal government to continue to invest in because they have been investing in it heavily over the last 10 years, and that's part of the success story. [12:35] James Jenkins: But there is also a set of learnings that can be drawn from when we have so many examples of good partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations moving these projects forward. So I think when we look into the future as to how this should look, what does Indigenous participation look like for these mega-projects, we have a bit of a blueprint that we can draw from. [12:57] James Jenkins: And so we are trying to bring more attention to this. I think it's really step one. The federal government can pat itself on the back that it's been one of the key reasons why Indigenous participation in the energy sector has grown over the last 10 years, but it's not getting the attention it deserves in the current conversation. So I think that's why it's a really critical time, possibly for other non-government actors as well that are asking, "Well, in the current global and national framework, what is the best way to achieve climate outcomes, Indigenous participation in the economy, greater social outcomes?" And so we do want to point to this as a good news story that has a track record, and that's what the data really does—it speaks to that track record. [13:41] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, you often hear it framed, and in fact, just, you know, we're recording this on a Monday—just over the weekend I was listening to the radio, one of those call-in shows that really framed the choice as, "you know, we either invest in climate solutions or we focus on the economy." And I think you can probably say, "we invest in, you know, Indigenous partnership or the economy, or climate solutions." And what I'm hearing from you is it doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. It doesn't have to be either/or. In fact, the data you're showing and the projects that you're highlighting show that all of these outcomes can be achieved with the right focus and with the right investment. Is that fair to say? [14:21] James Jenkins: It is. And generally, the bucket of renewable projects or clean energy projects, the timelines are shorter, the cost is going to be easier to quantify, and the cost is coming down for these technologies—wind, solar, battery—in comparison to some of the other technologies that are being framed as the solution, which I think they will be. But framing it as either/or doesn't make much sense, especially when electricity demand is growing and it's an immediate issue. [14:51] James Jenkins: So we should look at some of these immediate solutions and acknowledge it's still a question mark for some of the other sectors that are going to be involved in building out our electricity capacity. Mining, some of these other sectors, there are some examples of Indigenous participation, but not hundreds of examples of equity participation. And so, absolutely, I've been hearing those kinds of either/or arguments, or "no more federal grants, we should have access to capital instead." That could do a real injustice to the existing capacity that's already there, like the number of people in energy offices at Indigenous communities right now. [15:28] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. So let's dive into some of the data then. You know, you see headlines sometimes about major Indigenous clean energy projects happening in collaboration, and the data in your report really backs this up. I don't want to throw too many stats out there for our listeners, but just quickly, you know, there are over 350 medium-to-large electricity generation projects across Canada with Indigenous participation. We've got 250 of those already operational, the rest in either construction or planning stages. From your perspective, James, you kind of already touched on this—the role of the federal government driving some of this momentum and visibility—just expand on that a little bit. Like, how did we get to these pretty impressive numbers where we're seeing lots of these projects? [16:15] James Jenkins: Sure, definitely. I think the origin goes back at least to around 2000 to 2008 when there was a series of Supreme Court decisions that ruled in favor of Indigenous communities when it comes to the duty to consult and accommodate—that's what the Supreme Court ultimately called it. So that's a framework that was very important when it came to Indigenous engagement in energy projects. [16:43] James Jenkins: As the UN Declaration starts to gain traction in our country, it may become less important, but it was certainly a turning point. So decisions like Mikisew Cree up to Tsilhqot'in created a framework where communities could get involved and had the legal backing to do so. Some jurisdictions—with Ontario probably taking the lead at that time, BC following, and many others following that model—supported Indigenous communities so that they could be involved in what the Supreme Court was framing as consultation. And what that meant was having the capacity to be engaged in project review. And often, the developer bore the cost of that. [17:23] James Jenkins: But there could be positive outcomes because it meant there was a framework and an impetus for communities and developers to sit down at the table when the development was taking place in the territory of an Indigenous community and their rights were potentially going to be impacted. So as that process became the norm in most regions in Canada, what emerged was this mechanism called an Impact Benefit Agreement as a way for the developer and the Indigenous community to sit down and say, "Okay, we've identified these impacts—and these are impacts to the practicing of rights that are enshrined in the Constitution, so there's this channel back to the Supreme Court decisions—so we'll have a confidential agreement called an Impact Benefit Agreement to offset those impacts," which never really fit the spirit of the Supreme Court decisions, but it was adopted all over the country. [18:14] James Jenkins: And when Ontario and BC went to bring more renewables onto the grid more quickly, they were looking at different ways to ensure there was the kind of local participation, and so they experimented with creating incentives for Indigenous equity participation in the projects. Sometimes that included municipal participation as well, but we saw a large uptake in that. And that was something I was involved in; I was a band manager in my community of Walpole Island First Nation in the past, and while this was happening, I had some other roles. [18:47] James Jenkins: But we saw it as an opportunity, and ultimately, there were many renewable projects entering the grid in Southern Ontario at a rapid rate. One of the things we were able to identify was that equity participation brought much more benefit to the community than an Impact Benefit Agreement. In the kind of projects we were looking at, it was usually tenfold if you quantified the net revenue from equity participation versus the takeaway from an Impact Benefit Agreement. [19:17] James Jenkins: So that started to become the norm, and Indigenous communities started to see this as a more meaningful way to address the need for development to happen rapidly in certain regions and especially with renewables. So there was a period where new hydroelectric projects started to include some equity participation, and then we saw, with the expansion of wind and to some extent solar, that happening at a rapid rate starting about 2008. [19:44] James Jenkins: It's expanded since then for a few reasons. So one is that over time, most regions in Canada have—most provinces have directed their utilities to put incentives in their calls to power to try to ensure more examples of Indigenous equity participation. The other possibility that's happened, which was more an Alberta story but it's been experimented with in some other jurisdictions, is a deregulated market where an Indigenous partner and non-Indigenous partner, or a fully Indigenous-owned project, can go to a consumer and negotiate a power purchase agreement, sell power directly. Sometimes having an Indigenous community providing power provides other benefits to the purchaser, whether it's the industrial or commercial partner, and so that led to quite a few projects as well in Alberta for completely different reasons. [20:34] Trevor Freeman: Would those other benefits be like preferred rates? What are the other benefits that you're referring to there? [20:39] James Jenkins: It could be preferred rates. In many cases, it's things like corporate responsibility, just the sustainability measures of having, you know, purchasing from an Indigenous partner. So that was enough of an incentive to really, you know, spur a market in those areas. [20:56] James Jenkins: And then we've seen the federal government invest through grant programs in Indigenous capacity in the energy sector. So that has allowed communities in many regions to engage in these opportunities and just have the staff to do it. Because most communities are generally dealing with many, many issues all at once—it's like three levels of government all in one, and most services are underfunded. So being able to actively participate in these opportunities, ensure there is enough trust to move forward and that the community is coming along with it, usually requires some expertise and people in the community that understand energy enough to keep everybody engaged. And these federal grant programs have contributed to that as well. [21:40] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. So with this change over the last let's call it 20-odd years or so, is there a fairly established model or process now that you see Indigenous communities and partners working through, or is every kind of new project finding its way anew? I guess what I'm asking is, yeah, is there an established process? Is it kind of like you know how these projects are going to go now, given that there's quite a bit of experience over the last 20 years? [22:06] James Jenkins: It's not an established process. And so we—for our Energy and Climate team—we engaged with BC Hydro and Manitoba Hydro to some extent on their recent calls to power and procurement because they're both looking at ways to ensure there's more Indigenous equity in projects, and there are different models to choose from. But there is the ability to look at what happened in different jurisdictions, draw from maybe what worked and what didn't, and so we're seeing utilities start to do that as they develop new procurement procedures. [22:38] James Jenkins: On the partnership side, things continue to evolve, and there's always the risk that some of these partnerships may be less beneficial to the Indigenous partner. So another report we released six months ago with Clean Energy BC is an equity guide, and the target audience of that is Indigenous communities that are looking at these equity participation opportunities to make sure that the process is fair to them and transparent to them. So there is a framework in place, but I think there's always a need to ensure that communities have access to the tools so that they have a meaningful seat at the table. And it's not a given that those will be in place, so it is an area where we place some of our efforts. [23:22] Trevor Freeman: And have you seen a change—like you talked about kind of the initial push for a lot of renewable projects being part of the impetus of seeing a big expansion here in Indigenous partnership—at least here in Ontario, which of course is where I'm sitting and we're having this conversation, there was a bit of a slowdown in that, but as we see demand significantly increasing, we're looking at more and more projects. So are you seeing that ebb and flow of project participation as well, or has it been pretty steady in terms of engagement over the last little while? [23:54] James Jenkins: In most regions, it's been growing. So you look at the Atlantic region, Quebec is really pushing for Indigenous participation in renewables. In most regions, that's happening—Maritimes very much so right now. [24:10] James Jenkins: In Ontario, we saw with the results of the most recent call to power quite a few northern projects, which is a bit surprising, but I know that's what they wanted to see happen, and it opens up some opportunity for communities in Northern Ontario. In Ontario, I think there are more regions where renewables are less socially accepted right now. And I talk to some people in Southern Ontario that are surprised how accepted it is in most of the country, with a few exceptions. So, you know, I think we might see ways that Ontario tries to draw projects in, whether it's within regions or partners where there is that social acceptance. But that's to be seen. [24:50] James Jenkins: But Ontario, like other places, knows they need to meet this growing demand, and renewables are relatively quick to deploy, relatively low risk, and will likely be part of that solution, just like everywhere. [25:05] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, absolutely. Great. Okay, I do want to talk to you about that. So my next question, you mentioned this a few times, that we're not just talking about solar panels and wind turbines, which I think is what most people think of when they think of clean energy projects, but you have mentioned a significant growth in transmission projects as well as battery storage. And there's a number of projects that are now kind of in operation with Indigenous co-ownership that fall into that transmission and battery storage category. So tell us about the economic opportunity for Indigenous communities of these types of projects, not just generation projects. [25:44] James Jenkins: Right. So battery storage is growing more along the same trajectory as those generation projects have been in the past, and as the cost for battery storage has come down, it's become a very viable way for utilities and provinces to deal with the intermittency of electricity and increase stability while meeting targets for carbon emissions. So we're seeing more Indigenous leadership in that area. [26:10] James Jenkins: And there's a premier project in Ontario, the Oneida Energy Storage Project, where Six Nations of the Grand River approached NRStor, their partner, to develop the project and then went to the Ontario government and said, "This is what we'd like to do, this is how we see it will meet some of the needs." So there was some real ingenuity in there, and I think in some way, that's an example of what could be the next stage in terms of Indigenous energy planning as that kind of capacity builds because Six Nations of the Grand River had quite a bit of experience under their belt in terms of participating in energy projects. [26:45] James Jenkins: And then Ontario has also been the leader in procuring battery storage projects, and for the most part, most of them have Indigenous equity participation in those projects. A lot of them benefit from existing relationships between construction companies and communities that can look at these opportunities and co-design them together. And I think we'll start to see that in other parts of the country as that builds. But it is a major opportunity as the technology allows us to meet some of the need to stabilize the grid, and, you know, it could reduce our reliance on solutions like natural gas, so it's a real opportunity. [27:21] James Jenkins: When it comes to transmission lines, it's a slightly different trajectory, but I think it goes back to the duty to consult and accommodate and parties sitting at the table understanding where do we go from here when there's a project that is going to have this enormous landscape impact and we can no longer do what we did in the past, which was ignore any Indigenous rights on the landscape. [27:46] James Jenkins: And I was in Ontario for the last 20 or so years and witnessed the demand from Indigenous communities to participate in transmission projects. It wasn't passive in any way. So now we hear from utilities that are saying the right thing to do is to provide these opportunities, which is fantastic. But back then, it really was Indigenous people with the foresight and the stubbornness to for years say, "No, we need a solution that's going to meet all of our needs." And as we started to see some examples—Saugeen and Nawash being one of the first, and then others in Ontario where there would be this kind of Indigenous co-ownership—it gradually started to become more accepted. [28:25] James Jenkins: And now it's part of the plan in many regions of Ontario, and this is a way to move the project forward, have Indigenous communities on board, and when they're sitting there as partners, there are a number of advantages that they bring to the table because in many cases there is knowledge of the landscape itself. And looking at preferred routes and other major decisions can really benefit from having these communities at the table providing their knowledge as opposed to sitting sort of on the other side of an adjudication table, which is only going to add risk to a project. [29:00] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I mean we see all parts of the electricity sector growing, and transmission is one of those areas for sure that in order to support electrification across the province, we're going to see more transmission. So it's great to hear that this is an area that is growing, or getting more buy-in, or there's more partnership happening in all parts of the electricity sector. [29:21] Trevor Freeman: So, James, you talked about regenerative energy earlier, we touched on that a little bit, and how that term is focused on being built on fairer and more equitable relationships. In your report, you kind of take this a step further by explicitly stating that this work seeks to advance the Truth and Reconciliation Commission—notably, Call to Action number 92. And so for our listeners who are not familiar—and please, definitely step in here if you want to explain it differently than I'm going to—but Call to Action 92 specifically calls on corporate Canada to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to commit to meaningful consultation and consent, and ensure Indigenous communities gain equitable access to jobs, training, and long-term economic benefits. [30:13] Trevor Freeman: So we often hear reconciliation discussed in a social or a political context, but your report really points to the actual act of Indigenous-led clean energy infrastructure and how that can embody this reconciliation in a material and meaningful way. And I apologize that I'm rambling a lot, this is a long question. How does building out physical infrastructure—like generation programs, transmission lines that we've been talking about, battery storage—how does that advance these goals that are kind of laid out and described in this particular Call to Action? [30:52] James Jenkins: Mm-hmm. And you're right, the benefits of these projects isn't just the net revenue, but it's also apprenticeships, jobs, the business capacity that comes with participating in the project, and sometimes the ability to open up opportunities for practicing harvesting rights where, when Indigenous communities don't have a seat at the table, often the gate or the door is shut to opportunities and access. So it's a way to open those up. [31:19] James Jenkins: And in my experience with projects in my community, when we were reviewing projects through the IBA or Impact Benefit Agreement process, the goal was always a number of apprenticeships, contribution to education, capacity, and it was always a good news story getting some jobs, employment readiness out of the project. And it was a remarkable shift to be sitting at the table as a partner and be discussing those same outcomes and really led to more of a spirit of cooperation. And we had some really great successes come out of that. [31:51] James Jenkins: As well as community members feeling like, "This is an industry that I can go work in, and I'm not a stranger in a strange land. My community has a stake in this," and feel that sense of ownership but also home, which can be this indirect challenge when it comes to people entering the workforce and sticking with it. So that kind of ownership—it's part of the solution, how do we grow the Indigenous workforce? When the Indigenous communities have a financial interest in it, it really changes the picture quite a bit, and it really helps with the foreignness that can exist. And so we've seen the opposite in renewable industries and clean energy where many communities and youth are starting to see this as a viable career path and one that makes sense for them. [32:38] James Jenkins: So, you know, and like I said before, when Indigenous communities are sitting at the table—and in my experience we had gone through project review on many, many projects because of the Impact Benefit Agreement process—we were able to bring that knowledge we had of project review to the table, which can help the project. So it was a real meaningful exchange of, "How can we meet these milestones on time? What can we bring to the table?" So there's that aspect of it, but then there's also the multi-generational knowledge that comes with living on the land. [33:10] James Jenkins: And, you know, in some ways sitting down with elders, that does take a long time and commitment and is often different than how we would typically view going through the early stages of a project. But at the end of the day, it can lead to better outcomes and actually not take as long because the pathway to gain the knowledge for the least impact through a traditional process is also incredibly time-consuming. And so having an Indigenous party at the table that can bring the correct knowledge keeps things forward, making a meaningful decision from their perspective can really add value in that way as well. [33:48] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, it's great to hear that you're seeing the impact of these programs on both the projects themselves and better outcomes in the projects, as well as building capacity and partnership in Indigenous communities. And I'm glad you kind of brought those youth programs back up; it's great to hear about those programs. [34:07] Trevor Freeman: So, you have a report or you have a section sorry in your report called "Opportunities Unrealized," which really highlights major gaps or a gap for community-focused projects right now as different federal funding programs sunset, and you specifically call out three particular pillars that need renewed policy and funding commitment. So first off, you talk about 78 healthy energy housing projects that are mostly just small pilot initiatives. And that's looking at energy efficiency in homes, which you did touch on earlier, and how that's tied to Indigenous health and energy sovereignty. So how do we move beyond those pilots to fund these at scale? What are your thoughts on how we do that? [34:53] James Jenkins: Right. So our approach is really, A, to support these pilots as much as we can so that we have that cohort of Indigenous leadership that has that experience in community, and so it can have that ripple effect where, when we started to see successful generation projects, some of them coming out of the 2020 Catalyst Program, other communities said, "Well, I want to do that too. How do I make that possible?" And then there's some leadership to grow from. So it's really catalyzing that momentum. And where do we start? So that's the piece in terms of making sure that there is a core group of energy leaders in communities that are almost at the stage where they can have a very impactful, community-scale project when it comes to efficiency that can be replicated and that there are individuals with this knowledge that are in the community. [35:41] James Jenkins: So that's the first piece, but then the second piece and the other side of the coin that we're very active in is identifying what would the solution look like to make that kind of change repeatable on a national scale. And what we're generally pointing towards is some aspect of federal support, but also private investment as well. So what kind of mechanism can be put in place that will allow private finance to make sustainability programs for Indigenous healthy homes and buildings and infrastructure feasible? [36:15] James Jenkins: And we think it is going to have to be some kind of partnership between the federal government to secure some kind of financing tool and then to bring that private capital in. And so we have a number of partners that's expanding in the finance sector, in government, to really look at what a solution like that looks like. [36:35] James Jenkins: Indigenous housing, being a federal responsibility with the federal government having a large role in it, is certainly unusual and comes with some very unique challenges that make change at that scale difficult, but it's also an opportunity. And it does put the federal government in a position where it could lead a process like that and have some very large impact. So we want to make sure there is the existing community capacity for community members to know what meaningful change looks like at the local level, what the challenges and opportunities are that can contribute to that process. So that's the idea behind the Project Accelerator, but also design at the national level of a program that can lead to new builds, new sustainable builds, and retrofits on a major scale. [37:21] James Jenkins: And there are interesting examples. I was in the US earlier this year at a clean energy conference and was surprised to learn that there were very large subsidies for energy efficiency that were available to Indigenous communities up until recently—I would say at a scale tenfold of what we've ever seen in Canada. So those kinds of programs are possible, and I think we need to think outside the box and think about how do we put this into action. [37:51] James Jenkins: But ultimately, what we point out in those reports is that energy efficiency also leads to other very critical outcomes, including health and social outcomes at the community level. And speaking with communities, politicians from communities, housing tends to be a near number one or number one issue, with housing in need of repair being the core issue. And so ensuring that new housing is built with these sustainability measures in place will lead to houses that stay healthy for longer. And so, you know, it really goes much farther than just energy outcomes and that's why it's so critical. [38:34] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, it's another example of it it's not an either or question here, it's, you know, do it right in the right way and have a focus on both healthy and affordable housing at the same time as making sure it's energy efficient and you're kind of achieving both of those goals. So that's great. [38:58] Trevor Freeman: So, the second item you've identified in this section is, you know, a lot of northern and remote communities who rely on diesel for their energy focus, and our listeners may remember about a year ago we had a conversation with Quest Canada on this topic as well. And so, a lot of those communities are among the most affected by climate change and natural disasters, and you address what needs to happen from an early-stage planning and funding perspective to ensure that those communities that are not necessarily connected to a grid aren't left behind in this transition. Can you speak to us a little bit about that? [39:41] James Jenkins: Absolute. So already the cost of diesel in these remote communities is very high. So it's already an economic and social challenge in the territories and remote areas in the northern provinces. And so it's an area where communities tend to be very engaged and have been since the beginning. So we've been engaged with northern communities since the beginning with 2020 Catalyst. [40:15] James Jenkins: And I think it has a really—for them, clean energy has this impact on them like on a visceral level. For communities that have been able to implement clean technology and turn off the diesel generator for a while, they've talked about the impact of that silence that they haven't heard in so long, you know, the smell of clean air and that sort of thing. So there's this real passion, but also acknowledgment that, you know, they want to be part of a larger climate solution, they're feeling the impacts. And so there are many initiatives in the north, a number of which we've supported. [40:53] James Jenkins: But there are many challenges as well in terms of logistics, the value chain. Transportation is a real challenge compared to infrastructure in the south. So because there have been so many projects and we partnered with the federal government through two phases of a program called the Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative—and that was supported by a number of federal programs and we're just finishing off the second cohort—there is so much that we've learned through a couple dozen communities that have been heavily invested in reducing their diesel reduction. [41:35] James Jenkins: And we're really at a stage now where we can learn—we can take stock of what we've learned through this process and identify how do we get this to the stage of successful projects. And we've learned a number of things. It's also bringing technology to these places that's robust enough to withstand the challenges and just be at a utility scale, ensuring different technologies can work well with each other. [42:04] James Jenkins: But there's a real need to continue that growth, especially when there's been so much investment and so many communities are so close, with a few success stories and so much pride that comes with this. But ultimately, if they are left behind, the cost for them to power their communities with diesel is not going to become less of a challenge over time. It's only going to become more problematic. And so it's a real priority, and something that, you know, we need to keep staying loud about as well because these are where some of our real energy leaders are living and coming from when it comes to clean energy and ensuring that their priorities have a seat at the table. [42:52] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, you mention success stories, James, and as we kind of wrap up our conversation here, I want to touch on that a little bit. So you talk about looking at this in perspective of the global stage, and one of your policy recommendations discusses Canada Global Indigenous Cooperation. And you outline that there are more examples of successful Indigenous-led energy projects in Canada than anywhere else in the world. How is your organization, Indigenous Clean Energy, sharing this expertise internationally, and what can the rest of the world learn about what's happening here in Canada? [43:32] James Jenkins: So we started to learn just how far ahead Canada is in this area through participation in forums like the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and we participated in a pre-conference with 88 global Indigenous delegates. And many of them were surprised to learn of these equity projects and opportunities that exist in Canada. For us, it can still be very frustrating, so it is good to put that in perspective in terms of—from many other jurisdictions, they're still at the beginning stages. [44:06] James Jenkins: But we do have some programs in place, and for several years we've been supporting a sister organization in Australia called First Nations Clean Energy Network using a train-the-trainer model. So we've been active in Australia every year. We've been active in New Zealand as well. And we have some programming in South America in Ecuador and Colombia. And over the last year, we finished a program where we engaged with all of the provinces within Colombia with delegates from communities to assist in developing clean energy plans for their communities that they could bring to the government and and discuss a partnership framework so that they could start to reduce their reliance on diesel and other other carbon fuels. [44:59] James Jenkins: And we supported those meetings with the government as well and supported delegates from these countries to also visit communities and see success stories in Canada. And the US is another area where there have been some really positive success stories over the last few years, and there were a number of energy programs that particularly rural and remote communities benefited from, Alaska having probably a slight majority and then others in the northern part of the Lower 48. I think they're going to start to struggle because those programs are sunsetting now, I think most of them have recently sunsetted. And so I think it should be a wake-up call to our federal government that there has been this investment in the form of grants from the federal government. If we don't have some kind of programming in place, we will start to see that progress recede. [45:57] James Jenkins: But just in general, there's a lot that we can share with other jurisdictions globally, everything from what a good partnership looks like, you know, what are the learnings for meaningful participation. But we do have some examples that are very unique, I think, in almost every jurisdiction—Indigenous equity in transmission lines is is really unheard of, so so we should, you know, acknowledge that there are some things that we're doing well and um sharing that and learning what other communities are going through in other jurisdictions. It also really helps us in our strategy. [46:40] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I mean we started this conversation with you describing what your organization does, and something that struck me is it's a combination of supporting projects and project models and helping things get up and running off the ground, providing education, and focusing on advocacy. And I imagine that, you know, even within Canada but also looking at some of the partners you've just mentioned around the world, the focus on, you know, each one of those individual aspects will vary depending on what the biggest need is in that jurisdiction at that time as things change, as funding programs change. So I imagine, you know, advocacy becomes more and more important as you see funding programs change or even just project structure change. Is that kind of fair to say? [47:28] James Jenkins: Definitely. And our model is very community-driven with with community-tailored solutions and with education and capacity building at the community level being our our primary focus, which does set us apart from other organizations to some extent, but does reflect that that um every every solution is going to be different, and really bringing up that capacity at the community level is the most effective way to do it. And for these kinds of projects, there isn't one solution that fits everybody. [48:02] Trevor Freeman: Is there, to kind of wrap it up here, is there, you know, one piece of advice that you'd give to—I know this is a bit of a big loaded question, it's hard to boil it all down to one piece of advice—but is there something that you would kind of leave with let's say a utility or a developer who wants to build a successful and mutually beneficial partnership with Indigenous communities? What's that kind of one piece of advice you'd leave with them? [48:30] James Jenkins: Um, the one piece of advice, and sometimes I am asked that question, and I know there are developers outside of Canada that are starting to look at our market as things change globally. And what I would share, first of all, meeting with the communities is incredibly important. Community leadership, finding out what their process is for engagement and then establishing that relationship is hugely important. And um I think the advice usually stops there. I think many utilities and developers have heard that. [49:07] James Jenkins: But what I would suggest based on my own experience is that engagement occurs from the very top of the organization, from the utility and the developer. And that if the C-suite isn't meeting with the Indigenous partner themselves, they should be fully aware and engaged in what's happening. And that's usually the recipe for success. And you know, for these opportunities, many communities have a history where trust is something that does need to be cultivated, and that would be my main suggestion. I think it's where really successful partnerships have their strength, is there's that level of engagement from the entire vertical organization of the non-Indigenous partner. And so when there is an issue, political leadership from the community, they know who to call and vice versa, and it doesn't lead to larger misunderstandings. And it can lead to some of the more innovative projects we've seen like Oneida Storage, and there are many other examples of that where the developer and the community, after a successful project, they sit down together and they say, "What's next?" And they want to build on what they've developed together. [50:37] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I guess that's an indication of there actually being a relationship, trust built, rather than just kind of boxes checked and a process being followed. But if there's that actual trust built, it is more of a conversation that what next question can come up and there's sort of that mutual learning. So that's great. Thank you for that. So James, we always end our interviews with the same series of questions to our guests. So I'm going to dive right in here. What's a book that you've read that you think everybody should read? [51:11] James Jenkins: These are the top uh these are probably going to be the tougher questions for me, but um so I recently read a book by Cal Flyn, a UK author from Scotland, and it's called Islands of Abandonment. And the subtitle is Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape. And what she does is, in an investigative journalist style, goes to places where there hasn't been human presence for 50 or more years. Some of them are no man's land in war zones, some of them are cities facing urban decay, some of them are environmental catastrophe sites like Chernobyl, but then finding that nature has rebounded and that there is remarkable biodiversity in some of these places. [51:59] James Jenkins: So the message I don't want to take away from that is that if you get rid of humans everything will be perfect, because humans have had an impact on the landscape everywhere for much longer than we can comprehend. And in some cases, negative impacts to the landscape are because humans aren't doing what they were doing for a long time. So human intervention has a role and always will, but I think it's important to tell more stories that aren't a story of loss when we get to that point. [52:36] James Jenkins: And for Indigenous communities, many of us have been going through a process of healing, and many of us are still in that process. But as we start to heal and and ask ourselves what's next, that's when we start to think about regeneration, so regenerative energy, revitalization of our culture and and that's what's next and acknowledging that practices that have been lost are near lost can be revitalized in a way that that is uh is incredibly meaningful. And so I was happy to see that story in a widely publicized book because the major story in conservation, but also climate and other areas, has been one of loss. And so, with all of this loss, and and in some cases, you know, a bedrock of tragedy and historical tragedy, where is the, you know, where is the good news story? And I think having these stories about how nature can regenerate is important. It's important to tell that story. [53:50] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, that's fantastic. I appreciate that explanation, and these aren't supposed to be my questions to answer, but I do want to quickly mention a book called What If We Get It Right?—and I can't remember the author off the top of my head, but it really is a series of essays and poems and an exploration of like, what if we do the right things and we can address climate change? And I found it very helpful to kind of be able to imagine, yeah, this is what happens if we do the right thing, if we can address some of these challenges. So, along the same vein as what you mentioned. So, the next question is kind of the same, but what's a movie or a show that you've watched that you think everyone should take a look at? [54:36] James Jenkins: Uh, that that's a really tough one. I do like movies and shows. Um, I recently started watching two British series, um and uh they seem to be very into murder mysteries in the UK, which uh isn't something, you know, normally my favorite, but they do it really well. So I I really liked um Shetland, which is a series that takes place in remote islands in Northern Scotland. [55:06] James Jenkins: In some ways, I think even the setting that it's trying to tell, it resonates with our work in some ways and even the experience of living in an Indigenous community in a less remote location. So I enjoyed that, and then that led to um Sherlock, the the newer one starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which I thought was a very intelligent um show with a, you know, a compelling uh character with sort of superhero, but but somewhat comic book style realistic attributes, but also failings. Um, so I find I enjoy shows that are drawing from literature and putting them into today's terms and not worrying too much about um, you know, what's realistic and what's not, but really trying to—what would we how would this be written today? So I enjoyed that as well. [55:58] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I like that. Um, if somebody offered you a free round trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? [56:05] James Jenkins: So, Air Canada used to have contests for that, and we used to say Nunavut because it would get the most bang for your buck. You know, these are $4,000–$5,000 tickets, which speaks to the challenges that those communities face when it comes to decarbonizing the north. Um, for me, I mentioned I spent much of my childhood in Northern Arizona. I think at this time I'd probably use it for that, you know, I hope to visit again soon. [56:39] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, fantastic. Um, James, who is someone that you admire? [56:44] James Jenkins: Um, I've been grateful for wonderful mentors in the course of my career. Um, I'm really grateful that the founder of ICE, Chris Henderson, has dedicated himself to be a mentor for me and has has really he's committed to that um and I've learned a great deal from him. [57:04] James Jenkins: Working at Walpole Island, there were a number of chiefs that I worked closely with and have been thinking about one, um Charles Samson, who's passed away, and he really came into his own once he was chief. He had run for a long time, over 10 years, and um really learned a lot from him and his perspective. But then, uh other chiefs, Burton Kewayosh and Dan Miskokomon really really supported me and helped um helped develop my uh the breath of experience that I draw from. And today, um the current chief, Leela Thomas, is really showing some really great leadership, and I think it's a real breakthrough in our region that most of the chiefs in Southwestern Ontario are female, which was um really more rare in the past. So that's a breakthrough as well. [57:59] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, that's great. Uh, and final question, what is something about the energy sector or its future that you're particularly excited about? [58:08] James Jenkins: Um, I think what I'm excited about is that the door is open for Indigenous communities to really change the way that they're engaged with the economy, um for there to be some real opportunities for business development. Um, you know, for many years because I lived in the United States for a while, it felt like the overall economic development capacity of US tribes was far beyond what exists in Canada for a number of reasons. And and one of them is there were a few key industries in the US that the federal government, um it cultivated at different times, gaming being one, uh but it did lead to the infrastructure for US tribes to engage in business all across the country in a way that's still the exception rather than the rule in Canada. [59:02] James Jenkins: So it is exciting for me to think about there being that shift and that um truly Indigenous-led projects stop becoming one-offs, um but they start to be that real uh, you know, Indigenous leadership becomes embedded in the framework of energy decision-making. Um, the idea of it becoming a career path becomes more solidified. So I think it was a dream at one point that some ambitious leaders had, like thinking of Saugeen and Nawash equity participation in that transmission line, there was no blueprint for that. [59:39] James Jenkins: Um, but now that there's been a dream and we've seen it come into practice, so um it's exciting to think that we may continue to see that progress, and then in 10 years there there will be some foundational pillars for communities to really meet their own communities' needs on their own terms. Right now it continues to be a challenge in most places. It's uh, you know, what do we prioritize with limited resources? And um yeah, exciting that this could be a pathway to to start thinking more in terms of abundance. [1:00:19] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I mean we started this conversation with you describing what your organization does, and something that struck me is it's a it's a combination of supporting projects and project models and helping things get up and running off the ground, providing education, and focusing on advocacy. And I imagine that, you know, even within Canada but also looking at some of the partners you've just mentioned around the world, the focus on, you know, each one of those individual aspects will vary depending on what the biggest need is in that jurisdiction at that time as things change, as funding programs change. So I imagine, you know, advocacy becomes more and more important as you see funding programs change or even just project structure change. Is that kind of fair to say? [1:01:03] Trevor Freeman: James, thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate you coming on the show and helping us understand the work that Indigenous Clean Energy is doing, some of the great success stories, but also a little bit of the path that's still to be walked in order to get to success. So thanks very much, I appreciate your time. [1:01:21] James Jenkins: Thank you, Trevor, really enjoyed it. Thanks so much. [1:01:23] Trevor Freeman: Great. Take care. [1:01:25] Trevor Freeman: Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Think Energy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and it would be great if you could leave us a review. It really helps us to spread the word. As always, we would love to hear from you, whether it's feedback, comments, or an idea for a show or a guest. You can always reach us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com.

After a week of decisions coming in from all corners, Mary and Andrew begin with a court order issued to remove President Trump's name off the Kennedy Center after a failed, last-minute attempt by the administration to stop it from happening. Mary refers to this as “good news in the fight against revisionist history,” which she ties into their second beat: a preliminary injunction issued to restore changes to National Parks that were made after Trump issued an executive order calling for modifications to monuments, parks and memorials to rewrite and censor American history and science. Then, onto a federal judge in Virginia officially blocking the $1.776 Billion slush fund after mixed messaging from the administration about whether it would be set up, plus a decision by Judge Mehta in DC to overturn the Department of Energy's cancellation of $82.1 Million in clean energy grants to “Blue” states across the country. Mary and Andrew also touch on a Massachusetts District Court decision blocking Ken Paxton's lawsuit against the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue. And last up, they read and summarize the eyebrow-raising grand jury transcripts of the “Broadview Six” case out of Chicago, so you don't have to.  Further reading: Here is Judge Mehta's order reinstating the clean energy grants: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.296214/gov.uscourts.mad.296214.41.0.pdf   Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York residents might get a tax relief check in the mail soon. WFUV's Sonia Weliwitigoda has more. New York City will start receiving clean energy directly from Canada. WFUV's Sonia Weliwitigoda reports on the new sustainable energy project. People living in New York City's supportive housing units are getting exciting upgrades. WFUV's Mia Barth has more. Asad Dandia joined the ACLU in 2013 to sue the NYPD for surveilling Muslim Americans in the aftermath of 9/11. Dandia is now an urban historian, professor, and a guide for walking tours of the Musilm history of New York through his company New York Narratives. WFUV's Andrew McDonald went on a walk with Dandia through Harlem to talk about his life and how being a Musilm in New York has changed in the last 10 years. Host/Producer: Xenia Gonikberg Editor: Tess Novotny Reporter: Sonia Weliwitigoda Reporter: Mia Barth Reporter: Andrew McDonald Theme Music: Joe Bergsieker

The industry was booming before Congress repealed clean energy tax credits and the Trump administration began fighting wind and solar projects. Learn more at https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/ 

Max Lu, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wollongong says yes. He presents his case.

What if the most compelling case for clean energy isn't climate change, economics, or energy independence?What if it's public health?Former EPA Administrator Michael Regan has spent his career connecting pollution, environmental protection, and energy policy to the everyday health of American communities. In this special collaboration between SunCast and Energy Empire, Nico Johnson and Jigar Shah sit down with Regan to explore why he viewed the EPA as a public health agency first, and what today's clean energy leaders can learn from communities demanding a greater voice in decisions that affect their lives.From North Carolina's landmark coal ash settlement to EPA's Journey to Justice initiative, Regan shares how listening to communities reshaped the way he approached enforcement, regulation, and environmental protection. The conversation also tackles one of the industry's most pressing challenges: how to build the infrastructure America needs while maintaining public trust amid rising concerns over affordability, data centers, and rapid load growth.For developers, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders, this episode offers a timely reminder that successful energy transitions depend not only on technology and capital, but on people.Expect to learn:

The robotaxi company Waymo has announced new capabilities that provide benefits completely distinct from its primary business model.Waymo says that the large, heavy, power-intensive batteries that power its fleet will no longer go to a recycling center at the end of their lives. Instead, they have a new use: supporting the power grid.Through a new partnership with B2U Storage Solutions, Waymo's batteries will be repurposed in order to store clean energy. But rather than in one-off implementations, the goal for this effort is to establish grid-scale storage systems. Adam Lenz, head of Sustainability & Environment at Waymo, “Our shared fleet of EVs provide a massive opportunity to support the growth of clean energy on the electricity grid while expanding the circular economy,” adding it was important to the company that the batteries continue to provide “economic and environmental value” after they were retired from the road.The plan goes hand in hand with solar power, according to Waymo, who contends that the batteries will primarily be used to store the surplus energy produced during peak hours – namely the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest point. The batteries will then distribute that power during peak demand in the evenings.They say the process is largely plug-and-play, with batteries coming from cars and capable of being online in this power storage capacity within a matter of days.The first deployments derived from the partnership will take place in Texas and California – two states who not only have a significant need for electrical grid support but who also happen to already host Waymo fleets.Fellow automaker GM also recently revealed that it was expanding into different battery cell chemistries for varied uses – notably to increase its vehicle-to-grid capabilities. The automaker hopes to take advantage of the growth in AI data center development and use its batteries to help offset the strain on the nation's utilities.#Waymo, #Robotaxi, #AutonomousVehicles, #EV, #ElectricVehicles, #BatteryStorage, #EnergyStorage, #RenewableEnergy, #SolarEnergy, #CleanEnergy, #PowerGrid, #BatteryTechnology, #Sustainability, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews

Investing in clean energy infrastructure in emerging markets sounds more altruistic than profitable. But today's company shows that doing the right thing can also be incredibly lucrative.Mike Silvestrini, co-founder and Managing Partner of Energea, a US-based renewable energy investment platform. Mike's a seasoned renewable energy professional who has played a central role in developing over 500 solar projects across the US, Brazil, and Africa, contributing meaningfully to the global transition to clean energy. Today, we talk to Mike about how Energea evaluates investment opportunities, how they mitigate risk, and the incredible differences he's been able to make in different regions around the world. Highlights:Where the idea for Energea came from (2:20)How the platform functions (5:58)The types of deals Energea pursues (7:30)The minimum investment in Energea (9:52)Investment portfolios (11:53)Brazil (13:33)Investor Relations (15:27)Energea's Wealth Management Channel (18:32)Vetting new deals (19:45)Big institutional partners — Brookfield & Goldman Sachs (22:20)Community impact (24:23)Life perspective (28:16)Emerging Markets (30:11)Goals for '26 into '27 (31:37)Links:Mike Silvestrini LinkedInEnergea LinkedInEnergea WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, joe@lowerstreet.co

While Democratic leaders are pledging to restore wind and solar tax credits if they regain control of Congress and the White House, some clean energy developers are questioning whether continuing to pursue those incentives is necessary or even politically wise. POLITICO's Nico Portuondo breaks down why Democrats and parts of the renewable energy industry are increasingly at odds over those credits and what the debate means for America's clean energy future. Plus, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said that global oil consumption in 2026 is expected to fall from last year, and Constellation Energy's plan to reopen the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear site is one step closer to Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval. Nico Portuondo is a congressional energy reporter for POLITICO's E&E News. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.  KJ Cline is the video producer for POLITICO Energy. Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. Cyril Zaneski is executive editor of POLITICO's E&E News. Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO. Veronica Tejera is the deputy head of Audio/Video at POLITICO. Our theme music is by Pran Bandi. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram. Follow POLITICO here:    ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram:  / politico      ➤ Facebook:  / politico   For more reporting on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When data centers come to town, power bills go up, the water supply gets squeezed, and emissions start to rise. It's no wonder seven in ten Americans don't want one in their backyard. In the midst of this AI gold rush, many tech companies are taking advantage of communities, health, wealth, and safety for promises of a better future. But communities aren't taking the bait. In this episode, we talk about the real life effects of AI infrastructure and hear how it's affecting folks in our community. We get the stats on this booming industry and what's at stake. We hear from Abre' Connor, the civil rights attorney leading the NAACP's lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI — a data center that's now running 59 methane gas turbines in a Mississippi community, breaking a law that's been on the books since the 1970s.And we ask the uncomfortable question: could all this energy hunger actually accelerate the renewable transition? Is the AI revolution happening to us or for us? And what can we do about it? Episode rundown: (00:53) - On thing we can agree on (09:14) - The ripple effects of the AI boom (14:35) - The NAACP Lawyer Taking Elon Musk's xAI (27:59) - Can the Grid Save Us? (43:52) - Keep Making Noise

AP's Lisa Dwyer reports that solar power is beating coal for electricity generation in the U.S.

Energy and Environmental Economics Partner talks with CEM Associate Editor Abigail Sawyer about the changing shape of resource adequacy in the Desert Southwest as utilities try to thread the needle on reliably meeting a new level of "baseload demand" while striving for affordability and meeting state clean energy goals. 

Trump is using wartime presidential authority to hand $700 million to coal-fired power plants in the US to prop us what he calls “clean, beautiful coal”, despite it being the dirtiest of fossil fuels. The funds will be used to bring a new coal export terminal online in Oakland, California, and to restart an existing facility in Maryland. That's in addition to plants across 10 states: West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Trump says "Each of those 10 states voted for Trump, We won them all.” The two new coal plants will be in Alaska and West Virginia. We welcome Mo Kelly & Michael Shure for This Week in Politics - a look at the biggest stories, including election results, a new "Trump Promenade" and more. Keep your hands in the car as we cruise into Friday Fabulous Florida - you never know who has a machete! Plus, The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder brings the details on all the good movies and shows to see this weekend.

The wind stops blowing. The sun goes down.What happens next?Former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz explains why the transition to clean energy may be far more complicated than most people realize.In one of the most clear-eyed conversations about our energy future, Moniz pulls back the curtain on what it will actually take to build energy that is clean, reliable, and affordable - and why some of the hardest challenges have little to do with solar panels or wind turbines.He reveals which emerging technologies - from hydrogen to nuclear fusion - could reshape the future of energy, why storage remains a major hurdle, and what many people misunderstand about renewable power.What will it really take to keep the lights on in a low-carbon world?

Indigenous communities across the country are charging ahead with renewables. Melina Laboucan-Massimo brings news from Indigenous Clean Energy's training program, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. But even as young leaders learn about solar and wind power, there are growing worries that government funding to help communities make the transition may not continue. Then, a scientist weighs in on Ottawa's proposal to streamline environmental assessments for major projects.

A solar moratorium nearly shut down Alabama's emerging solar market before most of the industry even saw it coming.For years, the prevailing assumption has been that clean energy growth would be concentrated in politically progressive states while places like Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi lagged behind.But that's not what Monika Gerhart is seeing (and doing!) on the ground.As Executive Director of the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association (GSREIA), Monika operates at the intersection of policy, infrastructure, resilience, and market development across some of the most politically and operationally complex energy markets in America. And increasingly, she says the future of clean energy growth is being shaped locally — through trust, coalition-building, reliability concerns, and resilience planning.In this conversation, Nico and Monika unpack the fight that nearly derailed Alabama's solar market before most of the industry even noticed, how Hurricane Ida transformed the conversation around distributed energy and microgrids in Louisiana, and why resilience infrastructure is rapidly becoming a life-safety issue across the Gulf Coast.They also explore:why state-level advocacy increasingly determines whether markets survive long enough to maturehow local relationships shape energy policy more than national narrativesthe emerging role of neighborhood-scale resilience planning and community microgridswhy lawmakers are becoming more open to renewables as electricity demand acceleratesand what developers, manufacturers, investors, and operators should understand about building durable markets in politically complicated regionsThis is a conversation about far more than solar policy.It's about how energy markets are actually built — and why some of the industry's most important battles are happening far from the headlines.Are there other technologies you've scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.If you want to connect with today's guest, you'll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today's guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Today, POLITICO Energy host Arianna Skibell sits down with Matt Abele, the executive director of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association who serves on Governor Josh Stein's Clean Energy Task Force. They discuss why North Carolina, which was one of the South's earliest and biggest adopters on clean energy, is slowing down its climate and green ambitions and what that trend reveals about affordability, rising utility bills and the growing impact of data centers across the region. Arianna Skibell is a climate and energy reporter at POLITICO.  Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.  KJ Cline is the video producer for POLITICO Energy. Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. Cyril Zaneski is executive editor of POLITICO's E&E News. Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO. Veronica Tejera is the deputy head of Audio/Video at POLITICO. Our theme music is by Pran Bandi. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram. Follow POLITICO here:    ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram:  / politico      ➤ Facebook:  / politico   For more reporting on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get in touch - leave me a messageFake people. Fake comments. Real clean energy projects killed.This is what climate delay looks like in the AI era.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Leah Qusba, CEO of GoodPower, an organisation working at the intersection of climate tech, culture, policy, and decarbonisation. We explore a hard truth about the energy transition: solar, wind, batteries, and electrification may be ready, but public trust, local permission, and disinformation are now decisive barriers to getting projects built.You'll hear why Leah believes fossil fuel dependence is becoming harder to defend as “secure energy”, especially when oil and gas volatility keeps spilling into bills, food prices, business costs, and household budgets. We dig into why clean energy should be framed less as sacrifice and more as protection: protection from price shocks, geopolitical risk, climate impacts, and the charming little habit fossil fuels have of making everything more expensive.We also get into GoodPower's research on what actually changes minds. Their storytelling work has reached tens of millions of people and, in tested campaigns, shifted audiences from NIMBY to YIMBY by 11%. Leah explains why the right messenger can matter more than the perfect message, why rural voices can unlock rural support, and why creators in food, fashion, gaming, cars, comedy, and culture may be more effective climate communicators than traditional climate voices.And yes, we talk about AI-generated disinformation in permitting decisions, fake public pressure, and why pre-bunking false claims before they spread may become essential for emissions reduction, net zero delivery, and climate policy that survives contact with reality.

In this episode of The Green Light, Catherine spoke with Kelly Veney Darnell, COO of American Clean Power (ACP), about building more inclusive leadership pathways across the clean energy industry through initiatives like CLEANPOWER in Color and EmpowHER.Kelly shared how CLEANPOWER in Color - taking place June 1–2 during CLEANPOWER in Houston - has already tripled its registrants year over year as more professionals seek opportunities for connection, mentorship, and career growth within clean energy. They also discussed ACP's EmpowHER initiative, taking place August 5–7 in Charlotte, which helps women across the industry build leadership skills, community, and confidence navigating executive leadership, finance, salary negotiation, and career advancement.They also discussed workforce development, the importance of visibility and representation in clean energy, and Kelly's new LinkedIn Live series, Between Meetings with Kelly, where she shares candid insights from nearly two decades in executive leadership.Register for Clean Power in Color: https://cleanpower.org/cleanpower-in-color/Register for EmpowHER: https://cleanpower.org/empowher/If you're a clean energy employer and need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier staff, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. If you're looking for your next role in clean energy, take a look at our industry-leading clients' latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. 

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 featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm's Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Akshat Rathi from Bloomberg News, who discussed how the Iran conflict is boosting the security benefits of clean energy.This week's “Cleantecher of the Week” is a tribute to a life and career that left an indelible mark on the clean energy community. Jake Clark spent his career at Encore Renewable Energy, most recently pivoting from Vice President of Project Development to stand up the company's Community Engagement program. Those who knew him describe him as one of those rare people who made the whole field better through both his work and who he was. The clean energy community is smaller without him. We honor his memory and the standard he set for all of us.This Week in Cleantech — May 26, 2026China's $3 Billion US Clean Tech Exit Is an Investment Warning — Bloomberg'Paying their fair share': EV drivers could see new fees in proposed bill – USA TodayA new mega-utility is at ground zero for AI. Here's what could happen. — E&E NewsThe World Can't Get Enough U.S. Energy, Keeping Prices High for Americans — The Wall Street JournalZero: Iran War Boosts Clean Energy's Security Benefits — BloombergWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

What happens to used cooking oil after a restaurant closes for the night? Join David on a visit to Clean Energy Biofuels in Monroe, Georgia, where used fryer oil and grease trap waste are transformed into renewable fuel. Along the way, we meet the welders, plant managers, engineers, and recycling experts working behind the scenes to reduce landfill waste, support restaurants, and help power a growing biofuels industry across the Southeast.

As the world faces growing concerns over sustainability, resources, and environmental impact, the search for practical energy solutions has never been more important. In this insightful and forward-thinking episode, Joseph Fray explores An Achievable Solution to Our Energy Problems, discussing ideas and innovations aimed at creating a more sustainable future. Drawing from his perspectives on energy systems and global challenges, Joseph examines the obstacles facing modern energy production and consumption, including dependence on finite resources, environmental concerns, and infrastructure limitations. He explores possible approaches that could help create cleaner, more efficient, and more accessible energy solutions for future generations. This episode invites listeners to think critically about one of the defining issues of our time. What realistic solutions exist for meeting global energy demands? How can innovation, policy, and public awareness work together toward sustainability? And what role can individuals and communities play in shaping the future of energy? Join us for a compelling and hopeful conversation that focuses on progress and possibility—where practical thinking and innovation come together in the search for achievable solutions to global energy challenges.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-x-zone-radio-tv-show--1078348/support.Please note that all XZBN radio and/or television shows are Copyright © REL-MAR McConnell Meda Company, Niagara, Ontario, Canada – www.rel-mar.com. For more Episodes of this show and all shows produced, broadcasted and syndicated from REL-MAR McConell Media Company and The 'X' Zone Broadcast Network and the 'X' Zone TV Channell, visit www.xzbn.net. For programming, distribution, and syndication inquiries, email programming@xzbn.net.We are proud to announce the we have launched TWATNews.com, launched in August 2025.TWATNews.com is an independent online news platform dedicated to uncovering the truth about Donald Trump and his ongoing influence in politics, business, and society. Unlike mainstream outlets that often sanitize, soften, or ignore stories that challenge Trump and his allies, TWATNews digs deeper to deliver hard-hitting articles, investigative features, and sharp commentary that mainstream media won't touch.These are stories and articles that you will not read anywhere else.Our mission is simple: to expose corruption, lies, and authoritarian tendencies while giving voice to the perspectives and evidence that are often marginalized or buried by corporate-controlled media

Clean energy has made tremendous progress on technology.Solar is cheaper. Batteries are scaling. Virtual power plants are becoming real grid assets. Electrification is accelerating.But many people still do not understand why these technologies matter to them personally — or whether they are actually worth the cost.So what's missing?In this conversation, Nico sits down with Jessica Fishman to explore why the next phase of the energy transition may depend less on technical innovation and more on public understanding, trust, and emotional connection.Jessica shares lessons from nearly two decades working across solar, storage, policy, and communications, including what the industry can learn from the Inflation Reduction Act, why facts alone rarely change minds, and how clean energy companies can better connect their work to the things people already care about: affordability, resilience, independence, and economic opportunity.Expect to learn:

European and US stock markets rallied yesterday after President Trump hinted that the US administration is in the final stages of an agreement to end the war with Iran. The 10-year US Treasury shaved 9 basis points off the previous session's yield. Asian markets were further boosted overnight by an impressive set of results from NVIDIA. Warnings did come in from the Fed though, in the form of the minutes of its last meeting, which revealed a heightened level of disagreement about where rates should go next and a majority of participants highlighting that rates will need to rise if inflation runs persistently above 2%. Head of Economics & Next Generation Research, Norbert Rücker, joins today's podcast to discuss not only the outlook for oil and energy prices, but also to explain why he is so constructive on the theme of Clean Energy. Tune in to find out more.(00:00) - Introduction: Mike Rauber, Product & Investment Content (00:49) - Markets wrap-up: Bernadette Anderko, Product & Investment Content (08:11) - (Clean) energy update: Norbert Rücker, Head of Economics & Next Generation Research (13:33) - Closing remarks: Mike Rauber, Product & Investment Content Would you like to support this show? Please leave us a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Why Australia Is a Clean Energy Investment Hotspot: Solar, Wind, Batteries & Energy Security | Joost BergsmaOn The Greener Way, host Michelle Baltazar speaks with Joost Bergsma, global head of energy at Nuveen Infrastructure, about clean energy investing, energy security, and why Australia is attractive for large-scale renewables.Bergsma reflects on his the last two decades in the sector and describes how capital raising has evolved from needing to explain basic technologies to today's dedicated institutional infrastructure teams, alongside greater competition.He explains clean energy investments across solar, onshore/offshore wind and battery storage that appeal to Nuveen's institutional clients.He also highlights what's new in the battery storage sector and Australia's land-driven scale advantages versus Europe.For investors just entering the clean energy sector, he explains the need to address China-concentrated supply chains and Australia's grid buildout needs.01:02 A career milestone in clean energy02:13 Capital raising outlook03:09 Nuveen infrastructure strategy04:43 Geopolitics and energy security06:47 Data centres and demand surge08:41 Risk return spectrum explained09:45 Australian investor appetite10:54 Nuveen's local pipeline12:04 Ten-year outlook on batteries14:40 What could go wrong?We record on Gadigal land and we pay our respects to the traditional custodians of country and elders past and present.https://www.fssustainability.com.au/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

CleanTechnica's Scott Cooney talks with Britt Zwierzchowski Tisler, COO of the Conservative Energy Network, and Bradley Pischea, National Director of Land & Liberty Coalition (L&LC), a project of CEN. They discuss: 1. Who we are, why we came to this space of engaging on clean energy advocacy 2. Importance of engaging conservatives in this space and why they cannot be left behind (depoliticizing these issues is our goal) 3. Role clean energy plays in rural communities 4. Why it's important for our national defense to have a diversified grid 5. How clean energy and diversified energy enables our economic growth in the U.S.

CleanTechnica's Scott Cooney talks with Britt Zwierzchowski Tisler, COO of the Conservative Energy Network, and Bradley Pischea, National Director of Land & Liberty Coalition (L&LC), a project of CEN. They discuss:1. Who they are, why they came to the clean energy space.2. Importance of engaging conservatives in this space and why they cannot be left behind (depoliticizing these issues is the goal).3. The role clean energy plays in rural communities.4. Why it's important for our national defense to have a diversified grid.5. How clean energy and diversified energy enable economic growth in the U.S.

Rob Black is Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, and Bruce Brown is Head of Strategic Climate Initiatives at the New Mexico State Investment Council, the state's $72B sovereign wealth fund. Together, they are driving one of the most ambitious state-level strategies in the U.S. to turn energy wealth into long-term climate innovation and economic growth. The conversation also features MCJ portfolio founders building in the state: Carrie von Muench, Co-founder of Pacific Fusion, developing modular fusion energy systems, and Carl Hoiland, Co-founder and CEO of Zanskar Geothermal, using AI to discover and scale geothermal resources. Together, our guests explore how sovereign capital, policy, and startups intersect—from funding venture managers and attracting hyperscale projects to enabling first-of-a-kind (FOAK) infrastructure. The episode highlights what it actually takes to build (climate) companies in a new geography, and how New Mexico is positioning itself as a hub for advanced energy and climate tech. This episode of Inevitable was recorded in front of a live audience on April 22, 2026 at the SVB Experience Center during SF Climate Week. (Published on May 12, 2026). In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) Overview of New Mexico's development strategy (2:06) Becoming a climate innovation hub (4:31) An overview of the state's sovereign wealth fund: $72B capital (6:27) Investing for returns while hedging energy transition risk (10:34) Economic growth, poverty reduction, and workforce investment (14:20) Why New Mexico is betting on climate and energy (17:32) How the state supports startups: incentives and “white glove” service (20:26) The shift in strategy: from local funds to global venture partners (22:36) Scaling the model: billions into venture and new industries (25:03) Transmission, infrastructure, and enabling energy deployment (27:00) Building data centers, microgrids, and large-load demand (35:11) Pacific Fusion: building modular, scalable fusion systems (35:23) Zanskar Geothermal: AI-driven geothermal discovery and development (40:23) Why New Mexico: resource potential vs. siting strategy (45:29) What founders actually get from the state and what still needs work (50:22) Lessons for builders: permitting, incentives, and scaling fast Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Wind and solar resources are providing more clean, low-cost electricity to the grid than ever before, but the intermittent nature of renewable generation requires careful planning. In the latest episode of the Power Trends podcast, NYISO Director of Grid Transition Udayan Nair breaks down what the latest data reveals about wind and solar performance, and what it means for reliability in New York as electricity demand continues to grow.Notably, the electric grid has seen remarkable growth in behind-the-meter solar capacity in recent years, surpassing the solar goal in the state's Climate Leadership Community Protection Act (CLCPA).“We had a goal in CLCPA to reach 6000 megawatts by 2025,” Nair said. “We were at over 6,800 megawatts of capacity last year and it's grown by about 1,000 megawatts per year since 2020. That's a remarkable success in terms of the capacity that has been added to the grid.”Front-of-the-meter solar, which refers to grid-connected solar installments that participate in the NYISO's energy markets, has also seen increased capacity in recent years. While no new wind installments were added in 2025, existing units performed better than usual due to stronger wind patterns, Nair said. Nair discussed factors that contribute to renewable performance, including seasonal weather, demand patterns, and curtailments. He explained why solar and wind must be paired with transmission, storage, and flexible resources to keep the grid reliable, particularly during summer heat waves and winter cold snaps. The latest renewables data showcases the growing contribution of renewables in the current fuel mix and underscores the need for an all-of-the-above approach to development as New York's electric system continues to evolve. More resources: View the 2025 Renewables Report.Learn MoreFollow us on X/Twitter @NewYorkISO, LinkedIn @NYISO, Bluesky @nyiso.comRead our blogs and watch our videos

This week on the podcast, Jackie and Peter are joined by Marcus Rocque, Vice President of Research at the ARC Energy Research Institute. This episode focuses on how the oil and gas shock from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is reshaping the outlook for clean energy, including how governments are rationing oil and gas use through policies such as work-from-home measures and lower speed limits. There is already evidence of increasing sales of alternatives, including EVs, heat pumps, and electric cookstoves. The shortage, however, is also expected to increase demand for coal as an alternative in countries like India and China, which have abundant domestic resources that provide energy security. The podcast discusses whether this could change long-term demand for oil and gas and the implications for Canada. They also consider some of the latest news in Canada, including last week's visit to Ottawa by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, and reports that the federal government is proposing to reverse the order of environmental approvals, allowing cabinet to green-light projects prior to the completion of technical assessments and approvals, along with implementing a maximum one-year review period. Finally, Premier Danielle Smith also traveled to Ottawa last week and left with a confident message about the delivery of the MOU.Content referenced in this podcast:Globe and Mail, “Canada should accelerate new energy infrastructure as market shifts, IEA chief says” (May 4, 2026) Latitude Media, Jigar Shah, “This isn't demand destruction. It's rationing.”  (April 24, 2026) Premier Danielle Smith's post on X regarding her positive meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on the MOU agreement (May 8, 2026) FT, Spencer Dale, “Why the Iran war might not spur a faster transition to low carbon energy” (May 4, 2026) Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/ Check us out on social media: X (Twitter): @arcenergyinstLinkedIn: @ARC Energy Research Institute Subscribe to ARC Energy Ideas PodcastApple PodcastsAmazon MusicSpotify 

Clean energy companies across the country are racing ahead of a July deadline to secure federal tax credits and incentives that have helped drive the rapid expansion of wind and solar power. But as those incentives begin to phase out, big questions loom about whether the U.S. clean energy industry will stumble or stand strong. POLITICO's Pavan Acharya breaks down the scramble, the stakes, and whether the industry can sustain its growth. Plus, the European Commission is considering giving fossil fuel companies leeway to avoid penalties under new rules governing the emissions of methane. Pavan Acharya covers clean energy for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.  KJ Cline is the video producer for POLITICO Energy. Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. Cyril Zaneski is executive editor of POLITICO's E&E News. Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO. Veronica Tejera is the deputy head of Audio/Video at POLITICO. Our theme music is by Pran Bandi. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram. Follow POLITICO here:    ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram:  / politico      ➤ Facebook:  / politico   For more reporting on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everywhere you look, you see two types of technology existing side-by-side. One that runs on fossil fuels and one that runs on clean electricity. There’s an ongoing struggle between the two, a tug of war between two very different futures. Some call it the mid-transition, and it comes with costs that make it politically fraught. This week on Zero, Emily Grubert, professor of sustainable energy policy at the University of Notre Dame, tells Akshat Rathi how to navigate the mid-transition, and the better energy system that exists on the other side.Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

```html join wall-e for today's tech briefing on thursday, may 7, as we explore key topics shaping the tech industry: ai economy insights from milken global conference: industry leaders like christophe fouquet and francis desouza discuss challenges such as chip manufacturing limits and infrastructure demands impacting ai growth. microsoft's sustainability challenge: the company's ai data center expansion pressures clean energy goals, highlighting the balance between growth and sustainability. cybersecurity developments: latvian hacker deniss zolotarjovs receives an eight-year sentence, shedding light on the intersection of cybercrime and state activities. snapchat's business strategy shifts: snap ends its $400 million partnership with perplexity, while its user base grows with a 5% increase in daily active users. elon musk's spacex and semiconductor ambitions: spacex plans a $119 billion "terafab" facility in texas, aligning with musk's vision for advancements in ai and robotics. tune in tomorrow for more tech updates! ```

Eddy Chiang is Co-founder and CEO of Moment Energy, a company building commercial-scale energy storage systems from repurposed electric vehicle batteries. By testing, certifying, and remanufacturing second-life battery modules, Moment Energy is creating lower-cost alternatives to new lithium-ion storage while extending battery lifespans by decades. In this episode of Inevitable, Chiang explains how a growing wave of retired EV batteries is reshaping the energy storage market—making recycling alone economically unviable. The conversation covers the technical and regulatory challenges of certifying second-life systems, how Moment Energy became the first company to achieve full UL certification, and why safety, not cost, is the real barrier to adoption.  We also explore how distributed battery systems can replace traditional grid upgrades, why hyperscaler demand is accelerating deployment, and how Moment Energy is positioning storage not just as a product, but as long-term infrastructure designed to last 100 years. MCJ is a three-time investor in Moment Energy. The company just closed a $40M Series B co-led by Evok Innovations and the Canadian Growth Fund — with the participation of Amazon, Liberty Mutual, Voyager and our fund.  Episode recorded on April 14, 2026 (Published on May 5, 2026). In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) An overview of Moment Energy (2:47) Moment Energy's market evolution (6:37) What certification means and why it's the hardest part (10:22) Are second-life batteries actually safe? (12:15) Hardware + software: how Moment Energy builds safe systems (15:39) Moment Energy's product: modular, distributed battery systems (19:06) Batteries vs grid upgrades: the core economic tradeoff (25:35) Repurposed batteries and domestic supply chains (29:49) The second life of EV batteries and why most still have value (35:20) Designing battery systems to last 100 years (42:53) Demands for AI, hyperscalers, and distributed storage (47:55) Working with Amazon and scaling deployment Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Critical Minerals Supercycle? How AI, Clean Energy & Geopolitics Are Reshaping Supply ChainsIn this episode of The Greener Way, host Michelle Baltazar chats with Vinnay Cchoda, responsible investment manager at BetaShares, about the predicted shortage of some critical minerals in the next couple of decades and how that could force a resetting of investment expectations and strategies.Cchoda says the convergence of electrification, AI-driven data center buildout, and unstable geopolitics is causing supply chain issues.He argues that the supercycle of critical minerals is directionally right but too simplistic, with uneven outcomes across the different types of minerals. For example, lithium and nickel are seeing faster supply responses and price corrections, while copper has hit new highs.The discussion highlights why investors need to look at their diversification strategies and how to respond to the cycles within the supercycle impacting investment outcomes.Read: Critical minerals in the age of AI and tariffs (Link: https://www.fssustainability.com.au/article/critical-minerals-in-the-age-of-ai-and-tariffs)01:08 Three forces converge04:17 Supercycle creates uneven outcomes07:27 When AI meets clean energy09:06 Predicted 40% supply shortage10:52 Supply chain bottlenecks13:05 Investor playbookWe record on Gadigal land and we pay our respects to the traditional custodians of country and elders, past and present.https://www.fssustainability.com.au/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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 featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm's Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Oliver Milman from The Guardian, who discussed how the clean energy industry is pushing forward despite Trump's aggressive efforts to suppress it.This week's “Cleantecher of the Week” is Sean Park, the CEO of Point2. Data centers rely heavily on copper cables, but copper has physical limits on efficiency and is subject to major price swings. Point2 has developed a way to transmit data using radio waves through plastic materials instead, cutting out copper entirely. The company claims this halves power consumption compared to traditional high-speed copper cables. Congratulations Sean!This Week in Cleantech — May 1, 2026 Why Is Your Electric Bill Going Up? Blame the Broken Grid. – The New York TimesTrump administration to pay 2 more companies to walk away from US offshore wind leases – The Associated PressWhy electricity markets are stuck on the gas price rollercoaster — The Financial TimesThe Rise of the High-Range, Less Expensive E.V. — The New York TimesTrump's attempt to crush clean energy progress not going to plan, experts say — The GuardianWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

What does effective climate action look like in a conservative state, and how can clean energy actually save people money?In this episode of 50 Shades of Green, host Phil sits down with Sarah Wright, Founder of Utah Clean Energy, for a wide-ranging conversation on practical, people-centered climate solutions. Drawing on her background in geology and public health, Sarah explains why Utah Clean Energy focuses on energy efficiency, building electrification, zero-emission homes, clean transportation, and grid decarbonization, and how these strategies improve both air quality and household affordability.Sarah shares how reframing climate change as a health, community, and economic issue has helped bring together unlikely allies, including the creation of Utah's Climate and Clean Air Compact with more than 200 business, faith, and civic leaders. She also discusses why fuel-free resources like wind and solar protect families from volatile energy costs, and how smart building design can deliver billions in long-term savings.The conversation closes with lessons from nearly two decades of climate advocacy, from finding shared values in tough negotiations to making sure renters and low-income households aren't left behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bunch of candidates will be on your ballot for the Congressional District One Democratic primary. Host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means, and newsletter editor Terina Ria break down the results from this weekend's nominating conventions. Plus, a new clean energy program in SLC and shout outs.   Resources and references:  Liban Mohamed is the Utah Democratic convention pick in the new 1st district [KUER] Coming soon to your monthly power bill in SLC: a $4 clean energy fee [Salt Lake Tribune] The Wasatch Front's Data Center Boom [City Cast Salt Lake]  Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It's the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (801) 203-0137 Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:  Red Butte Garden Cozy Earth - use code COZYSALTLAKE for up to 20% off Canyon View Credit Union

Welcome to a special live episode of the Everything Electric podcast, recorded right in the heart of Oxford Street thanks to  @renaultgroup .   This is a rare, unfiltered conversation with three of the most influential voices in clean energy and human behaviour:  Greg Jackson (CEO, Octopus Energy)  Rory Sutherland (Behavioural Science, Ogilvy)  Robert Llewellyn (Fully Charged)  We're living through a strange moment. Clean energy is advancing faster than ever… yet the global system still clings to fossil fuels, geopolitical instability, and outdated market rules. So what's really going on?    In this episode, we explore:  Why fossil fuels are fundamentally inefficient (and losing ground)  The surprising psychology behind EV adoption (spoiler: it's not about saving the planet)  How the UK's electricity pricing system is distorting costs  The idea of an "energy pension" and how solar could deliver ~11% returns  Why countries like China are racing ahead while others hesitate  Standout moments:  "Oil and gas are like an abusive partner… it's never going to be different."  The "Château Pétrus" analogy that perfectly explains energy pricing  Why petrol stations might soon look… completely outdated  "You just plug it in like a phone. Shut up." This conversation is about technology, economics, human behaviour, and what the future will actually feel like. Enjoy!    00:00:00:00 Welcome and a little caveat!  00:01:10 Ad Break  00:01:32 Set the scene 00:05:20 Greg Jackson, Rory Sutherland & Robert Llewellyn  00:07:00 Why?  00:09:41 Robert Llewellyn on Efficiency and Internal Combustion Engines  00:11:18 Rory Sutherland on EV Hostility  00:16:14 The Energy Crisis and Fossil Fuel Industry "Audacity" - Greg Jackson  00:20:53 Oil and Gas - an "Abusive Partner"?!  00:22:56 Market Reform and the Future of BP and Shell  00:28:10 Harm Reduction vs Perfectionism  00:30:45 The Norwegian Paradox and Imported Emissions  00:33:11 Marginal Pricing: The "Pint of Beer" Analogy  00:34:31 Overcoming the Standard of Perfection in New Tech  00:37:46 Greg Jackson's Three Magic Wishes for Energy Reform  00:40:14 AI Data Centres and Localised Pricing  00:43:46 The Perception and Politics of Electric Vehicles  00:45:52 Behavioural Science: Social Copying and the Sigmoid Curve  00:48:21 The IKEA Effect: Loyalty through Sunk Effort  00:50:11 Induction Hobs and the Benefits of Electrification  00:51:03 Reframing Clean Tech as an "Energy Pension" 00:53:08 Preppers and "Freedom Cars" in Texas  00:54:39 The Success of Global EV Test Drives  00:56:53 Micro-Mobility and the Quiet Streets of China  01:00:08 Displacing Global Fossil Fuel Consumption  01:03:03 Symbolic Action vs. Meaningful Energy Change  01:04:45 Closing Remarks and Audience Farewell   Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: www.everythingelectric.show  Check out our sister channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EverythingElectricShow Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become an Everything Electric Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Become a YouTube member: use JOIN button above Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Everything Electric newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialeverythingelectric To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: commercial@fullycharged.show EE NORTH (Harrogate) - 8th & 9th May 2026  EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026  EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026 EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026   #fullychargedshow #everythingelectricshow #homeenergy #cleanenergy #battery #electriccars #electricvehiclesuk #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition #RenewableEnergy #FutureOfEnergy #ElectricVehicles #EVs #HeatPumps #SolarEnergy #ElectricityPrices #EnergyCrisis #UKEnergy #EnergyMarket #OctopusEnergy #GregJackson #RorySutherland #RobertLlewellyn #EverythingElectric #FullyCharged #ClimateTech #NetZero #Decarbonisation #Sustainability #GreenEnergy

After the Fukushima disaster shut down Japan's nuclear reactors, the coal industry rushed in to fill the energy gap. As climate advocate Kimiko Hirata watched dozens of new coal plant proposals quietly surface across the country — each one locking in decades of future emissions — she resolved to make them impossible to ignore. She shares how a small, scrappy civil society movement took on a fossil-fuel-dependent economy and got people to say "yes" to a renewable future.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clean energy has a dirty secret buried deep in the Congo. The Elements of Power author Nicolas Niarchos is here to pull the supply chain apart link by link.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1315What We Discuss with Nicolas Niarchos:"Clean" energy isn't clean — the cobalt in your phone or EV may have been hand-dug in dangerous DRC mine pits by workers living under near-slavery conditions, earning barely enough to scrape by.China processes 70–90% of critical battery metals and owns major mines across the DRC and Indonesia, giving it a stranglehold on the global supply chain that dwarfs OPEC's peak leverage over oil.Supply chain audits are largely theater — documents have flagged child labor and dangerous conditions at specific mines, yet production never stopped, and conditions often worsened in the years that followed.Communities surrounding DRC mines face heavy metal contamination, mine collapses, and the world's highest rates of congenital birth defects — a catastrophic human toll that's invisible at the point of sale.You're not powerless: using your devices longer, raising concerns at shareholder meetings, and pushing elected officials to prioritize ethical sourcing are concrete steps that create real, compounding pressure for change.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: BetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordanButcherBox: Free protein for a year + $20 off first box: butcherbox.com/jordanDeleteMe: 20% off: joindeleteme.com/jordan, code JORDANBooking.com: Book your getaway now with booking.comSimpliSafe: 50% off + 1st month free: simplisafe.com/jordanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.volts.wtfHeatmap's Robinson Meyer joins me to unpack the sheer madness of the current news landscape. We discuss the energy implications of the Iran war, the vexed politics of permitting reform, Microsoft's retreat from carbon dioxide removal, the lessons of the IRA, the lingering pastoralism of the environmental movement, and much more.

Jon criticizes Gov. Walz for breaking an unwritten rule of international politics and questions U.S. Rep. Omar's taxes. Jon takes down commentary from the Governor of Massachusetts.

Dave McColl is Executive Director of Stanford Climate Ventures (SCV), a program designed to help students build climate companies through rigorous go-to-market strategy and hands-on company building. SCV is a project-based course at Stanford University that has helped launch dozens of startups across energy, infrastructure, and industrial decarbonization. In this episode of Inevitable, Yin Lu, General Partner at MCJ,  sits down with McColl to unpack the SCV playbook—from “earned secrets” to the importance of customer discovery. The conversation also features three founders who came out of the SCV ecosystem: Carla Pinzon, Founder of Expand Power, solid-state transformers for a more flexible grid Raj Tilwa, Founder of Focal, personalized heating systems for commercial spaces Nico Pinkowski, Founder of Nitricity, decentralized fertilizer with air, water, and renewable power Together, they share how SCV shaped their companies, from early pivots and customer insights to product-market fit, and what it takes to build sustainable businesses.  Episode recorded on March 13, 2026 (Published on April 14, 2026). In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) An overview of Stanford Climate Ventures (SCV) (5:12) The origin of SCV and its community-driven model (10:14) How SCV works: discovery, iteration, and “earned secrets” (16:25) The biggest founder mistake: ignoring the customer (18:56) What predicts success: discovery volume and team dynamics (25:51) Carla Pinzon (Expand Power): solid-state transformers for a modern grid (32:21) Finding product-market pull through customer discovery (35:56) Raj Tilwa (Focal): personalized heating vs heating entire spaces (44:21) 100+ interviews to find a real painkiller in hospitality (52:10) Nico Pinkowski (Nitricity): decentralized fertilizer production (58:31) How product-market fit can take years Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

From smoggy San Diego tennis courts to shaping the Green New Deal, my guest Mark Z. Jacobson has spent his life answering one question: How do we actually fix air pollution and climate change? In this episode, I talk with the Stanford professor and director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program about why we don't need miracle technologies; we just need to deploy the clean solutions that already work. You'll hear why many “solutions” like carbon capture, blue hydrogen, biofuels, and new nuclear are expensive distractions, how wind, water, and solar can reliably power the grid 100%, and why electrifying everything (cars, heating, cooking, industry) slashes both energy use and deaths from air pollution. https://youtu.be/DDTbFNebRVE Mark also walks me through real-world data from 150+ country-level transition plans, his own 100% renewable home, and why the biggest barrier now isn't technology, it's politics, misinformation, and lack of focus. If you're a founder, policymaker, or just a concerned citizen wondering whether we're doomed or if the solutions are real, this episode will help you see what actually works, what doesn't, and how you and I can both help accelerate the transition. Quotes: “We don't need miracle technologies to solve climate change, we need the courage to deploy the solutions we already have.” “Every year we delay the transition to clean energy, seven and a half million more people die from air pollution. Waiting is not neutral, it's deadly.” “This isn't a technology problem anymore; it's a focus problem. When we ignore the distractions and double down on wind, water, and solar, a 100% clean energy world becomes inevitable.” Resources: Mark Jacobson on LinkedIn Stanford University

In this episode of the Everything Electric podcast, Robert is joined by fellow presenter Imogen Bhogal. What starts as a quick catch-up soon descends into a slightly unhinged conversation about the surprising return of the Freelander as an EV joint venture in China, the staggering energy demands of AI and data centres including battery systems measured in tens of gigawatt-hours that rival the power consumption of entire cities, and Robert's unexpected VW fandom...!   Links to stories:  https://electrek.co/2026/03/31/freelander-suv-reborn-sharp-off-road-ev-images/    https://electrek.co/2026/03/30/toyotas-new-luxury-ev-china-receives-3100-orders-in-1-hour/    https://electrek.co/2026/03/27/used-ev-sales-boom-new-ev-sales-drop-28-percent-q1-2026/    https://electrek.co/2026/03/26/byd-recruits-james-bond-launch-new-longe-range-luxury-ev/    https://www.utilitydive.com/news/worlds-largest-grid-battery-part-of-google-xcel-energy-agreement/813793/    00:00 – Intro: A "First Best" Guest?!  01:35 – Freelander Returns?! JLR's China EV Strategy  13:55 – April Fools  17:40 – The Rise of Mega-Batteries  26:25 – Electric Trucks & 1.5MW Charging  31:40 – The US EV Market: What's Really Happening?  34:05 – Renewables vs. Politics  37:40 – Are These "Dark Times" Temporary?  41:25 – Upcoming Reviews: BYD & Volvo  43:55 – Accidental VW Loyalty...  48:25 – Everything Electric Harrogate Preview  50:55 – Final Thoughts & What's Next   Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: www.everythingelectric.show    Check out our sister channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EverythingElectricShow   Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become an Everything Electric Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Become a YouTube member: use JOIN button above Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Everything Electric newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialeverythingelectric To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: commercial@fullycharged.show   EE NORTH (Harrogate) - 8th & 9th May 2026  EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026  EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026 EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026

For more coverage on the issues that matter to you, download the WMAL app, visit WMAL.com or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 from 9:00am-12:00pm Monday-Friday  To join the conversation, check us out on Twitter @WMAL and @ChrisPlanteShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices