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Episode Summary: In this episode, Scott Elias, Vice President of Policy & Market Development at CleanCapital, shares expert insights on CleanCapital's investment strategy, his background in clean energy policy, and the fast-moving developments in Washington, D.C. surrounding the fight to protect the Investment Tax Credit (ITC). Scott breaks down the potential implications of proposed changes to the Inflation Reduction Act, highlights which states are leading the charge in clean energy growth, and explores the growing investor interest in solar + storage portfolios. Read Scott's latest take on the proposed tax bill that could significantly impact clean energy investment in the U.S.: Defending American Energy Dominance – CleanCapital Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies. He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market. This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets. Benoy was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects. He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio. Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood's portfolio. He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young. Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business. Scott Elias Scott Elias is the Vice President of Government Affairs at CleanCapital, where he leads the company's federal and state policy strategy to accelerate clean energy deployment across the United States. With over a decade of experience in renewable energy policy, Scott plays a pivotal role in advocating for legislation that supports clean energy investment and innovation. Before joining CleanCapital, Scott held senior policy and advocacy roles at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and other leading organizations, where he worked closely with lawmakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders to shape impactful energy policy. At CleanCapital, Scott helps ensure that the company stays ahead of policy trends and capitalizes on emerging opportunities—particularly around the Inflation Reduction Act, tax equity structures, and energy storage integration. His deep understanding of the intersection between finance, policy, and technology positions him as a key voice in advancing the transition to a low-carbon economy. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Scott Elias Website: https://cleancapital.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-elias/ Email: selias@cleancapital.com Summer Solstice Fundraiser Join Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy, and the Solar Maverick Podcast for the 2025 Summer Solstice Fundraiser! Celebrate the warm weather with us at the Summer Solstice Fundraiser, hosted by Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy ,and the Solar Maverick Podcast. This special evening will take place on Thursday, June 5th, from 6 PM to 10 PM at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ. We'll also be raising funds for the Let's Share the Sun Foundation, which aids impoverished communities in harnessing solar energy. Event Highlights: -Venue: Hudson Hall, a Czech biergarten and smokehouse co-owned by Benoy, CEO of Reneu Energy. -Time: 6 PM to 10 PM, with delicious food throughout the evening. -Tickets: $50 https://www.tickettailor.com/events/reneuenergy/1653652 CleanCapital Podcast https://cleancapital.com/thought-leadership/?_categories=podcast Defend Solar Energy https://solarpowersamerica.org/campaign/defend-american-energy/
This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.This week's episode features The Guardian's Dharna Norr, who reported on an effort by Vermont leaders to force fossil fuel companies to pay for their emissions impacts.This Week in Cleantech — June 7, 2024 This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is CleanCapital co-founder Jon Powers!Renewable Energy Wins for Now in Michigan as Local Control Measure Fails to Make Ballot — Inside Climate NewsWorld's biggest solar farm goes online, big enough to power a country — The IndependentHow Electric Car Batteries Might Aid the Grid (and Win Over Drivers) — The New York TimesHow a simple fix could double the size of the U.S. electricity grid — The Washington Post‘Game-changing': Vermont becomes first state to require big oil to pay for climate damages — The GuardianWatch the full episode on YouTube Help make This Week in Cleantech the best it can be. Send feedback and story recommendations to rew@clarionevents.com. And don't forget to leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts.Join us every Friday for new episodes of This Week in Cleantech in the Factor This! podcast feed, and tune into new episodes of Factor This! every Monday.This Week in Cleantech is hosted by Renewable Energy World senior content director John Engel and Tigercomm president Mike Casey. The show is produced by Brian Mendes with research support from Alex Petersen and Clare Quirin.Registration is LIVE for GridTECH Connect Forum - California. Join us in Newport Beach June 24-26 for the interconnection event. We're bringing together utilities, developers, and regulators to take on one of the biggest challenges facing the energy transition. Click here to save 10% on your ticket. Join partners from PG&E, CAISO, ENGIE, AES, and more.
2024 brought successes and surprises for the clean energy industry. From major impacts on the economy by adding over 20,000 jobs since last year to navigating the challenges deals face due to rising interest rates, the capital and debt markets – renewable energy has been battling to keep the ground gained. Despite these challenges, the clean energy transition continues to progress and our industry remains resilient. As we look to welcome 2024, the CleanCapital executive team shared what they believe should be prioritized, elevated, and executed to level up the efforts in clean energy and achieve industry-wide goals. In this webinar Jon Powers, President, Melinda Baglio, General Counsel & Chief Investment Officer, Paul Curran, Chief Development Officer, and Zoe Berkery, Chief Operating Officer, discussed: - How future of deals will be determined by markets - Why diversifying energy projects will create success - How the market needs to be prepared to meet demands (both in jobs and power) - Share stories that matter to the industry, not just marketing
Corporate demand for renewables, and the urgency of fighting climate change, fueled a decade of meteoric growth in clean energy.But the facilitator of that surge — cheap capital — has all but disappeared. Inflation, high interest rates, and insufficient tax equity now call into question whether the growth trajectory can continue.Episode 64 of the Factor This! podcast features Thomas Byrne, CEO of CleanCapital, a clean energy financier, developer, and asset owner.Byrne shares how CleanCapital is navigating a "new normal" in clean energy capital markets, and breaks down the impact of macroeconomic headwinds on the speed of the energy transition. We're just a few weeks out from the GridTECH Connect Forum being held in Newport Rhode, Island Oct. 23-25. Register today using promo code PODCAST at checkout to save 20% off admission. Join host developer Nexamp, and host utilities National Grid and Rhode Island Energy, for this groundbreaking event hyper-focused on DER interconnection in the Northeast. The Factor This! podcast is growing! We're adding a weekly climate and clean energy news roundup episode to the feed, co-hosted by John Engel and cleantech PR veteran Mike Casey. Beginning July 21, "This Week in Cleantech" will give you all of the top stories in 15 minutes or less, and feature a leading journalist or market analyst to share the juice behind the headlines. Email story ideas and topics to ThisWeekinCleantech@tigercomm.us.
What was it like to transition from a White House intern to eventually become the COO of CleanCapital, which now manages 250 MW of clean energy assets in over 20 states & 150+ sites? In this Green Light episode, Catherine spoke with Zoe Berkery about this, CleanCapital's recent $500 million funding round led by Canada's ManuLife & why more senior women leaders are needed to accelerate the energy transition. Zoe also spoke about CleanCapital's acquisition of BQ Energy, adders in the Inflation Reduction Act for brownfield projects, remote versus hybrid work, & CleanCapital's Allyship Committee & DEIJ-focused internship program. This episode was recorded at the SunCast PowerUp Live stage at RE+, as you may hear some conference attendees in the background. If you're looking for your next role in cleantech, take a look at our industry-leading clients' latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs. If you're a cleantech employer & need help scaling your workforce efficiently with top tier candidates, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr.
In 2023, the world experienced extreme weather events from rising ocean temperatures to detrimental wildfire smoke to the hottest consecutive days the Earth has ever seen. However, renewable energy is at a historical moment in time where policy, technology, and finance have aligned in a way to make a generational impact against the climate crisis. Thanks to the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) over the last year, the industry has built significant momentum. We are witnessing a generational opportunity to drive both public and private sector investment into clean energy solutions. Tune in as Jon Powers, President of CleanCapital, is joined by Thomas Byrne, CEO of CleanCapital; Alex McDonough, Partner at Pioneer Public Affairs; and Marta Stoepker, Director of Public Relations at Qcells discuss the following: - Why the clean energy transition is at an historic inflection point as policy, technology, and finance align. - How the IRA has reshaped climate policy, and navigating those real-time policy changes. - How U.S. manufacturing of clean energy technology is increasing and what more to expect based on the IRA incentivizes for Domestic Products. - Understanding how climate legislation is unleashing billions of dollars in private capital to build assets like solar and energy storage.
CleanCapital's CEO Thomas Byrne and Chief Commercial Officer Julia Bell join NPM's Jon Berke and Michelle France to discuss its recent USD 500m commitment from ManuLife Investment Management and how the company plans to deploy the capital across specific industry verticals.New Project Media (NPM) is a leading data, intelligence, and events company providing origination led coverage of the renewable energy market for the development, finance, advisory & corporate community.
Welcome Zoe Berkery, CleanCapital's very first employee, to the show! Zoe and host Jon Powers go way back to their days working at The White House together when she was an intern. Zoe is now an emerging leader in the clean energy space. They discuss her career, the growth of CleanCapital, and how she navigates the challenges of managing hundreds of megawatts of distributed generation for the company. How does asset management need to change to help CleanCapital scale? Tune in to learn!
Host Jon Powers welcomes his longtime industry colleague Paul Curran, CEO of BQ Energy, to the show. BQ Energy is brownfield and landfill developer. They've developed hundreds of megawatts of wind and solar. CleanCapital acquired BQ Energy in June 2022 to scale up what they were already doing. Hear about how turning brownfields to brightfields is a unique space, so you have to know what you're doing, but the potential to solve the climate crisis and utilize the under-utilized or impossible land that are brownfields and landfills could be a critical piece of that solution.
In August Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark climate and clean energy bill. Six months later, we're asking: where are we now? We recently hosted a webinar titled "How is the Inflation Reduction Act Affecting Clean Energy Developers" for listeners to better understand how the rollout of IRA policies will impact clean energy developers. - What are the steps to full implementation? - What progress has been made on tax and other key policy levels within the administration? CleanCapital's Jon Powers was joined by Tax Expert Elizabeth Crouse and IRA Expert Elizabeth Gore to recap recent & upcoming announcements and the exciting potential outcomes for solar and storage developers. Hosted by: - Jon Powers President, CleanCapital Panelists: - Elizabeth Crouse Tax Partner & Co-Lead of Power, K&L Gates - Elizabeth Gore Senior Vice President, Political Affairs at Environmental Defense Fund
In this episode we cover some of the top stories across the Americas and Europe: - Fuentes joins CIBC in energy transition role - More details on CleanCapital's $200 million loan for DG pipeline - Bids pushed back for Colombian riverway PPP - Romania tweaks tax law to spur offshore Black Sea gas investments - Herbert Smith Freehills strengthens projects practice Plus, find out more about Proximo Europe 2022 - coming LIVE to Lisbon on the 8th & 9th June!
Experts Only Podcast #99: with Climate Investment Expert Ted Roosevelt V by CleanCapital
Podcast #93: With Energy Storage Expert John Carrington, CEO of Stem, Inc. by CleanCapital
Podcast #90: How is the Department of Defense is Approaching Clean Energy with Michael Wu by CleanCapital
On a very special episode of the Experts Only podcast, host Jon Powers interviews his friend and co-founder of CleanCapital, CEO Thomas Byrne. CleanCapital recently secured a $300 million commitment from Manulife Investment Management, a landmark investment that marks a new phase in CleanCapital's six-year history. Jon and Thomas discuss that history, the learnings that led them to seek this arrangement, and the future of CleanCapital with the backing of a blue-chip investment partner like Manulife / John Hancock. Listen now!
Host Jon Powers recently moderated a fireside chat with Devin Hampton, CEO of Utility API, as part of the Navigate Webinar Series from the Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC) in collaboration with CleanCapital. Jon and Devin talked about building an equitable energy future and hiring a diverse workforce as we continue the transition to a clean energy economy. They discussed not only the topic of diversity, but also what action listeners can take to drive change within their companies. Though this chat was previously recorded and participants who listened live were able to submit questions, we hope you come away with a better understanding of diversity in the cleantech sector. If you have any questions after listening to the chat, please tweet @NECEC and @CleanCapital_ to keep the conversation going. Thank you to all of the Navigateseries sponsors, including New York State Energy Research & Development (NYSERDA), for supporting this chat, and thank you for listening!
This week’s episode was produced in collaboration with the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC). The second Navigate program webinar of 2020, "Opportunities for the Next Decade", was made possible with support from NYSERDA. Navigate is a program under the Northeast Clean Energy Council that leverages its power to provide resources and support for clean energy startups. Host Jon Powers leads a discussion with four panelists: Jason Kaplan of PowerMarket, Noah C. Shaw of Hodgson Russ LLP, Doran Hole of Ameresco, and Zoe Berkery of CleanCapital. Listen to hear expert opinions on the future of the renewable energy industry and what experts see on the horizon for the next decade.
Episode Summary In this episode of Solar Maverick, Jon Powers shares the origin story of CleanCapital and how they went from an idea to a start-up to a successful investment capital firm in clean energy. Jon discusses how CleanCapital studied what was working in other business sectors to create an internal technology platform to identify and acquire clean energy assets, underwrite them efficiently, and bring new capital into the clean energy market. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as an advisor for several solar startup companies. Reneu Energy is a premier international solar energy consulting firm and developer, and the company focuses on developing commercial and industrial solar, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity transactions. Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity, which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity, to move into the east coast markets. Benoy also worked at Vanguard Energy Partners, Ridgewood Renewable Power, and Deloitte & Touche. Jon Powers Jon leads corporate strategy, operations, investor relations, and marketing for CleanCapital. He is a clean energy and national security expert committed to making clean energy accessible to everyone. Prior to joining CleanCapital, Jon led public sector business development at Bloom Energy. His passion for clean energy stems from his time serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq, where he learned how vital clean energy is in protecting America’s national security. He helped to revolutionize the U.S. Army’s energy program, first as Special Adviser for Energy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army and later as Director of Outreach for the Army’s Energy Initiatives Task Force. In 2012, Jon was appointed to the post of Federal Chief Sustainability Officer by President Obama. Jon is a graduate of John Carroll University and Johns Hopkins University. He was named to Washington Life’s Top 25 Tech Leaders in D.C., 2016 and Renewable Energy World’s inaugural Solar 40 Under 40 list. Insights from this episode: How to use technology to bring efficient solutions to the clean energy sector by analyzing what has worked in other industries such as real estate. How to create a technology platform that provides value, expedient execution, and workflow solutions. Strategies for managing challenges in entrepreneurship and creating a successful company. Details on how CleanCapital continues to make adjustments to their business model to open new opportunities for investment. Strategies for attracting investors that were not previously interested in the solar energy market. Details on the types of projects CleanCapital focuses on, what an ideal project looks like for them, and trends they are seeing in the solar financing industry. Details on Jon’s experience in the Army and how that led him into the clean energy sector, becoming a member of Operation Free and working for the White House under President Obama. Quotes from the show: On working with partners in clean energy: “We don’t just acquire the assets, we actually stay in and actively manage them on behalf of our partners. What we’ve done really well, to date, is our ability to really efficiently and quickly underwrite and close deals.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 “We have a very clear underwriting process that’s enabled by technology so we are able to move as fast as the seller.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 “What is unique about our technology is that we didn’t try to overly engineer a perfect solution, we built what we needed to execute.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 “Technology aside, the thing we do best is just [having] a really great culture and great teammates that are mission-driven.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 On preferred projects: “We love to be able to do the transaction directly with the seller because it brings efficiency, it cuts out the middleman, and [the seller] can get more out of the deal when they are not paying an advisor.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 “The longer the contracted period, the better for the economics of the project.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #68 “Our biggest strength is our ability to transact and to do it quickly.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 “It’s important to have a good reputation in [the clean energy investment] space because it’s not a huge market.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 On creating the Experts Only podcast: “What I wanted to focus on was the intersection of energy, innovation, and finance.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 On how corporations are influencing the renewable energy market: “It’s interesting how [corporations] are actually creating opportunities and demanding access to renewable energy which is then allowing the states and utilities to change to be able to get that business.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #68 On successful entrepreneurship: “Everything is going take way longer than you think it will, you can’t do it all yourself, you need to think about how to build-out a good team and be willing to follow the path that the market sends you on.” – Jon Powers, Episode #68 Resources Mentioned: CleanCapital Experts Only podcast hosted by Jon Powers SMP 14: How Institutional Investment Capital is Transforming the Renewable Energy Market with Thom Byrne with Benoy Thanjan and Thom Byrne Operation Free is a coalition of veterans and national security experts who believe oil dependence and climate change pose threats to our national security and advocate for securing America with clean energy. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com LinkedIn: @bthanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Jon Powers LinkedIn: Jon Powers Website: CleanCapital Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Sponsor: We would like to thank Schwerd Consulting for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast. Schwerd Consulting is a leading solar consulting firm dedicated to design, engineering, and owner representation in all areas of solar photovoltaics (PV) for the Commercial & Industrial and Utility markets.At Schwerd Consulting they like to say that We Know Solar. We don’t just Do Solar. What sets them apart is their 100% focus on solar and understanding the business of their clients. In its 5 years of business, Schwerd Consulting has provided services for approximately 450 MW of PV across over 330 sites and 15 states plus the Caribbean. That total includes 300MW of completed designs and engineering, and 150MW of consulting and owner rep services.Let Schwerd Consulting take the burden off you and bring ease and expertise in all areas of Engineering & Design or help you navigate the technical world of solar.If you are interested in learning more about Schwerd Consulting, you can call 215-219-6718 or email at admin@schwerdconsulting. Schwerd Consulting’s website is www.schwerdconsulting.com. Steve Schwerd who is the Owner of Schwerd Consulting was interviewed on Episode 17 and Episode 48 of the Solar Maverick Podcast and Episode 42 of which he was on panel discussion on How Solar Technology is Changing the World. They are involved with the trends, technologies, vendors, policies, utilities, codes, and financial considerations for the industry. Therefore, value add for them is not just a slogan, it’s what they practice in order to have loyal customers and gain trust. Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes, Podbean and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
In this very special live episode of Experts Only, Jon Powers of CleanCapital hosts a panel of guests at the Solar Power International convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. Guests include: Bill Bush | CFO, STEM Bill drives project financing efforts and corporate funding initiatives at Stem, which builds and operates the largest digitally connected energy storage network. Adam Browning | Executive Director, Vote Solar Vote Solar’s mission is to make solar a mainstream energy resource across the U.S. Adam co-founded the organization in 2002 and leads Vote Solar's team of advocates, experts and staff working to bring solar to the mainstream across the U.S. Emily Fritze | Director of Strategy & Business Development, Powerhouse Emily manages strategic partnerships, programming, and business development at Powerhouse, a network-driven venture fund that backs entrepreneurs building the future of energy and mobility. Jon and the panel discuss some of the exciting milestones the clean energy industry reached in 2019 and what's on the horizon in 2020. Appreciation to Nico Johnson of Suncast for hosting us at the North America Smart Energy Week Podcast Lounge.
#181: Jon Powers, CleanCapital Jon Powers, is a true warrior, and a veritable solar warrior. When Jon returned from serving the US Army in Iraq, he had a vision for how important clean energy is for our nation’s independence and charted a path to help the armed forces transition away from Fossil Fuels. Little did he know this would lead him to the White House the first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer under the Obama administration. His fingerprint is on many of the important initiatives underway in the Federal arena, and he’s now turned his eye to the private sector with an eye towards disrupting the finance and fintech side of clean energy. I’m also honored to have Jon on b/c he’s a fellow podcaster. If you’ve not yet heard his Experts Only podcast, you should add it to your queue. We discuss the genesis of the podcast, the startup woes and wins at Clean Capital, and more on today’s episode. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!
#181: Jon Powers, CleanCapital Jon Powers, is a true warrior, and a veritable solar warrior. When Jon returned from serving the US Army in Iraq, he had a vision for how important clean energy is for our nation’s independence and charted a path to help the armed forces transition away from Fossil Fuels. Little did he know this would lead him to the White House the first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer under the Obama administration. His fingerprint is on many of the important initiatives underway in the Federal arena, and he’s now turned his eye to the private sector with an eye towards disrupting the finance and fintech side of clean energy. I’m also honored to have Jon on b/c he’s a fellow podcaster. If you’ve not yet heard his Experts Only podcast, you should add it to your queue. We discuss the genesis of the podcast, the startup woes and wins at Clean Capital, and more on today’s episode. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!
This week on the pod, Thom Byrne speaks to Daniel Oros, co-founder of G2VP. Byrne and Oros discuss the state of venture capital and the sustainable companies G2VP invests in. In 2009, Daniel joined Kleiner Perkins and led investments for the Green Growth Fund before co-founding G2VP. Daniel’s primary focus has been on rapidly growing technology companies in the industrial, consumer, and financial services sectors. Dan is a Board member at Fictiv, an observer at Turvo, and led G2VP’s investment in Carbon. He also serves as a Board member at Optoro, a Green Growth Fund portfolio company. Prior to this, Mr. Oros was a Vice President of the Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group and a founding member of its Alternative Energy Investing team. Mr. Oros holds a B.S. degree, with distinction, in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford, with a concentration in Financial and Decision Engineering. Experts Only is hosted by CleanCapital. Learn more: www.cleancapital.com/experts-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ To learn more about G2VP’s investment Portfolio check out: https://www.g2vp.com/
In this episode of SolarWakeup Live I talk to Thomas Byrne of CleanCapital. We talk about the difficulty to scale smaller solar and what path CleanCapital is taking to achieve this. Since the interview CleanCapital has acquired several portfolios and taken an investment from BlackRock. Thomas Byrne is founder and CEO of CleanCapital. CleanCapital is a technology-driven investment platform that delivers capital throughout the clean energy sector, and offers capital to developers of new assets and liquidity to owners of existing assets. CleanCapital has built a proprietary technology platform that identifies, screens, and manages clean energy projects for owners, lenders and other market stakeholders. Since its founding in 2016, CleanCapital has acquired nearly $300M of operating distributed solar assets. Prior to CleanCapital, Thomas was a partner at True Green Capital, a private equity firm, and a lawyer at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. He has led numerous landmark financings in the clean energy space with more than $5 billion of transaction experience. Thomas is widely published and speaks regularly on clean energy, finance, technology, policy and innovation. * CleanCapital Announces New Investment from BlackRock’s Renewable Power Group * CleanCapital Accelerates Solar Acquisitions, Announcing 13MW Deal in Indiana and Ohio * CleanCapital and BlackRock Announce New Partnership to Drive Capital into Distributed Clean Energy Markets This episode is sponsored by UtilityAPI, the engine that speeds up your solar sales process. Stop making your customers get their utility bills and do it instantly with UtilityAPI. Go to UtilityAPI.com/SolarWakeup for a free single meter utility bill pull.
This week on the pod, Jon Powers speaks to Michael Terrell, Head of Energy Market Development at Google. Michael leads energy market strategy at Google, where he is part of the business team responsible for the company’s data centers and global energy portfolio. In this role, Michael has advanced new approaches to Google’s procurement of 3 gigawatts of renewable power, pioneered innovative renewable energy purchase programs in the U.S. and overseas, and delivered landmark projects such as converting a coal plant to a data center. In their discussion, Terrell and Powers talk about the market forces driving—or, in some cases, being shaped by—innovative corporate sustainability strategies. Michael Terrell holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from Sewanee, the University of the South; an M.E.M. in Environmental Management from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; and a J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan School of Law. Prior to his work at Google, he held positions as Special Assistant for Outreach and Strategic Planning for the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Policy Aide for the U.S. Department of State; and law clerk for the U.S. Department of Justice environmental enforcement division. He also served as Deputy Chair for the Energy and Climate Change Working Group of the Clinton Global Initiative. Experts Only is hosted by CleanCapital. Learn more: www.cleancapital.com/experts-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ To learn more about Google’s sustainability initiatives, visit: https://sustainability.google/ Resources mentioned include the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance; learn more at: https://rebuyers.org/
This week on the pod, Jon Powers speaks with Rob Davis of Fresh Energy to discuss the link between pollinator insects and solar energy. In their discussion, Davis and Powers explore bees’ impact on the environment and human agriculture, and how solar farm designs can help a pollinator population in crisis. Rob Davis began his career working with technology start-ups and created the international crowdsourced campaign that launched the Firefox web browser. He now works as Director of the Center for Pollinators in Energy at Fresh Energy where he helps accelerate the nation’s transition to the use of clean and renewable energy. Davis’ work on pollinator-friendly solar has been featured in trainings by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Conservation Training Center, U.S. Department of Energy, the Electric Power Resource Institute, and the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center. Experts Only is hosted by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/experts-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about pollinators and solar: https://fresh-energy.org/ Watch Rob’s TED talk: https://fresh-energy.org/beeslovesolar/ Catch Rob at the following upcoming events: Agrivoltaics: Harvesting Multiple Benefits from Solar Sites on April 1: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/agrivoltaics-harvesting-multiple-benefits-from-solar-sites-tickets-56923291096 Read his latest Blog on why #BeesLoveSolar: https://www.organicvalley.coop/blog/bee-friendly-solar-is-win-win-win-for-people-planet-pollinators/
This week on the pod, guest host Marc Garrett, Chief Technology Officer speaks with Charlie Isaacs, the Chief Technology Officer for Customer Connection at Salesforce who has a successful track record of R&D leadership at companies like Verizon, Answer Systems, Broad Daylight and Kana. He’s been an early adopter and leader in the ever evolving customer relations management(CRM) and Internet of Things(IOT) software space, where he holds several patents. Charlie has been a long time supporter of solar energy and I’m excited for today’s conversation about the growing integration of data, customer relations and the internet of things in the solar industry and how an industry leader like Salesforce is helping to pave the way. We hope you enjoy today’s conversation as much as we did. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/experts-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about the Orange Button Initiative: https://orangebuttondata.org/
This week on the pod, Jon Powers and Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, dive into how social, economic and behavioural norms affect the way humans view climate change. In their discussion, we learn about the 6 different views Americans hold regarding climate change, the types of questions scientists ask when studying human behaviour and climate, and how the clean energy revolution will be the biggest economic revolution in human history. Upon graduating university, Anthony moved to Aspen, Colorado and joined the Aspen Global Change institute. Since then he has become an expert on public opinion and public engagement with the issues of climate change and the environment. His research investigates the psychological, cultural, and political factors that influence environmental beliefs, attitudes, policy support, and behavior. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/experts-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Six Americas: http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/americans-are-increasingly-alarmed-about-global-warming/
This week on the pod, Jon Powers sits down with Piper Foster Wild, CEO of 60 Hertz, to discuss how microgrids can reduce diesel dependence in rural Alaskan communities. It’s a fascinating discussion on how new technology is empowering these communities who have been plagued by operation and maintenance failures, living with the uncertainty their energy needs will be met. Prior to moving to Alaska, Piper was Vice President of Amatis Controls, an Internet of Things manufacturing start-up based in Aspen, Colorado. There, she also served as Board Chair of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association. Additionally, she is a German Chancellor fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/expert-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about 60 Hertz: https://www.60hertzenergy.com/
This week on the pod, Jon Powers sits down with Katherine Hamilton, co-founder and chair of 38 North Solutions, to discuss current climate culture and the challenges political leaders face with clean energy innovation. It’s a fascinating discussion on how policy makers influence new technologies, resilience and clean energy, and the role of innovation as a marketforce. Katherine has had a dynamic career advancing federal clean energy policy. She has served in advisory roles for the Energy Storage Association and Good Energies, Inc.; advocated for the development of renewable portfolio standards in New Jersey and Maryland as Co-Director for the American Bioenergy Association; and worked in buildings research and government relations at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In addition to her policy experience, Katherine spent a decade at a utility, designing electrical systems for commercial and residential developments. Katherine is also a co-host of The Energy Gang podcast through Greentech Media. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/expert-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about 38 North Solutions: https://38northsolutions.com/
Thomas Byrne sits down with Terry Tamminen, CEO of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, to discuss climate change solutions, updates on progress from #California, and Terry’s journey to CEO of Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (and of course what it’s like working with Leo). Terry has an impressive and expansive history working on environmental causes for more than 20 years in state government, universities, and the private sector. He founded the Santa Monica BayKeeper, served as the Executive Director of the Environment Now Foundation, and co-founded the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic at the School of Law, University of California Los Angeles. After helping Arnold Schwarzenegger win the historic recall election and become Governor of California in 2003, Terry was appointed to a position as Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and later as Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor. During his time in government, Terry was the architect of many groundbreaking sustainability policies, including California's landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the Hydrogen Highway Network, and the Million Solar Roofs initiative. Terry joined the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation as CEO in 2016. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/expert-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Terry Tamminen and his work: https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/team/ or on his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-tamminen-b8523ab3/
This week, Thomas Byrne sits down with Gretchen Bakke, cultural anthropology professor at McGill University, to discuss her most recent book “The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future.” In the last century, America’s electrical supply has evolved from a series of smaller, distributed energy sources to mostly monopolized large utility companies. And still the energy systems of America and other countries continue to evolve. On this week’s episode of Experts Only, our guest, Gretchen Bakke, shares insights from her book on the electrification of America, the development of the modern grid, and her thoughts on the future of utilities. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/expert-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ About Gretchen: Gretchen Bakke is a cultural anthropologist and author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future. She is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at McGill University and currently holds a position as a Guest Professor at the Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems, Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. Learn more about Gretchen Bakke and her work: http://bakkeconsolidated.org/Welcome.html
This week’s episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the NY Green Innovation Showcase, hosted by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Jon Powers sits down with Alicia Barton, President and CEO of NYSERDA, to talk about New York’s current and future roadmap in the energy transition. This conversation features insights from Alicia on the state of clean energy technology, storage and innovation; the US and global energy systems transition and market growth; and the role of companies, regulators, investors, governments, and utilities in building a clean energy economy. Alicia brings a wealth of experience and knowledge on the industry to share with you. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Find more episodes: http://www.cleancapital.com/expert-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ The NY Green Innovation Showcase attracted leading cleantech investors and strategic partners from around the globe to help drive deal flows and help improve the environment for co-investment and syndication. For those who don’t know NYSERDA, they are leading the way in the US energy transition and setting the standard for many other states to follow. NYSERDA, promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources. Since 1975, NYSERDA has worked with stakeholders throughout New York including residents, business owners, developers, community leaders, local government officials, university researchers, utility representatives, investors, and entrepreneurs to develop, invest, and foster the conditions that expand the state’s clean energy economy. Learn more about NYSERDA: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About
This week’s episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Clean Energy Leadership Institute’s (CELI) EMPOWER conference in DC. EMPOWER is the first conference dedicated to young professionals driving change in the clean energy sector, which says a lot about CELI’s mission as an organization. For those who don’t know CELI - the organization dedicated to developing and connecting the next generation of diverse clean energy leaders. Jon Powers sits down with Liz Dalton (new Executive Director) and Thomas Biddinger (New Board Member and VP at Bay4Energy) about the organization and its future. This conversation features insights from Liz and Thomas on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the clean energy workforce, and technology trends in energy and climate change. They both bring a wealth of experience and knowledge from multiple dimensions of the industry to share with you. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/expert-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about CELI: https://www.cleanenergyleaders.org/ With programs operating in Washington, DC and San Francisco, CA, the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) is dedicated to developing the next generation of diverse, pragmatic clean energy leaders. Over the last five years, CELI has trained nearly 400 young professionals across 200+ organizations in clean energy policy, finance and technology. Learn more about CELI: https://www.cleanenergyleaders.org/ Applications for CELI's 2019 Fellowship will open on November 30th. More information can be found here: www.cleanenergyleaders.org/fellowship CELI is hosting a Clean Energy Advocacy + Deep Decarbonization event in SF on December 8th. A great opportunity for folks in the Bay who are thinking about applying to the Fellowship. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clean-energy-advocacy-101-workshop-achieving-deep-decarbonization-tickets-51568186835
Thomas Byrne joins us this week with an interesting conversation with Rob Day, Founder and Partner at Spring Lane Capital. Rob has been a sustainable resources private equity investor since 2004, and acts or has served as a Director, Observer and advisory board member to multiple companies in the energy tech and related sectors. Rob also serves on the Board at the New England Clean Energy Council. Today’s conversation features lessons learned from Rob’s 15 years of experience in clean energy investing. He's witnessed the growth and challenges of the clean energy space and has a wealth of experience to share with you. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Spring Lane Capital: https://www.springlanecapital.com/ Spring Lane Capital partners with strong management teams who are selling or using distributed assets with compelling customer economics in the energy, water, food and waste sectors. Learn more about Spring Lane Capital: https://www.springlanecapital.com/
On the pod this week, Jon sits down with Kelly Speakes-Backman, the CEO of the Energy Storage Association, the national trade association dedicated to energy storage, working toward a more resilient, efficient, sustainable and affordable electricity grid. The organization represents a diverse group of companies, including independent power producers, electric utilities, energy service companies, financiers, manufacturers, and more involved in deploying energy storage systems. Kelly joined ESA with more than 20 years working in energy and energy efficiency, sustainability, renewables, and environmental business strategies. Her direct technology experience includes power generation from solar, wind, biogas and biomass, distributed generation, natural gas, smart grid and fuel cells. She joined the public sector in 2010 as the Clean Energy Director at the Maryland Energy Administration, where she led a team to implement programs aimed at meeting the Administration’s goal of increasing Maryland’s renewable energy portfolio to 20 percent by 2022. With her rich experience across sectors, and throughout the energy industry, we are excited to hear Kelly’s insight on the growth of storage and the transformative potential of this emerging technology. We hope you enjoy the conversation today as much as we did. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about the Energy Storage Association: http://energystorage.org/ 2025 Report for Energy Storage: http://energystorage.org/vision2025 McKinsey on the declining costs of storage: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/electric-power-and-natural-gas/our-insights/the-new-rules-of-competition-in-energy-storage
Missed Solar Power International and Energy Storage International in Anaheim this year? Experts Only hosted our podcast in front of a live audience to discuss the Economics of Microgrids with Miranda Ballentine (Constant Power), Sachu Constantine (Vote Solar), David Rubin (PG&E) and Mike Wu (Converge Strategies). Today’s episode is a bit longer than our typical podcast as we discuss the evolving microgrid business models from third-party projects to utility-initiated projects. In between, a hybrid, “unbundled” model based on public-private partnerships is emerging which could offer more flexibility and opportunities for collaboration. This episode examines the state of microgrids, using the discrete business models that are supporting build-out and specific use cases to highlight how microgrids best contribute to the electric grid’s steady evolution toward aggregating and integrating distributed energy resources (DERs), flexible loads, and increased resilience and security. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Details about SPI: https://www.solarpowerinternational.com/
Happy Birthday Experts Only! Thanks to all our listeners so far, it’s been a big year for our podcast, we’ve released 30 episodes with leading experts ranging from investors, industry visionaries, and innovators across the cleantech space and financial markets focusing on the intersection of energy, innovation and finance. We’ve invited back our first Experts Only guest, Abby Ross Hopper, President and CEO of Solar Energy Industries Association. It’s been quite the year for the solar industry and we’ve invited Abby back to discuss the state of solar, how the industry has responded to a challenging political climate from the international trade case to international climate agreement withdrawals and federal regulations intended to favor fossil fuels. It’s been a busy year. As many of our listeners will be headed to Solar Power International in Anaheim, we hope today’s conversation will help give you a sense of where the industry is and where it’s headed before you head out to this year’s show. For those headed to Anaheim, we’ll be doing a live recording of Experts Only focused on Business Opportunity of Microgrids on Wednesday from 2:30-4, you can find more details below. I hope you enjoy today’s conversation as we discuss that the state of solar is strong. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Details about Experts Only Live at SPI on Wed, Sept 26 from 2:30-4pm: https://www.eventscribe.com/2018/SPI/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=403418 Details about SPI: https://www.solarpowerinternational.com/ Details about SEIA: https://seia.org ICYMI Abby’s first interview 1 year ago: https://cleancapital.com/2017/09/understanding-the-solar-trade-case-my-conversation-with-seia-ceo-abigail-ross-hopper/
This week, we are speaking with Nancy Pfund, Founder and Managing Partner of DBL Partners, a venture capital firm whose goal is to combine top-tier financial returns with meaningful social, environmental and economic returns in the regions and sectors in which it invests. As a leading player in the growing field of impact investing, helping to reveal the power of venture capital to promote social change and environmental improvement. Nancy currently sponsors or sits on the board of directors of several clean tech companies, including; Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Off-Grid Electric, Primus Power, and prior to their public offering, Tesla Motors. Previously, Nancy was a Managing Director in Venture Capital at JPMorgan, having started her investment career at Hambrecht & Quist in 1984. Nancy has garnered many accolades for her forward looking approach to investing, including being named to Fortune’s Inaugural World’s Top 25 Eco-Innovators and appearing in Fast Company’s 2016 List of Most Creative People in Business. I hope you enjoy today’s conversation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
This week, Jon Powers speaks with, Bill Bush, the Chief Financial Officer of Stem, a leading energy storage company, where he manages the company’s corporate and project financing efforts, guiding Stem from a startup to a $200 million-invested leader in the industry. Prior to joining Stem, Bill was CFO at multiple companies within the solar space, including Borrego Solar Systems, and Solar Semiconductor Inc., leading them to high-growth and profitability. Bill brings a wealth of accounting and financial experience to the clean tech world, previously serving as CFO and Corporate Controller numerous software, and online media companies. Additionally, Bill worked for seven years in public accounting with Ernst & Young (EY) and PricewaterhouseCoopers. We discuss energy storage, and the potentially transformational impact it will have on the energy sector, and what Stem is doing to drive this change. We hope you enjoy our conversation today with Bill as much as we did. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Stem here: http://www.stem.com/, follow on Twitter: @stempowered
Today we sit down with the CEO of Elemental Excelerator , Dawn Lippert. Elemental Excelerator is a startup accelerator, supporting companies who seek to improve communities through technology, innovation, economic opportunity, and sustainable modernization. They've awarded over $22 million to over 60 companies working in energy, transportation, water and agriculture. Dawn has had an incredible career that's taken her from Washington State to Yale to India, Africa, Latin America, and of course, ending up living in Hawaii where she’s help set Hawaii's goal of 100% renewable by 2045. We hope you enjoy today's conversation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Elemental Excelerator here: https://elementalexcelerator.com/, follow on Twitter: @elementalexcel
In today’s episode, Jon Powers sits down with Amory Lovins, the co-founder, Chief Scientist, as well as the Chairman Emeritus, of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Amory is a leading innovator on energy and environmental issues. Time has named him one of the world’s 100 most influential people, and Foreign Policy named one of the 100 top global thinkers. His current work explores how to make integrative design the new normal, so investments to energy efficiency can yield expanding rather than diminishing returns. If you’re unfamiliar with RMI, it is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization that engages businesses, communities and institutions, as well as entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market based solutions to help us shift from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and renewables. Today’s fascinating conversation covers a variety of topics from the start of Amory’s career, the founding of RMI and what's currently happening internationally India and China. It’s a little bit longer than our normal episode, but we hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Rocky Mountain Institute here: https://rmi.org/, follow on Twitter: @RockyMtnInst @AmoryLovins
Join CEO Thomas Byrne and VP Zoe Berkery as they sit down with Erin Robert. Erin is Head of Capital Strategies at J.P. Morgan Chase Sustainable Finance. We cover a number of topics, including green bonds, corporate sustainability, and J.P. Morgan's effort to transform into a clean energy advisor and financier. She's a great guest with tons of insights we're sure you will enjoy as much as we did. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
Today we're speaking with Greg Wetstone, the President and CEO of the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE). ACORE is a national nonprofit focused on how finance, policy, and technology accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. Throughout his career, Greg's demonstrated leadership in this sector both in the private and public sector. Prior to joining ACORE, he served as the Vice President of Terraform Power, a renewable energy company as well as working at the American Wind Energy Association and with the National Resources Defense Council. In our conversation, we discuss what's happening in the federal policy space to help drive generation We also examine what's happening with commercial customers that's helping to drive demand for renewable energy in a way that we've never seen before. You should definitely check out ACORE's Renewable Energy Finance Forum Wall Street, which is June 19th-20th in New York City. You can find more information at ACORE.org. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
This week, Thomas speaks with Jessica Bailey, the Co-Founder and CEO of Greenworks Lending, a leading PACE lending platform. Jessica is a pioneer and advocate of PACE lending, and Greenworks has done some groundbreaking deals in the past year. Jessica discusses her career to date, Greenworks, the PACE market, and the future of the industry. It’s fascinating conversation about how to set up market signals for clean energy to scale through private capital sources. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
This week, Jon, sits down with Dr Emily Reichert, Emily is the CEO of Greentown Labs, the largest cleantech incubator in the United States. She helped grow the company from it’s four co-founders into a global leader in cleantech. Emily is chemist by training, who went to MIT Sloan Management. Listen in and learn how she leverages her technical experience and enhanced her skillset with the management work to lead this incredible lab. We dive into what’s the future for the cleantech space, how these incubators are emerging and what VCs should look for in the space. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
This week, Thomas Byrne, CEO of CleanCapital, sits down with Varun Sivaram, a thought leader in the clean energy space. He’s We discuss his exceptional new book, Taming the Sun, which outlines the current clean energy landscape, and the advances that we need to make to unleash it. It's a thought-provoking book, and we encourage all listeners to grab a copy. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Varun (@VSIV): Science & Technology Fellow @CFR_org; Prof @GeorgetownSFS; Fellow @ColumbiaUEnergy. Order the @MITPress book, #TamingTheSun via http://amzn.to/2Aaal2E
For our 20th episode of Experts Only, we are bringing you an Experts Only first. Join us for our first ever live taping of the podcast at the PACENation Summit in Denver last month. Our bi-partisan panel discusses the different perspectives on PACE, how it relates to policy goals, and the wavering support from the federal government. The panel was a lively discussion of PACE administrators who are well versed in federal policy, as well as leaders in both Residential and Commercial PACE, and affinity groups. Tune in to learn why they’re interested in PACE financing. Panelists: Genevieve Sherman Head of New Markets and Partnerships, Greenworks Lending Keith den Hollander National Field Director, The Christian Coalition Michele Combs Chairman and Founding Partner, Young conservatives for energy reform Cisco Devries Founder and CEO, Renew Financial Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about PACENation: http://pacenation.us/
This week, Thomas Byrne, CEO of CleanCapital, sits down with Graham Smith, CEO and Founder of Open Energy Group. We discuss the challenges of financing small scale solar as well as the opportunities presented by technology to simplify the process. Graham was drawn to clean energy from a very early age and seized the opportunity to combine his background in finance with his early passion as a career in renewable energy finance. He has also had a front row seat to evolution of the global clean energy landscape and offers a unique perspective on where the industry is headed. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Open Energy Group: https://www.openenergygroup.com/
We have a unique episode this week. There is a lot of industry interest in PACE financing but not a lot of people know how it works. So we're joined this week by PACEnation's, David Gabrielson. David serves as the Executive Director and founded PACEnation in 2010. David and I will talk about PACE, which is property assessed clean energy, which is a financing mechanism that enables low cost, long term funding for energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation projects for both residential and commercial. The PACE financing is repaid as an assessment on the properties, regular tax bill in his process, the same way that other local public benefits assessments are like sidewalks and sewers and those programs have been in place for decades. But a lot depends on the local legislation. PACE can be used for commercial, nonprofit and residential properties. Today’s episode is a great introduction to this innovative and complex PACE financing for #CleanEnergy. Listeners can learn even more at the PACEnation Summit, which will be out in Denver in March. Learn more at PACENation.us. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
Join us this week for a great conversation with Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Ethan’s career has taken him from baggage checker on the Clinton campaign to the White House to MTV to the early days of clean energy covering Cape Wind. For the last 12 years, as Head of Americas for Bloomberg NEF, he’s been at the helm when it comes to clean energy research, with industry leading data on deals and market reports, trends and forecasting. Today we have a great discussion about the market trends and the progress of the industry over the last 10 years. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
Jon is back this week for a deep dive on energy with Dr. Arun Majumdar, former Director of Department of Energy’s ARPA-E and now at Stanford University. This conversation takes us through the amazing transformations that are happening in the energy space. We talk about how we are in a “tipping period” where we are seeing fundamental change in the energy markets, technology and the future of the space. Enjoy the conversation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Additional Resources: Dr Arun Majumbar’s talk “Navigating the Turbulence of the Global Energy System” https://engineering.cmu.edu/news-events/events/2017/11/29-majumdar-global-energy.html Learn more about ARPA-E at the ARPA-E Innovations Summit March 13-15, 2019 in Washington, DC - http://www.arpae-summit.com/
203: Clean Energy Financing with Army Veteran Jon Powers of Clean Capital Army Veteran Jon Powers is the President of CleanCapital. A company born of his time serving in Iraq and first-hand seeing how vital energy is for our national defense. In this week’s show, Clean Energy Financing with Army Veteran Jon Powers of Clean Capital, Joe talks candidly with Jon about the need for more efficient uses of energy and the accessibility to it. Access to over 18,000 classes for just 99 cents Skillshare The Road to Iraq Jon Powers began his army career as an ROTC cadet at John Carroll University then moving on to Germany as part of the 1st Armored Division after completing his officer training in Oklahoma. He served 4 years with a tour in Baghdad and Najaf during OIF 1. The electricity bill of the federal government is over $4B and there are huge opportunities for savings. - Jon Powers Life after Serving Jon was an elementary education major at John Carroll University. He thought he was going back to teach upon his return to Buffalo NY. He had no plans and at the time there really wasn’t a transition program. At an auditorium in Germany, they asked if anyone had any post traumatic syndrome and if they did to come to the front of the room which no one would do. He signed his papers and moved back to the states. Helped by a Documentary There was a documentary made about Jon’s unit called Gunner Palace. It was the first movie to come out about the war. The director, Michael Tucker, was invited in by the commander and Jon got to know Mike really well. Jon was invited to the Toronto Film Festival by Mike where he served on a panel on stage. He soon found himself surrounded by movie stars and was in a bit of culture shock. At a Crossroads Jon was prepared to go to grad school but was asked by the director to go on tour for the movie. He chose the move tour and it completely changed his life. All of a sudden he was thrown into a new arena speaking about his experiences and hearing from others with similar experiences in the military. Jon felt his learning had gone full-circle and wanted to do more. Returning to Baghdad Instead of returning home to teach, Jon began a non-profit and returned to Baghdad for 2 years. His goal was to keep young men from being recruited into the beginnings of ISIS. Through this experience and his frustrations with the government bureaucracy, Jon ran for Congress. That and his time in Iraq were his catalysts for knowing he did not want to stay in the national security realm. A Passion for Clean Energy Jon began to write a lot about what the military should do for cleaner energy because they are a huge energy consumer. Jon became the Army’s first energy advisor and set up the first programs. He became the Chief Sustainability Officer under the Obama Administration and worked to drive renewable energy, energy efficiency and electric cars. To find out more about clean energy, download and listen to Clean Energy Financing with Army Veteran Jon Powers of Clean Capital. Don’t forget to leave us a 5-star rating and review if you enjoyed the show. We would love to hear from you! Check out these links from Clean Energy Financing with Army Veteran Jon Powers of Clean Capital: Clean Capital Download Joe Crane’s Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Skillshare online learning community Guest Bio Jon Powers Jon is Co-Founder and President of CleanCapital. Jon’s responsibilities include leading corporate strategy and development, investor relations, and marketing. His passion for clean energy derives from his time served with the US Army in Iraq and the realization that a clean energy economy is vital to protect America’s national security interests. After helping revolutionize the US Army’s energy program, Jon was appointed by President Obama to serve as the Federal Chief Susta...
This week, Thomas Byrne, CleanCapital CEO, guest hosts for an exciting conversation with Ron Suber, a FinTech leader and pioneer as the President Emeritus of Prosper Marketplace. It’s a great discussion on the history of FinTech and how marketplace lending is transforming finance. Ron has been at the forefront of the advancements taking place in the financial marketplace and the growing interest to interact with the next generation of consumers. Learn what’s in store as we head into the “Golden Age of FinTech” and how we can finance online in a more efficient way. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
This week we sit down with Hans Kobler, CEO and Managing Partner of Energy Impact Partners. It’s an interesting conversation on how Energy Impact Partners is working with sixteen global energy companies, including major utility companies like Southern Company, National Grid and Exel Energy. This represents a cumulative $263 billion in market value. We discuss the culture change happening in those utilities leading to investments and pursuit of energy innovation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Energy Impact Partners via https://www.energyimpactpartners.com/
This week we sit down with Tom Matzzie, CEO and President of CleanChoice Energy. It’s an informative conversation as we discuss wholesale energy markets. Tom does a great job of breaking down how these complex markets work and how CleanChoice is making it faster and easier to participate in the space.Tom’s journey is also an interesting one as he navigated from political advocacy to clean energy. Join us we learn how technology and innovation is simplifying and driving broader adoption of clean energy through wholesale energy markets. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about CleanChoice Energy and how you can get involved: https://cleanchoiceenergy.com/
This week we sit down with Kate Brandt, Lead for Sustainability at Google. We discuss how technology can be an enabler for sustainability. We also talk through some of the challenges and opportunities Kate sees working for the largest corporate procurer of renewable energy in the world. It’s a fascinating look at how sustainability touches all aspects of work at Google from data centers, real estate, supply chain, to product teams to ensure the company is capitalizing on opportunities to strategically advance sustainability and circular economy. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Google’s sustainability initiatives via https://environment.google/ as they head towards their 100% renewable energy goals.
Join us as we speak with Roger Ballentine, President of Green Strategies and former Chairman of the White House Climate Change Task Force and Deputy Assistant to the President for Environmental Initiatives in the Clinton Administration. We discuss how the private sector can help solve the problem of climate change by driving economic innovation and economic growth. Roger is a seasoned energy expert, working in various capacities including sustainability, energy markets, and finance. Join us this week to learn from Roger’s work at the forefront of the climate change and sustainability movement. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Connect with Roger on twitter via @RBallentine and http://www.greenstrategies.com/
We are joined this week by Alicia Seiger Deputy Director, Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance and Managing Director, Precourt Institute Clean Energy Finance Initiative. Alicia leads the center’s work to develop and deploy financial innovations for philanthropic and long-term sources of capital to catalyze a rapid decarbonization of the global economy. This week’s conversations focuses on the evolution of the academic thinking on climate and finance and what’s driving the business case for investing in clean energy. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Connect with Alicia via twitter @aaseiger and Steyer Taylor Center @StandfordSTC Alicia’s latest articles mentioned in the pod: Businesses and Investors Need to Act on Climate Now https://ssir.org/articles/entry/businesses_and_investors_need_to_act_on_climate_now Connecting Climate Resilience to the Bottom Line https://ssir.org/articles/entry/businesses_and_investors_need_to_act_on_climate_now
We are joined this week by Chris Buddin (@cbuddin), Global Head of Clean Technology Renewables Group and the Internet of Things in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs. This week’s conversations focuses on technology, where clean energy has come and where it’s going. We also talk about how the evolution of technology development is affecting the market, specifically as it relates to the Internet of Things. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
We have an exciting conversation lined up this week with Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Learn how Tom’s passion for wind power turned into a career representing largest renewable energy source in America. Wind power is expected to be 10% of the grid by 2020 and many are calling it the “new base load.” Not only is wind power helping to keep the lights on but it’s also creating careers all along the supply chain. Wind is putting people to work building, transporting and maintaining wind turbines all across the country. Learn more about AWEA: http://awea.org or follow AWEA on twitter @AWEA. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
Join us as we catch up with Adam Gardner, lead singer of Guster, as well as, the Co-Founder and Co-Director of REVERB. We have an interesting conversation about how innovation and clean energy intersect in the music industry. Learn how Adam took up the charge to disrupt the status quo of energy consumption in the music festival industry and in the process empowered fans to become clean energy advocates. Learn more about REVERB: http://reverb.org/ Follow on Twitter: @reverbrocks Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_
Jon Powers, CEO of CleanCapital, speaks about the dangers posed by climate change and the need to re-tool our economy to adapt with renewable energy sources. Post from RICOH THETA. #theta360 -... Good hearts make the world a better place