Podcast appearances and mentions of gretchen bakke

Gretchen Bakke, the author of “The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future.”, joins the 21st show to discuss the current capabilities and flaws of America's power grid and what the country's energy future can look like.

In 2006, venture capitalists poured billions into clean energy technologies during Cleantech 1.0, only to lose half of the investments over the next five years.  The climate tech investing space has since rebounded and become one of the most popular investment sectors, and new incentives show an exciting opportunity for extended growth over the next few years.Meera Clark is a principal at Redpoint Ventures, where she is passionate about the climate tech, consumer, and infrastructure sectors. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Venture Capital, Business Insider's 55 Rising-Star VCs of 2021, and Venture Forward Women. Meera previously worked at Morgan Stanley's Multicultural Innovation Lab, Morgan Stanley's tech investment banking group, and as a principal at Obvious Ventures. In this episode, Catherine and Meera talk about the trajectory of Meera's career, her thoughts on upcoming market shifts in 2023 and 2024, how consumer shifts are affecting businesses, the climate tech investing space, and much more.Topics include:- Her untraditional upbringing and its effect on her career- The importance of a strong support system- Thoughts on the economy and market for the next 12-24 months- Upcoming IPO market shifts- How consumer shifts are offering new opportunities for businesses- The climate tech investing space- Building an all-star cap table- And more…Meera Clark is a principal at Redpoint Ventures. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Venture Capital, Business Insider's 55 Rising-Star VCs of 2021, and Venture Forward Women. After graduating from Stanford, Meera accelerated her career at Morgan Stanley's Multicultural Innovation Lab and within its tech investment banking group. She later became a principal at Obvious Ventures, where she worked on 12 of the company's 30 investments from its $272 million third fund, sourcing four investments and serving as a board observer for three others. She also serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the Annual Summit of All Raise.Resources Mentioned:The Grid, by Gretchen Bakke: https://www.amazon.com/Grid-Fraying-Between-Americans-Energy-ebook/dp/B01DM9Q6CQ Taming the Sun, by Varun Sivaram: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Sun-Innovations-Harness-Energy-ebook/dp/B08BT1SM11 The World for Sale, by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy: https://www.amazon.com/World-Sale-Traders-Barter-Resources-ebook/dp/B08TMTG4CT The New Map, by Daniel Yergin: https://www.amazon.com/New-Map-Energy-Climate-Nations-ebook/dp/B084GDG8DG MCJ Collective: https://www.mcjcollective.com/ 

We turn on a light switch or run a faucet every day without thinking about how it works. Without the electric grid, a very complex but outdated system, we would not be able to do either. In this episode, we discuss Gretchen Bakke's book, The Grid: the Fraying Wires between Americans and our Energy Future. We are reaching a critical breaking point with our archaic system of delivering power to homes and business across the U.S. A transition to renewable energy is necessary, but how do we accommodate all the clean energy generated without advanced methods for storing that power? We discuss the solutions and how planners can be more involved in the conversation.Links:Solar@Scale Webinar Series: https://icma.org/events/solarscale-webinar-seriesEnergy Justice Workbook: https://iejusa.org/workbook/Great Plains Institute Cobenefit Opportunities: https://betterenergy.org/blog/solar-energy-projects-natural-systems/

This week on Down to Business two electricity experts Bruce Lourie and Gretchen Bakke talk about the many hurdles Canada will have to clear to get to net zero

Markham interviews Dr. Gretchen Bakke, assistant professor, university of Toronto and author of "The Grid."

The electrical grid is the most important innovation of the 20th century. What started out as a series of micro grids powering small areas eventually grew into what is now widely considered the world's biggest machine. But this machine needs a tune-up. Our energy demands are on the rise and severe weather events caused by climate change are becoming more frequent. Luckily, renewable energy and modern smart technology are helping us reimagine the grid so we can keep the lights on. Hear from from Gretchen Bakke, Peter Asmus, Bryan Hannegan, Andres Carvallo and Gregory Poilasne. For more on the podcast go to delltechnologies.com/trailblazers

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Robert Godby, an associate professor of economics at the University of Wyoming. Wyoming is the subject of their conversation: It's been a major energy-producing state for over a century and is the nation's largest producer of coal by far. But energy production in Wyoming has declined substantially in recent years, raising major challenges for the state's economy and public revenues. And with the need to reduce emissions much further, the outlook for Wyoming's energy future is highly uncertain. References and recommendations: “The Grid: The Fraying Wires between Americans and Our Energy Future” by Gretchen Bakke; https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/grid-9781632865687 “Short Circuiting Policy: Interest Groups and the Battle Over Clean Energy and Climate Policy in the American States” by Leah Stokes; https://www.leahstokes.com/book “Decommissioning Orphaned and Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells: New Estimates and Cost Drivers” by Daniel Raimi, Alan Krupnick, Jhih-Shyang Shih, and Alexandra Thompson; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/decommissioning-orphaned-and-abandoned-oil-and-gas-wells-new-estimates-and-cost-drivers/

Our lives depend on it and most of us don't give it a moment's thought. But when the electricity goes off we feel frustrated— powerless.America's grid was an engineering triumph of the twentieth century, but as the recent sudden freeze and severe power outages in Texas have shown, our electricity infrastructure is fragile and in need of basic repair, especially as the world faces the growing reality of extreme weather events and climate change. On their own solar and wind power are not enough to meet rapidly growing electricity demand. What are other viable, carbon-free alternatives?We discuss strengthening the grid, re-imaging it according to modern values, and our relationship with electricity with cultural anthropologist, Gretchen Bakke, author of "The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future.""It's not just that electricity is a modern marvel," Gretchen tells us in this episode. "It almost starts to feel like a natural right. With the pandemic, we really feel how important electricity is to being connected with the world. Everything is plugged in."Recommendation: Jim is watching the hilarious French TV series, "Call My Agent" on Netflix. Richard suggests that we watch more movies and TV shows with subtitles from all parts of the world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the biggest challenges I face is trying to keep up with all the great books my guests recommend as part of the show. One that I absolutely loved and found incredibly useful was The Grid: The fraying wires between Americans and our energy future. After the recent black outs in Texas I thought it a great time to speak with the author Gretchen Bakke, and ask why that happened, what needs to change, and what opportunities that creates for cleantech start-ups, scale-ups and VCs. I’m delighted that Gretchen accepted my request and joins me on the podcast this week. About Gretchen Bakke:  Gretchen is interested in what people do when the systems they rely upon stop working. Whether speaking of the end of political systems like communism, infrastructural systems like the electric grid, economic systems like whaling, energetic systems like fossil fuels, or cultural systems like the contemporary university what unites my work is an abiding concern for both the inventive creativity and the normative impulses that systemic collapse begets. What is the nature of renewal, she asks, and what do people, diversely, make of things when all that is solid fades unexpectedly into air. About Grid- The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future: “A remarkable achievement. Bakke deftly shows us how a system most of us are happy to ignore–the electrical grid–is both inseparable from everything we think of as civilization and on the verge of complete failure.” Paul Roberts, author of The End Of Oil and The Impulse Society. “This book, about our aging electrical grid, fits in one of my favorite genres: ‘Books About Mundane Stuff That Are Actually Fascinating.’ … even if you have never given a moment’s thought to how electricity reaches your outlets, I think this book would convince you that the electrical grid is one of the greatest engineering wonders of the modern world. I think you would also come to see why modernizing the grid is so complex and so critical for building our clean-energy future.” - Bill Gates, “My Favorite Books of 2016 Social links:  Gretchen Bakke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-bakke-485067135/ Gretchen Bakke Website: http://bakkeconsolidated.org/about.php About Hyperion Executive Search: Hyperion are a specialist executive search firm working with some of the most innovative cleantech companies in the world, helping to find extraordinary talent to enable their growth and success. Partnering with leading cleantech VCs, as well as directly with founders and entrepreneurs in the sector. With our clients we are transforming business and growing a strong and prosperous cleantech economy. If you want to grow your team, or move forward your career, visit www.hyperionsearch.com, or email info@hyperionsearch.com EPISODE LINKS How to Access Venture Capital – eBook - https://hyperionsearch.co.uk/download-guide-to-access-venture-capital/ The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future - https://www.powells.com/book/the-grid-9781608196104 Mission is Possible- Guidehouse podcast - https://missionispossible.podbean.com/ Follow us online, write a review (please) or subscribe I'm very keen to hear feedback on the podcast and my guests, and to hear your suggestions for future guests or topics. Contact via the website, or Twitter. If you do enjoy the podcast, please write a review on iTunes, or your usual podcast platform, and tell your cleantech friends about us. That would be much appreciated. Twitter https://twitter.com/Cleantechleader Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DavidHuntCleantechGuide Instagram https://www.instagram.com/davidhuntcleantech/

Quantum Quote: “80% of homes and businesses can't install rooftop solar because they have an old house, or trees shade the roof, or they're facing in the wrong direction, or they rent. In 48 states, Community Solar let's people purchase the electricity from solar farms and get credit on their monthly electricity bill, just like they would if the panels were on the roof of their house ” – David Amster-Olszewski   Would you like to put solar panels in your home, but you don't have space to do so, or have too much shade to make it economical?   Are you hesitant to purchase solar services due to long-term contracts, or do you rent your home?   With community solar, you can have both the ease of service and the freedom to choose to cancel or renew the contract on short notice - even if you're a renter.   Situated in Colorado, David Amster-Olszewski and his company SunShare has been helping the world in making an impact on Earth's sustainability through clean, affordable electricity with community “solar gardens”.   David pioneered the concept of solar farms in Colorado starting in 2011. Now, over twenty states have legislation that mandates community solar programs, and the addition of voluntary utility programs makes community solar available in 48 states.    David originally got interested in clean and renewable energy back in his freshman days in Colorado College. This led to the inspiration of building his own solar farm right after his mother told him about the passage of the first Colorado Community Solar legislation in 2010.    In this episode, David talks about how Community Solar works as an easy, affordable way to enjoy clean, renewable energy and the subscription process to a community solar garden  that uses the utility grid to continue to deliver energy while you are incentivized with solar credits on your monthly electricity bill.    We'd like to hear from you! Please help us understand how AWESomeEarthkind can help you achieve your clean energy goals – and you'll automatically be entered into a Sweepstakes for a Free LED Light Fixture:   SEND YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY   SuperNova #1. “If you believe in something, don't give up.” – David Amster-Olszewski   SuperNova #2. “All of the things we've talked about here, don't think that they're out of your reach. Start looking into it. Start looking at the numbers. Look for options around you, and if there isn't an option… make that option around you… Now's the time to do it.” - David Amster-Olszewski   SuperNova #3. “If each of us gets out there and does one thing, we could make a significant difference. Don't think that it's a big problem you can't possibly solve that's outside your control. It's totally in your control, and your friends' and families' too. So just get out there and do something. Take one small step.” - David Amster-Olszewski   Worst Clean Energy Moment: When Minnesota was opening up in late 2014 and 2015, the program had so many applications that caused the utility to freak out. This led to them pausing the program for 18 months.    Best Advice He's Ever Received: Stay focused.   Most Energized about Today: The connectivity between renewable energy, energy storage, vehicle electrification and home electrification, and how close we are at achieving low-cost energy that will reduce carbon emissions by 80% - 90% in the next decade.   Personal Habits that Contribute to Success: Persistence. Not giving up.   Internet Resource: For solar news and renewable energy news - PV Magazine. https://www.pv-magazine.com/   Book Recommendation: “The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future”  by Gretchen Bakke.    Magic Wand: “If I could change one thing for everyone in the world, it would be empowerment. The mental perspective for people to realize there that they really can achieve their full potential.”   Parting Advice: “All of the things mentioned in the interview, don't think that they're out of your reach. Start looking into clean energy, and look for options around you. If an option doesn't come your way, create that option yourself.It's in your control.Take one small step.”   Connect: david@mysunshare.com info@mysunshare.com https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/david-amster-olszewski-4ba7355   Please Go to iTunes / Apple Podcast to Rate & Review AWESome EarthKind! Thanks!

For a sustainable future, we need to turn away from fossil fuels and turn towards electricity. But to electrify everything — our cars, our buildings, our entire neighborhoods — we'll need to make some big changes first. In this episode, hosts Eric Jaffe and Vanessa Quirk explore the future of electrification with Gretchen Bakke, author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future, and Sidewalk Labs' director of sustainability Charlotte Matthews. For a link-rich transcript of this episode, click here.  City of the Future is produced by Benjamen Walker and Andrew Callaway. Mix is by Zach Mcnees. Art is by Tim Kau. Our music is composed by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. If you want to hear more of Adaam’s work, you can check out his band, Lost Amsterdam.  

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Professor Todd Allen, chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan. Todd and Daniel discuss Chernobyl—what caused the explosion, what is known about its health effects, and what lessons policymakers and nuclear engineers learned from the disaster. Todd and Daniel also comment on the recent HBO miniseries called "Chernobyl"—what did it get right, and where did it miss the mark? References and recommendations: "Lessons of Darkness"; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104706/ "Full Body Burden" by Kristen Iversen; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/216565/full-body-burden-by-kristen-iversen/9780307955654/ "The Grid" by Gretchen Bakke; https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/the-grid-9781608196104/

Matt chats with the McGill University professor, who has written a very interesting and provocative new book about America’s electricity infrastructure. The book is about much more than just renewable energy and the issues it poses to our electric grid, but that’s what she and Matt primarily talk about. They discuss the challenge of intermittency — what do you do when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine? — and the need for re-thinking the grid entirely. Bakke also describes the various approaches to storing energy, from batteries to less conventional approaches, in arguing that we’re farther than many people think from a clean energy utopia. For more information, read more about the book on Amazon and read an article she wrote recently in the New Yorker, or listen to her interview on NPR’s FRESH AIR.

Matt chats with the McGill University professor, who has written a very interesting and provocative new book about America’s electricity infrastructure. The book is about much more than just renewable energy and the issues it poses to our electric grid, but that’s what she and Matt primarily talk about. They discuss the challenge of intermittency — what do you do when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine? — and the need for re-thinking the grid entirely. Bakke also describes the various approaches to storing energy, from batteries to less conventional approaches, in arguing that we’re farther than many people think from a clean energy utopia. For more information, read more about the book on Amazon and read an article she wrote recently in the New Yorker, or listen to her interview on NPR’s FRESH AIR.

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

After ten years, Dropbox is going public. Om Malik and Chris Albrecht discuss the file-sharing company's impending exit, the troubles it's had adding premium features to what is basically a commodity service, and what's in store as the company must fight off giants like Google and Microsoft. Also: Om is reading The Grid, by Gretchen Bakke, PhD And Chris is reading The Elements of Eloquence, by Mark Forsyth

Christopher (@stoneymonster) and Elecia (@logicalelegance) chat about listener questions and things they’ve been up to. A listener turned Chris on to Ray Wilson and his Music From Outer Space website on DIY analog synths and book Make: Analog Synthesizers. After collecting parts for a total DIY, he found and built a neat kit: Kastle Synth (as heard on the show) and has connected it to his Roland SE-02 Analog Synthesizer (on Amazon). BTW, his ham radio WSPR kit is the Ultimate 3 in case you are behind on hobbies. You can hear more about it in 197: Smell the Transistor. Elecia has been working through Udacity’s Self-Driving Engineer nanodegree. She completed term 1 with its computer vision and machine learning and is on to term 2 with sensor fusion, localization, and control. She blissfully is unaware of the cost because she got to be an industry expert for the Intro to Self-Driving Cars course. Listener Simon asked about non-fiction books. Elecia gets many of hers by looking at what is on discount at BookBub’s science section which lead to two books she highly recommends Spirals in Time (snail facts) and Tristan Gooley’s How to Read Water (beach explainer). Chris has been reading Scott Wolley’s The Network: The Battle for the Airwaves and the Birth of the Communications Age and How Music Works by David Byrne. Some show-related recommendations include Gretchen Bakke’s The Grid (hear Gretchen on episode 213: Electricity Doesn’t Behave Like an Apple) and Jimmy Soni’s Mind at Play (hear Jimmy on episode 221: Hiding in Plain Sight). She’s reading Tim O’Reilly’s WTF book about the future in anticipation of an upcoming episode. That's a good reminder: we, of course, also recommend Making Embedded Systems. Zach asked about Michael Barr’s Embedded Software Training in a Box. Apologies if we weren’t specific enough, it would likely make a better blog post. Also: $1 Microcontrollers!  

Ofcymene and Ofdominic share their thoughts on The Handmaid's Tale and then (17:20) we are delighted to welcome to the podcast, Gretchen Bakke, anthropologist and author of the celebrated The Grid: The Fraying Wires between Americans and our Energy Future (Bloomsbury, 2016). We begin with this week's announcement of the termination of the Clean Power Plan and the politics of “baseload energy” today. From there, we cover why electricity is a commodity like no other, how electricity is actually like polyamorous love, the challenges of writing for a wider public, and the infrastructural revolution that we are experiencing (but not always aware of). Gretchen explains how the future of electrical infrastructure has come into focus only very recently and discusses how subtraction (from the grid) may become a key resource in the future. We talk about the unreliable state of the U.S. grid and how it prompted the military to pioneer the use of microgrids. We ask whether we can trust utilities to work with us on creating a more distributed and decarbonized electrical infrastructure. And Gretchen suggests that the utility model may already be dead. We wrap up with the place of conservation in the transition, how hyperlocal production could reduce our electricity consumption 40% with no immediate change in lifestyle, and why government (and not markets or philanthropy) needs to drive the transition.

Gretchen Bakke spoke with us about the future of power generation and transmission. Her book is The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future. Gretchen is a professor of anthropology at McGill University. Gretchen’s website The book’s Facebook page Grechen’s first book is Anthropology of the Arts: A Reader

This week: Ellis interviews Dr. Gretchen Bakke, author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future. Listen for updated news from Kootenay Silver, new Yukon Mining Alliance sponsor Victoria Gold, Silvercrest Metals and Northern Vertex as Ellis tours the Moss Mine Project in NW Arizona. Pure Energy Minerals, Silvercorp Metals and Goldcliff Mining Corp round out the program this week.

This week: Ellis interviews Dr. Gretchen Bakke, author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future. Listen for updated news from Kootenay Silver, new Yukon Mining Alliance sponsor Victoria Gold, Silvercrest Metals and Northern Vertex as Ellis tours the Moss Mine Project in NW Arizona. Pure Energy Minerals, Silvercorp Metals and Goldcliff Mining Corp round out the program this week.

Topics: Electricity, Flow, Oregon Coast, Katrina, Public Consciousness, Blackout, Renewable Energy, Wind, Solar, Fossil Fuels, Command & Control, Rail, Pipelines, Squirrels, Make America Great Again, Light, Corner Office, Edison, Tesla, Insul, ACDC, Micr...

42 Minutes 251: Gretchen Bakke - The Grid - 11.30.2016 The program takes a hard look at the largest machine in the world for 42 minutes with cultural anthropologist Gretchen Bakke, author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future, published by Bloomsbury USA last July. Topics Include: Electricity, Flow, Oregon Coast, Katrina, Public Consciousness, Blackout, Renewable Energy, Wind, Solar, Fossil Fuels, Command & Control, Rail, Pipelines, Squirrels, Make America Great Again, Light, Corner Office, Edison, Tesla, Insul, ACDC, Microgrids, Money, Monopolies. http://amzn.to/2h9EqWU

Gretchen Bakke is the author of 'The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future'. Gretchen Bakke holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Cultural Anthropology. Her work focuses on the chaos and creativity that emerges during social, cultural, and technological transitions. For the past decade she has been researching and writing about the changing culture of electricity in the United States. In addition to her work on electric power systems she has done research in the Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, and in Cuba. She is a former fellow in Wesleyan University’s Science in Society Program, a former Fulbright fellow, and is currently an assistant professor of anthropology at McGill University. Born in Portland, Oregon, Bakke lives in Montreal.

We produce more wind and solar power than ever before, yet coal, oil, and gas constitute over 90 percent of our energy sources. Why? Blame it on the grid. While our electrical grid was once an engineering marvel, today it is the Achilles heel of energy efficiency. In her book, The Grid: The Fraying Wires between Americans and Our Energy Future, McGill University Professor Gretchen Bakke explains why. A former Fellow in the Science in Society Program at Wesleyan University, she holds a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the University of Chicago. In this interview, Bakke shares how our grid became what it is today and offers fascinating insights into the technologies, personalities, and policies that got us here. Along the way, she explains all the fascinating ways innovators are helping us rethink it and what the future of energy looks like. In this interview, we talk about:   What the U.S. electrical grid actually is The history that informs the grid Why it matters when we use electricity Why the more we invest in green energy the more fragile our grid becomes How our current grid binds us to non-renewable energy sources How overgrown trees, sagging power lines, and a computer glitch caused a massive blackout in 2003 How electricity became a monopoly and a commodity How grid complexity works against complete reliance on alternative energy The good, the bad, and the ugly of smart meters Why energy storage is the holy grail of the energy business The innovation of vehicle-to-grid initiatives The feasibility of wireless electricity How an energy platform can help us reimagine the grid How an energy cloud can help us de-regionalize our reliance on energy sources What a cultural anthropologist brings to our understanding of the grid The values and history embedded in our electrical grid The fact that we made the grid and the grid makes us Whether choreography serve as a tool for helping us rethink power Selected Links to Topics Mentioned Arc lamp Charles Edison Charles Brush Samuel Insull National Energy Act PURPA Energy Policy Act of 1992 Enron Walkable City by Jeff Speck Vehicle to grid Elon Musk The Paris Talks Energy cloud If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes. For automatic delivery of new episodes, be sure to subscribe. As always, thanks for listening! Thank you to Emmy-award-winning Creative Director Vanida Vae for designing the Curious Minds logo, and thank you to Rob Mancabelli for all of his production expertise! www.gayleallen.net LinkedIn @GAllenTC

America's electrical grid, an engineering triumph of the twentieth century, is turning out to be a poor fit for the present. It's not just that the grid has grown old and is now in dire need of basic repair. Today, as we invest great hope in new energy sources--solar, wind, and other alternatives--the grid is what stands most firmly in the way of a brighter energy future. Cultural anthropologist Gretchen Bakke unveils the many facets of America's energy infrastructure, its most dynamic moments and its most stable ones, and its essential role in personal and national life. The Grid tells its fascinating history, problematic present, and potential role in a brighter, cleaner future.

We speak with Richard Harrison, CEO of Smart Power Myanmar, a non-profit organization working to accelerate the adoption of decentralised renewables in Myanmar by providing data and evidence, convening key stakeholders, and offering financing solutions. We discuss the current energy landscape in Myanmar, the need for an integrated approach to electrification, the importance of offering financing solutions alongside electrification efforts, and the benefits of productive energy use.Recorded in May 2020Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com/podcast/smart-power-myanmarContact us at podcast@distributingsolar.comShow notes: (0:55) Richard's background and prior work in Myanmar(2:30) Introduction to Myanmar, its geographical, economic, and political background(8:05) Myanmar's electricity sector, progress in recent years, and electrification targets(11:40) Smart Power Myanmar's approach to accelerating electrification in Myanmar(13:55) Smart Power Myanmar's strategic focus and identified barriers to electrification (18:12) Approaches to providing commercial and consumer financing adopted by Smart Power Myanmar - equipment financing facility and the Energy Impact Fund(21:35) The origins of Smart Power Myanmar, and how the organisation came about(26:30) Overview of the Decentralised Energy Report for Myanmar(32:10) Minigrid operators, ESCOs, funding and subsidies for minigrids in Myanmar, and progress to date(35:45) Hydro minigrids in Myanmar (37:45) The integration potential between private minigrids and the public national grid(40:30) Productive Energy Use in minigrids, and the need for consumer financing solutions to support Productive Energy Use(44:50) Examples of productive energy users who have benefited from Energy Impact Funds(48:05) The impact of COVID-19 in Myanmar and for the energy sector(49:20) Recommended books: Hariri's Homo Deus, Richard Rhodes' Energy: A Human History, Gretchen Bakke's The Grid(51:00) Goals and hopes for electrification the next 5 years