Podcasts about pacific gas

The string of storms that have swept through California has brought much-needed water and snow throughout the state, but climate scientists say, levels may still fall short of what's needed in the coming warm weather months. The town of Truckee held a memorial for the victims of last week's avalanche in the Sierra. This comes after search and rescue crews finished recovering all nine of their bodies over the weekend. State Senator, Scott Wiener, is proposing legislation to force a split between San Francisco and Pacific Gas & Electric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's program features tuneage from Otis Redding, Pink Floyd, Peter Green, King Crimson, Pacific Gas & Electric, Radiohead, Red House Painters, The Four Tops, Supremes, Three Dog Night, Procol Harum, Rod Stewart, Rolling Stones, Walker Bros, Righteous Bros, Brian Auger w Julie Driscoll, Fortunes, Beatles, Tears For  Fears, Chicago, Colin Winfield Blues Band, Ray LaMontagne, Van Morrison and Blood Sweat & Tears.

In this episode of The Utility Vegetation Management Podcast, hosts Stephen Cieslewicz and Nick Ferguson speak with Andy Abranches, VP of Wildfire Mitigation at PG&E, about how wildfire risk has fundamentally changed. Andy discusses climate and non-climate drivers of extreme wildfire, the evolving role of vegetation management, data-driven mitigation, and the realities of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). The conversation also covers coordination with fire agencies, home hardening, defensible space, and what gives Andy optimism as utilities adapt to a new wildfire paradigm. 

Tell us what you think of the show! The scale of energy demand in Northern California has reached a historic inflection point. With a 10 GW pipeline of data center demand—enough load to power more than 7.5 million homes—utility planners at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) are navigating a high-stakes race against time, infrastructure limits, and the laws of physics.To better understand how PG&E is turning these challenges into opportunities, we connected with two people who are doing exactly that for the company every single day. Austin Hastings is Vice President, Gas Engineering at PG&E while Mike Medeiros is Vice President, Strategic Commercial Solutions at PG&E.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Trees are a major cause of power outages. They're also a wildfire risk—when branches hit a conductor, a small spark can become a big blaze. Lynn Petesch of Overstory joins thinkenergy to talk trees, exploring how AI, satellite imagery, and vegetation intelligence help utilities prevent outages and reduce wildfire threats. Including Hydro Ottawa, who saw a 44% drop in tree-related outages since partnering with Overstory. Listen in for how we work together to keep the grid safe in an era of extreme weather.   Related links  Overstory: https://www.overstory.com/ Lynn Petesch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnpetesch/  Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-p-eng-8b612114  Hydro Ottawa: https://hydroottawa.com/en    To subscribe using Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405   To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl   To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa Stay in the know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa Keep up with the posts on X: https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod ----- Transcript: Welcome to thinkenergy, a podcast that dives into the fast, changing world of energy through conversations with industry leaders, innovators and people on the front lines of the energy transition. Join me, Trevor Freeman, as I explore the traditional, unconventional and up and coming facets of the energy industry. If you have any thoughts, feedback or ideas for topics we should cover, please reach out to us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com, Hi everyone. Welcome back. Today on thinkenergy, we're going to be talking about trees. Yes, you heard that correctly. Trees. I know this is a show about energy, but there's actually a very real connection between our electricity grid and those slow growing, majestic givers of shade, lumber, fruit and so many more benefits. Honestly, who doesn't love trees? But I'm not just kicking this episode off in my capacity as a tree hugger. Let's take a look at this through a utility lens, and I will use Hydro Ottawa as an example. Hydro Ottawa service territory includes some very rural and very forested areas. Even our urban territory has a fairly extensive tree canopy. As a result, Hydro Ottawa trims about 60,000 trees each year. Why? Because trees contracting power infrastructure is a big problem. Tree interference remains a leading cause of power outages for us. Strong winds force them onto our wires. Heavy snow or freezing rain builds up and weighs down branches, breaks limbs, and increases the risk that part of a tree may touch a line, and in some extreme cases, heavy storms can even send trees or branches crashing into our poles, damaging the poles. The struggle between power lines and trees, which, again, don't get me wrong, we all love trees, has been going on for years. There is a constant struggle between trimming enough and getting the right trees trimmed and maintaining as much tree coverage as we can. In 2022 we identified a disruptor in this dance, the solution came through a partnership with Overstory, a company that uses satellite imagery, infrared technology and artificial intelligence to help utilities manage vegetation and trim trees more efficiently. And the timing could not have been better. Just days after we started working with Overstory in the spring of 2022 the derecho hit Ottawa. Our Ottawa based listeners will remember this storm well. It was monumental in the history of our city, and indeed for us as utility, winds reached 190 kilometers an hour. For our non-metric listeners, that's nearly 120 miles per hour. The storm ripped through poles houses and cause considerable damage to our city's urban forests. Overstory played a crucial role during the cleanup and in helping us level up our vegetation management strategies moving forward, we realized that the insights we got from Overstory would help improve our proactive approach to tree encroachment and hazard identification, and this is essential in this era of extreme weather events. We know that climate change is causing more frequent and more extreme weather events. According to Climate Central, the number of weather related power outages in the United States increased by 78% between 2011 and 2021 and severe weather accounted for over 1000 outages across Nova Scotia just in the year of 2024 we want to keep you connected during these heavy storms, and that's why we're looking to organizations like Overstory. So what does Overstory do to help us keep the lights on? Well, without giving away too much, because we're going to get into the details shortly, Overstory through a detailed analysis of the scans they do of our entire grid, identifies high risk areas, which we can then prioritize and better focus our resources when it comes to vegetation management, this level of monitoring and focus reduces the risk of trees from coming into contact with our poles and disrupting Your connection to the grid, the results speak for themselves. Since partnering with Overstory, we've reduced vegetation related outages by 44% and that's only part of the story, as we'll discuss further, Overstory also plays a crucial role in helping utilities prevent wildfires in high risk areas across North America, similar to extreme weather, wildfire frequency and intensity is also increasing, in part due to climate change expanding cities and many other factors. And when wildfires do happen, these stories are heartbreaking. What many people don't realize is that lots of wildfires are sparked by trees making contact with power lines, and that is why Overstory plays a key role in tagging areas where those fires are most likely to ignite and spread, making it easier for utilities to prioritize trimming work and vegetation management in those areas. To dive more into how Overstory is helping us here at Hydro Ottawa and. And other utilities helping us identify and act to mitigate risk associated with vegetation. I'm really excited to have Lynn Petesch on the show today. Lynn is Overstory's, Head of Customer Success, and has spent the past 10 years building customer facing teams with a specific focus on technologies that tackle the climate crisis. She began her career working for the United Nations and the diplomatic service of her home country, Luxembourg, before moving into the tech sector to really work in environments where she could drive impact more quickly and at greater scale. Lynn Petesch, welcome to the show.   Lynn Petesch  05:34 Thank you. Thanks for having me.   Trevor Freeman  05:36 Okay, so let's start at the very top with a high level look at what Overstory does and how the organization came to be.   Lynn Petesch  05:45 Yeah, let me tell you about Overstory. I mean, we are a vegetation intelligence platform. We use remote sensing and AI to give electric utilities, including Hydro Ottawa and others, a clear, system wide view of their risk. They always do it because they want to address three things, or sometimes more, but kind of, there's always a few goal posts, and it's either improving reliability, reducing wildfire risk, if that is if they're in an area where there is a concern, and or improving operational efficiencies. So Overstory very much becomes a decision-making tool for their programs were used mostly by the vegetation management people, operations people, wildfire mitigation teams, and they each time they want to either use a program that exists, prioritize it, reshape their work. They might be preparing for storm. They might be working on a wildfire mitigation risk so the company, more broadly, was founded in 2018 by Anniek Schouten and Indra den Bakker. This was back in the Netherlands, and they were leveraging, or getting really interested in satellite imagery, and were very initially using it for deforestation purposes. So, the climate resilience DNA has always been with us. But like any startup, we were looking at that kind of target audience that was most interested in what we had to offer. And pretty quickly, we landed on the electric utilities. They had the most pressing need to use remote sensing at scale to solve very big problems, honestly. And so we pivoted into that space of electric utilities, and then in 2020 Fiona Spruill, who's our CEO right now, she joined us. She shaped the company into what it is today, and that is really around building safer and more reliable operations.   Trevor Freeman  07:33 That's great, and I want to dive into some of the details. Our listeners will know that we talk a lot about grid modernization here and talk a lot about better intelligence of what's happening on the grid in all aspects, and something we haven't really talked about, and I'm excited to talk to you about today is the sort of vegetation management side of it. So really excited to get into the details. But before we do that, I'm always really curious to understand, you know, the people behind the conversations. How did you get into this area of, you know, high tech vegetation management? I touched a little bit on your bio in the intro, but give us a sense of, you know, how did Lynn come to be in the space that you're in right now?   Lynn Petesch  08:12 Yeah, I wouldn't say I grew up thinking I was going to work in this space, but I love working in it now. So actually, right out of college, I went to work for the United Nations, but then in the last 15 years, I started working at high growth tech companies, startups, and I've always been focused on leading and building CS operations, which is basically the customer success teams. They're the ones that are in front of the customers, implementing these software programs, kind of working very closely with customer solving problems. And about four years ago, I decided that I did want to focus the rest of my career on solving the climate crisis more broadly. And I remember very clearly that I came across Overstory. And there was two things that really resonated with me. One was hearing that utility caused wildfires could be as thing of the past, like they are preventable. And the other thing was learning about this world where vegetation is the biggest cause of outages, which is, you know, I did not know before. And so I think, you know, having these very clear goals is very compelling to kind of work on something where it's so easy to understand what the big problems are. So I joined Overstory, and for the last couple of years, I've been building a team that gets really deeply embedded in these utilities, specifically with the vegetation management and the WiFi mitigation teams. And we work on their programs. We understand their programs, we help them reshape their programs. We roll out, obviously, the software element that is Overstory. It's been very fun and rewarding work   Trevor Freeman  09:40 That's great. And I really love, you know, talking to people from a variety of areas that they touch on climate change and the climate crisis. And I think there's a bunch of us who share that passion of wanting to do something. I spoke with a group of you know, recent grads about what is a green. In career. What is it? What does a career in climate change look like? And really it looks like whatever you want it to look like. There are so many aspects that touch on this. So kind of neat to hear how that was your passion, and then you figured out where it made sense for you to enter into the climate sphere. So that's great.   Lynn Petesch  10:15 Yeah, I guess when I was young, I thought you had to be a scientist to work on time, yeah. And I think now anyone can find an angle on how to contribute to it. And I think it needs everyone to help contribute.   Trevor Freeman  10:24 Yeah, any job can be a green job if you care about it and if you make it that okay. So let's get back to Overstory. Tell us a little bit about the evolution of the company. You talked about it kind of founding about seven years ago. Tell us how it's evolved and progressed over those seven years.   Lynn Petesch  10:41 Yeah, so when we started working with utilities, I think at that point, everyone was kind of assessing whether satellites could be kind of good use case for analyzing vegetation. We're now talking about 30 centimeter imagery. So the resolution of satellites has become incredible. You can really see branches. You can detect species of trees. You can see if they're healthy or not. So initially, that was kind of our m-o we really were the leading provider to find out, where are the trees, how close are they, in terms of proximity to your network, so to the conductor, which is the risk. You know, we're looking at the terrain. If you're looking in the mountains and in Colorado, you have very different terrain than maybe in Ottawa. So detecting tree species has been really interesting, detecting the health of trees, how that decline is furthering. A lot of utilities are experiencing a lot of tree decline die off right now. So that was how we started. And then we started working with the really big utilities. And you had to think about this problem at scale. Now, we might be scanning with satellites, hundreds, 10s of 1000s of miles at a time, and some of these utilities, they might have 1000s, if not 10s of 1000s, of trees that could pose a risk to their network. They might have had a really big, large weather event, a storm that knocked over some of their system. So at that point, it all becomes about that decisioning tool. Everything starts becoming a prioritization, and I think that's now where we're really leaning into is making not just surfacing the data, but making it very actionable. Utilities have a lot to deal with. They deal with very tight budgets, they deal with crew constraints. They might have an aging workforce, their regulatory pressure, they're really vulnerable to storms. Increasingly, there's a lot of wildfire exposure. So everything becomes a decision of, where should I focus my intention? Where can I get the biggest bang for my buck? What should I do? What should I not focus on? And that decisioning is where we really want to be a key player in.   Trevor Freeman  12:44 Absolutely. And looking forward, I know I'm kind of we're jumping the gun here. We haven't gotten into the details of what you do. But looking forward, what is your vision for, kind of the future of this space and how it's going to continue to evolve? Are you mature as a company yet, or as a sector, or is it still a lot of growth to happen?   Lynn Petesch  13:01 Yeah, I think vast majority utilities are now leveraging remote sensing. It could be lighter, it could be drones, it could be satellites. So that has become a pretty established tooling within the sector. I think what our vision really is, is providing utilities that shared resilience, first picture of risk. So you know, we imagine a world where you can, kind of like, see the emerging risks, and you can start becoming proactive. Being proactive in the space of vegetation management has been really challenging. You never know where the next tree is going to fall. And over the last couple of years, customers suddenly have access to this risk across their territory so that they can start being proactive about it. As a matter of fact, that was a key use case, also with the team at Hydro Ottawa, is to start launching these proactive programs. And I think when we think about it, we get very excited about the world in which anyone from the field crews to the vegetation managers to the operation folks to the execs, to the regulators, the community partners who think about the safety of their communities, the regulators all have that kind of shared view of risk. Just imagine, they all understand the same risk. They operate off the same sheet, and they make the same data driven decisions that could solve a lot of problems, because now the data is often scrambled across different people. Certain people have access to it and certain people don't.   Trevor Freeman  14:25 Great. Okay, so let's get into the specifics here. I want to actually talk about specifically what you what Overstory does. How do you find we've kind of talked about vegetation management, obviously, you're supportingHydro Ottawa and other utilities in our vegetation management programs. How do you find and tag high risk vegetation? What is high risk like? What do you actually do on a day to day basis?   Lynn Petesch  14:47 Yeah, that's the part that I deal with the most often. So excited to get into specifics. Implementing with Overstory is actually pretty easy. I mean, when we start working with a customer, we need to know where is your grid. So we need to understand where your power lines are. Planning. We need to understand the main configurations of them. How tall are the poles, etc, so we can really compute that whole focus of where the trees in relation to your power lines, to your conductors. That's all ultimately that we're focusing on. Increasingly, we're all seeing focusing on the ground. I'll be talking about that as well. We then task these satellites over your territory. We do that during the leaf on season, so that will be the summer, essentially. And then we run all these models. So we are first needing to understand, where are the trees, what is their height, what is their health? An unhealthy tree is much more likely to fall and cause damage to your power lines. We're looking at the fuels on the ground. We can help you determine what type of equipment you might need to attack certain types of vegetation. And we always compute it to that risk to the conductor. And we look at your right of ways. Now, I think the interesting part about your question is the what is high risk? And that is, can be very different across different utilities, and I think that's the maybe the unique part with Overstory is that we can configure it to your standards. So every utility has very unique components. If you're on the West Coast and you're concerned about wildfires, your tolerance to risk will be very different. And if you're on the East Coast, where you're mostly concerned about not causing too many outages, including that you might have specific trimming specifications. The crews running around with chainsaws, they know exactly how far out they need to trim, how much they can trim, and there's a bit of a risk tolerance thing. So we built very configurable risk frameworks for all of our utility partners, so high means one thing to hydro Ottawa means something different to a customer in California that is facing a very different type of risk.   Trevor Freeman  16:49 So you're out there assessing, essentially, just for the context of our listeners, you know, we've got power lines that run overhead. They run through residential neighborhoods, commercial areas, but also forested areas, treed areas where there's lots of vegetation near our equipment, your company really gets an understanding of the the interaction between the vegetation and our lines, and says, these ones are too close, or this is a tree that's, you know, not healthy, and could come in contact with your lines based on your analysis. So help us, like, let's paint that picture a little bit more detailed. How do utility companies take the information that you are coming up with, that your analysis is coming up with, and use that to run a vegetation management program more effectively? What does the utility do with that information?   Lynn Petesch  17:37 Yeah, so we always center it around four main use cases. One is optimizing a program that already exists. It's creating a targeted program for you. It's quantifying your work and risk reporting. And I'll dive into each and every one of them a little bit to illustrate a bit more what that could mean. So when we think about program optimization, a lot of utilities, they have existing vegetation management cycle. They might have a regulatory obligation to visit their territory every four years, for example. Now, a lot of times they've been doing their program the same way for the last 10 maybe 20 years, but the conditions in their territory are different, right? I mean, the things we're seeing, the storms are heavier. There's more tree decline that we're seeing right now. So they know they need to adapt and they need to adjust it. But it's big programs with lots of budgets attached to it, a lot of crews running around. So starting to think about how you can start pulling a socket that you're meant to trim forward, or starting to tackle an area where you say, is more residential, there's fewer trees, focusing on your high risk areas. First re managing these programs is one key component that we work with a lot of companies on. And thinking about Oklahoma, Gas and Electric, for example, that they have a budget, and they can only do that much with the budget, and it was really about reinventing where they can get the biggest impact. The other one, the second use case, is this targeted program creation, and I'll use the Hydro Ottawa use case for that. You know, they had suddenly a view about where are all of their hazard trees? Hazard trees are these trees that are declining, they're dying, or they're dead, and they could have an impact on your system. Now, suddenly you know where they are, so you can start building a targeted program about dedicating some time and budget and crews to actually going and addressing those trees that has a big impact on your reliability and on reducing tree cost outages. And there's many others, sort of like hotspotting, is a very common term about starting to become proactive and doing something for a specific program. And the third one is work quantification. And I think there, when you think about it again, there's large contractors that are running around, managing your territory. And now we utilities, for the first time, often have that data to actually assess how much work there is. So that's really helpful in terms of negotiating your contracts, getting better bids. Some utilities say it's really hard to find contractors that want to work on their system, because it's very hard to estimate how much work there is, or they might have a budget to mow certain vegetation along a transmission corridor. Just knowing how much vegetation there is is a really helpful tool to address it and prioritize it in the right way. And then the fourth use case is the risk reporting, and that is about getting that baseline view about your risk and tracking it year over year. And this is really where we want utilities to have that data to report it out to their boards, insurers, regulators, and often it's used to defend your budgets, secure your budgets, or really have some data to kind of back you up on what the problems are that you're facing.   Trevor Freeman  21:05 Great. So you talk about data, and you know, each of those use cases that you mentioned, or strategies that you mentioned really are about getting the right information in the hands of the right people to make decisions and sort of more efficiently and effectively make decisions, but it's a lot of data. And so Hydro Ottawa has over 6000 kilometers of lines. You know, this, of course, as our partner, we have a big territory, and we have a fairly treed territory. That's a lot of data points. You're collecting a lot of data from your satellites. You're doing analysis on that. How are you doing that analysis? Is it, you know, AI is kind of a buzzword, and every sector right now, and the utility sector is no different. Are you using some form of AI or machine learning analytics? What are you doing in terms of, you know, crunching the numbers and coming up with the right actions?   Lynn Petesch  21:59 Totally, yeah, AI is a buzzword, but it's also very exciting. I think utilities have really embraced it already. They're using it for demand forecasting. They're using it for customer service. They're using it for asset planning. I mean, at the core, Overstory has been using AI to turn remote sensing data into operationally useful intelligent about their vegetation. So when you say yes, Hydro Ottawa has that many 1000s of kilometers of overhead lines, we need to a rank it to them. This is your worst circuit. This is your worst area. This is the area where you have the most hazard trees, for example. So we can really rank order on a span level, from the worst to the best, right? So that could be one thing, it's still an overwhelming amount of data. So where we started by using AI to kind of predict that whereas the trees How tall are, they were and they were relation to the conductors. Now what we're really excited about, or kind of leaning into, with AI, is how to intelligently, kind of assess and prioritize risk. So not every hazard tree has the same impact. If a hazard tree falls on a line where more houses are dependent on you will knock out the power of more people. So it's always a prioritization exercise, and leveraging AI for that is what is most exciting to us right now. And I think it's important to note that we also don't just want it to be a black box. All of the models we've built, they're always validated by certified arborists and kind of our utility partners. And I think at this stage, this is very important, because every tree that we find exists in the real world, and so validating this, AI in the with ground truthing, has been really important for us to also build that trust in the technology.   Trevor Freeman  23:42 That's great. And I do think it's helpful for our listeners to kind of understand the context before this, this work is sort of done, you know, in the absence of a tool like yours, it's, it's sort of done. You know, there's a degree of manual effort here. There's a degree of patrolling the lines. There's a cycle of vegetation management. So if you've done a line this year in three years or four years or five years, you want to be looking at it again. This takes a little bit of that, I don't want to call it guesswork, but it takes a little bit of that manual effort out of the equation, and really focuses efforts in the right way. And it's only with the tools that you know you folks are using that you're able to do that volume of analysis and get that pinpoint accuracy. So that's fantastic. Let's, let's get into kind of the success of it at all, like the big picture. We've obviously talked a couple times here that you're our partner here at Hydro Ottawa, so I know that the success that we're having with you, but you know, tell us some of the great success stories with other utility partners. Are you, you know, are you actually reducing weather related outages? Are you seeing the impact of using the overstory tools and methodology to support utility partners?   Lynn Petesch  24:58 Yeah, I mean weather related outages can mean many things. You have trees knocking over, like the pole might crack, etc, you know, those there's a lot of things that can happen during a storm. And I've heard a lot of stories about side of some of the storms that Ottawa has experienced in the past years, where, you know, you could have had anything, and they're just heavier, and that the consequences are really strong, but what we can impact is the tree cost outages, right? And that we've proven with Hydro Ottawa, where, within a year, by focusing that targeted program on going to an area where you had a massive amounts of these trees that were dying off and they at any point, was just a little bit too heavy wind could be toppled over and fall on the line, we had a 44% reduction in tree cost outages. That's a real, tangible number. You can see, I'm thinking about utility as well. In the on the East Coast, a co op that runs through very rural areas. In those areas, you have a trees outside of the right of way that are toppling over on two lines. So tree cost outages are a huge issue for them, and it's really impacting their safety and safety those key, key KPIs that utilities are always tracking and by us just giving them a rank order of which has a tree they had so many of them, which has a tree to even go to first, because if that has a tree were to fall on a line, a ton more people are going to be out of power than if the other one were to fall the line, you will have, like one rural cabin that will not have power. And that led to a reduction of something around 90% of tree cause outages is to 70% it's still a long way to go, but it was a really tangible number that you can see, and it shows that if you then do that proactive work, you have real impact on your tree cost outages. And it's if I think about our customer in California, Pacific Gas and Electric, for example, it's a lot around helping them understand where they don't need to go. So it's kind of doing something of a visual inspection and actually skipping certain spans, that can be itself a really big use case. Because right now, if you don't have an understanding about where your risks are, you might be spending trucks to roll for hours around areas where there is not really any tangible work to be done. So redirecting them to the right areas is where we've seen a lot of success there, and that obviously leads to budget wins, right? You'll be saving a lot of money by doing that. And those are kind of the use cases that we chase and that we kind of help prove the cases on.   Trevor Freeman  27:29 Absolutely, yeah, there's, there's only so many resources you can you can throw at this, and making sure that we prioritize and focus those resources in the right spot is absolutely critical. You were just talking about the West Coast, and you mentioned this earlier. I know wildfires is is an area that is obviously of great interest for your organization. We're fortunate here at Hydro Ottawa, and that we haven't really had to deal with that much. But anybody who's you know following the news knows this is a major problem for us. So how, what is your role in helping those utilities prevent wildfires? Maybe give us, like, a very quick primer on why utilities are a factor when it comes to wildfires first, and then how your organization is supporting that.   Lynn Petesch  28:13 So unfortunately, utility cost wildfires tend to be the most catastrophic wildfires because they're critical infrastructure, and we've obviously seen that happen across the world, in in the US recently, again and again. But utility cost wildfires, as I said at the beginning, are also the actual wildfires that are preventable. So that's really where we're lying to lying into a lot of the forests right now. They've become Tinder boxes. That is obviously because of fire suppression policies? That's because of forest management techniques that have been leveraged in the last couple of 100 years that are slowly changing at different paces? Canada's had some, unfortunately, some really bad fire seasons recently as well. And so where overstory wanted to place itself as a net prevention space to even not add to the point where you have a spark, because there's a lot of tools out there that focus on mitigation and what is, what do you do when you see that first plume of smoke coming up? And so we've landed in kind of really focusing on the prevention side, so that utilities are hopefully in the future, not the ones that spark any of those catastrophic wildfires we've already always been looking at that the vegetation that could touch your conductor, right? That's I've been speaking about that a lot, but now we're really excited for the first time, and we recently announced that we launched a fuel detection model. So that's us looking at the ground fuel conditions, and those are actually usually the key contributors to the spark that spreads the fire. We're now providing that to utilities as a much higher resolution than ever before. For me, it's interesting because I've spent a lot of time looking at trees, and now I'm going into the field and I'm looking at the ground, and it's a new perspective. But yet again, we could just, you know, we don't want to overwhelm our customers. A lot of maps and showing the fuel conditions, necessarily, we can really help them identify those spans where a single failure would have the greatest consequence. So yet again, it's about how to make that data that, you know, there's a lot of wildfire risk map out there, but make it a very actionable list of spans that if they were to tackle those they are very proactively reducing the risk of igniting a fire. And as a result of the protecting their communities.   Trevor Freeman  30:29 Got you so it's not just about the overhead trees, branches, etc, contacting the line. It's, you know, if a switch goes, if an insulator pops, if, if something happens that will cause sparks. What's happening on the ground below that line, and how do we make sure it is able to withstand sparks? That might happen.   Lynn Petesch  30:49 Exactly if you have dry grasses, if you have sagebrush, if you have certain types of fuels, they're just much more likely to spark a fire and then spread, spread out without there even be any any trees you have these prairies along Texas that can blow up in a fire very quickly, and the fires can spread to tremendous sizes. And so understanding the fuels on the ground is really important.   Trevor Freeman  31:15 Super interesting and fascinating work to get involved in. As you mentioned, this is obviously an area of, I don't even know if I call it growing concern anymore, great concern for for the utility industry and all of us. Yeah. So with the technology that's, you know, we talked about AI a little bit ago, it's literally growing before our eyes. It's really evolving fast. Do you see your technology evolving along with it. What's what's kind of next for your organization? You talked about getting into sort of the ground vegetation management. What comes next? How do you see it evolving as AI and tools evolve?   Lynn Petesch  31:52 Yeah, I mean, if we see that the future is where we want to support a grid that is much safer and reliable, as I mentioned, we also want to make it sure it's resilient to the climate and the economic pressures that there are. So our initial focus and our continued focus, and where we have a lot of our expertise has been with vegetation. Now we're starting to look at the ground fuels, then that naturally evolves into looking at the asset vulnerabilities. So you know, the actual polls, and if there's any failures potentially on those as well as further weather exposures, right? It becomes, then about the soil moisture. It comes about the wind speed. It becomes around the rain, precipitation, etc. So there's a myriad of things that we can start looking at and that we want to start looking at in order to get that more holistic view of risk, and go beyond just vegetation right now, where we're investing most heavily in is that wildfire risk. There's also the resolution that we see with satellites right now is at 30 centimeter that may drop down to 15 or 10 centimeters, so the resolution will get higher. There's other sources that we're exploring already flying, sometimes aerial imagery that is at that five to 15 centimeters, then you would really start seeing soon, you can start seeing a leaf on a on a tree. It gets really impressive. There's lighter there's lots of other kind of remote sensing technologies that we're looking to leverage in the future. And then, as a company as well, we're starting to, obviously expand internationally. We started working with utilities in New Zealand that have very similar problems and various regulatory changes. They also have a problem with wildfire risks. So that is, that is another angle that at Overstorey We're chasing right now.   Trevor Freeman  33:35 Yeah, I'm glad you brought up that. You know, understanding of other assets beyond just vegetation, has kind of been running through my head of we talk about, and I think we've talked about it here on the show. If we haven't, I should do an episode on that, like a digital twin, a digital twin of our grid, and really having a good understanding of not just, you know, a line drawn on a map of, Hey, your circuits run this way, but really physically, what's happening out there, and being able to sort of model that interact with it in a digital way, to understand, if we do X, Y and Z, what happens. So the technology that you guys are using to really get good imagery and understanding of what's out there, well, I think what I'm hearing from you is could potentially be leveraged in that next level to understand, what pulls do we have? What health are they in? What you know, what's happening with that conductor? Is it sagging too much? Is it in good health? Like there's, there's all this opportunity that's really fascinating to hear.   Lynn Petesch  34:31 Yeah, already. Now, when we look at transmission corridors, we look at the sag of these lines, and the terrains are also really challenging, something to look at. So there's a lot of factors that need to be taken into account. And that can only expand as we want to look at risk more beyond just the vegetation element.   Trevor Freeman  34:48 Very cool. Well, Lynn, very interesting to hear this. I'm really glad you came on the episode or the show today to talk to us. Fascinating to hear what Overstory have to I know that we're super excited to be. Working with you here at Hydro Ottawa and excited for what comes next. We always end our interviews with a series of questions, so I'm going to dive into those and here we go. What is a book that you've read that you think everyone should read?   Lynn Petesch  35:13 I was thinking about an author more than a book. My favorite author is Jonathan Franzen. If I would recommend one book, it'd probably be Corrections, his most famous one, I believe. But they're like, these chunky, 800-900 page books where you kind of get immersed in these families and you feel like you know them at the end, and they kind of, I think about them for like, months afterwards. They're really good reading, at least for the winter when it's cold and you spend a lot of time inside. So probably Jonathan Franzen books, yeah.   Trevor Freeman  35:41 Yeah, we're we're recording this just before the holidays, and I think we'll be releasing the episode after but winter is such a great time to curl up with a book, and it's awesome to have a good recommendation of a nice thing.   Lynn Petesch  35:53 It'll be called in January.   Trevor Freeman  35:56 Absolutely. So same question, but a movie or a show?   Lynn Petesch  36:00 Yeah, I'm not a big movie buff, but I recently rewatched What's Eating Gilbert Grape, seen it with Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, and I always felt like Leonardo DiCaprio should have received an Oscar for that performance back when he was 14. But, yeah, it's a beautiful movie. awesome.   Trevor Freeman  36:20 Awesome yeah, that's a bit of a blast from the past, but you're right. That is a fantastic one. If someone offered you a free round trip flight anywhere in the world, where would go?   Lynn Petesch  36:27 French Polynesia, because it's so far I've never been a friend who went. I'm sure it's very expensive to go there, so it'd be great for someone too. Yeah, no, that's a place I'll go one day.   Trevor Freeman  36:41 So, yeah, fantastic. Who is someone that you admire?   Lynn Petesch  36:45 Yeah, that's a it's a tricky one, because I was thinking about, like, people, you know, in, I know, family, etc. But like, if I were to think about a, and it's a little left field, about a public persona, and also a bit of a blast from the past, I'll think about Tina Turner. She's been my icon since I'm a kid, I was always listening with my dad to Tina Turner. And I think the word that I've probably most used in today's episode was like resilience. And I always think about her as like possibly the most resilient woman in the world who reinvented herself and her career in her 40s and 50s, and is this complete power woman, you know, always done everything at her own terms. So get so much energy from not just her music. I've seen so many documentaries about her, and she's always been this kind of woman that I know, filthy with energy and kind of like drive. So I'm a big, big fan of Tina Turner.   Trevor Freeman  37:38 That's fantastic. I have to say, that's never come up on the show before, and now I need to go and dive down a rabbit hole of like, learning about Tina Turner listening to some music.   Lynn Petesch  37:47 Yeah, she's great woman.   Trevor Freeman  37:48 Yeah, good answer. Last question, what's something about the energy sector, or let's expand that to kind of the climate sector that you're really excited about?   Lynn Petesch  37:59 Yeah, I'm gonna take a very high level. But I think the thing I've always been following the most is, like, that broad topic of the energy transition, and I think the recent changes, or like, kind of the way we talk about it, has become a lot more interesting, because it used to be this kind of fluffy, big kind of vision, and now we're in that phase where it just has to be very practically implemented, and we're trudging along with it, no matter the political climate, etc, there is kind of a move forward. And I actually really liked the way that, I think, when I first started learning about it, or getting interested in it, it was always about renewables, and now it's around just sort of like needing to build a system that is both, like low carbon and climate resilient. And there's something in that, like way we talk about it now that I find really interesting. There's immense amounts of innovation in it. So yeah, I'm just enjoying following what's happening on that and how we are. We're moving that direction, no matter what's happening right now. So that's exciting.   Trevor Freeman  38:55 Yeah, okay, when I know my listeners are probably roll their eyes, because I say this all the time, but it's a very exciting time to be in this industry, and very exciting to kind of see the evolution of energy and how we're interacting with it, how it's impacting our society. And we really feels like we're at an inflection point. And very great to have you working on one aspect of it that people probably don't think about a lot. So thanks very much for what you're doing.   Lynn Petesch  39:19 Yeah, exactly. When you start working for Overstory, the one thing that happens is, wherever you go, you see trees and power lines. And I have very keen eye for, unfortunately, trees that are in poor health right now. So that's one of the professional things I've developed.   Trevor Freeman  39:35 Carry like a spool of red ribbon around you can, like, tie on the at risk trees and just so someone could come along. Lynn, thanks so much for coming on the show today. Really appreciate it. It's been great chatting with you.   Lynn Petesch  39:45 Thank you so much.   Trevor Freeman  39:46 Take care. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe. Wherever you listen to podcasts, and it would be great if you could leave us a review. It really helps to spread the word. As always, we would love to hear. From you, whether it's feedback comments or an idea for a show or a guest, you can always reach us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com..

January 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks… Covers the world's most sustainable companies, cleantech and renewable energy stocks, and more. By Ron Robins, MBA Transcript & Links, Episode 163, January 23, 2026 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 163, published on January 23, 2025, titled "January 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks." This podcast is presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your go-to site for vital global, ethical, and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript and links to content, including stock symbols and bonus material, on this episode's podcast page at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don't receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. I have a huge crop of 24 articles for you in this podcast! Note: Some companies are covered more than once. Now with so many articles to potentially cover, I've chosen 6 to quote from. The other 18 can be found with their titles and links on the webpage for this podcast edition. ------------------------------------------------------------- The 2026 Global 100 list puts speed in the spotlight The first article I'm quoting from is hot off the press and is about one of my favourite company rankings! It's titled The 2026 Global 100 list puts speed in the spotlight on corporateknights.com. The introduction is by Tristan Bronca. Here's some of what he says. "As the global economic transition accelerates, more companies are recognizing that sustainability isn't just good marketing – it's good for business, too… This was the animating spirit of the new methodology behind the Corporate Knights Global 100 ranking. The revised methodology introduces 'sustainable revenue momentum' to measure how fast companies are growing their sustainable revenues. A change of method Last year, sustainable revenues and investments together accounted for 50% of the score, and the other 50% was scored across 22 common environmental, governance and social performance indicators (KPIs) such as water use, emissions, workplace fatalities, and diversity on the board and among executives. The change has reordered the deck in a big way… A dramatic departure? 'In terms of performance, the G100 companies are back in top form, beating the benchmark MSCI AWCI index over the past year,' Toby Heaps says, referring to a stock market index of 85% of global investable equities across almost 50 countries." End quotes. Incidentally, the top five companies are ERG SpA (ERG.MI), Pandora A/S (PNDORA.CO), EDP Renováveis SA (EDP.LS), Fluence Energy, Inc. (FLNC), and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (2633.TW). ------------------------------------------------------------ Top 4 Clean Tech Companies to Watch in 2026 This next article brings us back to highly familiar territory. It's titled Top 4 Clean Tech Companies to Watch in 2026 on carboncredits.com and is by Jennifer L. Here are some brief quotes. "1. NextEra Energy (NEE) is the largest clean energy company in the world. It owns and operates wind farms, solar fields, and battery storage systems across the United States… NextEra has also increased its dividend for more than 26 years in a row. 2. First Solar (FSLR) is one of the top makers of solar panels worldwide. It uses a technology called thin‑film photovoltaic modules. These panels are lighter, use fewer raw materials, and often perform better in hot climates compared to traditional silicon panels. The company builds large solar power plants that send power to utilities and corporate customers… Financially, First Solar is a strong player. Its market cap was around $24 billion in 2025, and it has shown double‑digit revenue growth. 3. Bloom Energy (BE) makes a special type of power generator called a solid‑oxide fuel cell. These units produce electricity efficiently and with low emissions. Customers include data centers, large buildings, and industrial sites that need reliable power without high carbon output. Bloom's fuel cells can run on hydrogen or biogas, which makes them flexible for future clean energy systems… Premium financial news reported that its stock jumped more than 410 % in 2025 after strong earnings results. 4. Plug Power (PLUG) focuses on hydrogen fuel cell systems. Its products are designed to replace traditional batteries and fossil fuels in heavy equipment, forklifts, and industrial vehicles. The company is also building hydrogen production and fueling infrastructure across North America and Europe. This supports a broader 'green hydrogen' economy… Plug Power has faced financial challenges, including consistent net losses and stock price volatility… Its long‑term growth story depends on hydrogen demand and policy support worldwide." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 3 ESG Stocks to Add to Your Portfolio for Sustainable Returns in 2026 - December 30, 2025 The third article I've chosen to quote from is titled 3 ESG Stocks to Add to Your Portfolio for Sustainable Returns in 2026 - December 30, 2025 on zacks.com. It's By Aniruddha Ganguly. Now, some quotes from the article. "1. NVIDIA (NVDA) achieved 100% renewable electricity for all its global offices and controlled data centers in fiscal 2025. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company targets to reduce direct emissions by 50% for operations (Scope 1) and electricity consumption (Scope 2) by 2030… The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 increased a couple of cents to $4.66 per share, indicating 55.9% growth from the figure reported in fiscal 2025. (NVDA - Free Report). 2. IDEXX Laboratories (IDXX) is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of products and services primarily for the companion animal veterinary, livestock and poultry, water testing and dairy markets. IDEXX has set goals to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions and aims to source 100% renewable electricity by 2030… This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company plans to improve diversity and representation of underrepresented groups… IDEXX shares have surged 66% in the trailing 12-month period. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has been steady at $14.42 per share, indicating 11.7% growth from the 2025 consensus estimate figure of $12.93 per share. (IDXX - Free Report). 3. Microsoft (MSFT) targets to become carbon negative, water positive, and generate zero waste by 2030… This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company is leveraging AI for Good Lab and tools like the Microsoft Planetary Computer to drive biodiversity conservation… Microsoft shares have returned 14.7% in a year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 increased a couple of cents to $15.61 per share, indicating 14.4% growth from the figure reported in fiscal 2025. (MSFT - Free Report)." End quotes ------------------------------------------------------------- Top Renewable Energy Stocks To Watch Today This next article picks a few lesser-known, and for some sustainable investors, a few controversial companies for review. It's titled Top Renewable Energy Stocks To Watch Today on marketbeat.com and is by MarketBeat. Here are several brief quotes from the article. "1. Quanta Services (PWR) provides infrastructure solutions for the electric and gas utility, renewable energy, communications, and pipeline and energy industries in the United States, Canada, Australia, and internationally. Read Our Latest Research Report on PWR. 2. WEC Energy Group (WEC) through its subsidiaries, provides regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable and nonregulated renewable energy services in the United States. It operates through Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, and Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure segments. Read Our Latest Research Report on WEC. 3. NOV (NOV) designs, constructs, manufactures, and sells systems, components, and products for oil and gas drilling and production, and industrial and renewable energy sectors in the United States and internationally. Read Our Latest Research Report on NOV. 4. Clearway Energy (CWEN) operates in the renewable energy business in the United States. The company operates through Conventional and Renewables segments. Read Our Latest Research Report on CWEN. 5. HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (HASI) through its subsidiaries, engages in the investment of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable infrastructure markets in the United States. Read Our Latest Research Report on HASI. 6. Ameresco (AMRC) a clean technology integrator, provides a portfolio of energy efficiency and renewable energy supply solutions in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. Read Our Latest Research Report on AMRC. 7. Gibraltar Industries (ROCK) manufactures and provides products and services for the renewable energy, residential, agtech, and infrastructure markets in the United States and internationally. Read Our Latest Research Report on ROCK." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Top Wind Energy Stocks Poised to Benefit From Clean Energy Transition My fifth article is titled Top Wind Energy Stocks Poised to Benefit From Clean Energy Transition on finance.yahoo.com. It's by Avisekh Bhattacharjee and originally published on zacks.com. In the US, the wind industry could be gaining ground despite President Trump's protestations. Here are some quotes from the article. "1. NextEra Energy (NEE) is a public utility holding company engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy. The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company's competitive energy business, NextEra Energy Resources LLC (NEER), is the leading generator of wind energy globally. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE): Free Stock Analysis Report. 2. PG&E (PCG) operates as the parent holding company of California's largest regulated electric and gas utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Company.  The Zacks Rank #2 company's exposure in wind energy stems from the procurement of power from several renewable resources. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PCG): Free Stock Analysis Report. 3. Arcosa (ACA) is a leading manufacturer of infrastructure-related products and services that serve the energy, construction and transportation markets. This Zacks Rank #2 company's Engineered Structures business continues to benefit from strong demand for its wind towers and engineered structures. Arcosa, Inc. (ACA): Free Stock Analysis Report. 4. Constellation Energy (CEG) is a well-recognised provider of electric power, natural gas and energy management services to 2 million customers across the continental United States. Constellation Energy operates 27 wind projects across 10 states… This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company is launching a $350 million initiative to increase the output and lifespan of its portfolio of renewable energy sources. Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG): Free Stock Analysis Report." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- AI infrastructure stocks Lumentum, Celestica, Seagate beat Nvidia 2025 My final review article covers some old favourites. Its title is AI infrastructure stocks Lumentum, Celestica, Seagate beat Nvidia 2025 on cnbc.com. It's by Kif Leswing. Here are some brief quotes. 1. Nvidia has been the biggest infrastructure winner in the artificial intelligence boom, soaring in value by almost thirteenfold since the end of 2022 to a market cap of $4.6 trillion. 2. Lumentum based in San Jose, California, makes switches, transceivers and other optical laser-based parts that are needed for fiber-optic cables. Customers have typically been telecommunications carriers and device makers like Apple, which previously used Lumentum parts in its FaceID sensor… Lumentum's stock price has jumped 372% this year… lifting the company's market cap past $28 billion. Sales surged 58% in the most recent quarter from a year earlier to $533 million.  3. Western Digital is one of three major hard drive manufacturers, along with Seagate and Toshiba. Shares of the 55-year-old company are up almost 300% this year… 'Data is the fuel that powers AI, and it is HDDs that provide the most reliable, scalable and cost-effective data storage solution,' CEO Irving Tan said in October on an earnings call… Revenue is expected to increase about 23% in fiscal 2026, with growth slowing to 13% in 2027. 4. Micron is one of three major memory producers, alongside Samsung and SK Hynix, but the only one based in the U.S… Analysts from Morgan Stanley said in a December note that Micron's results showed the best revenue and profit upside in the 'history of the U.S. semis industry' — aside from Nvidia. Revenue is expected to almost double in the year ending in August, before dramatically slowing to 24% in fiscal 2027 and less than 1% in 2028, according to LSEG. 5. Seagate is also benefiting from booming demand for storage. The stock is up 231% this year. Sales rose 21% to $2.63 billion in the company's fiscal third quarter, which ended Oct. 3. The company said at the time that 80% of its sales go to the data center market. 'There is no question that AI is reshaping hard drive demand by elevating the economic value of data and data storage,' CEO Dave Mosley said on a call with analysts… Analysts expect 21% revenue growth this fiscal year, followed by increases of about 15% and 6% in the next two years, according to LSEG. 6. Celestica founded in 1994 as an IBM subsidiary, makes switches that connect networks together and manage the data and traffic flowing through them. The stock is up more than 230% this year… Analysts at Goldman Sachs wrote in a note Friday that Celestica supplies parts for Google's ASIC. 'The company should benefit in 2026 from being the leading provider of Google TPU rack level solutions,' the analysts wrote." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- More articles from around the world with Sustainable Investment Picks for January 2026. 1. Title: These Infrastructure Stocks Could Quietly Power the AI Revolution on fool.com. By Matt DiLallo. 2. Title: Top Beaten-Down Data Center Infrastructure Stocks on seekingalpha.com. By Steven Cress. 3. Title: Meet the four most sustainable funds on the market for 2025 corporateknights.com. By CK Staff. 4. Title: 3 Green Energy Stocks to Watch for a Cleaner, More Sustainable 2026 on finance.yahoo.com. By Pulkit Chamria. 5. Title: Analysts See Triple-Digit Revenue Growth in 2026 for These 3 AI Infrastructure Stocks on wallst.com. By Rich Duprey. 6. Title: The Top Clean-Energy Stocks for 2026, According to an Investment Advisor on businessinsider.com. By Samuel O'Brient. 7. Title: Top 10 Companies for CSR and Sustainability in 2025 on thecsrjournal.in. By Hency Thacker. 8. Title: This Underrated Industrial Stock Could Be the Purest Play on AI Infrastructure on fool.com. By John Bromels. 9. Title: Sustainable Investing Trends to Watch in 2026 on sustainalytics.com. By Morningstar Sustainalytics. 10. Title: The most sustainable equity funds in 2026 on corporateknights.com. Introduction by Saint Ekpali. 11. Title: Top 10: Renewable Energy Companies on energydigital.com. By Charlie King. 12. Title: The Grid Gap Gamble: Why Bloom Energy is Defying the Clean Tech Downturn in 2026 on markets.financialcontent.com. By MarketMinute. 13. Title: Some of the Best Sustainable Companies Call This ETF Home on etftrends.com. By Todd Shriber. 14. Title: Cisco Systems a Top Socially Responsible Dividend Stock With 2.2% Yield (CSCO) on nasdaa.com. By BNK Invest. 15. Title: Top 10: Sustainable Investments 2026 on sustainabilitymag.com. By Charlie King. 16. Title: Why Bloom Energy (BE) Stock Is Trading Up Today on finance.yahoo.com. By Petr Huřťák. 17. Title: Barclays Calls This 1 AI Server Stock 'Best in Class' Amid Upgrade to 'Overweight' Rating on finance.yahoo.com. By Aditya Raghunath. 18. Title: A clean technology company on the verge of transformational growth on stockhouse.com. By Trevor Abes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast, "January 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks." Please click the like and subscribe buttons wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these tumultuous times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. My next podcast will be on February 27th. See you then. Bye for now.   © 2026 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

San Francisco residents are furious with Pacific Gas & Electric after nearly one third of the city was hit by a series of power outages over the holiday season. This public outrage has also revived calls for the city — or even the state — to take over the investor-owned utility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As electricity demand from data centers continues to surge, a persistent question has dogged the industry: Are residential ratepayers footing the bill for massive tech infrastructure? According to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and an independent study it commissioned, the answer is a definitive no. As a guest on The POWER Podcast, Mandy Ulrich, senior manager of energy and water for Americas East at AWS, outlined the company's energy strategy and discussed findings from a study by Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. (E3) that examined how Amazon data centers impact local power systems. Study Finds Data Centers Generate Surplus Revenue The E3 study evaluated Amazon data centers across a diverse set of utility territories, including large investor-owned utilities such as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Dominion Energy, mid-size utilities like Entergy, and cooperatives such as Umatilla Electric Cooperative in the Pacific Northwest. “The simple answer is that Amazon data centers are not being subsidized by other utility customers,” Ulrich said. The study projects that Amazon's data centers will generate $33,500/MW of surplus value in 2025, increasing to $60,650/MW by 2030. For a typical 100-MW Amazon data center, that translates to $3.4 million in surplus revenues in 2025 and approximately $6.1 million by 2030. These surplus funds—revenues above the utility's regulated rate of return—can be used by utilities to modernize grid infrastructure, improving reliability for all customers. Grid Investment Benefits All Customers The study found that Amazon data centers are driving investments in grid infrastructure that support not just their own operations but also local residential and commercial growth. Ulrich pointed to Entergy Mississippi as a prime example, where the utility is using investments from Amazon and other large customers to fund a $300 million “Superpower Mississippi” grid reliability campaign—at no cost to residential customers—targeting a 50% reduction in outages within five years. Innovative Rate Structures Prevent Cost-Shifting While the E3 study validates that existing rate policies have been effective in preventing cross-subsidization, Ulrich emphasized that AWS continues to work with utilities on innovative approaches to ensure large industrial customers pay their fair share. She highlighted a Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) project as a “groundbreaking model.” Under this first-of-its-kind agreement, Amazon is investing in 3 GW of electrical capacity, with 2.4 GW dedicated to data center operations and 600 MW reserved specifically to support grid reliability for all NIPSCO customers. The structure creates a separate generation company (GenCo) that operates under a “commercial contract term,” Ulrich explained. By operating as a separate entity, GenCo isolates the cost of new growth to data centers. “The data center companies that drive new demand for electricity will fund the generation and transmission infrastructure they require, ensuring that regular customers don't shoulder those costs, even if the customer leaves before contract completion,” NIPSCO said in a Nov. 24 press release. “NIPSCO's existing customers will have no financial responsibility for powering Amazon data centers,” Ulrich said. NIPSCO said, “This structure is expected to provide value to customers by generating approximately $1 billion in cost savings that will be returned to current NIPSCO customers as credits on monthly electric bills over the project's 15-year duration.”

You're not imagining it — your Pacific Gas & Electric bill really is going up. In fact, according to a KQED analysis, the average PG&E utility bill went up nearly 70% between 2020 and March 2025. But it's not just the cost: understanding what's actually in your bill can be confusing. Today, KQED climate reporter Laura Klivans helps Ericka decode her PG&E bill. Links: The Average PG&E Utility Bill Has Gone Up Nearly 70% Since 2020 | KQED Bay Area Electricity Bills Are Some of the Highest. Where Does Your Money Go? | KQED PG&E Bills Keep Rising. What Can You Do to (Potentially) Lower Your Bills? | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sawasdeeka New Paradigmers!I am virtuous,I am wise,I am mindful,I am kind.Wanna know what's coming up in 2026???  Join Sol and myself on January 4th!  Click here to signup!  https://bit.ly/48ZlndgHappy New Moon (conjunct Venus) Solstice!  What a powerful combination!  Especially so because the whole Sun/Moon/Venus stellium is square Saturn/Neptune in late Pisces just before heading into the cold, white north of old man Capricorn.  For some reason I have always had this picture in my mind for Capricorn of a wise old man (like Gandalf) with a long white beard, holding a staff, and standing in the snow somewhere.  Well, as you will hear in this week's Pele report I wish there was a Gandalf around these days but don't see anyone like him anywhere, do you?This disillusionment (Neptune) with external authority (Saturn for many) may very well be part of the grand plan for humanity to finally get the idea that they need to develop their (our) own authority within.  What better way than to have a bunch of dufuses (an old word from childhood but I hope you get the idea) running the show!  When we can't trust those in authority we are uncomfortably put in a position of needing to make the call ourselves.  This is hard work, but tremendous growth for us all!  We have to do our own research, and then apply the seven virtues that I speak of in this week's report.  Mercury/Virgo       PRUDENCE (wisdom, discernment)Venus/Libra          JUSTICE (fairness, righteousness)Saturn/Capricorn  TEMPERANCE (self control, moderation)Mars/Aries            FORTITUDE (courage, strength)Jupiter/Sagittarius FATIH  (trust. devotion)Sun/Leo                HOPE (optimism, expectation)Moon/Cancer        CHARITY (love, kindness, generosity)We can ask ourselves repeatedly (especially this week and right on through to New Year's resolutions (which many are afraid to make anymore):  Is it wise and fair?  Do I have enough self control, courage, trust, optimism, love and kindness to pull it off?  Do it right?  Make it work?  If not then I have some work to do on myself to whip this life into shape baby!  Yeah!This week's song is "Are You Ready?" by Pacific Gas & Electric!  https://youtu.be/y4ZQ31O2M7Y?si=EJCAfx2klv25hktxSo Much Love, Kaypacha 

November 2025 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks… Includes stocks in the following sectors: hydrogen, AI infrastructure, wind, and climate transition. By Ron Robins, MBA Transcript & Links, Episode 161, November 21, 2025 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 161, published on November 21, 2025, titled "November 2025 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks." This podcast is presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your go-to site for vital global, ethical, and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript and links to content, including stock symbols and bonus material, on this episode's podcast page at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don't receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. I have a great crop of 17 articles for you in this podcast! Note: Some companies are covered more than once. ------------------------------------------------------------- (1) A Look at 7 Hydrogen Energy Stocks: Trillion-Dollar Market Ignites Green Investment Boom I'm starting this podcast with an article on an energy segment that not many ethical and sustainable investors have much exposure to. Yet, it could be of interest to many. The article is titled A Look at 7 Hydrogen Energy Stocks: Trillion-Dollar Market Ignites Green Investment Boom. It's by Caroline Kong and on nai500.com. Here are some quotes. "With technological advancements and policy support, this vast market, with a potential scale of $11 trillion, is maturing at an accelerated pace. 1. Linde (LIN) has not only mastered efficient hydrogen compression and safe refueling technologies but also reduces the carbon footprint of hydrogen through carbon capture. The company's recent 100-megawatt renewable hydrogen plant project in partnership with Shell, expected to be operational by 2027, demonstrates its commitment to industrial layout. 2. Air Products (APD) is even more aggressive, currently operating over 100 hydrogen production plants worldwide with a daily capacity of 7 million kilograms. Its NEOM green hydrogen project in Saudi Arabia is 80% complete and expected to commence operation in 2027. The company is also advancing an $8 billion blue hydrogen project in Louisiana, a $3.3 billion blue hydrogen project in Canada, and a $360 million green hydrogen project in Arizona set to come online in 2026. 3. BP (BP) has positioned hydrogen energy as a key pillar of its strategy to achieve net-zero by 2050. The company plans to invest in 5-7 hydrogen and carbon capture projects globally. Its Lingen project in Germany, expected to be operational by 2027, aims to produce up to 11,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. However, BP recently canceled its HyGreen Teesside project, the UK's first planned green hydrogen project, and exited a planned project in Australia, reflecting the challenges the industry still faces on the path to commercialization. 4. Plug Power (PLUG) has deployed 72,000 fuel cell systems and operates 275 refueling stations in North America. The company is building an end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem, with multiple green hydrogen production facilities expected to be operational before 2028. In October 2025, the company delivered its first 100-megawatt electrolyzer to Galp's refinery in Europe, signifying international recognition of its technology. 5. Bloom Energy (BE) stands out with its revolutionary solid oxide technology. The company's Bloom Electrolyzer is 15% to 45% more efficient than comparable products on the market, making it particularly suitable for decarbonizing energy-intensive industries like steel and chemicals. A recent collaboration with Oracle on powering data centers for AI workloads has opened up new growth avenues. The company has reported record revenue and profits for three consecutive quarters, demonstrating strong growth momentum. 6. Cummins (CMI) is deeply engaged in the hydrogen sector through its zero-emissions technology business unit, Accelera. In October 2025, the company successfully tested a prototype hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine in an intercity bus made by a Turkish-Japanese automotive joint venture, performing as well as a natural gas engine with significantly lower emissions. Simultaneously, it is supplying a 100-megawatt PEM electrolyzer for BP's project in Germany, showcasing its strength in hydrogen equipment manufacturing. 7. FuelCell Energy (FCEL) focuses on distributed baseload energy solutions, with its proprietary carbonate fuel cell and solid oxide electrolyzer technologies drawing attention. The company is developing large-scale hydrogen production systems based on solid oxide electrolyzers, targeting large manufacturing plants and data centers." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- (2) 3 AI Infrastructure Stocks Solving the Power Crisis The second article features three stocks in an industry undergoing massive investment. The article is titled 3 AI Infrastructure Stocks Solving the Power Crisis. It's by George Budwell and found on fool.com. Here are some quotes from this article. "Artificial intelligence (AI) Hyperscalers are choosing data center locations based on power grid capacity rather than tax breaks or fiber access, and utility companies are scrambling to upgrade transmission infrastructure that wasn't designed for industrial computing loads… These three AI infrastructure plays capture unavoidable costs that scale with every new AI cluster, regardless of which chip architecture ultimately dominates. 1. Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) designs and manufactures thermal management systems, power distribution units, and turnkey modular data center halls for AI deployments… 2. Eaton (NYSE: ETN) manufactures electrical power distribution equipment, backup power systems, and control software for commercial and industrial customers, including data centers. The company's data center portfolio includes uninterruptible power supplies, power distribution units, switchgear, and busway systems that manage electricity from the utility connection down to individual server racks. 3. Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR) provides specialty contracting services for electric power, pipeline, and communications infrastructure, including the design and construction of transmission lines and substations… Recent revenue growth and a raised 2025 outlook reflect contracts tied to grid modernization projects that utility companies must complete before data centers can break ground. Quanta captures infrastructure spending that happens months or years before the first GPU gets racked, with multiyear project timelines providing visibility into revenue beyond 2026." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- (3) Top Wind Energy Stocks to Add to Your Portfolio for Long-Term Growth Many analysts believe that, in addition to being negatively targeted by the Trump administration, this renewable energy sector has tremendous long-term potential. The article is titled Top Wind Energy Stocks to Add to Your Portfolio for Long-Term Growth. It's by Avisekh Bhattacharjee and found on finance.yahoo.com, though originally on zacks.com. The following are some quotes from the article. "The wind energy sector continues to gain traction with greater flexibility and scalability, despite a shift in the U.S. federal policy regarding offshore wind development projects. 1. Duke Energy (DUK) (DUK-PA) is a premier utility service provider offering efficient power and energy services. The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company is currently focused on expanding its scale of operations, implementing modern technologies at its facilities as well as enhancing its renewable generation portfolio by investing heavily in infrastructure and expansion projects… The company is investing heavily in constructing generation facilities that produce reduced CO2 emissions per unit of electricity generated compared with coal. Duke Energy Corporation (DUK): Free Stock Analysis Report. 2. Dominion Energy (D) is a major energy company engaged in regulated and non-regulated electricity distribution, generation and transmission businesses… Its long-term objective is to operate more battery storage, solar, hydro and wind (offshore as well as onshore) projects by 2036 and increase the renewable energy capacity by more than 15% per year, on average, over the next 15 years. Dominion Energy Inc. (D): Free Stock Analysis Report. By 2035, the Zacks Rank #2 company is working on offshore wind projects and battery storage projects to lower emissions. 3. PG&E (PCG) operates as the parent holding company of California's largest regulated electric and gas utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Company.  The Zacks Rank #2 company's exposure in wind energy stems from the procurement of power from several renewable resources, including wind, and developing its wind farms… In the quarters ahead, PG&E's bottom line is expected to be driven by favorable decisions from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), long-term supply agreements, diversification into alternative power sources and infrastructure improvement programs, resulting in rate base growth. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PCG) : Free Stock Analysis Report. 4. Portland General Electric (POR) generates power primarily from wind, solar and hydropower… The Zacks Rank #2 company is poised to benefit from strong industrial load growth… To further expand its renewable portfolio, Portland General Electric plans to add a significant clean power generation asset over the long term. Portland General Electric Company (POR): Free Stock Analysis Report." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- (4) 5 Undervalued Stocks That Are Climate Transition Leaders For investors interested in climate transition-related stocks, this article could be of interest to you. It's titled 5 Undervalued Stocks That Are Climate Transition Leaders. It's by Stephen Ellis and found on morningstar.com. Here are some quotes on each of the stocks. "Our climate transition leaders' research from Morningstar Sustainalytics aims to identify front-runners in this space… Our inaugural list of 21 climate transition leaders looks at a wide spectrum of sectors… Below, we've also identified which ones look undervalued. 1. Clorox (★★★★★) (CLX) Since its beginning more than 100 years ago, Clorox has expanded to operate in a variety of consumer products categories, including cleaning supplies, laundry care, trash bags, cat litter, charcoal, food dressings, water-filtration products, and natural personal-care products. 2. Air Liquide (★★★★) (Liquide) The company generated approximately EUR 27.1 billion of revenue in 2024, serving a wide range of industries, including chemicals, energy, healthcare, food and beverage, and electronics. 3. Sanofi (★★★★) (SAN) Sanofi develops and markets drugs with a concentration in immunology, vaccines, and rare diseases… About 45% of total revenue comes from the United States, 20% from Europe, and 6% from China. 4. Henkel AG & Co (★★★★) (HEN) Two distinct customer groups constitute Henkel. The consumer segment (around 50% of consolidated 2024 sales) is laundry and home care, including the Persil and Purex laundry detergent brands, and beauty care, including the Schwarzkopf brand in haircare and the Dial brand in hand soap. The adhesives technologies segment makes up the remaining 50% of sales. 5. Pernod Ricard SA (★★★★) (RI) Through acquisitions, the firm has grown to become the world's second-largest distiller by volume, behind Diageo. Pernod Ricard possesses the most comprehensive spirits portfolio globally, distributing over 240 brands across 160 countries. To see the full list of Sustainalytics' Climate Transition Leaders, read this." End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- (5) America's Most Ethical Companies: 2025 Survey Results This next article features another company ranking. The cover article is titled America's Most Ethical Companies: 2025 Survey Results on marketbeat.com. It's also by MarketBeat Staff. Here are some quotes. "In a time when trust in big business can feel like a rare commodity, our survey shows that Americans still believe there are companies guided by conscience.  More than 3,000 people across the country weighed in on which brands in their state they feel actually share their values." End quotes The top five ranked companies are Hershey Company (HSY), The Campbell's Company (CPB), Burt's Bees (owned by Clorex, CLX), Ocean Spray (is a co-op), and CVS Health (CVS). ------------------------------------------------------------- More articles from around the world with Sustainable Investment Picks for November 2025. 1. Title: Up 145% in 2025, This AI Infrastructure Stock Is Still Deeply Discounted on finance.yahoo.com. By Rich Duprey. 2. Title: Accenture a Top Socially Responsible Dividend Stock With 2.6% Yield (ACN) on nasdaq.com. By BNK Invest. 3. Title: Clean Energy's Rally Is Outpacing AI's in 2025. Here Are 3 Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy Now on fool.com. By William Dahl. 4. Title: Top 3 Stocks Powering the 6-Month 100% Gain in Clean Energy on fool.com. By Matthew Nesto. 5. Title: 3 Solar Stocks Our Top Chart Strategist is Watching as Energy Demand Surges on finance.yahoo.com. By Elizabeth H. Volk. 6. Title: Best Renewable Energy Stocks To Watch Now on marketbeat.com. By MarketBeat. 7. Title: Top 5 Greentech Stocks to Watch as Sustainable Investments Gain Momentum on and by Investing.com. 8. Title: URA, NLR, HYDR Stocks: Top Clean Energy ETFs for 2026 on marketbeat.com. By Nathan Reiff. 9. Title: 3 Alternative Energy ETFs That Are Crushing the Market This Year on investing.com. By MarketBeat.com. 10. Title: Investing in India's Green Future: Top ESG Stocks to Watch in 2026 on isfm.co.in. By Mr. Sushil Alewa. 11. Title: Clean Energy's Rally Is Outpacing AI's in 2025. Here Are 3 Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy Now on finance.yahoo.com. By William Dahl. 12. Title: 3 Alternative Energy Stocks to Watch Amid Near-Term Challenges on nasdaq.com. By Tanvi Sarawagi. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast, "November 2025 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks." Please click the like and subscribe buttons wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these tumultuous and troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. My next podcast will be on December 19th. See you then. Bye for now.   © 2025 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

Send us a textJames and Jack conclude their discussion with rock guitarist Paul Warren in this special PT 2 segment. Paul talks about working for Rod Stewart, Pacific Gas & Electric,  (almost) with Bob Seger, and bit about Ron Wood , Jeff Beck and others...

On this episode of the OneHaas Alumni Podcast, meet Bryce Gilleland, a general partner at the Cal Innovation Fund, who is helping tomorrow's most-innovative founders change the world. Bryce, a Californian through-and-through, grew up in Irvine before moving to San Francisco to begin his career at Pacific Gas and Electric. After many successful years in the energy sector, he hit a ceiling and saw the MBA program at Haas as a pathway forward. But what began as a practical step in his career turned into so much more. Bryce joins host Sean Li to discuss his journey from PG&E to venture capital and how coaching others and a personal growth mindset is at the core of everything Bryce does. *OneHaas Alumni Podcast is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*Episode Quotes:On what led him to Haas and his drive to get an MBA“The beautiful part of the whole thing was like after going to Haas, it really opened up my eyes. You know, I saw a bunch of other students with a bunch of other jobs. I saw a bunch of people starting their own businesses and it really expands your mind going there and just talking to your fellow students and hearing some really inspirational professors and, you know, the chancellor now, Chancellor Lyons, he was the dean of Haas right when I joined, and he was super inspirational. So even at the welcome dinner, he was like, I want my students to learn all this stuff, but I really want them to learn: ‘They do that, we do that.' And that line stuck with me so much where it's like, oh, okay, yeah, I don't have to just simply revere or wonder why other people did it. I could actually go leap in and try to do it myself.”On his decision to take a semester off and travel the world“ There was like a need to go do it and find more of myself, like shed the layers. So it was really, really cool that – you know, I'm forever thankful for Berkeley for many things. But one of them was that they were like, yeah, we have a method for this. We'll make it work. And they gave me that chance to do that.”How he ended up with the Cal Innovation Fund“ When this presented itself, I just dove in and was like, okay, I gotta have some ability to coach and impact leaders because that's what I feel like is kind of in my soul, almost, or my spirit is aligned towards that. And then I wanna be able to make an impact in the world. And, you know, the Cal fund aligns with that. Totally.”What opportunities the Cal Innovation Fund looks for“We try to invest in startups that are gonna make a greener, healthier, more sustainable world. So it's kind of a value-based fund. And then the fund donates 50% of the GP profits (so the company profits, not the investors') back to the school. And so it just feels very aligned in that we're trying to support the Berkeley ecosystem, really all the UCs, but most founders are outta Berkeley, and trying to make the world a better place in the process. And then trying to give back to that system and create the flywheel of innovation for that.”Show Links:LinkedIn ProfileSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/onehaas/donations

Abigail Sawyer and Quinn Nakayama, senior director of Grid Innovation and Development for Pacific Gas &Electric, discuss the role of innovation and partnerships in solving California problems that include load-shifting, load management and utility undergrounding. Recorded live at PG&E's Innovation Pitch Fest 2025 in Oakland.

Tell us what you think of the show! This summer, key stakeholders across the state of California teamed up for a first-of-its-kind, coordinated test of virtual power plant (or VPP) capabilities. Thousands of systems dispatched a whopping 535 megawatts and reduced net load during the evening peak in a successful demonstration of the potential impact that distributed energy resources can have.On this episode of the podcast, Factor This host Paul Gerke welcomes Kendrick Li, who handles demand response for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, one of the three California utilities that teamed up for the massive VPP test. Their conversation starts at the 101 level, then gets deep into the weeds on how these systems work, how they might be deployed, and the roadblocks to larger customer adoption.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

More than 100 of the world's largest energy companies are betting that artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize how electricity gets made, moved, and managed. But they're not waiting for Silicon Valley to build it for them—they've taken matters into their own hands through an EPRI-led consortium. That initiative is the Open Power AI Consortium, which EPRI launched in March 2025 to drive the development and deployment of an open AI model tailored for the power sector. According to its mission statement, the Open Power AI Consortium “aims to evolve the electric sector by leveraging advanced AI technologies to innovate the way electricity is made, moved, and used by customers. By fostering collaboration among industry leaders, researchers, and technology providers, the consortium will drive the development and deployment of cutting-edge AI solutions tailored to enhance operational efficiencies, increase resiliency and reliability, deploy emerging and sustainable technologies, and reduce costs while improving the customer experience.” “We're really looking at building an ecosystem to accelerate the development and deployment, and recognizing that, while AI is advancing rapidly, the energy industry has its own unique needs, especially around reliability, safety, regulatory compliance, and so forth. So, the consortium provides a collaborative platform to develop and maintain domain-specific AI models—think a ChatGPT tailored to the energy industry—as well as sharing best practices, testing innovative solutions in a secure environment, and long term, we believe this will help modernize the grid, improve customer experiences, and support global safe, affordable, and reliable energy for everyone,” Jeremy Renshaw, executive director for AI and Quantum with EPRI, said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. Among the consortium's members are some of the largest energy companies in the world, including Constellation, Con Edison, Duke Energy, EDF, Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), New York Power Authority (NYPA), Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), Saudi Electricity Co., Southern Company, Southern California Edison, Taiwan Power Co., and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). It also includes entities like Amazon Web Servies (AWS), Burns and McDonnell, GE Vernova, Google, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Interconnection Authority, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), Khalifa University, Microsoft, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), PJM, Rolls-Royce SMR, and Westinghouse Electric Co. “For many years, the power industry has been somewhat siloed, and there were not many touch points or communication between global utilities, technology companies, universities, and so forth. So, this consortium aims to facilitate making new connections between these important and impactful organizations to increase collaboration and information sharing that will benefit everyone,” Renshaw explained. EPRI, together with Articul8 and NVIDIA, has already developed the first set of domain-specific generative AI models for electric and power systems aimed at advancing the energy transformation. Although the technology has not been released publicly, it will be made available soon as an NVIDIA NIM microservice for early access. This development sets the foundation for more to come.

Building out the electricity grid was traditionally a predictable and straightforward business. Now it's like trying to land a jet on a moving aircraft carrier in the dark. That's a quote from this week's guest Quinn Nakayama. He's the senior director of Grid Research and Innovation at Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). He joins host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe to discuss how California is dealing with all the uncertainty created by new demands being placed on the grid: variable renewable generation, electric vehicles, data centers, and more. Quinn refers to the fast-changing electricity system of today as the ‘crazy grid', because so many things are happening at once. Wind and solar power create new challenges for grid stability, while batteries and demand response offer new solutions. Electric vehicles, following mandates from the state of California and other governments around the world, create new patterns of electricity consumption. The latest breakthroughs in AI are creating a surge in power demand from data centers. And those advances in AI are also opening up new possibilities for grid management. Planning is harder than ever. Are Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) an important solution? Amy, Ed and Quinn debate their effectiveness; these tools are helpful, but they can't solve everything. Large loads such as data centers still need major upgrades to wires and substations. But with a high penetration of electric vehicles, California is working on smart tech that makes it easier to install EV chargers without expensive upgrades. PG&E is also exploring faster ways to connect large users, such as allowing temporary solutions until new lines are built. Despite the range of innovations that are available, and the exciting rate of progress in new technologies, the US risks falling behind other countries. Quinn and Amy warn that cuts in support for clean energy and EVs could lead to the US losing out to China, which is investing heavily in these technologies. The Reconciliation Bill that was signed into law last week included abrupt curtailments of tax credits for wind and solar power. So what is the right way forward for the grid? For the electricity system to meet the fast-evolving demands of the modern world, it needs everything: more energy, more flexibility, and faster action. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This Day in Legal History: 19th Amendment Passed in SenateOn June 4, 1919, the U.S. Congress passed the 19th Amendment, marking a turning point in American constitutional and civil rights history. The amendment stated simply that the right to vote "shall not be denied or abridged... on account of sex," legally enfranchising millions of women. The road to this moment was long and contentious, spanning more than seven decades of organized activism. Early suffragists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony laid the groundwork in the 19th century, while a new generation, including Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party, employed more confrontational tactics in the 1910s.Although the House of Representatives had passed the amendment earlier in the year, the Senate had repeatedly failed to approve it. The June 4 vote in the Senate—passing by just over the required two-thirds majority—was the final congressional hurdle. The legislative victory came amid shifting national sentiment, in part due to women's contributions during World War I and growing pressure from suffrage organizations.The amendment was then sent to the states, needing ratification by three-fourths to become law. That process concluded over a year later with Tennessee's pivotal ratification on August 18, 1920. The 19th Amendment was certified on August 26, finally making women's suffrage the law of the land. This day marks not just a legal transformation but the culmination of one of the most significant civil rights struggles in U.S. history.Disbarred attorney Tom Girardi was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for stealing $15 million in settlement funds from his clients. U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton also imposed a $35,000 fine and ordered Girardi to pay over $2.3 million in restitution. The sentence followed his August 2024 conviction on four counts of wire fraud. Girardi, who turned 86 on the day of his sentencing, had sought leniency due to age, liver issues, and dementia claims, but the court found him competent and sided with prosecutors who sought a significant term.Girardi's legacy was once tied to his successful pollution suit against Pacific Gas and Electric—dramatized in the film Erin Brockovich. However, his downfall involved stealing settlement funds in various personal injury cases, including millions owed to families of victims of the 2018 Boeing 737 MAX crash. A federal judge in Chicago recently dismissed related charges, citing the active California case, though the prosecution of Girardi's son-in-law, David Lira, is still set to proceed there. Lira denies wrongdoing.At trial, Girardi blamed the fraud on Christopher Kamon, his firm's former CFO, who has already been sentenced to over ten years after pleading guilty. Girardi's attorneys continue to claim cognitive decline, but the court maintained that he was mentally fit to face justice.Lawyer Tom Girardi sentenced to 87 months in prison for wire fraud | ReutersA federal appeals court is set to hear its first case reviewing the constitutionality of Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in Seattle as the Trump administration appeals a nationwide injunction issued by U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, who called the order “blatantly unconstitutional.” The directive, signed by Trump on January 20, his first day back in office, seeks to deny citizenship to U.S.-born children whose parents are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents.Critics—including 22 Democratic attorneys general and immigrant advocacy groups—argue the order violates the 14th Amendment, which has long been interpreted to grant citizenship to nearly anyone born on U.S. soil. Federal judges in Massachusetts and Maryland have also issued rulings blocking the order. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, which heard related arguments on May 15, is considering whether to limit lower courts' power to issue nationwide injunctions rather than deciding on the constitutionality of the policy itself.If implemented, the order could deny citizenship to over 150,000 newborns annually, according to the plaintiffs. The lawsuit before the 9th Circuit was filed by several states and individual pregnant women. The three-judge panel includes two Clinton-era appointees and one Trump appointee, potentially shaping the outcome. The administration maintains that birthright citizenship doesn't apply to children of undocumented or temporary-status immigrants, a stance at odds with long-standing interpretations of the 14th Amendment.To be clear, this case revolves around the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment. This clause states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States... are citizens of the United States,” forming the basis of birthright citizenship. The case centers on how this clause should be interpreted, making it the key constitutional question in this challenge. On the side of birthright citizenship is, frankly, the plain language of the amendment. On the side of the executive order are racists and racist people without basic reading comprehension – full stop. There is no “other side” here, and there is no real debate. Ultimately the courts may decide to pretend there is some nuance, but that changes nothing about the clear language of the amendment. Trump's birthright citizenship order to face first US appeals court reviewA group of former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees has filed a class action lawsuit against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk, alleging that their departments used flawed data to justify the firing of 10,000 federal workers. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, claims that HHS and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk leads, violated the 1974 Privacy Act by using inaccurate personnel records during a mass reduction in force (RIF).The plaintiffs argue that the agencies relied on data riddled with errors, including incorrect performance reviews, job descriptions, and office locations. One named plaintiff, Catherine Jackson, reportedly received an RIF notice based on false performance ratings. Another, Melissa Adams, was allegedly terminated by officials who didn't even know her work location.The lawsuit seeks at least $1,000 in damages per affected employee and a court declaration that the government's actions were unlawful. The complaint also suggests that the terminations were ideologically driven, referencing a troubling incident where an FDA employee was warned by a man invoking DOGE shortly before receiving her RIF notice.The mass firings, which began April 1, impacted key HHS agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH. Kennedy defended the cuts as part of a broader reorganization to address chronic disease. The plaintiffs, however, see the action as a politically motivated purge that disregarded legal safeguards.By way of brief background, the Privacy Act of 1974 mandates that federal agencies maintain accurate records when making decisions that adversely affect individuals. It is central to the lawsuit because the plaintiffs claim their terminations were based on data that was factually wrong, violating this statutory requirement.RFK Jr., Musk Accused of Using Faulty Data in Firing HHS WorkersA new conflict over federal spending power is emerging between the Trump White House and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), centered on a $5 billion electric vehicle infrastructure program. The GAO recently concluded that the Trump administration's pause of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) grants—originally authorized under President Biden's 2021 infrastructure law—violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which prohibits presidents from withholding funds for policy reasons. In response, the White House issued a sharply worded memo instructing the Department of Transportation to disregard the GAO's opinion entirely.The memo, written by OMB general counsel Mark Paoletta, accuses the GAO of partisan bias and undermining President Trump's “historic and lawful spending reforms.” It signals a broader strategy to challenge the authority of congressional watchdogs and reframe presidential control over budget implementation. This dispute could serve as the first legal test of Trump's intent to challenge the constitutionality of the Impoundment Act itself.The delay in EV funding is part of a broader rollback of Biden-era policy priorities, including guidance on equity and charger placement. Meanwhile, the administration has proposed over $9 billion in spending rescissions, aimed at areas like public broadcasting and foreign aid, under Trump's Department of Government Efficiency initiative. Advisors have floated a tactic called “pocket rescission,” a timing strategy that critics argue violates legal requirements for obligating federal funds.This isn't the first time a president has clashed with GAO over spending powers—Trump and Biden both previously faced scrutiny for pauses in Ukraine aid and border wall funds, respectively. However, the White House's open defiance of GAO marks a significant escalation in an ongoing constitutional debate over who ultimately controls the federal purse.More specifically, the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 restricts the executive branch from withholding or delaying funds Congress has appropriated unless explicitly authorized. It plays a central role in this dispute, as the GAO argues Trump's delay of NEVI grants constitutes an illegal impoundment, while the administration disputes the law's constitutionality and GAO's oversight role.White House Memo on EV Grants Sets Up Fight Over Spending Power - Bloomberg This is a public episode. 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Pacific Gas and Electric is delaying the reopening of its Moss Landing battery energy storage plant. And, white South Africans are coming to the United States as refugees claiming racial persecution. A local expert explains why that doesn't add up.

Maureen Zawalick joins the show to discuss how the Diablo Canyon can benefit CA. Maureen is Pacific Gas and Electric Company Vice President Business and Technical Services at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, May 9th 2025 --- Please Like, Comment and Follow 'The Ray Appleton Show' on all platforms: --- 'The Ray Appleton Show’ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. --- 'The Ray Appleton Show’ Weekdays 11 AM -2 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 KMJ | Website | Facebook | Podcast | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textWelcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS!In this electrifying episode, host Halsey Schider brings The Helicopter Podcast to the buzzing floor of Verticon 2025, sitting down with Pete Anderson, senior manager of helicopter operations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). As California's biggest utility—powering one in 20 Americans—PG&E leans on its aviation muscle, and Pete—with 28 years on the job—has lived it all. From lineman days on high-voltage lines to running a top-tier helicopter outfit, he shares a charged view of keeping the grid humming from above.Pete dives into PG&E's daring missions: Crews in Faraday suits tackling live 500kV lines mid-flight, helicopters hauling towers and concrete, and human external cargo ops slinging linemen for over 14,000 hours a year. With Black Hawks, a 50-year tie to PJ Helicopters, and a peak of 75 ships in a day, the scale is stunning. He highlights picking versatile Bell 407s and seasoned pilots with laser focus, plus LiDAR scans to dodge wildfire risks. Pete also reflects on safety's evolution—rigorous training, linemen in crew resource management—and nods to drones stepping up for new tasks.Join Halsey and Pete live from Verticon for a jolt of real-world wisdom on powering California with helicopters and beyond!Thank you to our sponsors Vertical Aviation International, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation and Hillsboro Heli Academy.

Electric companies are adopting advanced data analysis tools that provide more accurate predictions before a weather event to help optimize preparation efforts and support a faster response if outages occur.    On this episode, Pacific Gas and Electric Vice President of Emergency Preparedness and Response Angie Gibson; Southern Company Enterprise Data Analytics Director Shane Powell; and E Source Data Science Director Kyle Decker  discuss their experiences with storm response analytics. They share valuable lessons learned while developing and deploying data-driven forecasting and restoration models.   This episode is sponsored by E Source, a utility-focused solution partner; learn more about their research, consulting, and data science offerings here.

Dana and Tom with returning guest, Ryan Luis Rodriguez (host and creator of One Track Mind podcast, and co-host of Reels of Justice) discuss Erin Brockovich (2000) for its 25th anniversary: directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Susannah Grant, cinematography by Ed Lachman, music Thomas Newman, starring Julia Robert, Albert Finney, and Aaron Eckhart.Plot Summary: Erin Brockovich is a biographical drama starring Julia Roberts as the titular character, a struggling single mother who stumbles upon a major environmental scandal. Working at a small law firm, Erin discovers that Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has been contaminating the water supply of Hinkley, California, leading to severe health issues for its residents. Despite having no formal legal training, her relentless determination and personal connection to the victims drive her to build a case against the corporation. With her bold personality and refusal to back down, she helps secure a record-breaking $333 million settlement. The film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a compelling tale of persistence, justice, and the power of one person to make a difference.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Welcome to Our Guest01:42 Cast and Background for Erin Brockovich03:26 Relationship(s) with Erin Brockovich07:44 What is Erin Brockovich About?11:12 Why is Law Such a Captivating Film Subject?13:51 Plot Summary for Erin Brockovich14:55 Did You Know?16:32 First Break17:15 What's Up with Ryan Luis Rodriguez21:11 Best Performance(s)30:05 Best/Favorite/Indelible Scene(s)37:10 Second Break37:51 In Memoriam42:37 Best/Funniest Lines44:09 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy49:40 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance52:39 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty55:49 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness59:21 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability01:01:55 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total01:03:14 Remaining Questions for Erin Brockovich01:04:39 Thank You to Our Guest01:05:26 Remaining Thoughts for the Week01:09:39 CreditsYou can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast).For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/erin-brockovich-2000-ft-ryan-luis-rodriguezFor the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-listKeywords:Erin Brockovich, Steven Soderbergh, Julia Roberts, legal drama, environmental issues, film analysis, movie podcast, Oscar winner, character study, film legacy, Best Director, Best Actress, Oscar, Best Picture, nomineeRonny Duncan Studios

March 3, 2025 ~ Patti Poppe CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric joins Terry Rhadigan live at the DEC luncheon.

In this case, the court considered this issue: Do Florida S.B. 7072's content-moderation restrictions comply with the First Amendment, and do the law's individualized-explanation requirements comply with the First Amendment? The case was decided on July 1, 2024. The Supreme Court held that The judgments are vacated, and the cases are remanded, because neither the Eleventh Circuit nor the Fifth Circuit conducted a proper analysis of the facial First Amendment challenges to the Florida and Texas laws regulating large internet platforms. Justice Elena Kagan authored the majority opinion of the Court. Under precedents like Miami Herald v Tornillo, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v Public Utilities Commission, Turner Broadcasting v FCC, and Hurley v Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston, when a private entity engages in expressive activity, including curating others' speech, government interference with that activity implicates the First Amendment. Specifically, the First Amendment protects entities engaged in expressive activities, including compiling and curating others' speech, from being forced to accommodate messages they prefer to exclude. This protection applies even when the compiler includes most items and excludes only a few. The government cannot justify interfering with a private speaker's editorial choices merely by claiming an interest in improving or balancing the marketplace of ideas. These principles likely apply to the content moderation practices of social media platforms like Facebook's News Feed, indicating that state laws regulating these practices may face significant First Amendment hurdles. However, this analysis may not apply to all of the laws' applications, so it is important for courts to conduct a thorough examination of the laws' full scope and their constitutional and unconstitutional applications in a proper facial challenge analysis. Texas's regulation of social media platforms' content moderation policies aims to alter the speech displayed on these platforms, reflecting the state's disapproval of the platforms' current content selection and moderation practices. However, under the First Amendment, Texas cannot impose its preferences on how private entities curate and present speech, as this would amount to government control over the expression of ideas. Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the majority opinion in full and authored a separate concurrence. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the majority opinion in part and authored a separate concurrence. Justice Clarence Thomas authored an opinion concurring in the judgment. Justice Samuel Alito authored an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch joined. The opinion is presented here in its entirety, but with citations omitted. If you appreciate this episode, please subscribe. Thank you. 

For this episode of People in Power, California Energy Markets Editor Jason Fordney speaks with Will Abrams, a leading wildfire survivor advocate who discusses some disturbing developments around compensation for wildfire victims in California—a situation stretching back years and tied to the bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Electric in 2020. These developments include wildfire victims not getting paid; Wall Street hedge funds, attorneys and others profiteering off the proceedings; and state legislation that is designed more to benefit utility shareholders than wildfire survivors. Abrams, who is a participant in legal proceedings related to wildfire survivor compensation, takes us through a series of observations that provide great insight into the plight of wildfire survivors. Abrams is a tireless advocate for wildfire victims who has taken his message to the state Legislature in Sacramento.

As we continue airing new Faces of the Future podcast episodes in 2025, we are kicking off the New Year with an episode highlighting Lexie Bryant, apprentice lineworker for Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). Five years ago, she won the International Lineman's Rodeo Association's Jim Hamilton Scholarship, which was sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric. Today, she works as an apprentice lineworker for OPPD, and she is learning the skills of the line trade. During the interview, she shares how her career plans changed from pursuing a career as a lawyer to a lineworker, and how being in the line trade was the best decision she's ever made. To learn more about Lexie, look for her profile in the February 2025 print  issue of T&D World magazine and on our website.  If you have an apprentice lineworker you'd like to nominate for a future department and podcast episode, please email us at linelifepodcast@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you. 

01:00 NR: Why Did California Cut Fire Prevention Spending While Keeping a Rainy-Day Fund?, https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/why-did-california-cut-fire-prevention-spending-while-keeping-a-rainy-day-fund/ 12:15 The FBI is terrible at background checks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtgtSNMGBt0 14:50 Jonathan Haidt is wrong about morality | Prof Kurt Gray, https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/jonathan-haidt-is-wrong-about-morality 19:00 Alpha: Eddie Gallagher and the War for the Soul of the Navy SEALs, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=158567 25:00 Jonathan Haidt is wrong about morality | Prof Kurt Gray, https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/jonathan-haidt-is-wrong-about-morality?utm_source=publication-search 29:00 Best way to survive a fire is to be connected to your neighbors and to have resources (financial, social, emotional, purpose). I volunteer so I have a visceral sense of people depending on me. 30:00 The Anti-Social Century by Derek Thompson, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/02/american-loneliness-personality-politics/681091/ 34:00 I was thinking about publishing my love poems 51:00 Japanese TV show Extremely Inappropriate, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/29/world/asia/japan-extremely-inappropriate.html 1:20:00 I worked for a year in Australia after I graduated high school in June 1984, https://www.lukeford.net/luke_ford/bio/l3.html 1:38:50 Kip joins to talk about short-term memory 1:50:00 The advantages of elite universities 2:18:00 LA Fire Truths and Lies with Hotshot Director, https://www.carousel.blog/p/la-fire-truths-and-lies-with-hotshot 2:30:00 California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power Grid, https://www.amazon.com/California-Burning-Pacific-Electric-Americas/dp/059333065X 2:31:00 California Burning author Katherine Blunt, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOyjOewSPqc 2:48:30 Just as I am 3:01:00 The MICE Method: How the CIA Persuades People to Betray Their Country, https://spyauthor.medium.com/the-mice-method-how-the-cia-persuades-people-to-betray-their-country-0bdb9094103b 3:05:45 Nathan Cofnas talks to Nicholas Wade about group differences, lab leak theory, https://ncofnas.com/p/talking-about-race-differences-with 3:20:00 Lab leak theory 4:07:10 DTG Christmas Quiz 2024 with Helen Lewis, https://decoding-the-gurus.captivate.fm/episode/dtg-christmas-quiz-2024-with-helen-lewis-badstats 4:24:50 Noah Rothman joins Hugh to talk about California's Chernobyl, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPKuObXvxKo 4:29:20 Evaluating Pete Hegseth's senate performance 4:40:00 The Theory of Dyadic Morality: Reinventing Moral Judgment by Redefining Harm, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1088868317698288

01:00 The Truth About The Wildfires, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHh-_3FshO4 06:00 LA Mayor Karen Bass out of town, https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/a-timeline-of-mayor-karen-basss-disqualifying-conduct-during-the-l-a-fire-disaster/ 20:20 California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power Grid, https://www.amazon.com/California-Burning-Pacific-Electric-Americas/dp/059333065X 21:00 Katherine Blunt, author of California Burning, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOyjOewSPqc 34:00 Dooovid joins, https://x.com/RebDoooovid 39:45 Ricardo joins 47:00 Elliott Blatt joins 1:35:00 Kip joins 1:37:00 Stefan Molyneux, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Molyneux 2:21:20 Michael Huemer | Progressive Myths, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsKCyOEDWR0 2:42:00 Commentary magazine podcast on LA fires, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBvPff07ENg 3:25:00 The song Bradman by Paul Kelly, https://genius.com/Paul-kelly-and-the-messengers-bradman-lyrics

In 2000, the movie “Erin Brockovich” helped put the small town of Hinkley, California, on the map. The movie stars Julia Roberts as a determined law clerk who takes on the massive utility company Pacific Gas & Electric, which had been dumping chromium-6, the dangerous chemical, in Hinkley's groundwater. Brockovich is depicted gathering evidence and building a legal case against the utility. And she prevails: The movie concludes with a landmark settlement awarded to residents. But that Hollywood ending isn't the whole story. Many residents say the settlement didn't go far to cover mounting medical bills and moving costs. And the chromium-6 cleanup proved to be slow. It was stymied by the difficulty of containing widespread contamination and a small local water board lacking the power to enforce stricter standards. Today, Hinkley is a ghost town, and the water there is still contaminated with chromium-6.On the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, investigative reporter Silvia Foster-Frau has traveled the country reporting on where America has fallen short in its promise of providing clean drinking water. In the final installment in this series, she returns to Hinkley to learn why, even with a massive spotlight, it can be so hard to clean up toxic tap water.Today's show was produced by Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sam Bair.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Loan or Bailout: Biden-Harris Admin ‘Loans’ Pacific Gas & Electric $15B to Combat Climate Change Please Subscribe + Rate & Review KMJ’s Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson wherever you listen! --- KMJ’s Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever else you listen. --- Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson – KMJ’s Afternoon Drive Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 & 105.9 KMJ DriveKMJ.com | Podcast | Facebook | X | Instagram --- Everything KMJ: kmjnow.com | Streaming | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Loan or Bailout: Biden-Harris Admin ‘Loans’ Pacific Gas & Electric $15B to Combat Climate Change Please Subscribe + Rate & Review KMJ’s Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson wherever you listen! --- KMJ’s Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever else you listen. --- Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson – KMJ’s Afternoon Drive Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 & 105.9 KMJ DriveKMJ.com | Podcast | Facebook | X | Instagram --- Everything KMJ: kmjnow.com | Streaming | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A proposal by Pacific Gas and Electric and real estate developer Westbank aims to connect datacenters and up to 4,000 new residential units in a net zero district energy system in downtown San Jose, California. The project could be a blueprint for tackling AI-driven datacenter demand and the need for housing. In this episode, Mike Medeiros, PG&E's vice president of South Bay delivery, talks with Dan Testa about the new project's possibilities. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications.

A proposal by Pacific Gas and Electric and real estate developer Westbank aims to connect datacenters and up to 4,000 new residential units in a net zero district energy system in downtown San Jose, California. The project could be a blueprint for tackling AI-driven datacenter demand and the need for housing. In this episode, Mike Medeiros, PG&E's vice president of South Bay delivery, talks with Dan Testa about the new project's possibilities. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications.

From state and local measures to the presidential race, Butte County locals say they're ready for change. Also, Pacific Gas and Electric Company says it could shut off power to up to 22,000 customers due to dangerous fire weather conditions, and even though Election Day is today, we might not know the local or national results for some time.

In August, the Oakland Unified School District in California became the first major school district in the United States to fully electrify its school bus fleet. Each of the 74 electric school buses in the fleet has its own bi-directional charger, allowing the bus batteries to return energy to the grid when they are not being used. The fleet was made possible by Zum (www.ridezum.com), the leading provider of turnkey electric school bus solutions, and Pacific Gas and Electric, the electric utility which provides 2.7 MW to the site.  On this episode, Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum, and Sarah Swickard, Vehicle Grid Integration Manager at PG&E, talk about the Oakland fleet as well as opportunities and challenges related to electric school buses.

Joe Rafter has spent his career achieving results in a vast array of organizations and specializing the Change Leadership. In one chapter of his career, he stood up an Enterprise Change Management function at Pacific Gas and Electric. He is an advocate for leadership and personal self-awareness, modeling effective culture, and pursing true adoption in change. As the self-proclaimed “greatest advocate for football in America”, Joe has launched one of his most meaningful transformations, the National Football Alliance. He shares his vision for this new non-profit and his transformational strategy for setting it up.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This week we examine Nevada Irrigation District and Pacific Gas and Electric Company's fraught relationship before KVMR News Director Cláudio Mendonça shares the latest on a potential new law that would allow tiny homes on wheels to be used as ADUs in Nevada County. Paul Emery sits down with Hydrogeologist Steve Baker in the latest edition of Water News to discuss developing regulations in the water recycling pipeline.Money Matters host Marc Cuniberti explores the world of what some may call self-care including the potential benefits and pitfalls and we close with an essay by Molly Fisk.

When Patti Poppe took over as CEO of the massive California utility Pacific Gas & Electric in 2021, the company had gone through a very rough period. It was found liable for multiple California wildfires, dealt with a bankruptcy, and paid billions of dollars in settlements to fire victims. Poppe says the size and importance of the opportunity at PG&E is what drew her to the turnaround. On this week's episode of Leadership Next, Poppe, the first woman to lead two separate Fortune 500 companies, talks to Diane about PG&E's progress towards going carbon-free, its massive safety overhaul, and how love has shaped her leadership philosophy. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

The kids call 'em discs. I can't have the whining. It's not acceptable behavior. It's so hard being a person on this planet. Try to eat the couch and then get upset about that. The cost of vinyl. The human supremacist toll of touring with burning fossil fuels a quarter of the way into the 21st century. The Pacific Gas and Electric bills which keep going up inexplicably. There are some positives to being in America. I voted for Ronald Reagan in the school election in first grade and we won by a landslide. Collaboration. Long Pause. Off The Charts. Bandcamp. Decoding.https://longpause.bandcamp.com/album/off-the-charts

In this episode of The Backstory, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health, for a wide-ranging conversation on workforce development and leadership. Van takes us through her incredible journey, starting with her escape from the Vietnam war and growing up in Hawaii, and into her career that has spanned education, government and healthcare. She highlights the art of building coalitions, the importance of lifelong learning and the power of unlocking doors for others. To top it off, the episode wraps with a fast-paced lightning round, where Van shares personal habits, new projects and sharp advice for future leaders. 01:13 Van's Podcast: Workforce Rx 05:54 Career Beginnings and Mentorship 09:39 Workforce Development at Pacific Gas &Electric 12:52 Public Sector Leadership and Workforce Initiatives 15:57 Founding Futuro Health 18:50 The Highs & Lows of Futuro Health 20:39 Leadership Insights and Personal Reflections 24:27 Family and Work-Life Balance 33:05 Lightning Round  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A case of homebuilders' construction getting ahead of Pacific Gas and Electric led to sparks flying during a Kings County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday as residents await electrification to move into their homes.  Please Like, Comment and Follow 'The Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson' on all platforms:   ---    The Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts.    --  The Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson   Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ    | Website  | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon |   -  Everything KMJ   KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Californian energy company Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) serves millions of customers across the state. However, massive wildfires left the company in bits and pieces. A new CEO was appointed, Patricia Kessler Poppe, and she's built the company up from bankruptcy to having millions of customers, with special emphasis on leading with love. But how well does that work in corporate America? Tune in! In Good Company is hosted by Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management. New episode out every Wednesday. The production team for this episode includes PLAN-B's Pål Huuse and Niklas Figenschau Johansen. Background research was conducted by Arabella Graves and Kristin Verpe. Watch the episode on YouTube: Norges Bank Investment Management - YouTubeWant to learn more about the fund? The fund | Norges Bank Investment Management (nbim.no)Follow Nicolai Tangen on LinkedIn: Nicolai Tangen | LinkedInFollow NBIM on LinkedIn: Norges Bank Investment Management: Administrator for bedriftsside | LinkedInFollow NBIM on Instagram: Explore Norges Bank Investment Management on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eaters and investors are both happy to see the $5 value meal on the menu. (00:21) Asit Sharma and Dylan Lewis discuss: - 2024's largest IPO – cold storage company Lineage – and whether the REIT is worth watching for investors. - McDonald's Q2 earnings, the chain's pivot to value-oriented menu items, and why the outlook for pinched consumers likely won't get better any time soon. (17:44) CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric, Patti Poppe joins Ricky Mulvey to discuss PG&E's turnaround and how her company is serving the growing electricity demand from data centers. Companies discussed: LINE, COLD, MCD, PCG Host: Dylan Lewis Guests: Asit Sharma, Ricky Mulvey, Patti Poppe Producer: Mary Long, Ricky Mulvey Engineers: Dan Boyd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the first episode of “Predator in Plain Sight: Exposing Tom Girardi,” hosted by Chris Hans and featuring Kimberly Archie, a legal consultant and victims' advocate. This three-part documentary promises a deep dive into the downfall of Tom Girardi, once a renowned attorney now facing criminal charges. With allegations of fraud, misuse of clients' settlement funds, and extravagant spending on his wife Erica Jane's career, this episode begins to unravel the complexities of Girardi's illicit activities and the facade he maintained for decades. In this first installment, the focus is on setting the stage for Tom Girardi's rise and fall. Girardi's career highlights include his involvement in the landmark Erin Brockovich case against Pacific Gas and Electric, which was portrayed in the famous film. However, investigative reporter Brandon Lowrey reveals that even during these victorious times,allegations of malpractice were already casting long shadows. Kimberly Archie shares her first interactions with Tom, painting a picture of a man who was initially untouchable but whose fraudulent activities eventually surfaced. The episode also explores the influence of Girardi's wife, Erica Jane, and their appearance on the reality show “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” Social media journalist Kiki Monique and podcast host David Yonteff illustrate how Erica's presence on the show bolstered Girardi's public image while masking their legal and financial misdeeds. The guests discuss the dramatic changes in Erica's lifestyle and how Girardi's legal troubles began surfacing around 2019. Join us as we peel back the layers of deception to understand how Girardi's actions have left a trail of devastated victims. Credits: Hosted by Chris Hansen Co-hosted by Kimberly Archie, Girardi victims advocate Written, produced, and directed by Joe Garner Sound engineering and design by Paul Bahr, Peachtree Sound Production by Garner Creative Concepts Executive Producer Hurrdat Media   Contributors: David Yontef, host of “Beyond The Velvet Rope” podcast Brandon Lowrey, Investigative journalist for Law360 Kiki Monique, Social media journalist & entertainment reporter Alan Forsley, attorney for the Ruigomez family   Girardi victims: Danny Barnes Josie Hernandez Kathy Ruigomez This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or the Hurrdat Media YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katherine Blunt joins Crystal Ball and Paul Dockery to discuss her reporting at the Wall Street Journal on the energy industry and her book, California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power Grid.Matthew Schroettnig joins Conleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, and Paul Dockery for the rest of the episode to cover utility risks, load growth, and the current landscape of America's power grid.You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!03:13 - Short-to-Ground; a segment where we blow a fuse covering the newsEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a suite of standards to cut greenhouse gas emissions as well as toxic air pollution, water pollution, and land contamination from fossil fuel plantsBureau of Land Management (BLM) updated regulations on Broadband Authorization, Cost Recovery, and Vegetation Management for Fire Risk ManagementLetter from twenty-six entities from across the West to the Southwest Power Pool expressing interest in continuing the development of Markets+Portland General Electric is seeking approval for a new, 7.4 mile, 115 KV transmission lineSpot market power in the U.S.Wholesale spot prices for the National Electricity Market (NEM)Energy Information Administration's Natural Gas Weekly UpdateHedging and Tail Risk in Electricity Markets18:39 - Katherine Blunt joins Crystal Ball and Paul Dockery to discuss her reporting at the Wall Street Journal on the energy industry and her book, California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power GridCalifornia Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power GridWildfires Make Utilities a Tricky Investment. Just Ask Warren Buffett.Big Tech's Latest Obsession Is Finding Enough Energy49:13 - Katherine Blunt's analogy; the grid is like a network of roads and highways51:08 - Updating our Priors1:07:20 - ESA (Energy System Analogies) World Cup Standings1:08:11 - Matt Schroettnig's analogy; electricity is like water in a biomePublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it's work to watch!

Today's guest is award-winning journalist Katherine Blunt. She is a Wall Street Journal reporter and author of California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric and What it Means for America's Power Grid, a national bestseller, and winner of the 2022 Golden Poppy award for nonfiction. She was also a part of the reporting team that uncovered how Instagram's algorithms promoted disturbing underaged content. On this episode, she and Andy discuss vulnerabilities to America's grid, the danger these vulnerabilities present, and what can be done to fix them. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original. SPONSORS:  Change Agents is presented by Montana Knife Company.  Use CODE "CHANGEAGENTS10" for 10% off your first order at https://www.montanaknifecompany.com/ MTNTOUGH  Go to https://mtntough.com and enter code CHANGEAGENTS to receive 40% OFF - a savings of about $100 your MTNTOUGH+ annual subscription.

When most people drive electric cars, what does that mean for the grid?This bonus episode of Wood Mackenzie's The Energy Gang is our second from the Distributech conference in Orlando. Distributech is the leading event for the electricity transmission and distribution industry in North America. It gave our host Ed Crooks a fantastic opportunity to talk to many of the leading figures from the industry, including those who provide technology for moving and managing electricity, and those who use that technology to serve their customers.In this episode, Ed is joined by Quinn Nakayama, senior director of Grid Research Innovation and Development at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in California, to help us understand the transformative impact of electric vehicles on energy utilities and the grid. Quinn dives deep into the ways that the EV boom is shaking up customer relationships and forcing utility companies to take a fresh look at grid management.California is at the cutting edge of the EV revolution, and Quinn explains how PG&E is tackling issues that many other utilities around the world will have to address, from ensuring grid resilience to maintaining customer trust. He also discusses cutting-edge vehicle-to-grid technology, and outlines the changing relationships between utilities and vehicle manufacturers. And he shines a light on the pivotal role played by regulators in this critical sector for the energy transition.It's an in-depth discussion on how the rise in EVs is forcing utilities to rethink infrastructure, optimise energy use, and plan for a very different future.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A utility company's neglected equipment ignites the deadliest wildfire in California history. Prelude: A natural gas leak destroys a neighborhood in San Bruno. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ Spotify Apple Podcasts Patreon –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: SwindledPodcast.com/Support CONSUME: SwindledPodcast.com/Shop WATCH: SwindledVideo.com –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: Deformr –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: SwindledPodcast.com Instagram Twitter.com TikTok Facebook Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Summary This week on Live Like the World is Dying, Margaret and Leah talk about disability, preparedness, and covid. Guest Info Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (They/She) is a writer and structural engineer of disability and transformative justice work. Leah can be found at brownstargirl.org, on Instagram @leahlakshmiwrites, or on Bluesky @thellpsx.bsky.social Their book The Future is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes, and Mourning Songs can be found: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-future-is-disabled-prophecies-love-notes-and-mourning-songs-leah-lakshmi-piepzna-samarasinha/18247280 Their book Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice can be found: https://bookshop.org/p/books/care-work-dreaming-disability-justice-leah-lakshmi-piepzna-samarasinha/16603798 Host Info Margaret (she/they) can be found on twitter @magpiekilljoy or instagram at @margaretkilljoy. Publisher Info This show is published by Strangers in A Tangled Wilderness. We can be found at www.tangledwilderness.org, or on Twitter @TangledWild and Instagram @Tangled_Wilderness. You can support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/strangersinatangledwilderness. Transcript Leah on Disability and Preparedness Resources Mentioned: StaceyTaughtUs Syllabus, by Alice Wong and Leah: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2020/05/23/staceytaughtus-syllabus-work-by-stacey-milbern-park/ NoBody Is Disposable Coalition: https://nobodyisdisposable.org/ Power To Live Coalition: https://www.powertolivecoalition.org/ Disability Visibility Project article about Power to Live : https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2019/10/26/call-for-stories-powertolive/ Power to Live survival skillshare doc: http://tinyurl.com/dissurvival Long winter crip survival guide for pandemic year 4/forever by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and Tina “constant tt” Zavitsanos https://www.tinyurl.com/longwintersurvival Pod Mapping for Mutual Aid by Rebel Sydney Rose Fayola Black: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-QfMn1DE6ymhKZMpXN1LQvD6Sy_HSnnCK6gTO7ZLFrE/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR0ehOJdo-vYmJUrXsKCpQlCODEdQelzL9AE5UDXQ1bMgnHh2oAnqFs2B3k Half Assed Disabled Prepper Tips for Preparing for a Coronavirus Quarantine. (By Leah) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rIdpKgXeBHbmM3KpB5NfjEBue8YN1MbXhQ7zTOLmSyo/edit Sins Invalid Disability Justice is Climate Justice: https://www.sinsinvalid.org/news-1/2022/7/7/disability-justice-is-climate-justice Skin Tooth and Bone: The Basis of Movement is Our People (A disability justice primer): https://www.sinsinvalid.org/disability-justice-primer DJ Curriculum by Sins: https://www.sinsinvalid.org/curriculum Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies: https://disasterstrategies.org/ Live Like the World is Dying: Leah on Disability & Preparedness **Margaret ** 00:15 Hello, and welcome to Live Like the World is Dying, your podcast for what feels like the end times. I'm your host, Margaret killjoy. And I always tell you that I'm excited about episodes, but I'm really excited about this episode. It put me in a better mood than when I started the day that I get to record this episode. Because today, we're going to be talking about disability and preparedness. We're gonna be talking about Covid abandonment. And we're gonna be talking about a lot of the questions that... a lot of the questions that people write us to talk about that they have about preparedness and I think that we can cover a lot of those. Not me, but our guest. But first before the guest, a jingle from another show on the network. Oh, the network is called Channel Zero Network. It is a network of anarchists podcasts and here's a jingle. [sings a simple melody] **Margaret ** 01:08 Okay, and we're back. So, if you could introduce yourself with your name, your pronouns, and then I guess just a little bit about how you got involved in thinking about and dealing with disability and preparedness. **Leah ** 02:00 Sure. Hi, my name is Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. She and They pronouns. Right now I live in Pocomtuc and Nipmuc territories in Western Massachusetts. And that is a great question. I will also just plug myself briefly and be like I'm a disability justice and transformative justice old sea-hag, aging punk of color who has written or co-edited ten books and done a lot of shit. Okay, so when I was sitting on the toilet thinking about "What do I want to tell Margaret when we get on the show?", I was actually thinking that my disability and my preparedness routes are kind of one in the same because... So I'm 48 [years old] now and I got sick when I was 21-22. So like back in 96-97. And, it was the initial episode that I got sick with chronic fatigue, ME, and fibromyalgia. And I was just super fucking ill and on the floor and was living in Toronto as somebody who was not from Canada. And, you know, I was just sick as hell, like crawling to the bathroom, like sleeping 18 hours a day. The whole nine. And I'd been really really deeply involved in anarchist of color and prison abolitionist and antifascist organizing and lots of stuff. I had a community, but it was 1997, so most of my community was just like, "What you're sick? Why didn't you make it to the meeting? We have to write all the prisoners with the [untranslatable]." And I was just like, "I just.... Okay, great." Like it was a really different time. There was no GoFundMe, mutual aid, Meal Train, someone brought me some soup. Like, know you, we weren't really doing that. And people really did not have a consciousness around, "You can be a 22 year old brown, nonbinary femme and be really, really sick and be disabled." So something I think a lot, and I've said before, is that disabled people are really used to the concept that no one is going to save us and we are really not surprised when state systems abandoned us because we live in that all the time. And so I was just like this little 22 year old sicko weirdo who'd read my Octavia Butler--and, in fact, that was part of the reason why I was like, "Toronto, great, there's gonna be more water and less heat." Okay, wasn't totally right about that. But, you know, I mean, I really had to save myself and I kind of was like, "Alright, I don't have..." Like, I'm working off the...I'm working under the table. I have hardly any money. I'm gonna make my own herbal medicine. I'm gonna grow a lot of what I eat from my backyard. I'm going to store water. I'm going to run a credit card scam and get a lot of dried goods and live off of those for like a year. [Margaret Hell Yeahs] Yeah, stuff like that. I feel like from there, over the last, you know, 26 years like it's....like, that's the route. The route was, you know, similar to a lot of people, I think of my generation, we were like on the cusp of looking at the current crises of like hot fascist war, hot eugenics war, hot climate crisis, and being like, "It's coming," and I started being like, "Yeah, like don't...don't think that it's all going to work out okay and that somebody else is going to fix it for you." So, I would say that's where my initial route--and then do you want to jump in? Or can I jump ahead like 20 years or something? **Margaret ** 05:10 Honestly, you could jump ahead 20 years later. I'm gonna come back and make you talk more about Octavia Butler. But we'll do that later. **Leah ** 05:16 Let's talk more about Octavia Butler because I have a lot of stuff about Octavia Butler and how she thought of--and I think sometimes misused--like nowadays [this is probably not the word but it's untranslatable] and also about disability. [Margaret "Oooohs" curiously] I know. We can get to that. Okay, so that's one route. And then, you know, I mean, I was always kind of like a little weirdo, where it's like, yeah, I grow most of my own food--or as much as I can--and it's not a fun green hobby. It's like, I'm broke as fuck and I need to grow a lot vegetables that fucking, you know, I can mulch and that can stay growing into December, you know? I stashed stuff. Something I also think a lot, is that as disabled people--and we talked about this a little bit when we're emailing--I think we're always prepping whether we call it that or not. Like most disabled folks I know just do shit. Like if you get a prescription and you have extra, you store it, you know? Like, if you can get a double dose, you put that aside. And then maybe you have it for yourself. Or, there's so many disabled mutual aid networks I've been a part of where someone's--I mean, before Facebook clamped down, this is really common on a lot of Facebook disabled groups--someone would be like, "Yo, does anyone have an extra five pills of such and such?" and I've seen total strangers for 15 years of disability justice be like, "Yep, what's your address? I do. I'm gonna mail it to you. I have my old pain meds. I've got this. I've got that." But, um, yeah, like doing the jumping forward that I promised you, so for people who don't know, disability justice as a movement was founded around 2005 by a group, a small group of disabled Black, Asian, and poor and working class, white disabled folks, who were all pretty, you know, gay, trans, and radical. And they were like, "We want to bring a revolutionary intersectional out of our own lives and experiences and issues. We want to create a disability movement that's for us and by us that's not just white, single issue, often cis, often male, often straight." Like, we want to talk about the fact that 50% of bipoc folks who were killed by the cops are also disabled, deaf, neurodivergent, etc... just to give one example. So, you know, that was '05 in Oakland, you know, Patti Burn, LeRoy Moore, Stacy Milbern, Ely Claire, Sebastian Margaret, Stacey Milbern Park, you know, the six. And I was living in Toronto and I moved to Oakland in '07 and I was kind of around for some of the beginnings of it. There's two stories I want to bring in. One actually predates my move. It was right when I was getting ready to leave Toronto, I got invited to go to this reading by a bunch of queer--I think all white--disabled radical folks. And I was just like, "Oh?" And I did the whole, like, "Am I really disabled enough?" and then it was like, "Oh, it's gonna be really depressing." And then it was really awesome. And I was like, "Whoa, disability community. Life saving." But it was kind of one of my moments of being brought into the disability community because there was this writer who was there who, their reading series was actually a choose your own adventure where there's four disabled, queer, and trans folks who are having a sex party and the zombie apocalypse happens. And then they have to figure out how to survive it without abandoning each other. And it was all like, "Okay, you all get to the van, but then there's no ramp. What do you do? Oh! You get this accessible ramp, but it smells like perfume and somebody has NCS. What do you do? And I was just sitting there with my mouth open--and it was also interwoven with like, 'Yeah, and then somebody's fucking somebody else with like, you know, a dildo strapped to their prosthetic,'" and I was like, wow, I fucking love disability. Like, sign me up. But I gotta say briefly, that was one of my first examples of like, you know, there's a really important phrase in Disability Justice, which is, "No one left behind, " right? Like, that's one of the core organizing principles. And that was kind of.... Before I even heard that phrase, I was like, "Fuck like this is..."--because I'd been around antiauthoritarian, quasi prepper, like "shit's gonna happen, we have to get ready." But I was always kind of quiet in the corner closeting my disability being like, "Well, shit, like, what if I don't have my meds? Or what if I'm too.... What if I can't run away from, you know, the Nazis or the zombies because I have a limp and I walk with a cane? Like, what if?" And that was my first example of this cross disability fantasy space of like, "We're going to escape together and we're not going to let anyone get eaten and it's going to mean really being creative about access stuff." Okay so jump ahead to, right, then I moved to Oakland and then I ran into actual Disability Justice community through Sins Invalid, which is an incredibly important foundational Disability Justice group, and through a lot of friendships I started making with other QTBIPOC disabled folks and my really, really good friend Stacy Park Milbern, who, people should totally know her work. She's incredible. She was one of the best movement organizers that the movement has ever seen. And we met online. And she was living in Fort Bragg, North Carolina with her family on the base because her family's military. And she was a queer southern, working-class, Korean and white, you know, physically disabled organizer from when she was really young. And then she was like, "Okay, I love my family, but I'm literally hiding my gay books in the wall because my mom's Pentecostal." So, yeah, and she's like--I literally realized she tells the story a lot--she's like, "Yeah, like, I realized I hadn't really left the house for a couple months and like, this is gonna be it," and she's like, "I was literally watching Oprah. And Oprah said, 'No one's coming to save you.'" And she was like, okay. She's 21 years old. And then through online, disabled, queer of color community there was this--or she organized--this initiative called To the Other Side of Dreaming where she moved crosscountry with Mia Mingus, who's another queer Korean organizer who was a friend of hers, ad moved to the Bay Area. And so that was around 2010-2011. And then in 2011, what happens but the Fukushima nuclear accident, right, disaster? And we're all on the West Coast--and it's completely ridiculous bullshit, looking back on it now--but all of these Bay Area folks were like, "Oh my God! Radiation!" And some people pointed out, "Look, you know, we're not.... There's...it's a big ocean. The people who really have to worry are in Japan and areas around it, so whatever?" But it was one of those times where we were like, fuck, this is a really big nuclear accident and we are sort of close and it's making us think about disaster. And I remember just going to fucking Berkeley Bowl, which is this big, fancy, organic supermarket and people had bought out all of the burdock all the fucking seaweed. And I was like, "Oh, my God, these people." But out of that, Stacy started having conver--and I and other people who were in our organizing network of disabled, majority BIPOC--were like, "What are we going to as disabled BIPOC if there is an earthquake, fascism, like another big disaster? And Stacy said, really bluntly, she's like, "You know," and she was a power wheelchair user. She used a ventilator. You know, she's like, "Yeah, I am supported by electricity and battery dependent access equipment." And she's like, "Well, I'm going to be really honest, my plan has always been, if something happens, I'm just going to lay down in my bed and die, because I don't think that any emergency services are going to come save me and the power is going to run out in 48 hours. And then we were like, "Okay, that's super real. What if, through our amazing collective access stuff we're doing, we could figure out something else?" And we had this meeting at Arismendy bakery, which for folks who know, is like a worker owned co-op chain, Our friend Remedios worked there. It's wheelchair accessible. We met there after hours. And it was just like, 12-15 of us who started just sitting there and being like, "What are the resources we have? What are the needs we have? And we made this map, which I still have, which I think I shared with you, which is just like, "Apocalypse, South Berkeley/Oakland Map 2011," where we were like, "Okay, you know, when the power goes down, the communication goes down. We're gonna meet at this one traffic circle because people who are wheelchair users can roll up. And we're gonna bury note paper in a mason jar with pens and we're gonna leave notes for each other. But we're also going to agree to meet there the day after at noon." And I was like, okay, my collective house, the first floor is wheelchair accessible. We have solar, we have a landline. And we have a lot of space. So like, let's meet there. And then someone was like, "We've got the one accessible van. And we know, it's only supposed to fit 4 people, but we can fit like 12 in there." And we started.... Like, I just think about that a lot because it's, I think it was a really important moment where it was important...the stuff that we did like that--you know, the actual strategies and the resources we started talking about--but it was also that it was the first time in my life that I was like, "Okay, we're not--not only are we not going to just die alone in our beds, I'm also not going to be the one person who survives. Like, I can actually survive with, and because of, other people. And we're all disabled BIPOC with a couple of disabled white folks. And we can actually collectively strategize around that. And this will be my last leap forward, because I see that you're like, "I want to ask you stuff." So, you know, eight years go by, and in that time we all do an incredible amount of Disability Justice organizing and strategizing. And, you know, in 2019.... And a lot of it started to be around climate disaster on the West Coast. Like, I moved to Seattle in 2015. The wildfires started being really bad a year or two later. A lot of us were involved in mask distributions, just spreading information about smoke safety and survival. And then 2019 was the infamous year where the wildfires came back and Pacific Gas and Electric, in all of its fucking glory, which is the main--for people who don't know--it's the main utility electrical company in Northern California. They announced two days before wildfires were going to really impact the Bay, they were like, "Oh, so we've decided that our strategy is going to be that we're just going to shut down all the power in Northern California. **Margaret ** 14:52 No one uses that. [Sardonically] **Leah ** 14:53 No one uses that. And they're like, "Oh, if you have a medical need, call this number, and we'll make sure to leave it on at your house." and Stacey was, "Okay." She had just bought her house, the Disability Justice Culture Club in East Oakland, you know, which was her house but also a community center, de facto community center, that housed a lot of disabled folks of color. And she was like, "I was on the fucking phone for eight hours. Like, I never got through." And she and some comrades started this campaign called Power to Live where they were like.... It started out as, "Okay, we can't save everybody, but we're not going to just lay down and die. What do we do?" So it started out as like, okay, let's identify who has housing that still has power. There's some people in Richmond, there's some people in this neighborhood, but then it also developed into this thing where it was just this amazing crowdsource survivalist resource where it was everything from, she's like, "Here's a number. Here's an email. If you need something, text us, call us, email us. We have a team of eight people. We'll figure it out. If you have something to offer, do it too." And then some of it was that people were sharing everything from generator information, to generator shares, to people in different areas-- like I was in Seattle and we were like, "Okay, we will mail you generators and air purifiers, because it's obviously all sold out in the Bay, but we can get it here and get it to you." The thing that always stands out to me is people being like, "Oh, yeah, here's how you can use dry ice and clay pots to keep your insulin cold if refrigeration goes down." And there's a lot more I could say about that action and how amazing it was. But for me, when I think about the through line, I'm like, that moment in 2011, when we all got together, and were like, "What do we do?" we were prepping for what we couldn't fully predict, you know, the exact manifestation of eight years later. We're there and we're like, "Okay, there's wildfires, there's smoke, there's no fucking power, and we've not only built our organizing base, we built our relationships with each other so that we can actually trust each other and more or less know how to work together when this shit actually is hitting the fan to create something that's really life giving. Okay, I'll shut up. That was a lot. **Margaret ** 16:52 Now I have so many questions about all of it. **Leah ** 16:53 Yeah, ask me all the questions. **Margaret ** 16:55 Because there's a couple...there's a couple of questions and/or feedback that we get with Live Like, the World is Dying a lot. And some of them are very specifically disability related, and you covered most of them, but I want to highlight some of them. Like a lot of people write and are like, "Well, I rely on the following thing that is provided by civilization. So my plan is to lay down and die." Right? This is a--and I know you've kind of answered it--but I.... I want to ask more. Okay, I'll go through all the things. Okay. So to talk more about what "No One Left Behind," means? And then the other thing that really stands out to me is that, you know, when we were talking, when we were talking about what we were going to talk about on this on this episode, I was saying, okay, we can talk about, you know, making sure that preparedness is inclusive and open and includes disabled folks, or whatever, and you pointed out, really usefully, the, the necessity to reframe it. And I think that the story you just gave is a really beautiful example of this, where it's less about, like, "Hey, make sure to pay attention to the people who need canes," you know, or whatever, right? Like, you know, "make sure you keep track of folks based on disability." And more than like the thing you just described, is the thing that we're always trying to push, which is that you need to make a list of all the resources and needs within your community and then figure out how to meet those needs and instead of assuming that we can't meet those needs, figuring out how to actually do it. And so I love that it's actually like.... It's actually disability justice movements that we should be learning from, I mean, or participating in, depending on our level of ability, or whatever, but I just find that I find both of those things really interesting. And so I wonder if you have more that you want to say about alternatives to laying down and dying, and specifically, to tie into the other thing that I get asked the most or that I get the common feedback is--because we talk a lot about the importance of community for preparedness on this show--a lot of people don't feel like they have community and a lot of people write to be like, "I don't have any friends," or "I don't know any other people like me," or, you know. And so, I guess that's my main question is how do.... [Trails off] Yeah, how do? **Leah ** 19:22 So how do you make community when you don't have community? Alternatives to lying down and dying? And was there a third one in there? **Margaret ** 19:28 I was just highlighting how cool it is that y'all sat there and made a list of resources and needs, which is exactly what.... Instead of deciding things are impossible, just being like, "Well, let's just start doing them." You know? **Leah ** 19:40 And I think.... Okay, so I'll start there. Like I think that like.... You know, Corbit O'Toole, who's like a, you know, Disability Rights Movement veteran and like older Irish, disabled dyke, you know, in Crip Camp, the movie, she's like, "Disabled people live all the time with the knowledge that the society wants thinks we're better off dead," right? Like one...back in the day, you know, there's a--I think they're still active--one of the big Disability Rights direct action organizations was called Not Dead Yet, right? [Margaret Hell Yeahs] I think this is the thing is like I think that sometimes abled people or neurotypical people are not used to sitting down and making the list. And I think that even if disabled people aren't preppers, we're used to being like, "Okay, what do I need? Fuck, I need somebody to help me do my dishes. Oh, I can't bend over. I need to figure out what is the access tool that will allow me to pick up something from the floor when my that goes out? Like, if my attendant doesn't show up, can I have a..." You know, like, my friends always like, "Yeah, I've got a yogurt container by the bed in case my attendant doesn't show up so I can not piss the bed. I can lean over and piss in the yogurt container." Like there's a--and I think that.... God, I mean, there's been so many times over the years where I've done or been a part of doing like Disability Justice 101 and me and Stacy would always talk about crip wisdom and crip innovation and people will just look blank like "What are you talking about? You guys are just a bunch of sad orphans at the telethon." It's not just about making the list, it's also about how disabled disability forces you to be innovative. Like, Stacy would always share this story where she's like, "Yeah," like, she's like "Crip innovation is everything from," she's like, "I save a lot of time sometimes by pretending I can't talk when people come over and want to pray over me. You know, I just act like a mute and they fucking leave and they go on with their life," and she's like, "You know, I realized one day, if I took my sneakers off, I could ramp a step if it's just two steps. I could just put them there and I could roll up." Or I mean, there's a million examples.... Or like, because I think it's about prepping and about making the lists and it's also about whatever you prep for, there's always going to be the X Factor of "Oh, we didn't fucking expect that." And I think that's where a lot of prep falls apart is people have their "Dream Bunker." They're like, "Oh, okay, I know exactly what the threats are going to be." And then of course, it doesn't fucking happen that way. I really hope I can swear on your show. **Margaret ** 21:46 You can. Don't worry. **Leah ** 21:47 Great. So, I mean, one example I could give is I'm remembering at, you know, a Sins show when we were in rehearsal, where everyone drove over from Oakland in Patty's wheelchair accessible van, and then the ramp broken wouldn't unfold. So we just were like, alright, who do we know who has welding equipment? Who do we know has lumber? Like, I think we ended up going to a bike repair shop and then they had tools. And then we're like, okay, we'll just bring the rehearsal into the van and do it that way. Like, you have to be innovative. And that's a muscle that I think society doesn't teach you to flex and that often, I think that even people who.... I think there can be a lot of eugenics in prep, you know, whether people are overtly fascist or not, there's a real belief of like, "Oh, only the strong and smart," --which looks a certain way-- "survive," and that "We should use rational thinking to make it all work out." And I think a lot of crip intelligence or wisdom is actually knowing that shit can go sideways 48 different ways and you have to adapt. And you have to just kind of be like, "Well, let's try this." So I think that's one thing. And I think, you know, one thing I'll say is, yeah, just speaking to kind of the reframing we were talking about, I think it's less like, "Oh, remember the people with canes," but, I mean, that's good, but also knowing that we're already doing it and that abled people actually have a shit ton to learn from us. But also, I mean, something.... I mean, the title of my last book is "The Future is Disabled," and it comes from something--it's not unique thinking to me--it's something that a lot of disabled people have been thinking and saying throughout the pandemic is that we were already at like a 30% disabled world minimum and we're pretty close--we're probably at majority disabled right now. Because what, 2% of the world didn't get Covid? Like, how many people have Long Covid? How many people have complex PTSD? We're all sick, crazy, and, you know, needing access equipment. Disability is not out there. It's in here. Like there's no such thing as doing prep that's like, "Oh, only the three Uber Mensch are gonna survive." Like fuck that. And that actually--I mean, sorry, this might be a side note, but a lot of people have probably seen The Last of Us. And I'm just gonna SPOILER ALERT it. You know that famous episode three of those two gay bear preppers in love? Yeah, I loved a lot about it. I was so pissed at the ending, which I'm just going to spoil. So you know, the more artsy, non-prep guy....[interrupted] **Margaret ** 21:47 Yeah, they don't survive. **Leah ** 22:47 Well, no, but like, not only did they not survive but one of them gets chronically ill. And I was just like, grinding my teeth because it's like, "Oh, he's in a wheelchair. Oh, his hand tremors." And then they end up deciding to both kill themselves rather than do anything else. And I was so furious at it because I was like, these are two people who are so innovative. They have figured out all kinds of problem solving. They have an entire small city for themselves. And it's all like, "Oh, no, he can't get up the stairs." And I'm like, really? There was no accessible ranch house you couldn't of fucking moved to? **Margaret ** 24:38 Or like build a bedroom on the fucking ground floor. **Leah ** 24:40 Or youcouldn't get meds? You couldn't? I mean, when his hand was shaking, it was like, "Oh, it's so sad. He's being fed." I'm like, there's tons.... First of all, it doesn't suck to be fed. A lot of things that seem like a fate worse than death are not when you're in them. And also, there's like all kinds of adaptive utensils that they could have fucking raided from medical supply if he wants to feed himself. Or I'm sorry, there's no cans of Ensure? They absolutely have power. They couldn't have made smoothies? Like, what the fuck is this? But beyond that--and I think that a lot of people who have talked about that episode did, I think, have some good analysis of it where, you know, the whole way they set up their prep was they were like, "Oh, it's just the two of us," and the one super prepper guy was like, "I don't even want friends to come over." And the other guy was like, "Hey, actually, we need to make alliances because there's things they have that we don't. And we also need more than just the two of us because I love you, but I'm gonna kill you." And I think that's something to think about is really moving away from the idea that just your little you know, the utopic queer rural community that so many fucking city queers fantasize about or, you know, lover are going to be enough, because it's not. So that actually leads me to, "I don't have community. Where the fuck do I get it?" And I'm like, yeah, that's super real. Right? And I think it's something I actually wrote about in "The Future is Disabled" is that I have people be like--when I write about different crip communities, just even when I talk about stuff on Facebook.... Like my friend, Graham Bach, it's going to be his second year death anniversary in like two weeks, and he was like, you know, white, psychiatric survivor, super poor, amazing sweetheart of a human being, he died.... I mean, he died in his, you know, rent to your income apartment because he was really afraid to go to the hospital and he had cardiac stuff going on. And he was an anarchist, he was amazing, kind, complicated human being. And, I was writing about, like.... I'm going to tell the story and there's a couple things I want to pull out of it. So I was writing about meeting Graham when I was in my early 20s through radical Mad people community, and somebody was reading it and was like "That sounds so great." And I was like, "Yeah, it wasn't utopic. Like, I had to yell back at Graham because he would scream at me and I'd be like, "Shut the fuck up!" Like, there was so many fights. There was so much racism. There were so many older white cis dudes who had electroshock who were jerky or gross, you know? And I guess that was the thing is, I was like, they're like, "Well, how did you find each other?" And I was like, it wasn't perfect. Also, it was very analog working class. Like my friend Lilith Finkler, who is an amazing Moroccan, Jewish, working-class queer femme psych survivor, she would just go to the donut shop where everybody poor hung out and would talk to everybody who wass there who wass crazy who no one wanted to talk to and be like, "Hey, do you want to come hang out at this meeting at the fucking legal clinic? We have a room. We have a snack plate. I'll give you tokens. Let's organize." So I think that's the first thing is that it's not--and I don't mean this in a finger-wagging way--it's not automatic. And also, one of the really big ways that community is often ableist, and that a lot of us get cut out from it, is that a lot of us who need it the most are not particularly easy to love in ableist neurotypical worldview. It's like we're cranky, we're wounded, we're in a bad mood, we're weird. So a lot of the time, I think it's thinking about, first of all, what's one step, one move you can take towards it. Like, can you make one fucking acquaintance and build it. And really think about what it would mean to build some kind of relationship. I think the other thing that I really want to highlight is that a lot of the communities that I see that keep each other alive, that I'm lucky to have been a part of making and being supported by in disabled community, they're not static and they're not perfect. Like, I have networks with people who piss me the fuck off and who, you know, I've sent 20 bucks to people who I'm just like, "I really don't like you, but I can see that you really don't have food," you know, and we're not going to be friends and we're not going to like each other, but I don't want you to die. And that's not...I mean, it's bigger.... There's also people who I'm like, "Okay, you're my ex-abuser. I'm not gonna give you $5. Someone else can give you $5. **Margaret ** 28:42 There's this person who puts a lot of their effort into talking shit on me on the internet and I...they're also broke and have a lot of chronic health issues and I send them money every month. And every now and then I'm like, could this like...could you stop talking shit now? **Leah ** 29:03 I think this is the thing sometimes is like, hey, how about this is the deal, like maybe just say "Thank you," or maybe just talk shit even like 20% less? Because you know, I'm really doing we keep us safe here. I just really want a "thank you." **Margaret ** 29:16 I don't want you to die. Like, I don't want you to starve to death, but I really wish you would be a little bit more open minded to people having different opinions on yours. **Leah ** 29:26 Oh yeah, nuance, right? Yeah, it'd be fucking nice. **Margaret ** 29:29 God forbid. Anyway. **Leah ** 29:31 No, it's good. I guess my TLDR would be to start where you are and start with "what's one thing you can do? What's one person you can reach out to?" And I think, you know, I don't know if this is true for everyone who reaches out to you and it's like, "Well, I don't have anybody," but I think that social media and online connectivity is a real double-edged sword because for some of us who are isolated, it can create both online communities that can sometimes become in-real-life community and, either way, can be sources of some community or support. But I think.... I mean, you know, I'm a Generation X'er and I've just seen social media get more and more chokehold and just turn into fucking the panopticon meets a mall, you know? [Margaret laughs] And I think it's hard because 12 years ago I was part of really early online disabled spaces, which were great because so many people were like, "Well, I'm so isolated in my small town or in my city," or "I can't leave bed, but this is great. I'm meeting with other people and we're building these connections and it's actually more accessible for me to be real about my stuff from like my bed with a heating pad." And now I just think it's so chokeholded that it's hard for us to find each other. So it's much more common for people to be like, "Wow, I'm seeing all these people who have millions of followers and a shiny brand and I just feel like even more of an isolated loser." And then at the same time, I think people are like, "Well, how did people meet each other before this?" And I was like, "Yeah, like, you go to the coffee shop or the donut shop. You put up a flier. You go to the library. You like, I don't know. I mean, I just remember people I met on the food stamps line, you know, when we got there at six in the morning. And not everything's gonna stick, but maybe something sticks. And I also think about like, I'm going back to 13 years ago in early Disability Justice community spaces where--I mean, I think back to [untranslatable] when I went back to Toronto--which, yeah, big city--but I remember I had so many people come to me and be like, "You're..."--because I was starting to be more out about disability, cuz I was like, "I'm in the Bay and there's these wild people who talk about it and they're not all white people." and so I have so many, especially Black and brown disabled femmes be like, "Hi, you don't really know me, but I have fibromyalgia too," or "I have Lupus too. And like, no one I know talks about that. How do you do it?" And I'm specifically thinking about this time that this person I'm no longer in touch with--but we used to be friends--who's like, you know, queer, brown nonbinary person was like, "Let's just have a meet up of other chronically ill femmes of color," which is how we were identifying a time, and it was four of us, four heating pads, a bottle of Advil, and just very tentatively starting to share things about our lives. And I was like, "Yeah, that was four people." But a lot of that hang out then rippled outward. And it was like, I think it's also important to be like, it's scary to build community. Some tools I want to shut out like, so Mia Mingus, who I mentioned before, she has a lot of really great writing on her blog Leaving Evidence and she created this tool a long time ago now--that some people might be familiar with but for folks who aren't--it's, you know, it's her tool that she calls Pod Mapping. And she actually created it as part of a collective she founded called the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective that was working on doing transformative justice interventions into intimate violence, specifically childhood sexual abuse a lot of the time, and she had this framework that I find really helpful. She's like, "A lot of..." she was talking about in community accountability, transformative justice spaces and she made a really good point where she's like, "Sometimes we talk about like, 'Yeah, bring in the community. Like, everyone has a community.'" And she's like, "Most people don't have a fucking community, let alone one that can interview in childhood sexual abuse." So she created this tool where she's like, "Let's broaden the idea of what community is." Like, maybe it's that one cousin, that you only talk to once a year, but you could call them in a jam, or it's this hotline, or it is like, yeah, they're a weird church, but you really like their food banks. She's like, "You have to really bring in.... Like, start where you are and do the resource mapping we were talking about" I really liked that tool a lot as a place for people who are like, "What's my community?" because I think it's a big word and really being like, "What does that even mean to me?" and like, "What's one place that can start building it?" And I also want to shout out, Rebel Sydney Black, who's a friend of mine who passed this June, at the beginning of the pandemic, he created this tool called Pod Mapping for Mutual Aid that was specifically aimed at disabled folks who were trying to pod map during Covid--and we can provide the link and stuff like that--but I would say that those are two places to start and then I want to get to alternatives to lying down and dying. And then I'll stop. **Margaret ** 34:04 Okay, wait, wait, before we get to that I want to talk more about the building community thing. **Leah ** 34:08 Yeah, please. **Margaret ** 34:09 I think you brought up a lot of really interesting points. And one of the things that I really like about it, you know, talking about having like...you're broadening the idea of what counts as community, which I think is really useful. And one of the things I realized is that a lot of times when I was younger, I was like, "Y'all say 'community' and you just mean the people that you like," right? And that didn't make any sense to me. Community seems like the people where you have a shared interest, whether the shared interest is you live on the same block, or whether the shared interest is an identity, or whether the shared interest is an interest that you're trying to see change, or whatever. It doesn't mean people you like. It's a different thing. Friends are the people I like, right? Well, mostly. I'm just kidding. I love all of you. I mean, there's a lot of people I love that I don't always like. Anyway, so I don't know, and so I think that one of the things that stuck out with me about what you're gonna say and I want to highlight is the idea that--or maybe I'm misreading it--but like "pick issue to work" around seems like a good useful way. Especially if you struggle to just have friends, right? That's not like the thing that you're good at. But maybe there's a thing that you want to work on? Or having that meetup where it's like, oh, all the following people who have the following things in common, let's meet up and talk about it. Or honestly, activism is a really good way to meet people and work closely with people about things. And it doesn't necessarily have to mean these are now your friends. But they can be people where you rely on each other. And that doesn't have to be the same. I think about it a lot because I live in a fairly isolated and rural environment where there's not a lot of people around me who are culturally.... Whatever, there's not a lot of out, queer people where I live. There's not a lot of punks. And I'm like, that's okay. I talk to my actual neighbors instead. I mean, some of them, not all of them, but most of them, you know, they're who I would rely on in a crisis, because they're right there. It doesn't mean that we have the same ideas about a lot of stuff, you know? But we have similar ideas, like, "Let's not die," right? And so that's enough sometimes. Anyway, I just wanted to.... **Leah ** 36:12 No, I really appreciate it. And I mean that makes me kind of think about, when you were talking, I was like, yeah, you know, there's friends, there's communities, and then there's survival networks, which can include contacts, right? Because I just think about what would I do right now, if some should happened? And I was like, I've got long distance kin and long term friendships and relationships ofvarious kinds and I also have--because I moved to where I live, which is like semi-rural, but definitely more rural than where I've lived before--and I'm just like, yeah, I have a small number of friends. But there's like people who I know who I can...who are neighbors who like, maybe we don't know a shit ton about each other but I could be like, "Hey, this thing?" or "Hey, do you have water?" or, "Hey, let's do this." I think it's a lot about thinking about what are your goals? Is your goal intimacy? Is your goal survival? Is your goal friendship? Because you need different levels of trust and commonality depending on those things, right? I also think, and this is the thing too, I think something.... I think a lot of times because I've had people be like, "Well, I don't have community," also, I've heard that. And I think that a lot of times the context, I hear it in is people being like, "Well, I have care needs, but I don't have any community." So then there's also the really big thorny question of "need" and like being cared for is actually very complicated. It's very risky. It's very vulnerable. It's not safe a lot of the time. It may feel a lot easier to just be like, "I don't have any fucking needs." And so there's a lot, I will just say that there's a lot of unpacking that needs to do around like, "What would I need to be cared for? What are my lower risk needs that I need help with? What are my higher risk needs?" right? Like, there's people who I can.... There's some needs I have where I'm like, I don't need to trust you super, super deep politically or on an intimate level to let you do that. There are certain needs where I'm like, that's only going to be people where we've really built a lot of fucking trust because if this goes sideways you could really stuck with me. Right? And I think that when you're starting from nowhere, I think often where people get stuck is like, "Where I am feels like I have nobody and nothing. And I want to get to like the thing I've read about in your topic science fiction, where you know, it's Star Hawk and everybody loves each other. And how the fuck do I get from A to B." And I think the solution is like, yeah, you're not gonna get to fucking "Fifth Sacred Thing" right away--and that book is complicated. **Margaret ** 38:29 Yeah, It was very influential on my early.... **Leah ** 38:31 Oh yeah, when I was 18, I just wanted to fucking move there. And now I'm like, "Oh God, this is embarrassing. There's some shit in here." I'm like, "Wow, everybody's mixed race, but everyone's Black parents are dead." Wow. Cool. Nobody really thinks about race. I'm like, I'm gonna throw up. And like, you know, BDSM is just violent....Okay, sorry. We're not going to get into that. **Margaret ** 38:47 Oh my God, I don't remember that part. **Leah ** 38:49 Oh, yeah. No, where it's so violent. Like, "We're just loving." And I wrote a really no passion paper for school, because we actually had to read it in a college class I was in, and I was like, "Why are they not into leather sexuality?" And my professor was like, "Okay, 18 year old..." but yeah. **Margaret ** 39:04 I mean, legit. You 18 year old self had a legitimate critique. **Margaret ** 39:08 Yeah. **Leah ** 39:08 Yeah, no, there's a lot there. But, um, but jumping back, I guess it's just like, you know.... And I think this feels like disabled wisdom too, it's like, what can you do with the spoons or the capacity you have? Like, what's one move you can make that small? And then can you build on that? Yeah, but can I talk about alternatives to lying down and dying? **Leah ** 39:28 Yeah. Well, I think...I mean, this is the thing, is like, I'm a survivalist, but I'm not like anti-civilization in the ways that some people are. Like, I want meds, you know? And I think that's something that other crips I know talk about a lot, which is like, you know, we're really against this way that some people, including some people who would like align themselves with like Healing Justice who are like "We're like, oh, yeah, we just have to go back before colonialism and capitalism, and just everyone lived on herbs and it was great." and I was like, "Nah, bitch, I need surgery and meds." Like I want it all. Like, I love non-Western pre-colonial traditional healing. Absolutely. And I've had friends who died because they didn't get their surgeries on time. Like my friend LL died because nobody would give him a fucking kidney because they said he was too fat. And I'm just like, my good future involves.... I mean, and he's one of millions right? So like, my good future involves that we have surgical suites. And I'm just like, you know, honestly, also, a lot of times that worldview just seems so white to me, because I'm just like, listen, a lot of like, global south places figure out how to have field hospitals, right, in really dire and low-resource situations. So I'm sorry.... **Margaret ** 40:40 I mean, only Europoe's ever figured out surgery. No one else has done surgery until Europe showed up. [Said sarcastically implying the opposite] **Leah ** 40:45 Yeah, not fucking ever. [Also said sarcastically] **Margaret ** 40:46 Said the people who are like, "bite down stick and I'll saw your arm off." **Leah ** 40:49 Yeah, so I mean, I guess one thing I would just say is like, I would say that and I would say like, you know, really...I want to like lift up and encourage people to look at--and they can be hard to find--but look at cultures, look at organizing initiatives where people were like, "We can have our own ambulance, we can have our own like..." And when that's not there, to think about what it would mean to have medical care after the apocalypse, right? What would it mean to make hormones, make drugs, synthesize chemicals, and it's not impossible. I think that we're still in the in between of like, okay, we gotta figure out how to do that. But, um, you know, I'm thinking about, Ejeris Dixon, who's my friend and comrade, and, you know, we co-edited "Beyond Survival" together, which is a book we wrote that came out right at the beginning of the pandemic about stories and strategies from how people are actually trying to create safety without the cops. Ejeris always talks about how they were like, "Yeah, like, in Louisiana, you know, in the South, you know, like in the 50s, and 60s, and before I believe, there were all kinds of Black run ambulance and 911 services," because regular 911 wouldn't come to Black communities. Right? And they, I mean, something that I've heard them say a lot over the years is like, "We don't have the people's ambulance yet. But we could." And then it makes me also jump to some friends of mine who were in Seattle who were really active as street medic crew during the rebellions after George George Floyd was murdered by the police in, you know, 2020 in the summer, and specifically in, as some people remember, Seattle managed to have 16 square blocks break off from the city for a while, CHOP, Capitol Hill Organized Front. And so what people don't know is that the cops were like, "Okay, fuck you. We're not going to...If there's any 911 ambulance calls, we're not going to fucking let anyone go in there." So the street medic crew had to deal with a lot of really intense situations. And then after that, like a lot of us folks, like some folks were already nurses or EMTs and a lot of folks who were involved went to nursing school or EMT school and we're like--and I don't know where it's at now--but they were like, "We want to create,"--because right now in Seattle, there's, if somebody is having a crisis on the street, like a medical or a mental health crisis or an altered state crisis, there's no non-911 crisis response that you can call. There's either you go down the stairs to talk to somebody or there's the cops, right. And they were like, "We can get a van. We can get medical equipment from eBay." And you know, I don't know where they're at with that, but they were really organizing around like, "Yeah, we could get a defibrillator. We could get oxygen. We could get blood pressure cuffs. We could get fucking..." you know? And I think that that shit gets complicated in terms of insurance and regulation and the State and the medical industrial complex, but I want us to keep thinking about that. I also, and then I'll wrap up because we have other questions to get to, but it also makes me think about, I mean, I don't know if folks are familiar with Gretchen Felker Martin's amazing science fiction book "Manhunt," right, which is about.... **Margaret ** 43:50 I haven't read it yet. **Leah ** 43:52 It's so fucking good. Okay, so I won't give it away. But just for people who don't know, I'd say it's the one kind of gender sci-fi book where "Oh, a virus, you know, affects people with certain chromosomes or certain that dih-dah-dug that's not TERFy because it's a book that, you know, she's trans, and it's a book that centers trans women and nonbinary communities and there's like one or two trans masculine characters. But the two main trans femme, like trans women characters in the book, they're like, they have to, they're like, "Yeah, like, we're going on raids to get, you know, hormones, and, you know, different, like chemical drugs we need. And we're also figuring out how to synthesize them from herbs and different substances." And it's not easy. It's a struggle. But there are organized communities of trans women and allies that are fighting to do it. And I'm just like, yeah, and I mean, it's an amazingly well written book, and she's incredible, and I fucking loved it. And it's just beautifully written and really just--sorry, I won't gush too much but go read it, it's incredible--I just really also appreciated it because she was like, "Yeah, of course we're gonna get our hormones after the end of the world. Like of course it's possible." And I will also.... I have some criticisms of the ableism in it, but M.E. O'Brien and--fuck I'm forgetting the second author's name, but every you know, "Everything For Everyone," that book. I appreciated how in the good future society, they're like, "Our priority is making sure that insulin and chemical drugs and hormones are accessible and free to everybody." And I was like, I guess I would just push people towards there are ways of imagining the future where we can defeat capitalism but still have medical care of all kinds. We can have Reiki and acupuncture and we can also hormone surgery and transplants. And we might be doing it better because it's not controlled by fucking corporations and assholes. Sorry, that's my soapbox. Um, okay. I will say in terms of people being like, "That's really nice. But what about me?" I would be like, you know, I mean, right now in the war on trans America, there are so many people already who are like, "Yeah, I'm stockpiling meds. I like doing meds trading." I would say it goes back to what we started about, which is like, "Okay, what are your needs? What are the things that you're worried will not be there if the world ends?" Right? And we also need to recognize that the world's already ending and it's ended for some of us a bunch of times already. But I would be like, make that list and then really be like, "Alright, how do I get it?" You know, and if I can't specifically get it, are there like backups that I can get? And it may be stuff that you can research on your own. It also might be stuff where it's like, "Okay, are there trans [untranslatable], disability justice organizations, nationally, globally, locally, that you can hit up and be like, "What are folks thoughts about this? Are there ways that we can resource share?" Because I think it's about pills. I think it's also about durable medical equipment. So in terms of stuff that requires power to live, I think about generators and I think about generator shares. And I think about things like...there's a story when Hurricane Sandy hit New York 10 years ago, there were a whole bunch of us where...there's a guy Nick who's in community who, physically disabled guy, 13th floor, accessible apartment, you know, the lights went out, you know, really dependent on electricity to change out the batteries on his ventilator. There's a whole crew of disabled folks, like people walked up and down those fucking stairs every eight hours to take the spent batteries, figured out, "Hey, you know, what still has power, the fucking fire department." People were walking down recharging the batteries every eight hours. And it was allies, it was ambulatory, it was disabled people who could walk. It was fucking hard. But people were like, we're not.... Nick and his friends were like, "We're not just going to die. We're needed." So I wanna shoutout that and just for possibility modeling, I really want to, one other place I want to shout out, is an org that used to be known as Portlight but was now known as the Center for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, which is a disabled-led organization that is about like, yeah, when there's a climate or other disaster, they figure out ways of getting like accessible fucking evacuation methods to places because they know...we know, there's millions of examples of people who are just left to die in nursing homes or like, "Oops, the bus doesn't have a ramp," or, you know, I really want to name that during Katrina, some people might know about, you know, the situation with the nursing home that was there were a lot of folks who were wheelchair users or had high care needs were fucking killed by medical staff because the medical staff were like, "We're gonna actually euthanize these folks without their knowledge or consent." [Margaret exclaims] Yeah, no, there was actually a movie on HBO about it I think semi recently. Because "that's easier than figuring out how to fucking get people in the medivac ," right? Yeah, and so the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, I'm still getting to know them, but I have friends who are involved and they're like, "Yeah, we're aware this is an issue." So yeah, let's work with the fucking Cajun fucking Navy to like make sure that you can get folks with different bodies onto evac boats. Like let's figure out what disabled survival looks like. And I will just say, and this is the last thing I swear, for me, I mean, we all know water is important. Like, I can't lift 54 pounds. Guess what? So can't--which is, you know, a seven gallon right, like a five or seven gallon whatever--I'm just like, yeah, so I can actually have smaller jugs of water that I can lift. So yeah, I have a bug out plan, but I also have a real Shelter in Place plan because I'm just like, yeah, my apartment's accessible for me. So yeah, I got a shit ton of water right here and I'll be good for a while. And I also have a plan B for.... Okay, there's...I've got my filtration equipment, so when that runs out, I'm close to some water sources where I can go and I can filter that shit. And that's me thinking about what works for my body. Think about what works for yours and then plan out from that. Okay, I'll really stop talking now. **Margaret ** 49:44 No, no, but there's so much there. Even just like to go to the weight of water, right? The thing that I ran across that I'm like--I'm reasonably able-bodied and such like that, right--but I live alone and so obviously there's this specific thing where like.... Well, one, I mean, abledness is always a temporary position.... **Leah ** 50:04 Yeah, you're going to get disabled, you're gonna get sick and disabled. **Margaret ** 50:07 Like it literally happens to--unless you, I don't know, die very quickly, very suddenly, probably violently, you're gonna go through a period of disability in your life, you know? And so my argument is that machismo is anti-prepping. And one of the ways that I would say is that like, there's now, I think.... Okay, so cement bags, they come in 50 pound bags traditionally, right? But now there's more and more, I think, there seems to be more and more 30 pound bags, right? And I used to be like, "Oh, whatever, I can lift a 50 pound bag. So I should carry the 50 pound bag." And then I'm like, well, it was not a helpful way to look at it. It is far better for me to just have 30 pound bags of cement because they're easier to carry and I'll get tired less. And I, you know, at the time that I was pouring these bags, I lived up a hill about probably the equivalent of a seven storey walk up to this cabin that I was building, right. And so I had to carry each and every one. It was way nicer that I carry 30 pound bags. And if your preparedness doesn't include the fact that your level of ability will change in different situations, then it's not very good preparedness. And and so like, I don't know, I mean, like most of my water jugs are four or five gallon jugs. I use jerry cans. I think most of them are five gallon. And I hate the six gallon ones and the seven gallon ones. They're just heavy and annoying. And it's like I can give lift them but there's no reason why I should. Unless I'm specifically working on lifting weights. And then the other thing that you talked about that I really think about a lot, you know, is this idea, of does your version of disaster mean that every doctor dies? Or like, does your version of disaster mean everyone who's ever made insulin dies? Like, it's possible. Sure, you could have 90...if almost everyone on Earth dies, then everything is a little different. But most disasters don't actually..... Most disasters destroy ways of living and large numbers of people, but not the majority of people write. Most people survive most disasters. And, people are like, "Well, our organizational systems are what produce insulin," and like, no, people produce insulin and they use organizational systems with which to do it. But different organizational systems can also produce insulin. Like different organizational systems can use the same infrastructure sometimes and make the things that we rely on. And it came up with this like whole thing where people on the internet were like, "Ah, if you're an anarchist, you hate disabled people because in anarchy, you can't have insulin," **Leah ** 50:28 That's gross. **Margaret ** 52:40 It is a complete misunderstanding of anarchism. It is not a lack of organization, it is a different type of organization. **Leah ** 52:46 Anarchy is responsibility. **Margaret ** 52:48 Yes, totally. **Leah ** 52:50 Sorry, sorry. **Margaret ** 52:52 That's why people don't like it. People are afraid of it because they actually have to.... It's the accepting no one is coming to save us except us. You know? No, I love that way of framing and it also annoys anarchists when you tell them this too. **Leah ** 53:07 Okay, well, I mean, you know, so I worked at Modern Times books, which was, you know, is no longer around, but was a long time anarchists and anti authoritarian radical bookstore in the Bay. And we had the only public toilet in all of the Mission because everybody else was like, "No, you gotta buy something." and in my interview, they're like, "How will you make the store better?" And I was like, "I will make the bathroom not smell horrible." Because, you know, it was just like a bust, everyone was pissing in there. And so I taped up a sign that said "Anarchy is responsibility. If you spray the fucking toilet with urine, please wipe it up. Together we can have a toilet." And somebody called me out and was like, "That's capitalist." And I was like, "No, just wipe your piss up or we're not gonna make the revolution. Like, come on." But yeah, they got pissed at me about that. [Both laugh] But yeah, I mean, I think that's a really good point. And it's like, you know, I mean, I think that it does point to, you know, I think a structural problem in a lot of our movements, which is like, yeah, we don't we need more people who know some basics of chemistry and can synthesize stuff. Like, that's, you know, we need more people who've gone to some kind of science or engineering school who can figure out how sewage works and how you synthesize insulin and how you synthesize hormones and like, basic surgery. And I think there's a lot of hopefulness because I--maybe it's just the folks I hang out with--but I have a fair number of friends who are like, "Yeah, I'm gonna be a nurse practitioner. I can give you an abortion. I can sew up your wound. I can help you figure out this thing." And I'd love for there to be more of us who can go to PA school or