Renewable Energy SmartPod

Sean McMahon
  • 4.9 (16)
  • BUSINESS NEWS
Renewable Energy SmartPod

The Renewable Energy SmartPod offers an inside look at the people, technologies and trends that are powering the energy transition. If you want to hear more about the role renewables are playing to decarbonize the global economy and combat climate change, this is the podcast for you. Follow us on Twitter @RenewablesPod or sign up for our newsletter: Renewable Energy SmartBrief.

  1. MAY 22

    Congress Takes Aim at Tax Incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act

    Sponsored by KPMG Negotiations currently taking place on Capitol Hill stand to have a dramatic impact on tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act that have powered tremendous growth in clean energy and domestic manufacturing. With so much chatter coming out of Congress, Alfred Johnson, the co-founder and CEO of Crux, and Lauren Collins, a partner at Vinson and Elkins LLP, return to the show to help separate the signal from the noise -- or in this case, decipher the difference between a scalpel and a sledgehammer.  Insights from Crux (updated May 22, 2025) Insights from Vinson & Elkins LLP (updated May 22, 2025) More resources from KPMG Transferable Tax Credits Trade and Tarfiff Insights Shaping the Future of Renewable and Emerging Energies Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

    42 min

  2. MAY 14

    How Integrated EPC Teams Are Streamlining Renewables Projects

    From project development and permitting to interconnection, construction and startup, the experience of a fully integrated engineer-procure-construct (EPC) team can be a crucial driver of results for renewables projects. With that in mind, two experts from Burns & McDonnell join the show to outline best practices for getting projects done amid all the uncertainty that is swirling around the industry. Cam Garner, section manager in the solar program, and Bob Fayard, solar preconstruction manager, share examples from the field and offer great tips that owners and developers can utilize at various stages of a project. More resources from Burns & McDonnell: Drive Predictable Results With an Integrated EPC Team Early Moves That Matter: Aligning Solar Project Teams From Day One Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

    26 min

  3. 11/19/2024

    State of the Industry: Offshore Wind - Part 2

    Walt Musial, a principal engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, stops by the show to discuss the current state of the US offshore wind market. Walt details progress in key regions like the Northeast, where gigawatt-scale projects are actively under construction. Walt addresses the ramifications of renegotiations of power purchase agreements and the mixed outcome of recent offshore wind lease auctions. On the technology front, Walt goes into great detail about the potential of floating wind technology, which offers flexible siting and cost benefits when compared to fixed-bottom turbines. Walt also outlines the key highlights of NREL's annual Offshore Wind Energy Market Assessment, which track information for 2,036 active offshore wind energy projects in 49 countries. Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

    25 min

  4. 10/31/2024

    State of the Industry: Offshore Wind - Part 1

    Sponsored by EDF Renewables Learn more about Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind The offshore wind industry has been navigating some choppy seas as of late, so Oliver Metcalfe, Head of Wind Research at BloombergNEF, stops by the show to outline what the industry must do to chart a course for sustained growth. Oliver recently returned from an industry conference in China, so he shares his expert insights on that market -- including how Chinese turbine companies are starting to boost their export efforts. When it comes to policy, Oliver details how the early steps in the UK market that put offshore wind on a path for success could be copied in other developing markets. And finally, we turn our attention to the US, where tough economic conditions are beginning to recede, but much work lies ahead for the offshore wind industry to reach its full potential. Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

    37 min

  5. 10/09/2024

    How Renewables Are Powering Heavy Industry and Data Centers

    Wade Gungoll, CEO of Industrial Sun, and Christine Larson, the Head of Strategy and Operations at Modern Energy, stop by the show to discuss the role of renewables in heavy industries like chemical processing, manufacturing, and oil and gas. Petrochemical refineries might not be first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the facilities that powered by renewables, but it’s happening -- and Wade and Christine are here to tell us more about it. They highlight the unique approach of Industrial Sun, which focuses on industrial net-metered solar for heavy industries, offering significant cost savings and green attributes. They discuss the challenges and opportunities in the data center market and outline why Big Tech's race for computing power means renewables might actually have to wait to capture a larger share of the market. Christine predicts a rise in battery storage, while Wade predicts more than $100 billion in green hydrogen investment in ERCOT by 2030. Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

    26 min

  6. 10/03/2024

    Geothermal Energy Digs Deep to Meet Surging Power Demand

    Jason Peart, GM of Strategy and Development at Sage Geosystems, joins the show to outline the many ways geothermal energy is advancing to provide diverse solutions for the world's booming growth in power demand. Jason walks us through some need-to-know information about the latest trends and technologies related to geothermal energy, including how progress is being made on using geothermal for energy storage. Jason also shares details about a partnership Sage recently formed with Meta to power data centers, as well as the work Sage is doing with the US Air Force, the US Army and California Resources Corporation. Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

    29 min

  7. 09/26/2024

    The Big Picture on Batteries - with Roger Miksad from Battery Council International

    Sponsored by KPMG With Climate Week in full swing, tons of speeches, meetings and presentations are taking place in New York, with an eye toward how the energy transition will continue to evolve. One key technology that will continue to play a huge role in that evolution is batteries. Roger Miksad, the president and executive director of Battery Council International, stops by the show to explain how batteries of various chemistries are advancing to power things like data centers, EVs and microgrids. Roger also touches on a few policies that the battery sector is watching closely, like the USA Batteries Act. And with more and more batteries coming to the market, Roger outlines the hard work BCI and its members have put in over the years to advance recycling and develop a circular economy for raw materials and components. More resources from KPMG KPMG generative AI survey report: Energy, natural resources and chemicals KPMG LLP AI & Digital Innovation Quarter Pulse Survey - Q2 2024 Key highlights The importance of Climate Week - (2:57) What Roger hopes to see from this year's Climate Week - (3:59) The expanding role of batteries in the energy landscape - (4:30) Specific areas batteries are powering the energy transition - (6:04) The impact the Inflation Reduction Act is having on battery manufacturing - (7:53) Other policies that are crucial for the battery industry - (10:31) The role batteries play in powering data centers - (14:41) Advancements in battery recycling and the circular economy - (16:42) Roger's bold predictions - (19:58) Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

    24 min

  8. 09/24/2024

    Suzanne Leta from Fluence on the Policies (And Politics) of Domestic Manufacturing

    Sponsored by KPMG and EDF Renewables With the election fast-approaching, many people in the renewable energy industry are wondering how a potential shift in the current political power structure in the US might impact the push for clean energy. With that uncertainty in mind, Suzanne Leta, vice president of policy and advocacy for the Americas at Fluence, joins the show to discuss tax incentives related to the Inflation Reduction Act, with a particular focus on domestic manufacturing. Suzanne also explains how tariffs related to batteries are structured in a way that makes them surprisingly vulnerable to the whims of whoever occupies the White House. Suzanne also touches on cybersecurity and shares her insights on the impact data centers powering AI are placing on batteries and the rest of the grid … and how smart utilities and other organizations are planning to manage that increased energy demand. More insights from Suzanne: Powering America's Future: Grid-Scale Energy Storage Boosts Grid Reliability, Jobs and US Manufacturing More resources from KPMG: Survey results:  High energy expectations for renewables More resources from EDF Renewables: What We Do Key highlights from Suzanne: The buzz around domestic manufacturing - (4:01) Other IRA incentives like the PTC, ITC and other bonus tax credits - (10:45) The whimsical nature of Section 301 tariffs on batteries - (13:20) The politics of the election and the energy transition in the US - (17:15) Cybersecurity and the grid - (22:12) Manaing the boom in energy demand from AI data centers - (26:41) 'Hyperscale' data centers vs. typical data centers - (27:24) Suzanne's bold predictions about the future of battery storage - (31:46) Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

    36 min
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4.9
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

The Renewable Energy SmartPod offers an inside look at the people, technologies and trends that are powering the energy transition. If you want to hear more about the role renewables are playing to decarbonize the global economy and combat climate change, this is the podcast for you. Follow us on Twitter @RenewablesPod or sign up for our newsletter: Renewable Energy SmartBrief.

Information

  • Creator
    Sean McMahon
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    78
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Renewable Energy SmartPod
  • Show Website
    Renewable Energy SmartPod

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