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Clean Energy Today

How innovators, businesses and consumers are shaping the clean energy transition. Hosted by longtime energy writer Lisa Cohn.

Latest Episodes:

EV Chargers on Lampposts and Utility Poles Can Cut Costs for Communities 70% Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

With Voltpost, an electric vehicle (EV) driver can park in front of a utility pole or lamppost and, using a phone app, lower a charger from it.

The company says the Voltpost system can cut charging infrastructure costs for communities by up to 70% because it requires no construction or trenching.

Voltpost won the 2026 Electric Innovation and Discovery Award from the Electric Innovation Initiative.

About the guest:

Jeff Prosserman is CEO and co-founder at Voltpost, which aims to democratize charging access, decarbonize mobility and lower the footprint of charging infrastructure.

Send episode ideas to Lisa@CleanEnergyWriters.com

Visit host Lisa Cohn at CleanEnergyWriters.com

EV Ownership Costs at Parity with Gas Vehicle Costs by 2031? Oct 04, 2026

Show notes

A report from the research and consultancy group Wood Mackenzie found that, as the Middle East conflict creates volatility in global oil markets, three factors could drive EV sales higher.

In fact, total EV ownership costs could reach parity with total gasoline vehicle ownership costs by 2031, the report said.

But the U.S. is falling behind in EV deployment, the report said. What bold steps are needed to ensure the U.S. improves its position in the global EV market?

My guest is David Brown, director, Energy Transition Practice at Wood Mackenzie.

Background information:

Michigan's managed charging program

Trump administration rolls back fuel economy standards

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Visit host Lisa Cohn at CleanEnergyWriters.com

To Find Available Grid Capacity for Data Centers, GridCARE Performs a Grid MRI Sep 20, 2026

Show notes

Utilities are struggling to provide enough capacity to meet the needs of data centers and other large loads. To address this challenge, GridCARE performs an "MRI" of the grid and finds unused capacity in utility systems, cutting utility costs and helping avoid building fossil-fired plants. For example, for Portland General Electric, GridCARE identified 400 MW of existing infrastructure to meet the needs of five data centers, and the data centers signed flexible interconnection agreements with the utility. GridCARE is also working with National Grid.

Data centers, large loads and developers pay GridCARE, which partners with utilities and doesn't charge them.

About the guest:

Cariana Morales is chief of staff at GridCARE.

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Visit host Lisa Cohn at CleanEnergyWriters.com

Slashing "Shocking" Demand Charges From EV Charging at Toyota Dealership with Solar & Storage Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

The Sunrise Toyota dealership on Long Island achieved 55% energy savings and reduced peak demand by 101 kW with a microgrid comprised of energy storage and solar, and is expected to ultimately cut utility costs by 90%.

Guests Maria Fields and Dennis Quinn, co-founders at Sprocket Power, describe the "unpredictable and shocking" demand charges car dealerships and other businesses experience when they install electric vehicle charging, and how to lower those charges with clean energy. They also share their thoughts on how more utilities are open to using distributed energy resources to help address their power shortages.

Partners in the project include Sprocket Power, which installed the microgrid, Evo Power , which provided the battery energy storage and Ranial Systems ,which supplied the controller.

Background information

Evo Power and Ranial Systems recently formed a partnership to provide battery storage and controls to commercial and industrial sites like the Toyota dealership.

Sprocket is taking advantage of New York State's Value of Distributed Energy Resources program to lower energy costs.

Send episode ideas to Lisa@CleanEnergyWriters.com

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Learn about host Lisa Cohn's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com

What Does it Take to Scale Disruptive Energy Technologies? Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

What makes disruptive new energy technologies succeed or fail?

Mathias Schlecht, president and CEO at ColdStream Energy for over 27 years, has built and scaled disruptive energy technologies from lab to field. He answers the question: How to scale these technologies while grappling with water, capital and grid constraints?

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Email host Lisa Cohn with ideas for podcast episodes at Lisa@CleanEnergyWriters.com

Learn about Lisa's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com

Will the New Grid Be in the Hands of Utilities or Customers? Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

At The Great Transformation conference in Bend, Oregon in July, a panel addressed the question: How much will the creation of the new grid be in the hands of utilities versus the customers?

Moderated by Elisa Wood, founder and Editor at Energy Changemakers, the panel included Cameron Brooks, executive director, Think Microgrid, Greg Castle, commercial leader, power & grid segment, Schneider Electric and Michael Grenier, president at Elexity.

The panel also discussed how the energy industry can help address opposition to data centers by delivering community benefits.

Moderator: Elisa Wood, founder, editor and publisher at Energy Changemakers.

Panelists:

Cameron Brooks, executive director at Think Microgrid.

Greg Castle, commercial leader, power and grid segment at Schneider Electric.

Michael Grenier, president at Elexity.

Also discussed in this episode is a separate panel about creative interconnection ideas. David Namura, Google's government affairs and public policy manager for the Pacific Northwest, described the company's Clean Transition Tariffs.

Send podcast episode ideas to Lisa@CleanEnergyWriters.com.

Learn about Lisa's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com.

A Small-Footprint Zinc Battery for Large Power Pulses in AI Data Centers Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

A report from consultant Wood Mackenzie pointed to the dangers of bursts of power demand in AI data centers.

ZincFive says it has an answer. The company's nickel-zinc energy storage provides short, high-power dischages for data centers to address AI power surges and also provides outage backup. The Oregon-based business has deployed 2 GW of its product, saw its annual revenue doubling from 2024 to approximately $66.9 million in 2025 and has plans to go public.

Tod Higinbotham, CEO of ZincFive, explains the company's technology, describes its partnership with Spark I Acquisition and says why the company believes ZincFive's storage is less expensive than lithium-ion based batteries.

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Learn about host Lisa Cohn's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com

Email Lisa with podcast episode ideas: Lisa@CleanEnergyWriters.com

Iceland Project Tests Synfuel Production that Integrates Geothermal Energy Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

In Iceland, which has vast geothermal resources, Syntholene Energy, with support from Idaho National Laboratory, is testing synfuel production that combines geothermal heat with high-temperature electrolysis. The company says its synfuel is 70% less expensive than synfuels produced using other clean energy options and could reach price parity with fossil fuels in about 10 years.

While Iceland has plenty of water resources, the company says water management will be critical as it rolls out its product commercially to other, less water-rich regions.

About the guest:

Dan Sutton, co-founder and CEO at Syntholene Energy.

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Email host Lisa Cohn with episode ideas at Lisa@CleanEnergyWriters.com

Learn about Lisa's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com

Resilience and Wealth for This Low-Income Community with Solar, Microgrids and EVs Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

In December 2023, a winter storm hit Highland Park, Michigan, and the ensuing power outage lasted four days – a common occurrence in the community, which has a high poverty rate.

Partially in response to the outages, Juan Shannon created Parker Village, with plans to provide clean, low-cost local energy to the residents, including net zero homes, two solar microgrids and an electric transportation loop.

Another goal is to keep wealth in Highland Park, which covers three square miles close to Detroit and ranks in the 94th percentile for low-income status in the U.S., with 45% of the population living at or below the poverty line.

About the Guest:

Juan Shannon, executive director, Parker Village Foundation

Send podcast episode ideas to Lisa@CleanEnergyWriters.com

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts

Learn about host Lisa Cohn's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com

Data Centers Can't Drive up Utility Bills or Undermine Clean Energy Goals Under Oregon Power Act May 22, 2026

Show notes

Under the first-of-a-kind Oregon Power Act, data centers served by the state's two investor-owned utilities can't drive up utility bills or undermine Oregon's clean energy goals. The law has attracted interest from other states considering similar measures.

While Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp are required to follow the provisions of the law, the state's public utilities do not, and in Umatilla Electric Cooperative territory--home to many data centers--emissions have increased by about 570% over the last 15 years, said Joshua Basofin, Oregon clean energy program director at Climate Solutions.

Oregon is attracting data center development because it has relatively low energy costs, access to undersea data cables and offers incentives to draw businesses to the state. Data centers hae been a major factor in driving up utility rattes by 50% since 2021, said Charlotte Shuff, communications director at the Oregon Citizens' Utility Board.

Ideas for helping Oregon meet clean energy goals include asking data centers to deploy energy storage during peak hours. Another proposal offered by Rewiring America: Require data centers to pay for residential customers' heat pumps and rooftop solar to free up capacity on the grid for data centers.

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Send podcast episode ideas to Lisa@CleanEnergyWriters.com

Learn about host Lisa Cohn's energy writing at CleanEnergyWriters.com

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