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Clean Power Hour

The Clean Power Hour podcast is speeding the clean energy transition. Tim Montague and John Weaver highlight clean energy innovations shaping the next generation of renewable energy sources. We discuss the latest solar PV, battery storage, wind, water, wave, and other low-carbon technologies. We answer the question: How can we decarbonize the economy? We promote the economic opportunity of electrifying everything – transportation, energy, industry, and the built environment. Let’s speed up the clean energy transition together. Join the movement – www.CleanPowerHour.com

Latest Episodes:

Wind Farms Beat Trump 5-0: Offshore Construction Resumes Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Wind farms are defeating the Trump administration's stop-work orders 5-0 as federal judges allow offshore construction to resume, while data centers drive consumer power bills up 30-50% across the country.

Tim Montague and John Weaver cover the latest clean energy developments from RE+ Northeast, including breakthrough robotics from Luminous and the emerging DIY solar market that could deliver $20,000 home systems.

Episode Highlights

• Offshore Wind Legal Victories: Five federal judges have now overruled Trump administration stop-work orders on East Coast wind farms, including the latest ruling allowing Sunrise Wind construction to continue off New York. (The Guardian)

• Data Center Grid Impact: Consumer power bills have risen 30-50% in some regions due to data center demand. (Environmental Law and Policy Center)

• DIY Solar Market Emergence: Post-ITC market conditions are driving growth in DIY solar kits, with companies like Gigawatt offering 10kW solar plus 30kWh battery systems for around $20,000, roughly one-third the cost of traditional installer pricing.

• Chinese Poly Silicon Tariffs: China extended import tariffs on US polysilicon from the Obama era, though the 50% tariffs have minimal current impact since Chinese polysilicon now costs less than half global pricing. China produces 90% of the global polysilicon supply. (Pv Magazine)

• Grid Battery Storage Surge: Grid battery demand increased 51% while EV battery demand grew 26%, with grid storage now representing 25% of global battery demand, up from historical projections of 10-15%. (Benchmark Mineral Intelligence)

• Luminous Robotics Progress: Solar installation robot company unveiled new pallet-carrying robot to complement their module placement system, tripling headcount year-over-year and working on utility-scale projects in Australia and the US.

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/
The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Every Blackout in America Traces Back to This One Problem #332 Feb 05, 2026

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Storm Fern just knocked out power for nearly a million Americans. But here's what the media won't tell you: this wasn't a freak accident—it's the new normal.

New research from the Union of Concerned Scientists reveals that 100% of the worst power outages in the last decade share one shocking cause. And it's getting worse every year.

This matters now because we're building infrastructure today that needs to last 50 years. But we're planning for yesterday's climate while tomorrow's storms are already here. The result? Billions in damage, lives lost, and communities left powerless when they need electricity most.

Key Takeaways:

• Why every single major blackout traces back to extreme weather events

• The 3 states actually preparing for climate disasters (and why 47 aren't)

• How community-scale microgrids could end power outages forever

• Why low-income communities suffer most when the lights go out

• The infrastructure investments we're delaying that will cost lives

The guests are Rachel Licker and Sam Gomberg from the Union of Concerned Scientists, authors of the "Power After the Storm" report. Their research uses fine-resolution power outage data to reveal patterns that should terrify anyone who depends on electricity, which is all of us.

We have the technology to build resilient grids. Solar, wind, batteries, and smart switchgear can create community-scale microgrids that keep the lights on when the big grid fails. The question isn't whether we can do it, it's whether we'll act before the next Storm Fern.

Connect with Union of Concerned Scientists

Union of Concerned Scientists

Rachel Licker

Sam Gomberg

Power After the Storm report

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Missouri Wants to Ban All Solar Construction for Two Years Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

A Missouri state senator wants to ban all solar construction for two years, threatening a 430 MW project already under construction. On the Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver cover the Missouri solar moratorium, the first UL standard for balcony solar, Elon Musk's 100 GW solar manufacturing ambitions, and Vineyard Wind's court victory sending its final turbine to sea. They also dig into LFP cell prices hitting $60/kWh in China, zinc battery economics for commercial projects, and what a $2.3 trillion global energy transition spend means for the US market.

Episode Highlights:

A Missouri state senator filed legislation to halt all solar construction, including projects already underway, through the end of 2027. A 430 MW project set to double the state's solar capacity faces risk. (LinkedIn)

Balcony solar UL 3700 standard. UL released its first standard for balcony solar, UL 3700. (PV Magazine)

Musk's 100 GW solar manufacturing plan. Elon Musk announced SpaceX and xAI will each source 100 GW of solar to power data centers. (PV Magazine)

LFP cells race to 500+ Ah. Chinese battery manufacturers are scaling LFP cells from 314 Ah to 500 Ah and beyond. (PV Magazine)

Global clean energy investment reached a record $2.3 trillion in 2025, up 8% from 2024. (Bloomberg NEF)

Solar module prices from China rose 20 to 30% ahead of an April 1 export tax, adding 9 to 10% to costs. (PV Magazine)

This episode is for solar professionals, battery storage developers, project developers, and clean energy investors tracking policy risk and market shifts.

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

What 16 Years of Solar Development Taught Me | Brad Stutzman #331 Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

What separates solar projects that get built from those that die in development? Brad Stutzman has spent 16 years figuring out the answer.

Brad is the Founder and CEO of O3 Energy, a Dallas-based solar development and construction company. He started in 2009 during the Great Recession, pivoting from real estate financing to renewable energy. O3 Energy has since deployed hundreds of on-site solar projects across commercial, municipal, and non-profit customers throughout the Southwest, Hawaii, Guam, and Mexico.

Key Discussion Points

How the 2009 recession and Obama's American Recovery Act launched Brad's solar career through the 1603 grant program
Why behind-the-meter projects reduce development risk by eliminating land acquisition and off-taker uncertainty
O3 Energy's approach to "practical innovation" and requiring ROI from every business improvement
How Brad converted a capped New Mexico landfill near Sandia Labs into a working solar facility (brownfields to brightfields)
Why Brad is repowering a project with Erthos flat-to-earth racking technology after wind damage destroyed the Ballasted fixed tilt system
The future of "renewable baseload power" through solar plus battery storage achieving grid parity
AI integration in solar monitoring platforms that analyze system performance and troubleshoot issues

Brad's 16 years in solar development reveal a consistent truth: successful projects require patience, practical thinking, and smart partnerships. His brownfield conversion near nuclear weapons storage required Nuclear Regulatory Authority sign-off. His California municipal project needed creative cross-property engineering. Neither would have happened without tenacity.

As Brad puts it, mistakes are only mistakes if you don't learn from them. O3 Energy continues expanding into the Midwest and Mexico while preparing for the next wave of solar plus storage. The company is actively seeking partners for development, construction, and asset management opportunities nationwide.

Connect with Brad Stutzman

Brad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradstutzman/

03 Energy Website: https://o3energy.com/

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

How Clean Energy Companies Can Get Real ROI from AI #330 Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

Most businesses are stuck in AI demo mode, watching impressive one-off showcases that never become daily operations. In this episode, Tim Montague welcomes Josh Huston from Agents Anywhere to break down the three categories of AI opportunity: apps, agents, and automations. Josh has spent over three years helping companies turn AI from buzzword into working business infrastructure.

Key Discussion Points:

Why AI is an accelerator for working workflows, not a fix for broken processes
The three AI opportunity categories: apps (custom interfaces), agents (goal-driven LLMs with tool access), and automations (background workflows)
How data ownership shifts when you build custom applications instead of relying on third-party tools
Real-world example: proposal generation workflow reduced from hours to minutes using AI agents
Pilot project framework: $15K-$25K investments targeting high-impact workflows with measurable ROI
Cost structure for AI agents: service fees, token usage (as low as 2 cents per process), and platform licensing

This episode gives clean energy operators a practical framework for AI adoption. The message is clear: stop accumulating tools and start building strategic workflows. Josh and Tim walk through the entire process from identifying friction points to scaling successful pilots across your organization.

If you run a solar EPC, energy storage company, or any cleantech operation feeling pressure to "do something with AI," this conversation provides the roadmap. The approach is simple: find what works, accelerate it with AI, measure ROI, then expand intentionally.

Book a strategy call today: https://calendly.com/tim-montague/ai-consulting#/

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Batteries: The Missing Piece of the Energy Transition Puzzle #329 Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

Energy storage is not a green technology. It's grid infrastructure.

That reframe from Shawn Shaw, CEO of Camelot Energy Group and author of "Energy Storage Systems," challenges how we talk about batteries in the energy transition. With 22 years in solar and storage and 1.2 GWh of projects commissioned in late 2025, Shaw brings practical insight into why storage matters for grid operators regardless of your views on renewables. China installed 65 GWh of storage in December 2025 alone. The US installed 40-50 GWh for the entire year. This conversation explains why that gap matters.

Key Discussion Points

Why energy storage is a grid resource like transformers and substations, not just a companion to renewables. Loads are more dynamic than ever, and batteries provide the controllability grid operators need.
How storage transforms predictable renewables into dispatchable assets. A 100kW solar project might earn only 10kW capacity credit alone, but pairing it with batteries captures significantly more value.
The real data on battery safety: Commercial and utility-scale systems catch fire at 0.3% per year, the same rate as residential homes. NFPA 855 2026 now requires active ventilation and separate fire and explosion testing.
Hot storage markets in 2026: Massachusetts 83E procurement, New York's index storage credit, Illinois CRGA legislation, and why Texas requires nodal-level analysis to avoid 50% revenue swings.
Why utility interconnection delays are pushing developers toward microgrids. Google acquired Intersect Power for $4.75 billion to self-develop solar and storage near data centers.
FEOC compliance economics: Chinese DC blocks at $100-125/kWh vs Tesla at $300-500/kWh. Developers may want FEOC free but the economics of built in America may drive business as usual for BESS procurement. The devil is in the details!

This episode offers a clear-eyed view of where the industry stands and what it takes to move faster.

Connect with Shawn Shaw

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnshawpe/

Website: https://www.camelotenergygroup.com/

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Bridge Loans Are Saving Tribal Clean Energy Projects #328 Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

#EP328 Federal funding for tribal clean energy projects has been rescinded. Tribes that invested millions in solar and microgrid projects now face stalled construction, lost jobs, and broken promises. David Harper, CEO of Huurav, is stepping in with bridge loans to keep these projects alive.

David Harper is a tribal member from the Colorado River Indian Tribes on the Arizona-California border. He started his solar career fighting developers who disturbed sacred artifacts and human remains on tribal lands. Today, he runs Huurav, a company providing bridge financing for the 575 federally recognized tribes across the United States. His sister company, 7 Skyline, provides electrical engineering consulting to 80-90 tribes nationwide.

Episode Highlights:

The 2021 Infrastructure Bill allocated $10-15 billion for tribal energy projects. Much of that funding has been clawed back.
Tribes that invested their own money now have stalled projects with no path to completion.
Huurav provides 2-6 year bridge loans that allow tribes to continue construction while securing permanent financing.
Capital stacking allows multiple funders (CDFIs, philanthropy, financial institutions, etc) to share risk on larger projects.
Case study: Guidiville Rancheria in Mendocino County received a $1M bridge loan for a 500kW solar plus 1.5MW battery storage microgrid serving 44 homes.
Huurav has 22 projects in its pipeline with more tribes requesting support.
Tribal communities often suffer brownouts and blackouts because they sit at the end of utility lines. Microgrids offer energy independence.

David Harper's story captures what happens when federal promises disappear overnight. Tribes that did everything right, completed feasibility studies, hired workers, and approved scopes of work, are left holding the bill.

Huurav fills that gap with bridge loans sized to what tribes can pay back. This model builds credit history, creates jobs, and moves the 22 projects in their pipeline toward completion.

Connect with David Harper

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-harper-ab6b762b5/

Huurav: https://www.huurav.com/

7Skyline: https://www.7skyline.com/

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

China Installed More Batteries in 1 Month Than the US Did All Year Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

In this week's Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague and co-host John Weaver examine the widening gap between China and the United States in clean energy deployment. The hosts analyze new data from Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson showing China is on track for a clean economy by 2050, while the US lags a century behind. They discuss record battery installations, solar manufacturing shifts, and what these trends mean for energy independence and economic competitiveness.

Episode Highlights:

China projected to reach a clean economy by 2050, US not until 2148 at current pace (PV Magazine)
China installed 65 gigawatt hours of battery storage in December alone, exceeding the US total for the entire 2025 (Benchmark)
Longi joins push to reduce silver content in solar panel production to cut costs by 10-20 percent (Bloomberg)
US solar panel manufacturing reaches 65 gigawatts annual capacity in 2025 (Bloomberg)
Discussion of Dan Wang's book "Breakneck" exploring why China builds infrastructure faster than the US
Analysis of energy independence as a national security strategy in the context of global oil conflicts
First Solar, Qcells, Heliene, and other domestic manufacturers lead US solar production growth

The data shows China moving at unprecedented speed in clean energy deployment, while the US faces a critical choice about accelerating its transition. Energy independence through solar, wind, and storage is both an economic opportunity and a national security imperative. Share your thoughts on how the US can close this gap in the comments below.

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Climate Restoration: The $2B Plan to Return to 300 ppm #327 Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

#EP327 What if we could remove a trillion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere for $2 billion a year?

Peter Fiekowsky, author of "Climate Restoration" and founder of the Foundation for Climate Restoration, returns to The Clean Power Hour with a solution most people have never heard of: localized ocean iron fertilization. An astrophysicist and semiconductor entrepreneur by training, Peter has spent over a decade researching methods to restore atmospheric CO2 to pre-industrial levels of 300 ppm. His work has taken him from the Vatican to the White House, and he now leads a growing movement to fund and deploy this proven natural process.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:

Why the energy transition alone will not prevent 450 ppm by 2050
Localized ocean iron fertilization targets only 1% of the ocean using downwelling eddies
The Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption in 1991 caused global CO2 to flatline for two years
Total cost: $1-2 billion per year (one penny per American per day)
This approach removes 1,000 to 10,000 times more carbon than traditional ocean fertilization methods
Robotic ships could distribute iron pellets without crew costs
The Foundation's "million sponsor" campaign aims to demonstrate public demand for climate restoration

The wind, solar, and battery industries are doing essential work to eliminate 50 gigatons of annual emissions. That fight must continue. But stopping the bleeding is not the same as healing the wound. Peter Fiekowsky's research shows that nature has already solved this problem dozens of times through the Ice Age cycle. The question is whether humanity will choose to replicate what works. For the cost of a penny a day per American, we have the option to return atmospheric CO2 to safe levels within 25 years. The technology exists. The funding is achievable. The only missing ingredient is the collective decision to do it.

Join the Movement: Be one of the million sponsors helping to restore CO2 to safe levels by 2050.

Donate now: https://foundationforclimaterestoration.org/donate/

Connect with Peter Fiekowsky

Website: www.peterfiekowsky.com/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/pfiekowsky/

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

The Clean Power Hour: Best of 2025 #326 Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

#EP326 Happy Holidays! Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague breaks down his top 5 episodes of 2025, featuring conversations that shaped how we think about solar, storage, virtual power plants, microgrids, and AI. From Jigar Shah's call for the industry to become a political force to Spark AI's permitting breakthroughs, these episodes capture where clean energy is headed.

Key Episodes Covered:

Episode 304 - Jigar Shah

85% of new grid capacity will be solar, wind, and batteries
Fossil fuels outspend clean energy 10:1 on political lobbying
VPPs could shift 20% of peak load by 2030
20% of Americans struggle to afford their electricity bills

Episode 274 - Ryan Mayfield and Jayson Smith

CPS America's Gonzo containerized battery (125-256 kWh)
20-millisecond switchover for grid-forming capability
Daisy chain up to 12 units for megawatt-scale deployments
60% of CPS workforce dedicated to service

Episode 307 - Peter Kelly-Detwiler

1,500 MW of data center load disconnected in Virginia incident
PJM capacity prices jumped from $30 to $329 per MW-day
California VPPs dispatched 535 MW from 100,000 homes

Episode 310 - Jeff St. John (Canary Media)

93% of new U.S. grid additions were solar, batteries, and wind
Texas ERCOT grid now 50% solar, wind, and batteries
California VPPs show 2:1 cost-benefit ratio
Texas allocated $1.8B for microgrids after Winter Storm Uri

Episode 322 - Julia Wu and Anuj Saigal (Spark AI)

Platform compresses 4-10 hours of research to seconds
Standard Solar reduced acquisition diligence from months to one week
Three core use cases: site selection, regulatory monitoring, acquisition due diligence

Bonus: Episode 296 - Mark Palmer (Conductor Solar)

Most listened to and shared episode on Spotify
Covers PPAs, project finance, and tax credit swapping
Discusses tariffs, supply chain pressures, and state policy importance

Episodes Mentioned
Ep 304 - https://youtu.be/lGv6NoDlf70
Ep 274 - https://youtu.be/QxLIzBSM-lQ
Ep 307 - https://youtu.be/apMrWUz7TV8
Ep 310 - https://youtu.be/76PDeZ7ZGps
Ep 322 - https://youtu.be/B3t0cpvTT-Y
Ep 296 - https://youtu.be/aj_zNnpAUk8

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

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