DER Task Force

Latest Episodes:

Going Permissionless with Cole Ashman,CEO and Founder of Pila Energy Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

We’re back! This time with Cole Ashman, Founder and CEO of Pila Energy. Permissionless DERs are one of most exciting new categories for us. With all the focus on permitting challenges, high soft costs, and long interconnection cues, what if we could just install DERs without all of that nonsense?

In the ep, we talk about Cole’s journey from experiencing Hurricane Katrina awakening him to the need for resilience to working at Tesla, Span, and now Pila, Ben Franklin shocking people at parties, whether permissionless batteries have actual physical advantages over grid-tied batteries, how backfeeding into circuits works and what permitting reform could look like, balcony solar, storage manufacturing and supply chains, and so much more!

Note: we had a bad connection between our recording device and computer, leading to a bunch of skips. Our fearless editor did his best to clean these up, but some may remain. This also means we can’t post the video because it messed with the timecodes. Sorry! We’ll do better next time.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

DERs are mainstream with Jigar Shah and Tim Hade May 22, 2025

Show notes

We’re still laughing that we actually did this pod. Why it seemed like a good idea to book two of our favorite (outspoken) people, Jigar Shah (most recently led the DOE LPO) and Tim Hade (co-founder Scale Microgrids), at the same time continues to confound us.

With two legends on the couch that each have a wealth of knowledge, it was basically impossible to ask them everything we wanted. It was probably one of the most fun recordings we’ve ever done, so we’re psyched to share it with everyone.

We usually list everything we talked about, but its was way too wide ranging to even begin summarizing. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

Solar maxxing with Lisan Al Gaib, Jesse Peltan May 05, 2025

Show notes

We’re back with our longest pod ever! And deservedly so. When you get Lisan al Gaib on the couch, you use all the time you have to pick his brain.

Jesse Peltan is one of our favorite thinkers in the entire space, and his brilliant insights are endless. We probably need another 3 hours with him to get even more out!

In it, we discuss: the fundamental resource availability of various energy sources, what 24/7 solar + storage at $3/w means, China’s explosive solar installation and manufacturing growth, the real rate limiters on nuclear and solar, opportunities for DC (versus AC) power use, and much much more.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

The Myth of Sisyphus with Astrid Atkinson Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

After a brief haitus to focus on 2025 planning, we’re back! Last week we sat down with Astrid Atkinson, CEO and co-founder of Camus Energy. We talked about all kinds of fun stuff: how this moment of grid expansion is like the expansion of cloud services, how it isn’t, how we can connect large loads faster via flexibility, where Astrid sees the grid going, how Camus started, what cool new stuff Camus is working on today, the nuance between distributed systems versus decentralized systems, and more.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

DER Baby DER with Dana Guernsey, Co-Founder and CEO of Voltus Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

Last week we sat down with Dana Guernsey, co-founder and CEO of Voltus. There was A LOT to talk about in this one. As you’d expect we went deep on Dana’s backstory, the history of DR, new DER participation models, and where we think the future is headed. But also, Voltus just went through a settlement with FERC and this was Dana’s first podcast appearance since, so we did our best to understand what happened and what the Voltus position on it all is.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

The Dawn of the Holy War Dec 21, 2024

Show notes

We’re back! And this time, we’re starting a holy war. Duncan launched an amazing paper on solar (wow, total sleight of hand! Don’t you mean GAS BACKUP?) microgrids for data centers with Stripe’s climate team and other DERTF OGs like Kyle Baranko, and some big names on Twitter lost their s**t.

Tune in to hear about the churches of Matt Yglesias, Mark Z Jacobson, and Alex Epstein, who our maud’dib is, how heat DERvos was, what ‘25 is all about, and so much more!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

DERVOS '24: Load Growth Panel Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

DERVOS, 10/25/24, NYC

Demand growth has returned to the US electricity sector for the first time in two decades and the cracks are showing in the system. Reindustrialization, electrification, and the AI juggernaut have catapulted us into a new era. New loads are suddenly having trouble getting grid connections, interconnection times for new generation keep growing with no end in sight, and transmission and distribution costs are escalating faster than ever. And yet, technology costs continue to plummet. Will the demand growth story of the 2020s look radically different than that of the 1950s?

Speakers: Ari Matusiak (Rewiring America), Astrid Atkinson (Camus), Jesse Pelton (Type 1 & Abundance Institute), Andy Lubershane (EIP)

Moderator: Duncan Campbell (DER Task Force & Scale Microgirds)

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

DERVOS '24: Policy Panel Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

DERVOS, 10/25/24, NYC

New energy technologies can thrive or die due to regulatory policy. This unbelievable policy panel will feature regulators who have actually supported new technologies and advocates who have successfully fought for paradigm-shifting policies. We know we have great technologies--this panel will explore how we get them to scale.Speakers: Allison Clements (FERC), Marissa Gillett (CT PURA), Arushi Sharma Frank (Luminary Strategies, former Tesla)

Moderator: Allison Bates Wannop (DER Task Force)

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

DERVOS '24: Demo Day Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

Where else can you witness a pot of water boil in just a few seconds, learn about a micro nuclear reactor that skips boiling water altogether, insane AI-powered electro-cartography, and SpaceX-caliber EV charging infrastructure?

Tons of companies applied to showcase their products at DERVOS and DER Task Force selected these four because, well, they are badass.

* 0:00 - Impulse Labs

* 6:10 - Westinghouse eVinci

* 15:50 - Paces AI

* 27:20 - Electric Era

If you’re listening to this as a podcast, we highly suggest going to www.dertaskforce.com to watch the video version!

And don’t forget about tomorrow’s NYC meetup at 6:30 @ 200 Varick Street. See the meetup calendar here for always up to date info.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

DERVOS '24: Mary Powell & David Roberts Nov 07, 2024

Show notes

DERVOS, 10/25/24, NYC

David Roberts (Volts podcast) and Mary Powell (CEO of Sunrun and DER legend) will sit down in a “fireside chat” style session to review the past year and chart a course for the future of DERs as two giants in our space.

Speakers: David Roberts (Volts) and Mary Powell (Sunrun)

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected