Experts Only

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#138: The Electricity Affordability Challenge with Allison Clements Apr 09, 2026

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How do we keep electricity affordable while meeting rising demand? In this episode of Experts Only, Jon Powers sits down with Allison Clements, former Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, for a timely conversation on the growing electricity affordability challenge. They discuss what is driving higher power costs, how aging grid infrastructure and extreme weather are straining the system, and why the rapid growth of data centers is accelerating the need for solutions. Allison also shares insights from her time at FERC, including the importance of transmission planning, interconnection reform, and creating rules that allow new technologies to compete. The conversation also explores what states, regulators, and industry leaders can do now to improve reliability, expand capacity, and build a more efficient and affordable grid. This episode covers: - the root causes of the electricity affordability crisis - how data centers are changing grid planning and power demand - the role of transmission, storage, and distributed energy resources - where federal and state policy can move faster - what it will take to build a more reliable, affordable energy system Listen now to hear Allison’s perspective on one of the most important energy issues facing the country today.

#137: Abigail Ross Hopper on the Solar Decade and What Comes Next Mar 18, 2026

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Abigail Ross Hopper joins Experts Only for her final interview as CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. In this conversation with Jon Powers, she reflects on nearly a decade leading SEIA through extraordinary growth, political turbulence, and the transformation of solar from a fast-rising technology into a central force in America’s energy future. Jon and Abby discuss the industry’s evolution over the past 10 years, from trade fights and policy uncertainty to the rise of domestic manufacturing, storage, and stronger political engagement across the clean energy sector. They also talk candidly about what the industry still needs to do to compete, communicate its value, and build lasting influence in Washington and beyond. It’s a thoughtful look back at one of the most consequential eras in solar—and a forward-looking conversation about what comes next.

# 136: Underwriting the Energy Transition: Why Insurance Matters for Clean Energy with Sara Kane Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Experts Only, host Jon Powers sits down with Sara Kane, Executive Vice President, Power & Renewables Practice Leader at CAC Group, part of The Baldwin Group. While insurance may not be the first thing people associate with climate solutions, it plays a critical role in enabling the growth of renewable energy. Sara shares how the insurance industry evaluates risk for solar, wind, and energy storage projects—and why that risk management is essential for financing and scaling clean energy infrastructure. Jon and Sara discuss the evolution of renewable energy insurance, how natural disasters and extreme weather are reshaping risk models, and why closer collaboration between insurers and developers is key to building more resilient energy systems. The conversation also explores Sara’s career path from studying environmental science at Duke and Yale to becoming one of the early underwriters in the renewable energy insurance market. Finally, Sara shares powerful stories from her volunteer work with GivePower, including recent projects bringing solar power and clean water to communities in Nepal, Kenya, and the Philippines. Topics covered include: - Why insurance is essential to financing renewable energy projects - How climate risk is reshaping the insurance industry - Lessons from underwriting early solar and wind projects - Building more resilient clean energy infrastructure - Expanding energy access through solar microgrids Thank you for listening!

Experts Only Podcast #115 with Paul Curran, Expert in Turning Brownfields into Brightfields Jun 06, 2023

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Host Jon Powers welcomes his longtime industry colleague Paul Curran, CEO of BQ Energy, to the show. BQ Energy is brownfield and landfill developer. They've developed hundreds of megawatts of wind and solar. CleanCapital acquired BQ Energy in June 2022 to scale up what they were already doing. Hear more about the unique work of turning brownfields to brightfields. Paul explains that you have to know what you're doing -- but the potential to solve the climate crisis and utilize the under-utilized, or impossible, land that are brownfields and landfills could be a critical piece of the climate crisis solution. Paul was doing renewables well before renewables were cool. Tune in to hear more from him! Thanks for listening!

Episode 86: The 2021 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook with Lisa Jacobson & Ethan Zindler Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

Host Jon Powers was thrilled to welcome back Lisa Jacobson, President of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), and Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas for BloombergNEF, for their third annual conversation about the Sustainability in America 2021 Factbook. Learn from the experts about the revolution in US clean energy production as described in the ninth version of this important resource. Hear about their research into the trends they're seeing in the industry in production, transportation, decarbonization, energy efficiency, and jobs. The trends are showing we have a fundamentally strong industry and marketplace.

Episode 85: Understanding the Texas Grid with Jonathon Monken Feb 23, 2021

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We're back with a timely Experts Only podcast episode. Host Jon Powers recently interviewed Jonathon Monken, Principal of Converge Strategies, about the devastation taking place in Texas. Hear from an industry expert on how a polar vortex could cause this chain of disasters impacting power, water, and other major infrastructure. Learn about the failures that took place within the grid, and most importantly, how experts are planning for this to never happen again.

Charlie Isaacs, Chief Technology Officer, Salesforce Mar 11, 2019

Show notes

This week on the pod, guest host Marc Garrett, Chief Technology Officer speaks with Charlie Isaacs, the Chief Technology Officer for Customer Connection at Salesforce who has a successful track record of R&D leadership at companies like Verizon, Answer Systems, Broad Daylight and Kana. He’s been an early adopter and leader in the ever evolving customer relations management(CRM) and Internet of Things(IOT) software space, where he holds several patents. Charlie has been a long time supporter of solar energy and I’m excited for today’s conversation about the growing integration of data, customer relations and the internet of things in the solar industry and how an industry leader like Salesforce is helping to pave the way. We hope you enjoy today’s conversation as much as we did. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com/experts-only Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about the Orange Button Initiative: https://orangebuttondata.org/

Jessica Bailey,Co-Founder and CEO of Greenworks Lending May 15, 2018

Show notes

This week, Thomas speaks with Jessica Bailey, the Co-Founder and CEO of Greenworks Lending, a leading PACE lending platform. Jessica is a pioneer and advocate of PACE lending, and Greenworks has done some groundbreaking deals in the past year. Jessica discusses her career to date, Greenworks, the PACE market, and the future of the industry. It’s fascinating conversation about how to set up market signals for clean energy to scale through private capital sources. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_

Arun Majumdar, former Director of Department of Energy’s ARPA-E & Stanford University Feb 12, 2018

Show notes

Jon is back this week for a deep dive on energy with Dr. Arun Majumdar, former Director of Department of Energy’s ARPA-E and now at Stanford University. This conversation takes us through the amazing transformations that are happening in the energy space. We talk about how we are in a “tipping period” where we are seeing fundamental change in the energy markets, technology and the future of the space. Enjoy the conversation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Additional Resources: Dr Arun Majumbar’s talk “Navigating the Turbulence of the Global Energy System” https://engineering.cmu.edu/news-events/events/2017/11/29-majumdar-global-energy.html Learn more about ARPA-E at the ARPA-E Innovations Summit March 13-15, 2019 in Washington, DC - http://www.arpae-summit.com/

Abigail Ross Hopper, President and CEO of SEIA Aug 31, 2017

Show notes

Explore the growing solar industry and take a deep dive Into the Suniva Trade Case that poses risks to the growing market. We speak with Abby Ross Hopper, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

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