The Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 95: Not as SEEMless as Some Thought… Jul 27, 2023

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On episode 95, we’re joined by Maia Hutt of the Southern Environmental Law Center to break down the latest status of the Southeast Energy Exchange Market in light of a recent appeals court ruling. What does this ruling mean for SEEM moving forward? Tune in to hear what the future looks like for this trading market in the southeast. Additional resources from today’s episode: Making Energy Work: www.makingenergywork.com Solar Surpasses Coal Generation: https://bit.ly/3rOG8Xm This episode is brought to you by Solarize the Triangle: https://bit.ly/3NRPoRL Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @MattAbele) Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @squeakycleanpodcast.

Episode 94: Bill McKibben - Meeting our Carbon Goals Jul 13, 2023

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On episode 94, we’re joined by an icon of the sustainability and clean energy movement – legendary author, organizer, and educator Bill McKibben. You’ve probably followed his work starting with his book The End of Nature, and most recently as the founder of Third Act. In our conversation, we cover the challenges currently standing in the way of the clean energy transition from ‘regulatory capture’ to local opposition of projects like wind and solar. But fortunately, these challenges have solutions. Tune in to hear how Bill envisions the clean energy future playing out and what it means for North Carolina. Additional resources from today’s episode: Making Energy Work: www.makingenergywork.com Latest Updates on HB488: https://bit.ly/46O4ArD Third Act: https://thirdact.org/ This episode is brought to you by Solarize the Triangle: https://bit.ly/3NRPoRL Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @MattAbele) Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @squeakycleanpodcast.

Episode 93: Helping Homeowners Save Money Seems Like a No Brainer, Right? Jun 22, 2023

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On episode 93, we’re joined by two experts who have been at the intersection of energy efficiency, building codes, and policy for quite some time. Julie Robinson of Robinson Consulting Group and Rob Howard of Howard Building Science share the latest on efforts to update NC’s significantly outdated residential energy efficiency standards and how those updates could save homeowners some serious cash. We’ll also hear about efforts at the NC General Assembly to stall updates to the code until 2031. Tune in to hear how the saga is playing out and how you can get involved. Additional resources from today’s episode: Current NC Codes: https://bit.ly/3CNjh0h HB 488 Action Alert: https://bit.ly/42Mcvn4 Latest Building Code Council News: https://bit.ly/3XiELf4 Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @MattAbele) Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @squeakycleanpodcast.

Episode 92: North Carolina Ratepayers Could Save How Much?? Jun 05, 2023

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Ever since the $8.5 Billion VC Sumner nuclear plant failure in South Carolina, the region has been exploring ways to better protect ratepayers from utility overreach and unchecked spending. This led to the introduction and passage of a bill in SC to study the benefits of market reform for the state. And the results are in…South Carolina ratepayers could save upwards of $360M a year by joining a regional wholesale market. Earlier this year, NC experienced our own utility challenges with Winter Storm Elliott, which knocked out power to more than 500k customers. These reliability concerns led to the NC General Assembly introducing our own version of a study bill to explore potential savings and reliability improvements that would come with alternative market structures. In fact, some third parties already authored a study that showed NC could save nearly $593M/year by joining an RTO market. On this episode, we discuss the latest developments on related to market reform in the southeast and the potential benefits it could bring to ratepayers. We’re joined by Chris Carmody of the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Alliance and Reese Rogers of the Clean Energy Buyers Association who break down the latest! Additional resources from today's episode: SC Brattle Study: bit.ly/43LShtR NC Brattle Study: bit.ly/42tAaHU Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @MattAbele) Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @squeakycleanpodcast.

Episode 91: Reducing Emissions, Improving Equity, and Driving Electric May 19, 2023

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On this episode of the Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast, we’re back and in action at the 2023 State Energy Conference. In this live recording, we host a conversation with some of the leading influencers in the electric transportation sector to cover all angles of the federal investments being made via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. The keynote plenary panel conversation features Dr. Shelley Francis of EVNoire, Walter Thorn of ChargerHelp!, and Richard Ezike of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Tune in to this conversation to hear how the public and private sectors are combining forces to ensure we map out an equitable and accessible electric transportation future. Additional resources from today’s episode: NEM Extension Order: https://bit.ly/3IkBaH4 HB 488 Action Alert: https://bit.ly/42Mcvn4 NC NEVI Plan: https://bit.ly/3o5PI6L Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @MattAbele) Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @squeakycleanpodcast.

Episode 90: NCUC Issues NEM Order…What Does it Mean for Rooftop Solar? May 04, 2023

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Just a few weeks ago, the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) issued a long-awaited order determining the future of rooftop solar compensation in North Carolina. The order comes after a large group of settling parties, including utilities, solar installers, and clean energy advocates, filed multiple compromise agreements in 2021/2022 to determine a path forward for rooftop solar in the state. Taylor Jones (NC Sustainable Energy Association), Will Giese (Solar Energy Industries Association), Lon Huber (Duke Energy), and Bob Kingery (Southern Energy Management) join the podcast to discuss the order and how it’s set to transform the industry moving forward. Additional resources from today’s episodes: NC Utilities Commission Order: https://bit.ly/3AW5DHC NCSEA’s Blog on 2023 Net Metering Updates: https://bit.ly/44wPu92 Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @Matt Abele)

Episode 89: Start Your Engines - The Clean Energy Race is On! Apr 06, 2023

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NASCAR driver and sports icon Leilani Münter joins the Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast to talk about her commitment to clean energy and how she’s used her vehicles as a platform to promote solar over the years! In this episode, we talk about her career as a high-speed professional, and as a star on the silver screen. We also dive into her own experience with EVs and solar right here in the Carolinas. Tune in to hear how this icon has helped to transform public perception around clean energy and what she’s doing next! Additional resources from today’s episode: State Energy Conference: https://www.ncenergyconference.com/ Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @MattAbele) Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @squeakycleanpodcast.

Episode 88: Pathways to Decarbonizing NC's Economy Mar 24, 2023

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The NC Governor’s Office just released their Deep Decarbonization Pathways Analysis which outlines potential strategies that the state can adopt to reach carbon neutrality across the economy by 2050. In this episode, we sit down with Zach Pierce, Senior Advisor for Climate Change Policy for Governor Roy Cooper, to discover the interplay between emissions reductions efforts in electricity, transportation, and harder-to-abate sectors. Equipped with the latest standards and scenarios, the report gives a better understanding of the progress we’ve made and recommends how NC can achieve the Governor’s goals moving forward. Deep Decarbonization Pathways Analysis: https://bit.ly/3nlcruN Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @MattAbele) Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @squeakycleanpodcast.

Episode 87: Short, Sweet, and a Solar Lease Mar 08, 2023

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On one of our shorter episodes of the podcast, we travel out to Pembroke, NC to learn more about a commercial PV system installed for the Lumbee Regional Development Association. Eagle Solar & Light, along with Sunwealth, put together a financial package for the non-profit, allowing them to install the solar system with no upfront costs via a monthly lease. Learn more about why solar leasing hasn’t taken off yet in North Carolina and what the loss of the Duke Energy rebate program means for disadvantaged communities. What unrealized benefits do scalable solar leasing models offer marginalized communities across state? Tune in to find out! Building Code Council Meeting: https://bit.ly/3wT2ztD South Carolina RTO Study: https://bit.ly/3T3dCKX Duke Rate Increase Proposal: https://bit.ly/3J3Dimf Presented by NC Sustainable Energy Association. Hosted and produced by Matt Abele (Twitter: @MattAbele) Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @squeakycleanpodcast.

Episode 86: A Solar CEO Shares the Keys to Success Feb 17, 2023

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On the latest episode of the podcast, we sit down with Ben Catt, CEO of Pine Gate Renewables to talk about the secret sauce of scaling a clean energy business. We cover the company’s success along the way, some of the unforeseen challenges, and how the clean energy market as a whole has changed over the past 10 years. The conversation also covers the intersection of policy, business model, and timing as crucial factors to growing a leading clean energy company.

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