Open Circuit

The year's twists, villains, and breakout stars in energy

47 snips
Dec 12, 2025
This recap dives into the year's most shocking moments in the energy sector. Expect a thrilling breakdown of the biggest plot twists, standout stars, and notorious villains. Discover how solar surged back into focus and the startling rise of geothermal advancements. The hosts tackle political controversies, critiquing the influence of data centers and the oil industry. They also highlight the underestimated importance of magnets and AI in driving down costs. Finally, bold predictions are made for 2030, promising a future dominated by renewables.
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ADVICE

Push Installers To Cut Residential Solar Costs

  • Demand that residential solar installers cut costs and improve the customer experience now.
  • Seek installers who can hit ~$2/W installed and avoid paying $4/W for the same hardware.
ANECDOTE

Government Layoffs Removed Technical Muscle

  • Catherine recounted mass federal layoffs that removed experts from agencies like NREL and EPA.
  • She warned the restructuring left fewer technical staff to turn executive orders into implementable policy.
INSIGHT

Solar's Global Comeback Solidified

  • Solar continued to surge and overtook coal in global electricity generation growth in 2025.
  • Solar plus storage accounted for the majority of new capacity additions in many markets.
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