In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett sits down with Curtis VanWalleghem, Co-Founder and CEO of Hydrostor, to discuss how compressed air energy storage can revolutionize renewable energy. Hydrostor's innovative underground caverns store air and water to provide long-duration, cost-effective energy storage—solving the intermittency challenge in renewable grids. The conversation dives into engineering breakthroughs, economic advantages over batteries, and the policy shifts needed to enable 100% renewable energy.

Curtis VanWalleghem is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hydrostor, leading the company from technology development to commercial operations with a multi-gigawatt pipeline worldwide. Before Hydrostor, he was a Senior Manager at Deloitte’s Corporate Strategy Consulting Practice, advising top global energy companies. He also held roles at Bruce Power and Environmental Electric Company, working across the nuclear and wind energy sectors. With experience in over 10 countries, including volunteer work in India, Curtis combines technical expertise with strategic leadership.

Episode Resource

Curtis VanWalleghem on LinkedIn
Hydrostor Website
Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
Synapse Website
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Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

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