Factor This

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Alexandra White from the Financial Times, who wrote about how private equity firms are rapidly acquiring utilities to capitalize on soaring electricity demand.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Baltimore-based blind man,  Kevin Stanley. A Bloomberg story notes that Kevin survives on disability payments, but says his energy bill payments are 80% higher than they were 3 years ago, demonstrating the ripple effect of data center buildout. Kudos to Yann Brandt for recommending this Bloomberg story!This Week in Cleantech — October 10, 2025 China's Clean Energy Exports Are Beating US Fossil Fuels — BloombergBuildings are turning to 'ice batteries' for sustainable air conditioning – The Associated PressRenewables overtake coal as world's biggest source of electricity — BBCUS Hydrogen Gets Another Look From Investors — BloombergPrivate equity bets big on utilities — The Financial TimesWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

A Texas nuclear start-up co-founded by Rick Perry goes public, promising to innovate with AI and data centers. The guests discuss the implications for the clean energy landscape, especially with impending tax credits and the EU's new carbon border tax. They also spotlight the Miombo Woodland Restoration Project, aiming to employ Zambian farmers to combat deforestation while sequestering carbon. The conversation wraps up with skepticism around nuclear timelines and funding challenges in the industry.

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Christopher Mims from The Wall Street Journal, who wrote about how several startups are bringing solar-powered vehicles closer to reality.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Ramón Méndez Galain, Uruguay’s energy secretary. Under his leadership, the country went from relying heavily on fossil fuels to establishing a stable grid powered almost entirely by renewable sources. Within just five years after he took over, renewables powered 98% of the country. Congratulations, Ramón!This Week in Cleantech — September 26, 2025 Pennsylvania Governor Says Biggest US Power Grid Needs Overhaul – BloombergJudge allows work to restart on New England wind project that Trump halted — POLITICODecent work on climate, Gavin Newsom. I still hope California's next governor is better — LA TimesThe Race Is on to Make Rare Earth Magnets Outside China — The New York TimesSolar-Powered Cars and Trucks Are Almost Here — The Wall Street JournalWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Tom Steyer, Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize. He reminds us that when we talk about climate now, the conversation is about technology, costs, and politics, which is important. However, we cannot lose sight of what this is truly about: passing on a livable planet. Tom reminds us about this after a weekend camping with his grandkids. Congratulations Tom!This Week in Cleantech — September 19, 2025 Fossil-fuel firms receive US subsidies worth $31bn each year, study finds — The GuardianOil Giant Saudi Arabia Is Emerging as a Solar Power — The Wall Street JournalRodatherm Energy wants to make geothermal more efficient, but will it be cheaper? — TechCrunchRushing to Meet AI’s Energy Needs: Oil-Field Servicers — The Wall Street JournalThe Fed Is Cutting Again. That’s Good for Renewables — But Maybe Not Good Enough. — Heatmap NewsWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! In a special edition of the Factor This podcast from the road at RE+ 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, host Paul Gerke meets up with Chris Seiple, the Vice Chairman of global consulting firm Wood Mackenzie's Power & Renewables group. Over the course of a diverse discussion, the two touch on recent reports issued by WoodMac that show how stakeholders are handling increased electricity demand and navigating shifting federal policy to get clean energy projects connected to the grid. Other topics include:The reality of project cancellationsRapid growth of battery energy storage deployment and its benefitsThe ways in which stakeholders are handling data centersHow utilities are thinking about cost allocation and ratepayer protectionThe role of flexibility in the 'grid of the future'Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode, recorded at RE+ in Las Vegas, features special guest Jake Spring from The Washington Post, who wrote about the Trump administration's plans to cancel permits for a wind project off the coast of Massachusetts that would initially power about 400,000 homes.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Nantu Canelos, executive director of The Kara Solar Foundation. The foundation, led by Indigenous engineers and community leaders, has delivered 12 solar-powered canoes to villages in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname and the Solomon Islands. In many communities, rivers are the only roads and solar boats spare them the cost of fuel while reducing pollution. This Week in Cleantech — September 12, 2025Big Solar Developers Sees Delays in US Project Approvals — BloombergWhy nuclear is now a booming industry — The EconomistOil Tycoons Bet Big on Trump. It’s Paying Off. — The Wall Street JournalExclusive: US warns hidden radios may be embedded in solar-powered highway infrastructure — ReutersTrump’s war on wind just got much bigger — The Washington PostWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Kendrick Li, who manages demand response for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, shares insights on California's groundbreaking virtual power plant test. He details how thousands of distributed energy systems combined to deliver an impressive 535 megawatts during peak demand. The conversation uncovers how virtual power plants can stabilize the grid, the importance of customer adoption of battery technology, and the potential of AI in optimizing energy management. Kendrick also discusses the roadblocks to broader participation in these innovative programs.

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Jennifer Hiller from The Wall Street Journal, who wrote about utilities' fears that overbuilding for planned data centers could increase rates for consumers if the projected demand does not materialize.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Paul Riley, CEO of Lululemon-backed recycling startup Samsara Eco. The company’s technology uses AI to break down tough-to-recycle materials with enzymes, allowing the waste to be converted into resins and made into new products. Congratulations, Paul!This Week in Cleantech — September 5, 2025 In windy Iowa, a GOP lawmaker faces a reckoning over Trump’s clean energy war — POLITICOThe energy transition is now a national security issue. Just ask India — ReutersHow farming inspired the EU’s affordable energy plan — The Financial TimesEvery fusion startup that has raised over $100M — TechcrunchData Centers That Don’t Exist Yet Are Already Haunting the Grid — The Wall Street JournalWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Dharna Noor from The Guardian, who wrote about how household electricity bills have increased by 10% since Trump re-entered the White House.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Jingjing Zhang, a Chinese lawyer who pioneered environmental lawsuits at home. Now, she helps communities in the Global South hold Chinese state-owned companies, like mining firms behind toxic spills in Zambia, legally accountable for pollution and human rights abuses tied to China’s Belt and Road projects. Congratulations Jingjing. This Week in Cleantech — August 29, 2025 African Imports of Chinese Solar Panels Surge in Energy Shakeup — BloombergHome batteries are saving America from blackouts — The Washington PostI Drove an EV Deep Into the Wilderness. I Never Feared Running Out of Juice. – The Wall Street JournalTrump administration halts work on New England offshore wind project – AxiosTrump tariffs and green energy rollbacks push household electricity bills up 10% — The GuardianWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.This week’s episode features special guest Tim McDonnell from Semafor, who wrote about Google's moves to drive down the energy consumption of AI search queries to lower its carbon footprint.This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Guy Nicholson, head of zero-carbon grid solutions at Statkraft. StatKraft is a Norwegian startup that created a 100-ton spinning machine turning at 3,000 rotations per minute to help stop blackouts as more cheap solar power is added to the grid. It can absorb excess power, if there’s too much, or inject power into the grid, if there’s too little. Akshat Rathi covered this company in a Bloomberg piece, and Guy was the spokesperson. Congratulations, Guy! This Week in Cleantech — August 22, 2025 Why Can’t the U.S. Build 5-Minute E.V. Chargers? — The New York TimesWill Oil Demand Peak Soon? Trump Administration Doesn’t Want to Hear It. — The New York TimesTexas Energy Crunch To Worsen as Trump Policies Target Solar, Wind Power — BloombergSolar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in the US — Associated PressGoogle wants to make AI’s energy footprint a ‘non-consideration,’ but it’s not there yet – SemaforWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com