Supercharged and back online, Troutman Pepper's Battery + Storage Podcast kicks off Season Three with guest Bill Marsan, American Transmission Company executive vice president and general counsel. In this episode, podcast host and Troutman Pepper Partner Bill Derasmo sits down with his friend of over 20 years to talk about everything from black start units to Boston sports. They also examine the challenges facing transmission companies with FERC's aggressive new orders; where the industry is heading; and the construction of storage as transmission-only assets (SATOA).

In this episode, Bill speaks with Kelcy Pegler, the CEO of FlexGen, a North Carolina-based leading energy storage technology solutions and services provider that delivers advisory, product technology, and operational maintenance services. The podcast explores the similarities between the emerging battery storage market and the solar market of years past, the role of battery storage as a platform that enables the energy transition, how the ways in which utilities can make energy storage work for them, and much more. Don’t miss Kelcy's inspirational introspection that led him to launch FlexGen — spoiler alert — part of it involves his young children.

In this episode, Troutman Pepper Partner Bill Derasmo interviews Bushveld Energy Co-Founder and CEO Mikhail Nikomarov. As the developer of a vanadium-based, long-duration flow battery, Bushveld Energy provides energy solutions to clients worldwide. During the podcast, Bill and Mikhail examine a variety of market issues, such as how to qualify a storage facility as transmission, while also allowing it to participate in energy markets, as well as potential regulatory solutions to such a regulated/market paradigm. Tapping into his unique insights, Mikhail further provides an in-depth discussion on his company's vanadium-based solution and why it can be a superior long-duration solution.

In this episode, Troutman Pepper Partner Bill Derasmo interviews Mike Niggli, chairman of ESS, Inc., an Oregon-based manufacturer of low cost, long duration iron flow battery solutions for commercial and utility-scale applications. Tapping into Mr. Niggli’s wealth of experience, including his tenure as former president and COO of San Diego Gas & Electric Company, the interview explores the significant role of iron flow batteries and the part ESS, Inc.’s solution plays in the continuing transformation of the energy sector.

In this episode, Troutman Pepper Partner Bill Derasmo interviews B2U Storage Solutions Co-Founder and President Freeman Hall. B2U Storage Solutions repurposes lithium ion batteries that have exhausted their useful life for transportation, giving them a second life in optimizing stationary storage solutions.

In this episode, Troutman Pepper Partner Bill Derasmo interviews Largo Resources CEO Paulo Misk, where they explore Largo’s long duration energy storage solution, which uses a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). This episode represents a bit of a departure from previous episodes, which have focused largely on shorter duration lithium ion-based storage. The podcast also includes a discussion on Largo’s unique “vertically-integrated” business model.

In this episode, Troutman Pepper Partner Bill Derasmo interviews Jeff Bishop, the CEO of Key Capture Energy, a dynamic energy storage company with significant projects in New York, California, and several other markets. The podcast addresses in great detail the specifics of what has allowed their projects to “pencil out” and identifies some key issues in terms of monetizing the value stack associated with batteries. Mr. Bishop also discusses the challenges of starting a new company and dealing with both the equity and debt sides of funding. Don’t miss what may be our most “meaty” episode to date.

After a short introduction and a yearlong hiatus, Troutman Pepper Battery + Storage Podcast host Bill Derasmo and his guest Andy Flavin discuss recent national developments (e.g., FERC’s Broadview Solar decision), but focus the lion’s share of Episode 7 on the energy storage market in Virginia. Specifically, the podcast examines the Virginia Clean Economy Act, legislation establishing a mandatory renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and specific targets for construction/acquisition of solar, wind, and energy storage facilities. Episode 7 also covers energy storage regulations set by the State Corporation Commission, as well as Virginia energy storage siting requirements and what approach to take in other states without such requirements. Finally, Bill and Andy look at electric transmission considerations for utility-scale storage facilities, both in Virginia and more broadly in RTO markets.

In Episode 6 of the Battery + Storage Podcast co-host Cliff Sikora provides an overview of reported trends regarding on-the-ground impacts of COVID-19 on battery and storage project deployment and financing. The podcast focuses on the Energy Storage Association (“ESA”) member survey about COVID-19 impacts published during the week of April 19,2020. The podcast highlights the survey’s results, and cites other data, regarding: (a) work force issues; (b) supply chain choke points (upstream and downstream); and (c) financial performance expectations for the storage sector. Regarding financial performance, the podcast reports on differences between: (1) in-the-pipe projects v. go-forward development decisions in near-term out-years; (2) hybrid projects (with renewables and storage) v. stand-alone-storage; and (3) observations of possible differences in investor perceptions between exchange traded equities and private equity.

In Episode 5, the Battery + Storage Podcast team highlights 2019 developments in the grid-level storage market, and sets the stage for battery project development and finance issues that face industry stakeholders in 2020. The team references its first four episodes of the podcast, in particular, the discussion with Mike Hopkins in Episode 2 regarding challenges facing stand-alone grid-level battery finance. The team discusses a Q1 2020 Wall Street stock analyst’s report describing stand-alone battery finance as driven by merchant plays (in comparison to integrated utility entities that develop such assets on the company’s balance sheet). The team concurs with the analyst’s report, noting that they have seen stakeholders face interesting issues in developing PPA-type contracts to secure battery financing, including risk identification and mitigation associated with product and service definition(s), performance assurances, warranties and other issues. Battery merchant risks are borne by developers to the extent Regional Transmission Organization product markets are underpriced, or not yet in existence. The team discusses state-federal regulatory issues that linger over battery project development, but shouldn’t. They focus on the parties’ briefs to the DC Circuit on appeal of Order No. 841, and raise a “Listener Mail” question about how to think about Standards of Conduct compliance for a hybrid (generation-transmission) battery.