Battery + Storage Podcast

Over the past decade, there has been a significant push in investing in green and renewable technologies, particularly in battery, solar, and wind technologies. As a result, an increase in patent filings in this space has occurred, especially around battery technology as the transition to electric vehicles speeds up.In the first episode of our EV Tech Series, host Bill Derasmo and his guests, fellow Troutman Pepper Partners Greg Len and Frank Liu, discuss all things patent litigation — from concerns about current patent litigation to the public forums for patent litigation to green energy patent litigation trends. You don't want to miss their takeaways on the future of green energy patent litigation.

The lithium-ion battery space remains hot, and with breakthroughs like the use of silicone anodes and other innovations, it is poised for continued growth.In this episode, Bill Derasmo and his guest Connor Hund, the director of business strategy and operations for NanoGraf, discuss the advantages of silicon anodes, creating the world's most energy dense cylindrical battery cell, and what these advances mean for electric vehicles, medical equipment, consumer electronics, and even soldier-worn battery applications.

As the storage and renewables market continues to expand, new manufacturing facilities are popping up across the world every day. But with new facilities come new problems that some operators aren't prepared to handle. Enter Andy Klump and his team at Clean Energy Associates (CEA). Tune in as podcast host and Troutman Pepper Partner Bill Derasmo and his guest CEA CEO and Founder Andy Klump discuss storage buyer risks and rewards, the potential for retroactive ruling on anti-dumping, and insider tips on how to track and identify the right suppliers to avoid being bamboozled by manufacturers.

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.