Interchange Recharged

Wood Mackenzie’s 18th Solar and Energy Storage summit is back, in Denver this week. If you can’t make it, don’t worry – we have all the debate and key insight you need to know here on the podcast. Recorded live on day 2 of the summit, host Sylvia Leyva Martinez talks to key industry leaders in solar and storage to answer these questions:What’s best practice for battery asset management? To answer this Sylvia is joined by Jenny Fink, Director of Asset Management at KeyCapture Energy. They discuss the need to synchronise market operations, analytics and site management. What’s the biggest challenge involved in maintaining safe and efficient battery operations? How can developers and investors deal with market volatility? Petter Skantze is VP of Infrastructure Development at Nextera Energy. He talks to Sylvia about challenging load demands; stakes are higher now as project delays are a block to economic growth. Compared to legacy fossil fuels, solar and storage development lead times are many times faster – so why aren’t we seeing accelerated deployment?Finally, Sylvia talks with Jeff Cramer about the benefits of community solar. Jeff is President and CEO of the Coalition for Community Solar Access, and he explains how community solar has grown from a niche offering to a key benefit to consumers. New York and California are leading the charge with programs that incentivise community solar with distributed energy sources. This episode is brought to you by Foss & Company - a leader in tax equity investing. At the forefront of clean energy finance, Foss helps developers and investors unlock capital for solar and energy storage projects across the U.S. If you're navigating the tax credit landscape or looking to maximize project returns, partner with the experts. Visit fossandco.com to learn more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wood Mackenzie’s 18th Solar and Energy Storage summit is back, in Denver this week. If you can’t make it, don’t worry – we have all the debate and key insight you need to know here on the podcast.Recorded live on day 1 of the summit, host Sylvia Leyva Martinez talks to four industry leaders in solar and storage to answer these questions:Can the U.S. solar industry keep up with demand amid trade wars and policy chaos? Discussing this is David Carroll, ENGIE’s Chief Renewables Officer. He warns that policy uncertainty and tariff whiplash are stalling U.S. solar investment. Sylvia and David look at sodium-ion batteries; are they a safer option? Plus, more domestic energy storage is needed amid growing calls for stable tax credit policy to meet growing electricity demand. A must-hear for developers navigating today’s volatile energy landscape.What about VPPS? Can they scale fast enough to provide a real alternative? Answering this is Sarah Noll, She shares insights on regulatory challenges, customer trust, and tech adoption, showing how the Arizona Public Service is turning grid flexibility into a real growth strategy.Are storage operators leaving millions on the table because they don’t understand their own batteries? That’s the big question Shyam Srinivasan, CEO of Zitara, answers with Sylvia. He reveals how poor software integration is holding back storage performance. As storage scales rapidly, Shyam stresses the need for better diagnostics and real-time decision tools to optimise revenue, reliability, and resilience - especially in merchant markets.Finally, Samantha Frisk from Pivot energy sits down with Sylvia to look at models for community solar development. Sam explains how early engagement, local benefits like agrivoltaics, and trusted partnerships can turn sceptical communities into solar advocates - proving clean energy can uplift as well as decarbonise.This episode is brought to you by Foss & Company - a leader in tax equity investing. At the forefront of clean energy finance, Foss helps developers and investors unlock capital for solar and energy storage projects across the U.S. If you're navigating the tax credit landscape or looking to maximize project returns, partner with the experts. Visit fossandco.com to learn more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the past couple of years unprecedented low prices for solar panels have spurred incredible growth. But there’s a big shift underway. In this special episode of the show, recorded live from the stage at Wood Mackenzie’s Solar & Energy Storage Summit 2025, host Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, sits down with Ben Sigrin, Senior Product Manager at GridBeyond, to make sense of the turbulent market. With nearly 44 gigawatts of new solar expected this year, developers are under pressure to make faster, smarter decisions. GridBeyond helps solar and storage players optimise in real time, turning market volatility into opportunity. How do they do it? Are there other ways for off takers to get some certainty? Smart site selection is one of them, but what informs those decisions? Plus, hear the lessons from global solar markets that developers are bringing to the US.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“If you don't think in 15 years that we're going to value decarbonisation, or if you're worried about the 45Q, it's pretty tough to write that multi-billion dollar cheque,” says Peter Findlay, Director of CCUS Economics at Wood Mackenzie. In this week’s Interchange Recharged, Peter sits down again with host Sylvia Leyva Martinez to look at the challenges for new CCUS projects. It’s tough, as Peter says, because of the regulatory frameworks, financial mechanisms and incentives that currently exist in the US. To look at these and go deep on the legal barriers for CCUS deployment, Peter and Sylvia are also joined by Liz McGinley, partner at Bracewell Law Firm. Liz leads the firm’s tax practice and the energy transition team, and is renowned for her expertise in carbon capture and IRA tax credits. Liz discusses the intricate details of tax credits and regulatory updates while Peter reflects on the financial challenges of decarbonisation projects. In this episode:What will future legislative shifts mean for the industry’s growth? How might regulatory shifts under the Trump administration impact clean energy and CCUS projects, including potential changes to clean hydrogen, fuels, and power regulations?How do the costs and complexities of pre-combustion and post-combustion CCUS projects differ, and how are financial incentives structured for each?For more detailed analyis, check out the Lens reports from Wood Mac. Lens is a data analytics platform with sector-specific insights to help you power your Business Intelligence tools. Find it at woodmac.com/lensSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mike Hall, CEO and co-founder of Anza Renewables, offers insights into the solar industry's future amidst uncertainty. He discusses the projected 26 GW solar capacity increase and the impact of shifting federal tax credits. Hall reveals how supply chains are diversifying to adapt, though China's dominance persists. He also tackles Trump’s tariffs on manufacturing and the financial incentives aiding developers. The conversation underscores the need for strategic planning in an unpredictable landscape, highlighting innovative procurement approaches.

Bridget Van Dorsten, a principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie specializing in hydrogen market trends, and Carl Cho, director of Clean Energy Finance at Citibank with over a decade of clean energy experience, dive into the identity crisis facing hydrogen energy. They discuss the U.S. transition toward blue hydrogen and the lag in green hydrogen project advancements. Roadblocks like financing, offtake uncertainty, and scaling challenges are explored. The duo also debates localized projects versus large-scale infrastructure, pondering hydrogen's future role in energy.

Maria Korsnick, President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, shares her expertise on the evolving landscape of nuclear energy in the U.S. She discusses the ambitious goals for nuclear capacity by 2050 and how large tech companies drive demand for reliable clean energy. Korsnick highlights the challenges and potential of small modular reactors and the vital role of tax credits in accelerating deployment. Furthermore, she explores the need for regulatory reform to foster growth and the importance of collaboration between the nuclear and tech sectors.

Nuin-Tara Key, Executive Director of Programs at California Forward, shares her insights on building climate resilience in the face of severe weather events. She emphasizes the urgent need for a balanced approach between mitigation and adaptation strategies amidst rising temperatures. Key discusses how California can enhance collaboration across sectors, navigate political challenges, and transform disaster funding from reactive relief to proactive resilience. The conversation highlights innovative solutions and community involvement as essential components for tackling climate impacts.

In this engaging discussion, Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America, shares her expertise on the future of renewable energy amidst shifting U.S. policies. She examines the anticipated surge in clean energy installations, the critical role of power purchase agreements, and the complexities of grid integration. Sandhya also highlights the significance of diverse energy sources, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, and the pressing need for sustainable supply chains and community engagement in energy projects.

Join Chris Seiple, Vice Chairman at Wood Mackenzie’s Power & Renewables group, and Jonny Sultoon, Head of Markets & Transitions, as they dive into the future of clean energy in 2025. They discuss the challenges of rising electricity demand and inflation, while highlighting the silver lining of solar power growth amidst global slowdowns. The duo explores innovations in energy storage, tariff changes, and the evolving role of hydrogen in clean energy transitions, showcasing a dynamic landscape essential for navigating the upcoming energy revolution.