Discussion on potential changes in the grid over the next few decades, challenges in electrification and decarbonization with panelists Lynn Kiesling, Jesse Jenkins, and Andy Frank.

We’re back! This time we sat down with Pier LaFarge, co-founder and CEO of Sparkfund. Those who listened to the DERVOS recording released last week may remember Pier pitching a utility-led DER deployment model. It was a pretty interesting idea that we felt deserved its own deep dive on a pod, so we invited Pier on to make the case for what is likely a very counterintuitive DERs approach for many in the space. In the episode he envisions a world where utilities determine the best locations for DERs on the grid, design the systems, provide them via RFP, rate base them, and then use them to make tripling grid throughput cost effective. This of course brought up all sorts of discussion about natural monopolies, emergent outcomes, utility death spirals, price signals, socialization, cost of capital, and more. Hope you enjoy! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

The podcast discusses the benefits and drawbacks of central planning and public ownership in managing the grid and distributed energy resources. Panelists explore contrasting perspectives on off-grid living and central planning. The speaker highlights the challenges faced by a small cooperative in integrating DERs and the importance of doubling the grid. The chapter also explores the role of government in public power and proposes regional regulatory commissions.

Duncan and James reflect on the past 5 years in the energy space and look ahead at 2024 and beyond. They discuss the current tech environment, building energy startups, and the difference between energy tech and climate tech. They also explore if the CA grid failures are a warning for other regions.

We’re back! This time with a perfect warmup for DERvos in a few days with DERTF OG Ben Carron. Ben has not only worked for FERC, Nat Grid, SunRun, E3, and now Enel X, but also was one of the earliest presenters at our original, pre-pandemic “DG Beers” happy hours.We wanted to have Ben on to get back to our energy market wonkery roots, so don’t worry—you won’t hear any stuff about twitter culture discourse on this ep. In it, we talk about the early “DG Beers” days, dunkelflaute, James’ take that maybe market structure doesn’t matter all that much for DERs, Ben’s take how maybe geography is more important than market structure, a reminder that ultimately DERs need to stand on their own merits, different schemes of crediting T&D vs. energy/capacity benefits, if renewables can thrive in a capacity market, trusting the deal-making nature of all governance structures, and so much more about what the hell else who knows! We barely even understand ourselves. Tune in to bathe in the wonkery! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

We’re back! And this time just Duncan and James to talk about weird twitter discourse again! Sorry… we promise we’ll go back to talking about wonky energy stuff in the next episodes.In this ep, we talk about Duncan’s Dad’s epic utility pole story, James’ other less successful business ventures, announcing the first ever V2R (Vehicle 2 Rave) application at DERvos, Marc Andreesen’s manifesto and Sam Altman on Joe Rogan, their (and the e/acc movement’s) views on energy and environmentalism, comparing that to MMA environmentalism, the religious quality to all of this, our belief in balance, our hopes for new envrionmentalism, the myopic focus of the discourse on carbon, chaos theory, complexity science, and so much more! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

We’re back! Well, 2/3 of us are. In the first ever duo episode, Duncan and James wade deep into CDR, degrowth meme analysis, more thoughts on nuclear, and corporate environmentalism.They talk about climate week, CDR, the narrow focus of mainstream environmentalism on carbon and where the tree huggers at, comparing the popular memes of population decline and “we used to build things”, the opportunity cost of raising kids, the opportunity cost of building beautiful things, embedded growth obligations, right wing twitter, an extended meditation on these ideas and on how the hell they connect to power markets and nuclear, SMRs and data centers, and last but definitely not least…. the Apple ad!! And so much more. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

We’re back! And this time we peeled away from climate week events to record a late night ep with self-proclaimed Nuclear Bro, Mark Nelson. Grab a drink for this marathon of an episode and sink in as we wax poetic about one of our favorite religions, Nuclear Power. And we mean that in the best way.Tune in as we discuss Mark’s journey into nuclear and James’ journey away from it, early 10’s nuclear reddit, how the nuclear movement has evolved over time, how shutting down nuclear plants is as tragic as chopping down great sequoia trees, frame how to think about the political economy of nuclear and why Lazard LCOEs are bogus, how US power markets are not really markets, why centrally planning nuclear is ok, Mark’s questioning if electricity is even a commodity at all, why nuclear advocates should be dogmatic, how the nuclear dream is something worthy to aspire to, what nuclear’s path back to prominence is in the US, and so much more! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

We’re back! And this time with a solo ep, for free! Going forward, we’re un-paywalling all eps and going NPR style: PLEASE think about donating $5 anyways. Here’s why: We are launching a policy team! The policy team will be focusing on enforcing the DERTF Bill of Rights. In order to do that, we need to raise money to pay a part-time or full-time policy lead. We’ll be doing this in two ways: through soliciting sponsorships to DERvos, our summit on Nov 9 (buy your ticket!). And hopefully, through your subscriptions, starting at $5 a month.In an ideal case, we could raise ALL our money through community subscriptions, which would ensure we never get captured by corporate interests, or this or that business model. In classic DERTF fashion, we want the ability to be a bit brash, state what we believe to be true and fair as clearly as possible regardless of what powers that be may not like it… It’s a lot easier to remain truly committed to the cause by getting funding from you all instead of some external interest.It’s worth noting that we’ve never taken a dollar out of this, and if anything we’re significantly in the red. All funds brought into the task force get routed back into the community somehow, and we intend for that to always be true.Anyways, in this ep, we talk about arguing about climate change risk, the cold dimes square event we went to, Steven Donziger, how to think about climate risk as a climate optimist, Tesla being a blackberry at best, where we are in the tech cycle with DERs, why we don’t feel bad reading bad climate headlines anymore or really think about climate, why we don’t like doomery nature shows, a new environmentalism, eating organic before the MMA fight, an extended conversation on things we know little about: pesticides, food, seed oils, oat milk, etc, and so much more! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe

We’re back! This time with Nick Van Osdol of “Keep Cool”, who is… pretty damn cool himself. Nick has a refreshing perspective and lens on climate reporting: equal parts skeptical, optimistic, empathetic, and rational. If only more people could engage like he does.In this wide-ranging ep we talk nuclear fusion, how to think about climate risk, if we should mess around with geo-engineering, Maersk psyops, gene editing trees to be better at carbon sequestration, whether or not nature is spiritual, God, whether a carbon tax makes sense, and so much more! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dertaskforce.com/subscribe