Clean Power Hour

#321 Today on the Clean Power Hour, we explore energy storage as a service for some of the toughest markets in the country. Tim Montague sits down with Christian Farivar, founder of Karh, to discuss how his company is tackling grid congestion, load pockets, and resilience challenges in Urban Areas like New York City with next-generation battery technology designed for a 30-year asset life. Christi...

#320 Today on the Clean Power Hour, Brandon Wagoner, Vice President of Strategy at Middle Tennessee Electric, explains how the second largest cooperative in America manages explosive EV adoption, deploys 32 megawatts of battery storage, and builds 113 megawatts of solar arrays while keeping rates low. His secret weapon: load factor optimization. Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) serves 350,000 meter...

On this week’s Clean Power Hour Live, Tim and John discuss Illinois legislation bringing 3 gigawatts of battery storage to IL, the public health impacts of solar tariffs, and global energy storage market trends that are reshaping the grid. Episode Highlights: CATL signs 200 gigawatt hour energy storage deal with Beijing HyperStrong, representing nearly 60% of projected annual global capacity ( Blo...

#319  The modern power grid faces an existential challenge: integrating massive amounts of renewable energy while keeping the lights on. Sean Kelly, CEO and Founder of Amperon, explains how artificial intelligence and machine learning are replacing outdated forecasting methods to predict energy supply and demand with precision. This conversation explores battery optimization, demand response progr...

#318 Peter Asmus, microgrid expert and author of the upcoming book "Alaska Microgrid Innovators," breaks down the current state of microgrids and battery storage. He explains why Alaska leads in microgrid innovation and what the rest of the U.S. needs to learn from remote communities. Peter Asmus brings over 15 years of experience covering the microgrid sector. He has authored five books...

#EP317 The solar industry faces a defining moment in Q4 2025. While regulatory challenges create uncertainty, well-capitalized players treat this period as a buying opportunity. Daniel Dus, CEO and founder of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), breaks down the market dynamics and explains how his company's global expertise positions it to thrive during industry consolidation. Daniel Dus found...

In the latest Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver discuss major developments in clean energy markets. Learn about the world's largest solar plus storage project breaking ground in Abu Dhabi, how silver prices are transforming solar panel economics, and why residential batteries are creating a feedback loop that drives more solar installations. Tim shares insights from his rece...

#316 Rebekah Pierce runs a regenerative sheep farm in upstate New York and has cracked the code on making solar farms work for agriculture. Her new book "Agri Energy" reveals how combining solar panels with farming creates a win for developers, farmers, and rural communities. The land use math is stunning. The US dedicates 30 million acres to growing corn for ethanol fuel. Solar panels a...

In this week's Clean Power Hour live, Tim Montague and co-host John Weaver were joined by Wes Hersche, Director of Enterprise Sustainability at Prologis, to explore how the world's largest logistics real estate company is transforming 1.3 billion square feet of rooftop space into clean energy assets. They discuss Prologis' ambitious push toward their first gigawatt of solar, innovat...

#315 The American grid faces a triple threat: climate disasters, explosive AI data center growth, and mass electrification. Paul Gerke, Content Director for Renewables at Clarion Events and host of Factor This podcast, breaks down how batteries, microgrids, and smart grid technology provide the path forward for grid resilience and reliability. Paul leads content strategy for Factor This, the rebra...

#EP314 Today on the Clean Power Hour, Michael Stadler, CTO of Xendee, reveals why the utility grid cannot support the AI data center boom and how microgrids provide the only viable path forward.  Michael began researching microgrid optimization at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in 2002, spending over 20 years developing the technology before co-founding Xendee in 2018 with CEO Adib N...

#Ep313 Grid modernization is accelerating across America. In Q2 2025 alone, 48 states plus DC and Puerto Rico took 468 actions to modernize their grids through energy storage, microgrids, and virtual power plants. This shift is reshaping how utilities deliver reliable, resilient power. Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague speaks with Vincent Potter, Policy Project Manager at NC State Clean...

Most solar installers miss the biggest opportunity in clean energy today. Jay Marhoefer started Intelligent Generation in 2009, six years before the market was ready. Today, his company delivers 3-6x higher ROI for commercial solar projects by stacking revenue streams from batteries. This episode reveals how the "Earn, Save, Protect" model works in PJM markets, where capacity charges alo...

The global supply chain for batteries and solar equipment faces unprecedented complexity in 2025. If you're a developer or asset owner planning projects for 2026 and beyond, this conversation is essential listening. Christian Roselund, Senior Policy Analyst at Clean Energy Associates, breaks down the intricate web of rules, tariffs, and supply chain constraints affecting the clean energy indu...

This week on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down the latest in solar, wind, storage, and AI. From vertical solar in Norway to offshore solar in China, plus cable theft in Germany and layoffs in North Carolina, this episode covers the challenges and innovations shaping the clean energy transition. Episode Highlights John Weaver demonstrates using ChatGPT to create project...

#EP310 Power grids across America face mounting challenges from extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and rising costs. But a revolution is underway. Jeff St. John, Chief Reporter at Canary Media, reveals how battery storage and microgrids are reshaping energy infrastructure from California to Texas. In this episode, we explore how state-level policies and utility strategies are shaping the futur...

#309 Solar energy now dominates 80% of new grid additions globally. But what comes after solar becomes the cheapest energy source on Earth? Tim Montague joined the Solar Maverick Podcast to reveal the next chapter of the energy transition. I share insider insights that every energy professional needs to know. What You'll Discover: The 3 pillars of successful commercial solar sales that separa...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague is joined by John Weaver (Commercial Solar Guy) and Evan Upshur (CPS America) for a roundup of the latest solar, storage, and clean energy news. Fresh from the solar industry's biggest trade show, RE+ Las Vegas, they dive deep into the latest innovations, project updates, and market trends shaping the clean energy landscape. From agri...

#EP308 What if you could slash your community's electricity costs by 40% while achieving true energy independence? AJ Perkins transformed from business executive to renewable energy pioneer, building 3.8 gigawatts of microgrid projects worldwide. In this Clean Power Hour episode, he reveals how community-scale solar and battery systems are revolutionizing energy economics. The breakthrough: A...

#EP307  The electric grid faces its biggest transformation in decades. Data center demand is set to triple in five years, capacity prices in PJM just hit $329 per megawatt-day, and grid operators are scrambling to prevent blackouts as massive AI facilities pull offline during disturbances. Today on the Clean Power Hour, grid expert Peter Kelly-Detwiler reveals how microgrids and artificial intelli...

#EP306 Texas has quietly become America's renewable energy powerhouse, with solar and wind now generating over 70 gigawatts of capacity. Raina Hornaday, founder and CEO of Caprock Renewables, reveals how this transformation happened and why rural communities are driving the next wave of clean energy growth. In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, we explore the explosive growth of Texas rene...

The Clean Power Hour LIVE is back with the latest in solar, wind, and storage. Tim Montague and John Weaver dive into the most important stories shaping clean energy today. The hosts also discuss their upcoming RE+ booth visits, hardware purchasing strategies, and the evolving landscape of energy consultancy beyond traditional solar installation. Episode Highlights German researchers at Fraunhofer...

#EP305 Batteries are no longer an afterthought in solar, they are the future. Pete Sarelas, founder and CEO of Source Solar in Chicago, joins Tim Montague to reveal how adding battery storage can eliminate your electric bill entirely and even push it into negative territory. Pete shares his journey from door-knocking solar sales in California to building a multi-million dollar solar and battery fi...

The solar industry faces a wake-up call. Despite becoming the dominant source of new electricity generation globally, clean energy companies spend 20 times less on political power than oil and gas while investing double their capital expenditure. In this episode, Jigar Shah, former Director of the DOE Loan Programs Office and clean energy pioneer, delivers hard truths about what the industry must...

What if battery storage systems simply couldn't catch fire? In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Matt Ward, President of Etica AG, to explore a revolutionary battery technology that's changing the game for fire safety in battery energy storage (BESS). Matt discusses their patented immersion cooling technology that uses dielectric fluid to completely surrou...