Sean McMahon

Renewable Energy SmartPod

News EN ↓ 100 episodes

The Renewable Energy SmartPod offers an inside look at the people, technologies and trends that are powering the energy transition. If you want to hear more about the role renewables are playing to decarbonize the global economy and combat climate change, this is the podcast for you. Follow us on Twitter @RenewablesPod or sign up for our newsletter: Renewable Energy SmartBrief.

Author

Sean McMahon

Episodes

How to Keep Data Centers Secure - with Bill Kleyman from Apolo.us 19.12.2025 42:40

Sponsored by EDF power solutions You've seen the headlines about the massive amounts of money that is being poured into AI data centers. You've heard concerns about how AI data centers are going to be powered -- and who is going to pay for it. But you probably haven't heard much about how all those data centers are going to be secured. After all, it sure would be a shame if you spen...

Climate Risk Data Remains Critical with Larry Lawrence from Intercontinental Exchange 25.11.2025 39:35

Sponsored by: EDF power solutions -- Info@EDF-re.com This episode marks the turn of one of the most popular guests we’ve ever had on this show: Larry Lawrence , Vice President of Sustainable Finance Data at Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) . When we had him on the show back in 2023, our conversation veered into the various ways data was evolving to drive innovation in sustainable finance. Well, it...

Are AI Data Centers the New Power Centers? 23.10.2025 32:41

Sponsored by: EDF power solutions -- Info@EDF-re.com One of the hottest topics these days -- not just in the energy sector, but across the entire economy -- is the anticipated energy demand from AI data centers. In an effort to separate the signal from the noise, Jeffrey Jakubiak , a partner at Vinson & Elkins , stops by the show to share his insights on the specific load demands AI data cente...

Navigating the New Energy Landscape with Michael Chanin from Cherry Street Energy 26.09.2025 29:33

Sponsored by: KPMG While recent months have been full of turmoil for renewables companies amid market uncertainty and dramatic policy shifts, there are still energy companies that are closing new deals and driving innovation in the renewables market. Michael Chanin , founder and CEO of Cherry Street Energy , stops by the show to discuss the changing energy landscape and how businesses can adapt....

Smart Buildings Are Getting Smarter with James Dice from Nexus Labs 18.09.2025 34:20

Sponsored by: EDF power solutions and PowerFlex With rising energy prices in the news, there's never been a better time for building owners and operators to optimize their operations to save energy costs. With that in mind, James Dice , founder and CEO of Nexus Labs , stops by the show to discuss smart building technology. Ahead of NexusCon 2025 , James shares his insights about technologies...

What's Next for Rising Energy Prices - with Sean Kelly from Amperon 04.09.2025 28:09

Sponsored by KPMG With rising energy prices poised to remain a hot topic in the months ahead, Amperon CEO Sean Kelly stops by the show to dive into the underlying reasons for energy price increases. Sean and I discuss what utilities, policymakers and other market participants can do to address rising energy costs associated with increased power demand from AI data centers. We also outline what ene...

Tax Incentives and Trade Policy with KPMG's Jessica Libby 28.08.2025 37:26

Sponsored by: EDF power solutions As the Trump administration continues to announce policy changes at a rapid pace, Jessica Libby , principal with KPMG Trade and Customs , returns to the show to discuss the shifts that are having the biggest impact on the renewable energy industry. Jessica highlights rules related to content from Foreign Entities of Concern (FEOC), new tax guidance from the Treasu...

Digging Deep Into Geothermal with Mike Richter from Brightcore Energy 31.07.2025 48:18

Sponsored by: EDF power solutions When hockey legend Mike Richter retired from the NHL, he pivoted to a career in energy efficiency. Mike is now the president of Brightcore Energy , a company that offers turn-key solutions -- including geothermal systems, solar, energy storage, or smart building technologies -- that simplify the clean energy journey for large commercial and industrial clients. Du...

Samuel L. Jackson lends his colorful voice to offshore wind 30.07.2025 4:37

Plus: Trump administration ponders more hurdles for offshore wind ... Mining companies turn to renewables ... Another tally of canceled renewables projects ... Vestas pivots to Japan ... Cambridge gets creative with its money Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Jigar Shah helps the renewables industry look in the mirror 29.07.2025 6:24

Plus: Energy analysts call US-EU deal 'pie in the sky' ... EPA targets endangerment finding ... PJM looks for answers ... Electricity output and prices hit record highs Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Details scarce on US tariff deal with EU ... The US needs more transmission ... Geothermal industry faces a skills shortage 28.07.2025 4:05

Plus: North Carolina puts 50,000 jobs and $47 billion at risk ... An MIT spinoff works on some very hot e-bricks Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Trump agenda hits jobs and US energy investment ... Data centers go portable ... Google turns to CO2 25.07.2025 6:03

National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory facing job cuts ... Foreign investors shy away from US ... Brightcore Energy's Mike Richter is on the way Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Grain Belt Express responds to cancellation of DoE loan guarantee ... NextEra's Ketchum sounds upbeat ... Powin declares bankruptcy 24.07.2025 4:36

Plus ... White House AI plan and solar supply chain challenges Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

BNEF issues renewables forecast ... PJM sees energy costs going up ... Texas weighs Senate Bill 6 ... Equinor takes $955 million impairment ... Fusion energy sees investment surge ... Clean energy lobbying falls short 23.07.2025 4:51

Watchdog says PJM can't handle more data centers ... UN's Guterres weighs in on the future of energy ... Trump takes anti-renewables sentiment to a new level ... JP Morgan makes a play in carbon markets 22.07.2025 4:21

Tough headlines for solar ... Congress pivots to permitting ... RMI aims to close funding gap 21.07.2025 4:10

BP sells its US onshore wind business ... Moss Landing fire sparks BESS pushback 18.07.2025 3:41

BP sells its US onshore wind business ... Utilities accelerate renewables projects ... Moss Landing sparks more BESS pushback ... Trump taps LaCerte for FERC ... Commerce plans new duty on Chinese graphite ... The EU marks a solar power milestone Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Daily Dose of Renewables - July 17, 2025 17.07.2025 5:45

Should Big Tech fret Interior Department's slow roll of wind and solar? ... Jigar Shah compares renewables now to fracking of the early 2000s ... Amazon's carbon emissions cllimb ... VPPs save the day in heat waves ... GOP districts come to grips with project cancellations Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Daily Dose of Renewables - July 16, 2025 16.07.2025 4:51

A salute to Cipher ... Renewables go missing in Pittsburgh ... The US threatens to pull out of the IEA ... Uncertainty persists for transferability of tax credits ... California bill tweaks net metering for home sales Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Daily News Roundup - July 15 15.07.2025 4:37

Daily News Roundup - July 14, 2025 14.07.2025 6:03

The State of the US Solar Industry 01.07.2025 18:27

Sponsored by KPMG Policy shifts and market pressures are making big headlines in renewables industry in the US. Amid all the uncertainty, Daniel Cruise, Partner and Head of Renewables at LIUM , returns to the show to provide an update on the state of the solar sector. Leveraging data gathered via LIUM's solarSAT montioring system, Daniel offers a near-term forecast for utility-scale solar th...

Congress Takes Aim at Tax Incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act 22.05.2025 42:24

Sponsored by KPMG Negotiations currently taking place on Capitol Hill stand to have a dramatic impact on tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act that have powered tremendous growth in clean energy and domestic manufacturing. With so much chatter coming out of Congress, Alfred Johnson , the co-founder and CEO of Crux , and Lauren Collins , a partner at Vinson and Elkins LLP , return to the sh...

How Integrated EPC Teams Are Streamlining Renewables Projects 14.05.2025 26:20

From project development and permitting to interconnection, construction and startup, the experience of a fully integrated engineer-procure-construct (EPC) team can be a crucial driver of results for renewables projects. With that in mind, two experts from Burns & McDonnell join the show to outline best practices for getting projects done amid all the uncertainty that is swirling around the in...

State of the Industry: Offshore Wind - Part 2 19.11.2024 24:41

Walt Musial , a principal engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory , stops by the show to discuss the current state of the US offshore wind market. Walt details progress in key regions like the Northeast, where gigawatt-scale projects are actively under construction. Walt addresses the ramifications of renegotiations of power purchase agreements and the mixed outcome of recent offshore...