The Clean Energy Edge

Electricity costs are rising, demand is accelerating, and the grid is under more strain than at any point in modern history. In this January kickoff episode of The Clean Energy Edge, we shift from diagnosing the problem to explaining why clean energy still makes sense in 2026 and beyond. December focused on what’s breaking in the electricity system — rising power prices, AI-driven demand growth, i...

After a recent episode on nuclear power sparked intense discussion, one issue became clear: many people are still confusing what works in theory with what can actually be delivered on real-world timelines. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates steps back from ideology and focuses on execution. This isn’t a pro- or anti-nuclear argument — it’s a reality check on what the grid...

Clean energy isn’t failing — it’s being misunderstood. In this solo episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates explains why clean energy still feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable to so many people — even though the technology itself has been around for decades. Drawing on his own background in traditional power generation, Russ walks through how clean energy challenges the century-old mod...

Even when new power plants are planned… Even when projects are approved… Even when electricity is actually being generated… The grid often can’t deliver that power where it’s needed. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates breaks down one of the most overlooked problems in the U.S. electricity system: the transmission bottleneck. High-voltage transmission lines are the backbon...

Electricity prices keep rising — but it’s not just about fuel costs or power plants. The real problem is something almost no one explains clearly: grid interconnection delays. Across the U.S., thousands of gigawatts of fully developed power projects — including solar, battery storage, wind, fossil fuel, and even nuclear — are stuck waiting years just to get permission to connect to the grid. The p...

Nuclear power is often framed as the clean, reliable solution to America’s electricity crisis — but the reality is far more complicated. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates breaks down why nuclear power struggles to address today’s grid challenges, focusing on the three issues that matter most right now: cost, schedule, and risk. Drawing on recent U.S. nuclear projects and...

In this episode, Russ — an IBEW electrician who spent decades inside fossil fuel power plants — explains why more gas and coal plants won’t solve America’s accelerating electricity crisis. After working on every part of these facilities, from coal yards to steam turbine generators to stack lights, he lays out exactly why fossil fuel generation cannot keep up with today’s demand curve. Electricity...

Electricity prices are climbing, reliability is slipping, and utilities across the U.S. are warning about future shortages. But the reason behind it all is surprisingly simple: supply and demand are moving in opposite directions. In this episode, Russ breaks down why electricity is the most sensitive market in the economy — and why even small imbalances create higher prices, instability, and black...

AI is exploding — and so is the electricity demand behind it. This episode breaks down how modern data centers and AI workloads are reshaping the U.S. power grid, driving up electricity costs, and putting new stress on already aging infrastructure.   We cover what most people never hear: • Why AI data centers require massive amounts of power • How utilities shift the cost of new infrastructure ont...

Electricity prices are rising faster than at any point in recent history — and there’s a clear reason why. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates breaks down the real drivers behind the 2025 electricity spike: exploding demand from AI and data centers, extreme weather, aging infrastructure, stalled transmission, and policy shifts that have slowed the fastest, most economical...

Solar’s biggest criticism has always been what happens at the end of a panel’s life — and for years, that concern was valid. Most panels were landfilled, true recycling was rare, and the industry had no consistent plan. But that’s changing fast. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates sits down with Dr. Janette Freeman, Vice President of Business Development at FabTech Solar S...

In 2025, the clean energy sector faced one of its toughest years—policy reversals, Investment Tax Credit changes, more interconnection issues, and a renewed federal push toward fossil fuels. But despite the chaos, renewables are still outperforming every other generation source. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge, Russ breaks down what really happened this year, why the grid needs clean ener...

America’s clean energy boom is running into a grid bottleneck. Utility-scale solar and storage projects are getting stuck for years in interconnection queues, transmission upgrades are crawling, and new ITC deadlines under the “Big Billionaire Bill” are adding even more pressure. In this episode, Russ Bates breaks down why behind-the-meter solar + storage—for commercial, industrial, and residentia...

U.S. electricity demand is rising faster than at any time in decades — and the question now is whether our generation capacity can keep up. In this episode, Russ Bates breaks down what’s driving the surge — from AI data centers and EV charging to new industrial manufacturing — and why the U.S. may need hundreds of new power plants or thousands of clean energy projects just to stay even. We’ll look...

In 2025, the impossible happened — every major part of the solar supply chain is now made in America. From polysilicon refining to module assembly, U.S. factories are once again powering the clean-energy revolution. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates breaks down how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and 45X manufacturing tax credits reignited American solar manufacturing....

Last week, we talked about how clean energy needs to do a better job telling its story. This week, we’re tackling one big reason why that story still isn’t breaking through — misinformation and disinformation. From “windmills kill all the birds” to “EV batteries can’t be recycled,” false claims about clean energy spread faster than facts. In this episode, Russ Bates breaks down the three types of...

Clean energy has already won on cost, technology, and performance — but it’s still losing where it matters most: the story. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates breaks down how fossil fuels win with emotion, simplicity, and slogans — while clean energy buries its wins under jargon, stats, and PowerPoints. It’s not a technology problem anymore. It’s a messaging problem — and...

In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, host Russ Bates sits down with Kim Noguera Gabrielli, CEO of Worldview International Foundation, to answer one of the biggest questions in climate change — What can I do? When the scale of global warming, deforestation, and pollution feels overwhelming, Kim reminds us that meaningful change starts locally. From restoring one billion mangroves by 20...

Donald Trump has called electric vehicles a “hoax” and rolled back federal incentives - but the market tells a different story. In this episode, Russ Bates breaks down the facts about EV performance, cost savings, and why people are still going electric despite the politics. We’ll look at: -How EVs stack up against gas cars in performance, reliability, and cost -Why U.S. EV sales keep climbing eve...

Is clean energy really clean? Or are skeptics right when they point to lithium mining, solar panel waste, or offshore wind turbines? In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates takes on the myth that renewables are just as dirty as fossil fuels — and brings the receipts. We break down the science and data on: Offshore wind vs. whales: What NOAA and BOEM actually say. Lifecycle emi...

In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge, Russ Bates and Brian Scott sit down with Stephanie Choi Brookes, Chief Marketing Officer at Emtel Energy USA, to explore a breakthrough in long-duration energy storage. Stephanie explains how Electrostatic Graphene Energy Storage (ELDES) is disrupting the market by eliminating the fire risks and degradation issues tied to lithium-ion batteries. She shares...

Opponents love to say “clean energy only survives because of subsidies.” But that’s projection. Fossil fuels have been on government life support for over a century , and the new Big Billionaire Bill just handed them billions more while cutting support for solar, wind, EVs, and storage. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates and Brian Scott bring the receipts: Direct subsidie...

In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates and Canadian co-host Brian Scott tackle the surging electricity prices gripping the U.S. in 2025 — and why the promises of cheaper energy have turned into pain for households and businesses. Eight months into President Trump’s second term, electricity bills are up an average of 10% nationwide, with some states like Maine seeing year-over...

In Episode 19 of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates and Brian Scott sit down with Travis Eckert, CEO and Co-Founder of Batricity, to explore the future of energy storage, EV charging, and grid reliability. Travis shares his journey from managing $60M in private banking to building companies at the forefront of clean energy—including Batricity, Enernuevo, and ChargeForward. He breaks down ho...

AI isn’t virtual — it’s physical, and it’s hungry for power. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge, Russ Bates and Brian Scott uncover how U.S. data centers already consume 176 TWh a year (over 4% of national electricity) and are on track to double by 2030 and hit nearly 10% by 2035. We break down what that means in kWh per person, translate it into gigawatts of constant load, and compare it to...