The Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast

On Episode 106, we talk with Don Moreland of the Georgia Solar Energy Association about everything taking place at the Georgia legislature and Public Services Commission. For clean energy policy aficionados, this is a can’t miss episode as we talk about community solar, solar consumer protections, integrated resource planning, and economic development. Additional resources from today’s episode: Ge...

On Episode 105, we talk with Chris Carmody of the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association about the current legislative session in South Carolina and what it means for energy in the state moving forward. In particular, there are a few significant pieces of legislation they’re tracking related to new natural gas assets and a bill focused on carrying forward the conversation on market reform. Ad...

On Episode 104, we talk to Blair St. Olson-Ledger from Climate Cabinet Action about the legislative session currently underway in Virginia. In particular, we dive into the significant number of clean energy related bills that have been introduced this session and the potential impact they’d have moving forward. Additional resources from today’s episode: Shared Solar Bills in Virginia: bit.ly/4bNqF...

On Episode 103, we talk with Graham Alexander of Southern Energy Management about the recently approved PowerPair solar and storage incentive pilot program. We dive into the details of the incentives, timing, and program capacity. Make sure to tune in for can’t miss details of this new monumental program here in North Carolina. Additional resources from today’s episode: NCSEA’s Clean Energy in the...

Now that 2024 is underway, we’re joined by the policy team at NCSEA to talk about what’s in store for the year ahead. On this episode we’re joined by Cassie Gavin, Ethan Blumenthal, Justin Somelofske, and Michael Fairrington, who all recap some of the top moments of 2023 and highlight the potential opportunities over the course of the next 365 days. If North Carolina energy policy is important to...

We're bringing back an episode from 2021 featuring North Carolina's role in the energy storage supply chain highlighting the Western part of the state's spodumene resources. We also briefly touch on the recently approved PowerPair solar and storage incentive approved by the NCUC. The order can be found here: https://bit.ly/3O3wjNw We’re kicking off a mini-series focused on North Carolina’s role in...

On Episode 101, we’re joined by the top official at North Carolina’s leading economic development arm, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, to talk about recent clean energy investment announcements, the reasons that make the state so attractive to outside businesses, and what’s in our pipeline for future investments. Additionally, Chris Chung shares why energy is such an import...

On Episode 100, we’re joined by three innovative leaders who talk about the power of inclusive utility investment and how this can be a tool for transformation in communities of most need across the country. We’re joined by Dr. Holmes Hummel of Clean Energy Works, Marshall Cherry of Roanoke Cooperative, and Claire Williamson of the NC Justice Center, who each outline what the NC Utilities Commissi...

On this bonus episode, we’re bringing you Governor Roy Cooper’s speech from NCSEA’s recent Making Energy Work conference which took place November 2-3 in Raleigh. In this speech, Governor Cooper reflects on the transformational progress that has already been made to recruit billions of dollars of clean energy investments to the state, while reemphasizing the statutory requirements to reduce carbon...

On this bonus episode, we’re joined by Zach Amittay, Southeast Advocate at E2, to discuss the latest results of North Carolina’s annual clean jobs report and how the state continues to see year over year growth in this incredibly strong sector of the economy. We break down the latest numbers, while also diving into the some of the policies fueling the growth, including the Inflation Reduction Act....

In the last episode before #100, we’re joined by the team at the NC Clean Energy Fund, who share how they’re positioning North Carolina to take advantage of the significant federal clean energy investments to further accelerate the energy transition here in the region. Specifically, Jen Weiss and Melissa Malkin-Weber talk to us about programs like Solar for All and how they’re partnering with fina...

In August 2023, Duke Energy filed their proposal for the next iteration of the Carbon Plan, also known as the CPIRP. We’re joined by Katharine Kollins of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, Steve Levitas of Pine Gate Renewables, and Dave Rogers of the Sierra Club, who break down the filing and share what it means for short- and long-term clean energy deployment in the state. This is a conversation yo...

Caitlin Marquis of Advanced Energy United joins this episode of the Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast to share the details of FERC Order 2023 and how it sets out to untangle the backlog of renewable projects in interconnection queues. Specifically, we talk about how the order outlines a new ‘cluster study’ approach to speed up studying grid impacts for proposed projects. Should the order move forward w...

On episode 96, we’re joined by Susannah Tuttle and Ren Martin of North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light to talk about the role that communities of faith play in advancing the clean energy transition in the state of North Carolina. In the conversation, we talk about the issues they’re tracking and advocating for including solar rebates, building codes, and church-specific rate structures with Duke...

On episode 95, we’re joined by Maia Hutt of the Southern Environmental Law Center to break down the latest status of the Southeast Energy Exchange Market in light of a recent appeals court ruling. What does this ruling mean for SEEM moving forward? Tune in to hear what the future looks like for this trading market in the southeast. Additional resources from today’s episode: Making Energy Work: www...

On episode 94, we’re joined by an icon of the sustainability and clean energy movement – legendary author, organizer, and educator Bill McKibben. You’ve probably followed his work starting with his book The End of Nature, and most recently as the founder of Third Act. In our conversation, we cover the challenges currently standing in the way of the clean energy transition from ‘regulatory capture’...

On episode 93, we’re joined by two experts who have been at the intersection of energy efficiency, building codes, and policy for quite some time. Julie Robinson of Robinson Consulting Group and Rob Howard of Howard Building Science share the latest on efforts to update NC’s significantly outdated residential energy efficiency standards and how those updates could save homeowners some serious cash...

Ever since the $8.5 Billion VC Sumner nuclear plant failure in South Carolina, the region has been exploring ways to better protect ratepayers from utility overreach and unchecked spending. This led to the introduction and passage of a bill in SC to study the benefits of market reform for the state. And the results are in…South Carolina ratepayers could save upwards of $360M a year by joining a re...

On this episode of the Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast, we’re back and in action at the 2023 State Energy Conference. In this live recording, we host a conversation with some of the leading influencers in the electric transportation sector to cover all angles of the federal investments being made via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. The keynote plenary panel conversa...

Just a few weeks ago, the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) issued a long-awaited order determining the future of rooftop solar compensation in North Carolina. The order comes after a large group of settling parties, including utilities, solar installers, and clean energy advocates, filed multiple compromise agreements in 2021/2022 to determine a path forward for rooftop solar in the state. Taylor Jo...

NASCAR driver and sports icon Leilani Münter joins the Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast to talk about her commitment to clean energy and how she’s used her vehicles as a platform to promote solar over the years! In this episode, we talk about her career as a high-speed professional, and as a star on the silver screen. We also dive into her own experience with EVs and solar right here in the Carolinas....

The NC Governor’s Office just released their Deep Decarbonization Pathways Analysis which outlines potential strategies that the state can adopt to reach carbon neutrality across the economy by 2050. In this episode, we sit down with Zach Pierce, Senior Advisor for Climate Change Policy for Governor Roy Cooper, to discover the interplay between emissions reductions efforts in electricity, transpor...

On one of our shorter episodes of the podcast, we travel out to Pembroke, NC to learn more about a commercial PV system installed for the Lumbee Regional Development Association. Eagle Solar & Light, along with Sunwealth, put together a financial package for the non-profit, allowing them to install the solar system with no upfront costs via a monthly lease. Learn more about why solar leasing hasn’...

On the latest episode of the podcast, we sit down with Ben Catt, CEO of Pine Gate Renewables to talk about the secret sauce of scaling a clean energy business. We cover the company’s success along the way, some of the unforeseen challenges, and how the clean energy market as a whole has changed over the past 10 years. The conversation also covers the intersection of policy, business model, and tim...

Imagine a future where EVs can travel 50% further with batteries that are cheaper than they are today. What if that future was being led by research and development stemming out of North Carolina? Well that’s exactly what we’re covering on this episode of the Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast, where we feature an interview with Dr. Glen Merfeld, Chief Technology Officer with Albemarle. Tune in to hear...