The Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast

On episode 84, we’re highlighting what really happened during Winter Storm Elliott, which led to millions of customers without power across the southeast. Despite some who were quick to blame renewables, the outages actually were caused by natural gas and coal plants, forecasting miscalculations, and issues importing power from neighboring states. We talk with Simon Mahan of the Southern Renewable...

Episode 83 of the Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast is the episode you’ve been waiting for. The Carbon Plan order from the NC Utilities Commission is finally here and we’re diving into all the details. How does it compare to what advocates asked for? Does it set us on a path to 2030 emissions reduction compliance? Does this mean more fossil generation in North Carolina? All your questions and more answ...

The first episode of 2023 features a conversation with Shakaya Cooper, Program Associate at Generation180. We delve into findings from the organization’s recent report ‘North Carolina Drives Electric 2022’ to highlight consumer readiness for EVs across the state. In fact, over half of North Carolinians are likely to consider an EV for their next vehicle, getting us one step closer to Governor Coop...

On the final episode of the year, we are joined by Sagarika Subramanian, Senior Research Analyst at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). She shares results from the most recent report card on North Carolina’s energy efficiency efforts and discusses the common threads of top performing states. Our conversation covers the latest in energy efficiency trends and the roles that...

On the 80th episode of the podcast, we bring on Wall Street Journal Reporter Katherine Blunt to unearth the issues that arise when a utility neglects grid maintenance and community resilience in pursuit of profits. On this episode we cover how a series of regulatory and corporate missteps led to the deadliest wildlife in California’s history. We then contextualize this situation for the grid and e...

Earlier this fall, we headed down to Atlanta for the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance’s (SEEA) Southeast Energy Summit to delve into the complexities of distributing funds from the IRA, environmental and housing justice, and considerations for overarching systemic change. In this live-recorded conversation, we are joined by Joe Gehrdes, Director of Community Relations for Huntsville Utilities,...

On this episode, Justin Gillis of The New York Times and Hal Harvey of Energy Innovation talk about their new book, The Big Fix: 7 Practical Steps to Save Our Planet. In the conversation, the authors highlight inspirational carbon emission reduction stories at the state and local level and ways in which clean energy solutions can transcend political divide. We also discuss the interplay of the sev...

On episode 77, Representative John Szoka reflects on his time in the NC General Assembly and how clean energy has become a staple of his legacy in the state. We talk through his journey from being a non-supporter to strong supporter of clean energy technology and the important role it plays in the generation mix to ensure reliability while keeping prices low. We also talk about the path both HB589...

On the latest episode, we’re joined by a group of carbon plan intervenors who discuss more cost-effective pathways to achieving meaningful emissions reductions in North Carolina. Tyler Norris of Cypress Creek Renewables, David Neal of the Southern Environmental Law Center, and Adrienne Mouton-Henderson of the Clean Energy Buyers Association break down why Duke Energy’s proposed carbon plan doesn’t...

In episode 75, Bob Keefe, Executive Director of E2, joins us to talk about the exciting news of the week – the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. In our conversation, we break down what’s in the bill for clean energy, while contextualizing how this investment would further increase the number of jobs in the clean energy sector across the country. Speaking of jobs – we hit on the...

On the latest episode of the podcast, we sit down with Lauren Bowen, Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, to shed light on the quickly evolving rooftop solar market in North Carolina. It’s no secret that this has been a hot topic in the clean energy industry over the past year or so, including proposals for time of use rate structures and new HOA updates resulting from recent...

On the latest episode, we sit down with Dan Whitten, VP of Public Affairs with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), to talk about international trade and tariffs in the solar energy industry. Specifically, we delve into the weeds of the latest Auxin Petition and the Biden Administration’s Executive Action waiving new tariffs on imported solar panels for the next two years. We discuss wh...

On the latest episode, we sit down with Marshall Cherry, President & CEO of Roanoke Electric Cooperative. Cherry continues to have a transformative impact on clean energy across the state after nearly three decades with the cooperative. In our conversation, we delve into the innovative programs offered to its member-owners in Northeastern North Carolina, including proven initiatives like a tariffe...

On this episode, we sit down with three experts in the clean energy sphere to talk about Duke Energy's proposed Carbon Plan filed at the NC Utilities Commission. In the conversation, Maggie Shober of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, highlights the plan's over reliance on technologies not yet commercially available, and its proposals to build out new natural gas resources. Claire Williamson,...

On the latest episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Jen Weiss, Senior Advisor for Climate Change Policy at the NC Department of Transportation. With the transportation sector emerging as the largest emitter in the state, NC DOT has been tasked with developing a Clean Transportation Plan by April 2023. In our conversation, we cover NC’s goal of deploying 1.25 million ZEVs on the road by 2030, syn...

On episode 69, we talk with Bill Nussey, a serial entrepreneur, successful tech executive, and NC State alum. Bill is the CEO & Founder of Freeing Energy, along with the CEO & Co-Founder of Solar Inventions. In the conversation, Bill dives deep into the details of local solar and storage with host, Matt Abele, to discuss the opportunities that the technology presents for wide-scale disruption, whi...

NCSEA was lucky enough to be invited back to the 2022 State Energy Conference to host another live recording of the podcast. This year, we feature a fireside chat with a few of the region’s leading clean energy reporters. Elizabeth Ouzts, of Energy News Network, and Catherine Morehouse, of Politico, rejoined us as alums of the pod while David Boraks, new to our microphone but Climate Change Vetera...

On episode 67, we talk with Julian Spector, Senior Reporter with Canary Media, about his time in North Carolina at Duke University and the News & Observer, along with the career path that led him to reporting on clean energy on the national and international stage. We also discuss clean energy trends that he’s following, including hard to decarbonize sectors of the economy and the bipartisan natur...

On episode 66, NC Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth Biser stops by the Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast to talk about her agency’s role in building the clean energy economy within the state. Specifically, we spend some time talking about VW and federal infrastructure funding, along with workforce development, and Governor Cooper’s latest executive order focused on clean energy (E...

On episode 65, we’re talking EV manufacturing in North Carolina with Suzanne Merkelson, Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, US States, with Arrival. In this fascinating conversation, we’re diving into why the company selected Charlotte for its North American headquarters, the concept of microfactories, and how medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles will serve as important players in th...

On episode 64, we’re going to Nashville to listen to our favorite country musicians and meet up with some of our friends in the energy efficiency world at the AESP Annual Conference. We get a full rundown of trending EE topics from Jen Szaro, President and CEO of AESP. We also sit down with Quinn Parker, Founder & CEO of Encolor Consulting, to talk about the importance of diversity, equity, and in...

On episode 63, we’re taking a comprehensive look at Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 246. We play some clips from the signing event at NC A&T State University, then chat with Adam Wagner of the News & Observer and Ward Lenz of NCSEA about what the EO means for North Carolina, and where we go next. Additional resources from today's episode: Charlotte Business Journal Competitive Procurement Story:...

On episode 62, we sit down with Brent Christensen, President & CEO of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce to talk about the process of recruiting a major electric vehicle manufacturer like Toyota to the region. After that, we speak with Susan Munroe of Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and Laurie Barnhart of Conservatives for Clean Energy about the winners of the 2021 Clean Energy Champions...

On episode 61, we talk with Daniel Brookshire, Regulatory and Policy Manager with NCSEA about the recently filed net metering settlement with Duke Energy at the NC Utilities Commission. In this conversation, we outline the details of the agreement and what it means for the residential solar industry in North Carolina moving forward. This is an episode you won't want to miss. Additional resources f...

On episode 60, we talk with Chris Worrell, Government Relations Manager of EDF about the key clean energy provisions in both the infrastructure and Build Back Better bills at the federal level. Importantly, we discuss how these bills would impact North Carolina and where we can expect funding to fall in our state. Additional resources from today's episode: Toyota Battery Manufacturing Announcement...