What if the solution to America's 70-year nuclear waste problem was hiding in plain sight? Rod Baltzer, CEO of Deep Isolation, joins Tim Montague to reveal how his company plans to revolutionize nuclear waste storage using existing oil and gas drilling technology. With nuclear waste currently piling up at power plants across the country and costing taxpayers $2 million daily in storage fees, this conversation couldn't be more timely. Deep Isolation recently raised $33 million to demonstrate thei...
Aug 19, 2025•33 min
In today’s episode, Tim Montague sits down with Tara Brown-Selders, VP of Business Development at Kensington Vanguard, to discuss two critical topics for solar developers: title insurance and women's leadership in clean energy. Tara breaks down why title insurance protects your solar investments. She explains how proper title searches going back 60+ years prevent costly surprises from liens, judgments, mineral rights, and ownership disputes. For developers securing rural land for solar projects,...
Aug 14, 2025•39 min
In last week’s Clean Power Hour live, Tim Montague and John Weaver discussed the latest solar industry developments, from deployment projections and regulatory challenges to cutting-edge technology breakthroughs. This episode covers critical insights for commercial solar professionals, including uptime optimization, project development strategies, and emerging battery technologies that could reshape the energy storage landscape. Episode Highlights FEOC and Tax Credits - BloombergNEF’s U.S. solar...
Aug 12, 2025•45 min
Think battery storage systems are fire hazards? The data tells a different story. Today on the Clean Power Hour, Joe DeBellis, Global Head of Clean Energy at FireTrace, reveals shocking findings from a survey of nearly 4,000 Americans about battery storage safety. While headlines focus on rare fire incidents, 71% of Americans actually support battery energy storage technology . Here's what you'll discover: The surprising truth about battery fires: 89% start from electrical components, not the ba...
Aug 05, 2025•44 min
Join hosts Tim Montague and John Weaver for another episode of Clean Power Hour Live, bringing you the latest developments in wind, solar, and battery storage. In this episode, the hosts dive into the complex implications of policy changes on clean energy deployment, showcase impressive solar installations, discuss the critical role of battery storage in grid stability, and explore global trends in renewable energy adoption. From curtailment reduction in California to electric vehicle adoption i...
Jul 31, 2025•51 min
The energy transition faces political headwinds, but market forces tell a different story. Today on the Clean Power Hour, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group and host of the Age of Adoption podcast, shares why he remains bullish on clean energy despite policy challenges. Keith brings 20 years of communications experience in the clean energy sector. His agency has grown alongside the industry, helping companies navigate everything from the early cleantech boom to today's political landscape. In t...
Jul 29, 2025•40 min
Ready to discover why smart solar developers and farmers are choosing agrivoltaics over traditional solar? Today on the Clean Power Hour, join host Tim Montague and four industry leaders who share real data, proven results, and practical insights on how vertical racking helps farmers achieve superior returns compared to conventional approaches 🎯 Featured Experts: Helge Biernath - Founder & CEO of Sunzaun Ian Skor - Founder & CEO of Sandbox Solar Professor Majdi Abou Najm - UC Davis Rese...
Jul 22, 2025•1 hr 1 min
We're about to install 19 billion solar panels in the next 20 years, but what happens when they reach end-of-life? In this eye-opening episode of The Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Adam Saghei, CEO and founder of We Recycle Solar, to tackle one of the clean energy industry's most pressing challenges: solar panel waste management. What You'll Discover: Why 90% of end-of-life solar panels currently end up in landfills (and how we can change this) The staggering value locked in ...
Jul 17, 2025•38 min
On our recent Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver tackle the complex implications of the recently passed "BBB bill" and its mixed impact on the solar industry. The hosts dive deep into the economic pressures facing the industry and much more. Episode Highlights BBB Bill Impact on Solar Industry - Discussion of the "big, beautiful bill" and its mixed effects on renewable energy sectors ( Story Link ) US Copper Prices 138% Above Global - Domestic copper now costs more than double i...
Jul 15, 2025•48 min
The solar industry faces its biggest challenge yet - will it survive the gutting of the Inflation Reduction Act? Tim Montague sits down with Marc Palmer, founder and CEO of Conductor Solar, to discuss the current state of solar financing and how the industry is changing in light of threats facing our industry. In this episode, you'll discover how the "Big Beautiful Bill" could shrink the solar market by 46% between now and 2030, and why industry leaders are shifting to survival mode. Marc shares...
Jul 08, 2025•41 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, we reconnect with Kiya Segni, founder of Aduu Solar, who has successfully made the leap from engineering consultant to full-fledged solar installer in the lucrative DMV market (DC, Maryland, Virginia). 🔧 Business Transformation Insights: Kiya shares the critical differences between running an engineering firm versus a construction company, from managing installation crews to implementing comprehensive business systems. Learn how his 3+ years of consulting experien...
Jul 01, 2025•38 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, we sit down with the leadership team of Windfree Solar - a minority-owned, equity eligible contractor that's proving diversity isn't just good for society, it's good for business. CEO Eric Heineman, Head of O&M Cynthia Myers, and Chief Marketing Officer Steve Larosiliere share how they've built a thriving solar company by focusing on underserved communities in Chicago and Cook County. Discover how Cynthia went from growing up in foster care to becoming one of I...
Jun 26, 2025•29 min
What if farmers could double their income from the same land while fighting climate change? Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with two pioneering leaders who are revolutionizing how we think about solar energy and agriculture. Helge Biernath, CEO of Sunzaun (and Sunstall, the mechanical installation company), and Ian Skor, CEO of Sandbox Solar, share groundbreaking insights into vertical solar technology and its game-changing applications in agrivoltaics. Discover how vertica...
Jun 24, 2025•38 min
Are you ready for the biggest shift happening in utility-scale solar right now? The transition from central to string inverters is revolutionizing how we build and operate massive solar farms across America. In this eye-opening episode, Luke Schlichte, Utility Sales Representative at CPS America (Chint Power Systems), breaks down why this technological shift is happening and what it means for the future of utility solar. Luke reveals the stark reality of underperformance plaguing utility-scale s...
Jun 19, 2025•24 min
In this episode of Clean Power Hour Live, hosts Tim Montague and John Weaver tackle the elephant in the room - policy uncertainty - while making a compelling case for why now might be the best time to double down on solar. Fresh from the Midwest Solar Expo in Chicago and the ACORE Financial Forum in NYC, they share insights from industry heavyweights who are aggressively pursuing projects despite potential ITC changes. Here is what we discussed: Industry Outlook & Market Confidence Solar ind...
Jun 17, 2025•48 min
Are rural communities really losing out to solar farms? The data tells a completely different story. Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Ethan Loomis, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Strategic Economic Research (SER), to unpack the real economic impact of utility-scale wind, solar, and battery projects on rural America. What you'll discover in this episode: The Economic Layer Cake: Ethan breaks down the three levels of economic impact from renewable projects ...
Jun 10, 2025•35 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Carl Moose, partner at Greenlight Energy Solutions, to explore how businesses and homeowners in the Midwest are transforming their biggest liability, their roof, into a profitable energy asset. Carl, a former banker turned solar developer, reveals why Illinois has become one of the top 10 distributed generation markets in the US, despite not being known as a traditional "solar state." He breaks down the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CE...
Jun 05, 2025•36 min
The solar industry faces unprecedented challenges as Congress advances budget reconciliation legislation targeting clean energy incentives. In this episode, hosts Tim Montague and John Weaver discuss survival strategies, market adaptations, and breakthrough developments amid policy uncertainty. 🚨 MAJOR POLICY DEVELOPMENTS Budget Reconciliation Bill Impact Residential solar tax credits under threat - House passes bill targeting clean energy incentives SEIA projects massive industry impact: 330,0...
Jun 03, 2025•44 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Jake Rozmaryn, the visionary founder of the Midwest Solar Expo, to discuss the game-changing acquisition by Intersolar and what it means for America's heartland energy transition. For over a decade, Jake has been building bridges between coastal clean energy expertise and emerging Midwest markets. What started as a small Minnesota gathering has evolved into a powerhouse regional event that draws nearly 1,000 attendees annually. Now,...
May 27, 2025•23 min
Over 40% of Americans live in multi-family buildings with little to no access to the benefits of rooftop solar – until now. Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague speaks with Aliya Bagewadi, US Director of Strategic Partnerships at Allume Energy, about their revolutionary SolShare technology. Aliya explains how SolShare solves the historic "split incentive" problem that has prevented multi-family buildings from adopting solar. This innovative hardware physically shares electricity from...
May 22, 2025•34 min
On the latest Clean Power Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver dive into the cutting-edge developments from InterSolar Europe 2025 and discuss critical US clean energy policy challenges. John shares his first-hand experiences from the conference, highlighting how the battery revolution is transforming the renewable energy landscape, with batteries now taking up more exhibition space than traditional solar technology… Highlights Battery Revolution Takes Center Stage: At InterSolar Europe 2025, batt...
May 20, 2025•44 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague interviews Tyler Anderson of Phase Two about solar O&M and engineering services. In this brief but informative conversation, Tyler shares insights about his company's focus on commercial and industrial solar projects. Company Focus Tyler explains that Phase Two specializes in "C&I focused" services, including "consulting system design, third party quality control and a little bit of O&M." Their projects range from 50kW up to about eight meg...
May 13, 2025•6 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague speaks with Ross Wickenheiser, Head of Sales for Canada at CPS (Chint Power Systems), from the floor of Intersolar San Diego. Ross shares valuable insights into Canada's rapidly expanding solar market, particularly highlighting the substantial growth in utility-scale projects across the western provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Ross details how Canada's federal Clean Investment Tax Credit is driving significant new solar development, creating a fi...
May 08, 2025•10 min
In the latest Clean Power Hour Live Episode on May 2nd, Tim Montague and John Weaver dive into the latest developments in the renewable energy sector. The conversation kicks off with an analysis of the recent major power outage in Spain and France, exploring how solar inverter technology may have contributed to the grid collapse and how battery storage solutions could prevent similar events in the future. The hosts also discuss exciting technological advancements in solid-state batteries, explor...
May 06, 2025•48 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague talks with Aaron Gabelnick, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Array Technologies, about the evolving landscape of solar tracking systems and how they're reducing the cost of renewable energy. Aaron explains how he transitioned from working in traditional energy to join Array Technologies, drawn by the company's mission of "generating energy with integrity for a sustainable world." He details Array's innovative approach to solar tra...
May 01, 2025•40 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague welcomes back Evan Upshur from CPS America for a discussion on the latest innovations in solar inverter technology. Evan shares why CPS America continues to be a leader in the solar industry with their reliable, versatile products and exceptional customer service. Evan emphasizes the importance of versatility in their product line, particularly highlighting their 100kW 480V inverter and new 200kW model with a centralized wire box. These solutions are e...
Apr 29, 2025•9 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague speaks with Jordan Harris, CEO of Yotta Energy, about their unique approach to commercial rooftop solar battery storage. Harris introduces Yotta Energy's latest innovation – the Yotta Block – a modular building block-type battery product that installs directly in line with solar panels, similar to microinverters. The battery becomes the ballast block. This distributed energy storage solution reduces soft costs associated with traditional battery i...
Apr 24, 2025•9 min
Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with David Florenz from CPS America at Intersolar San Diego to explore the future of grid-scale battery storage and utility-scale solar solutions. David shares his journey from residential solar to utility-scale projects and reveals why CPS's innovative modular battery design is changing the game for project owners and operators. Learn how their distributed architecture offers superior resiliency compared to traditional centralized syste...
Apr 23, 2025•12 min
Join Tim Montague and John Weaver for this bi-weekly Solar & Storage News LIVE, where they dive deep into the latest developments shaping the solar industry. In this April 18, 2025, episode, our hosts explore critical industry updates from policy battles to technological breakthroughs that could reshape the future of renewable energy. The discussion evolves into a broader conversation about America's position in the global renewable energy race, particularly in relation to China's aggressive...
Apr 22, 2025•48 min
Today’s episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague welcomes back Chris Lettman, US Sales Director for Imperial Star Solar, to dive deep into the world of domestic content in solar panel manufacturing. As the US approaches 50 gigawatts of solar panel manufacturing capacity, Chris brings his 16+ years of industry experience to clarify the often misunderstood requirements for domestic content qualification. Chris explains the critical distinction between modules assembled in the US versus those ...
Apr 17, 2025•31 min
