The Texas power grid is being rebuilt in real time. Energy Capital covers the policy fights, market mechanics, and technical decisions shaping what comes next. Hosted by Josh Rhodes (UT Austin) and Matt Boms (TAEBA), with the policymakers, regulators, and researchers at the center of it. Produced by ClarityForge Studios.
Topics include ERCOT market operations, grid reliability, renewable integration, distributed energy resources, interconnection and transmission planning, regulatory economics, energy storage, demand response, and the Texas electricity market. New episodes weekly. on Texas energy and power grid issues, featuring interviews with energy professionals, academics, policymakers, and advocates. Produced by ClarityForge Studios.
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We recorded this episode in front of a packed room at Geothermal House during SXSW, and it couldn’t have been more timely. Energy demand is rising fast. Energy policy is fraught. And into this moment comes geothermal — a resource that’s clean, always-on, right beneath our feet, and dare I say, bipartisan. I sat down with Jamie Beard, the founder of Project InnerSpace, to talk about the opportunity geothermal represents and the unique chance we have to get it right from the start. Jamie is one of...
For this episode, I talked with former North Carolina Representative and CEO of the Conservative Energy Network John Szoka. John’s a veteran, a conservative Republican, and businessman. He’s committed to clean energy not despite his conservative principles, but because of them. John is focused on helping policymakers and business leaders understand the economic and national security benefits of clean energy. John talks about renewable energy, batteries, and distributed energy resources in terms ...
Texas has long been an energy powerhouse, but the grid is facing unprecedented challenges. Between surging demand from industrial electrification, hotter summers, and data centers and the retirement of aging power plants, we need more advanced firm power sources and we need them fast. In this episode of the Energy Capital Podcast, I sat down with Doug Robison, the founder and president of Natura Resources and former oil and gas executive, and Rusty Towell, founding director for Abilene Christian...
Every summer, we hear concerns about rolling blackouts . Every winter, we remember the failures of Winter Storm Uri . But how did we get here? What are the biggest risks, what has actually changed, and what still needs to happen? In this episode of the Energy Capital Podcast, I sat down with Mose Buchele, longtime energy and environment reporter at KUT and the host of The Disconnect , a podcast that has taken a deep dive into the history and politics behind the Texas grid. Mose’s reporting has h...
What if utilities could see infrastructure failures before they happen? What if grid operators, regulators, and energy companies could harness the power of artificial intelligence to prevent outages? Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and winter cold snaps are getting more extreme. But as their intensity ramps up, so does computing power, and particularly the capabilities of artificial intelligence. In this episode of the Energy Capital Podcast, I spoke with Mary Cleary, VP, Marketing,...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.texasenergyandpower.com Note: We had some minor audio issues in this episode—thanks for bearing with us. The conversation is still clear and well worth the listen. Appreciate your patience! John Arnold is one of the most successful energy traders of all time. He built his career by understanding how systems work, where inefficiencies exist, and how markets respond. Today, as a …...
Solar energy has the potential to revolutionize Texas’ power grid, lower costs, and provide resilience in extreme weather. But what happens when some companies selling solar systems aren’t playing fair? In this episode of the Energy Capital Podcast , I spoke with Sara DiNatale , an investigative reporter whose in-depth four-part series “In Broad Daylight” for the San Antonio Express-News uncovered disturbing scams from unethical and predatory companies. DiNatale was honored for her work on this ...
In his State of the State speech this week, Governor Abbott acknowledged the obvious : “Our rapidly growing state also needs an increasing supply of electric power.” The Governor didn’t specify what types of energy we need, though he did give an implicit nod to an all-of- the-above approach, including renewables and storage: “We now provide more power than ever before. In the last four years, we increased power by 35%. As a result, Texas ranks No. 1 for electric power generation.” The fact check...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.texasenergyandpower.com In this episode of the Energy Capital Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Jimmy Glotfelty , commissioner at the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) from the summer of 2021 through the end of 2024. With decades of experience across the private and public sectors, Jimmy is the rare person who brings both a developer and a regulator’s perspecti…...
In this episode of the Energy Capital Podcast, I spoke with Congressman Greg Casar about some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing Texas’ energy system. From addressing worker protections during extreme weather to rethinking Texas’ grid structure, our conversation explored a range of ideas championed by the Congressman, including * The Connect the Grid Act: Casar introduced the bill on the three year anniversary of Winter Storm Uri. The bill aims to improve grid reliability b...
In this episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Governor Rick Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas history and former U.S. Secretary of Energy. Governor Perry has played a pivotal role in shaping Texas’ energy mix and fostering innovation, and he shared his views both on the current state and on the future of energy. We explored his energy legacy, including the deregulated electric market, Texas’ leadership in wind and solar power, and the critical need for an “all-of-the-above...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.texasenergyandpower.com In this episode of the Energy Capital Podcast, host Doug Lewin speaks with Mary Powell, CEO of Sunrun, about the evolving landscape of solar energy in Texas. They discuss the significant growth of solar and storage solutions, the impact of customer-led initiatives, and the importance of energy independence. Powell shares insights on the benefits of solar for both individual customers and the broader grid, a...
This week’s episode is a bit different. I’m not hosting the podcast — I’m the guest. During the Texas Energy Summit, former Public Utility Commission Chair Becky Klein turned the tables and interviewed me live, right after a panel of legislators and a keynote from current PUC Chair Thomas Gleeson . In this fast-paced conversation, Becky and I covered a wide range of energy topics, including grid reliability, distributed energy resources , and the untapped potential of energy efficiency. We also ...
This episode was recorded just three days after the U.S. presidential election. My guest, UT Law Professor David Spence, recently published an exceptional book Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the U.S. Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship . I believe this book is perfect for this moment and one of the best I’ve read on climate policy—and I read a lot on climate policy. David and I dove into the roots and contributors of America’s current partisan and ideological divides which have grown r...
My guest this week is Ram Narayanamurthy, the Deputy Director of the Building Technologies Office at the Department of Energy (DOE) for the last two years. Before joining DOE, he led the buildings program at the Electric Power Research Institute, or EPRI, for a decade. He has 27 patents to his name and has worked extensively with builders, developers, and utilities to scale new technologies that can increase grid reliability, reduce emissions, improve human health, and lower costs. I spoke to Ra...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.texasenergyandpower.com Texas is number one in the United States for many energy-related achievements: wind and solar generation, oil and gas production. But Texas is also the number one state for weather related outages, with nearly 50% more outages over the last 25 years than California. Just within the last four years Texans experienced Winter Storm Uri (2021), an ice storm in Central Texas (2023), and a derecho and Hurricane B...
When Hurricane Beryl hit, residents all across Harris County, from every economic status, educational attainment, and racial and ethnic background lost power. But even as the storm destabilized life for almost everyone in the region, the impacts of the storm — and the safety and wellbeing of Houstonians during and after it — have not impacted everyone the same. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The inequities in our disaster response – and our efforts to make communities and infrastructure mor...
Today's episode is a special one: an interview with Thomas Gleeson, the Chairman of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas, recorded live on September 20th at the SPEER Industry and Policy Workshop. The PUC oversees ERCOT and the transmission grid, fully regulates the monopoly transmission distribution utilities, and has power and authority over just about every part of the power grid. Chairman Gleeson was appointed Chairman in January; before that, he worked at the PUC for over 15 years, ...
Today's episode is a special recording of my live interview on September 6th in Austin with Jigar Shah, Director of the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO). Previous to LPO, Jigar founded SunEdison and served as president of Generate Capital. He also wrote a book called “Climate Wealth: Unlocking the Impact Economy,” and many of the book’s themes come up in this interview. Jigar also previously hosted the Energy Gang Podcast, which I learned a lot from, and recommend to folks to th...
There aren't many grid strategies that increase reliability, resiliency, affordability, and sustainability. While many strategies may address one or two of these factors – perhaps even three – distributed energy resources uniquely check all four boxes . After Hurricane Beryl, Texans, including policymakers, were left questioning how such a disaster could happen again, especially so soon after Winter Storm Uri. The pain, suffering, and even loss of life were profound and, tragically, avoidable. M...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.texasenergyandpower.com What steps do we need to take in Texas to foster growth in this important emerging market? To explore this question, there's no one better than John Berger, founder and CEO of Sunnova Energy. Headquartered in Houston, Sunnova is a leader in residential solar, battery storage and energy management technologies across the US John has been in the industry for about 30 years now, and he understands the value pr...
I spoke with Jeff Goodell, the bestselling author of The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet , on the dangers of heat waves, especially when in combination with other natural disasters. Timestamps 4:12 - Physiological impacts of heat and how to stay safe 9:13 - Scale of heat-related deaths and illness 12:28 - What is a Hurricane Katrina of heat and how is heat a threat multiplier 17:58 - Resilience solutions for heat and extreme weather 23:52 - Maintaining hope in the f...
In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, after millions of Houstonians lost power and at least 36 people died, many of them because they didn’t have AC in the heat following the storm, Texans were once again left with many of the same questions we’ve been asking for the past decade. How do we make sure that the power stays on when a storm hits or disaster strikes? How can our state, rich in all its energy resources, have its electric grid so badly pummeled by a Category 1 storm? When we are faced with th...
During Winter Storm Heather this past year, battery storage reduced power costs in Texas by $750 million. This finding was only one of many in a report released by Aurora Energy Research this May, “ The Role of Battery Energy Storage Systems in the ERCOT Market .” The report is one of the most in-depth analyses to date on the impact of battery storage, which has grown exponentially in Texas over the past decade, even surpassing growth in markets with major battery subsidies. In today’s episode, ...
Hala Ballouz, CEO of Electric Power Engineers, discusses the profound shifts occurring in the energy grid, particularly in ERCOT. She highlights the unprecedented load growth from data centers and the dynamic nature of demand. The conversation emphasizes the need for holistic planning, integrated distribution and transmission solutions, and regulatory innovation to incorporate distributed energy resources and grid-edge technologies for a resilient, affordable, and carbon-free future. Ballouz also stresses the importance of stakeholder engagement and redefining reliability in a world of increasing electrification.
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.texasenergyandpower.com Hi All: We initially distributed this episode on Wednesday. Unfortunately, due to technical issues with Substack, some of our subscribers did not receive it. If you've already downloaded the episode, there's no need to do so again. For those who have yet to receive it, we apologize for the delay and hope you enjoy the episode. To understand what's happening, you have to know how you got there. You need a se...
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.texasenergyandpower.com To understand what's happening, you have to know how you got there. You need a sense of the history. That's one of the reasons I've enjoyed interviewing past Commissioners and Chairs of the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC). At the Texas Power Podcast , I interviewed Pat Wood and Barry Smitherman , both former PUC Chairs. Here at Energy Capital, the very first episode I hosted Commissioner Will McAdams ...
In April, ERCOT's Regional Planning Group published projections that ERCOT's electricity demand may double by 2030 compared to 2021. Initially anticipating a peak demand of about 90 gigawatts by the end of the decade, ERCOT now expects a staggering 152 gigawatts, up from approximately 75 gigawatts at the beginning of the decade. This would mark the largest growth rate in the decade since the post-World War II era. There are many factors driving the surge, but one of the most significant is the r...
As Texas navigates an era of rapidly rising energy demand, the quest for clean, reliable, and affordable energy sources becomes increasingly critical. Among the many options, there's one resource that hasn't received nearly enough attention: geothermal energy, specifically enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). EGS differs from conventional geothermal energy, which relies on specific geographic conditions found in places like Kenya, Iceland, or the Western United States. Instead, EGS creates permeab...
One of the hardest things about energy efficiency is measuring it. It's difficult to do, but with increasingly sophisticated software platforms, it's getting easier and more precise. As homes and buildings begin to use more electricity for things like heat pumps and electric vehicles, and as solar and wind power continue to grow, there will be many times a day and most times of the year when it will actually be energy efficient to use more electricity . But at certain times and places, we'll nee...
