In this special valentine to the electric grid, Electrify This! host Sara Baldwin speaks with grid expert, Ric O’Connell of GridLab, about a topic front of mind for more people, utilities, and policymakers around the world: grid reliability. Demand for electricity is on the rise after decades of relatively flat load growth as more end-uses seek to connect to the grid. Simultaneously, the grid’s portfolio is diversifying as more utilities and states integrate more renewable energy, energy storage, and other clean energy technologies in the race to reduce climate emissions and stabilize the climate. While this transition has been underway for some time, converging factors are impacting the grid and uncertainty looms on the horizon. In this episode, we explore the myriad issues facing the grid and what policies and practices are needed to build a resilient, reliable, affordable clean grid to power the future.

About the guest:

Ric O’Connell is the founding executive director of GridLab, where he leads a team of experts to provide comprehensive technical grid expertise to policy makers and advocates. A recognized leader in renewable energy technology and policy, Ric has provided engineering support for more than 8 GW of utility scale solar projects worldwide. Ric also served as a consultant with Black & Veatch for 12 years where helped build a global renewable energy consulting practice and led numerous high-impact policy studies. Ric has a BSEE from Duke University and a Master’s in Renewable Energy Policy from CU Boulder.

Electrifying News:

• 2025 Renewable Energy Outlook: Full speed ahead as second Trump administration begins(Utility Dive, January 21, 2025)
• Uncertainty over Trump’s electric vehicle policies clouds 2025 forecast for carmakers (AP News, January 9, 2025)
• U.S. solar cell production resumes for first time since 2019, as solar module manufacturing sets record in Q3 (Wood McKenzie and Solar Energy Industries Association, December 2024)

To dig in deeper, check out these must-read resources:

• Grid Lab – website : https://gridlab.org
• Surplus Interconnection Policy Explainer (Grid Lab)
• The Future of Operational Grid Reliability Can Be Bright with Clean Energy (Energy Innovation, Real Talk on Reliability Series)
• Explained: Fundamentals of Power Grid Reliability and Clean Electricity (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
• Meeting Growing Electricity Demand Without Gas (Energy Innovation)
• What’s the impact of artificial intelligence on energy demand? (Hannah Ritchie, Sustainability by Numbers, November 2024)
• AI and energy: The big picture (Ben Levitt, S&P Global, December 2024)

Did you know that nearly a third of households in the U.S. face an uphill climb to drive and benefit from an EV simply because they live in multifamily housing? This is not only a climate and public health issue, but also an equity issue. Research shows that access to reliable, convenient, and affordable EV charging is one of the biggest factors for consumers considering owning or leasing an EV. But are the public charging networks sufficient to meet the need for those without at-home charging? How do different cities stack up when it comes to public charging? And what actions should policymakers take to ensure a smooth road ahead? In this episode of Electrify This! host Sara Baldwin speaks with Ingrid Malmgren, Senior Director of Policy with Plug in America, to discuss the state of EV charging for people living in multifamily housing, key findings from new Energy Innovation research, and innovative approaches states and cities are taking to solving the EV charging gap. Tune in today to learn more!

Guest Bio:

Ingrid has over a decade of experience advancing sustainable energy and transportation electrification through research, utility regulatory proceedings, and legislative advocacy. She began to focus on EVs in 2015, working to demonstrate the benefits of EVs to consumers, the economy, the environment, and the electric grid. Before joining Plug In America, she worked as a senior analyst at Cadmus Group, a lobbyist in the Vermont Statehouse, and a transportation policy manager at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation.

Electrifying News:

• NYC looks to kick its curbside EV-charging plans into second gear (Canary Media), 09/09/24
• Demand flexibility programs ‘need to evolve’ as utilities shift to winter peaking: LBNL report (Utility Dive), 10/09/24
• Decarbonize Your Life (Heatmap News), 09/23/24
• Major Ohio cities aim to cut building emissions with voluntary program (Canary Media), 09/18/24

To dig in deeper, check out these must-read resources:

• The State of Electric Vehicle Charging for Multifamily Housing (Energy Innovation), October 2024
• The Home Charging Experience (Plug In America), January 2024
• EV Building Codes Toolkit (Plug in America)
• 2024 EV Driver Survey (Plug In America)
• The Public Charging Experience (Plug In America), May 2024
• U.S. Department of Transportation, Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Recipients
• The 2030 National Charging Network: Estimating U.S. Light-Duty Demand for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (NREL), June 2023
• U.S. Department of Energy, Tax Credits for EVs and Charging Infrastructure

In the last installment of our three-part series on industrial decarbonization, we explore industrial sector decarbonization and the role electrification can play in achieving net zero goals for a stable climate. Host Sara Baldwin speaks with Blaine Collison of the Renewable Thermal Collaborative about the barriers to electrifying industrial heat processes in the U.S., and the policy, regulatory, and market changes that could put the country on track to electrify more industries.

Guest Bio:
Blaine Collison is the Executive Director of the Renewable Thermal Collaborative and the Senior Vice President at David Gardiner and Associates, where he helps companies and institutions advance renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change initiatives, including industrial decarbonization. Previously he served as the managing director of marketing and partnerships at Altenex, an Edison Energy company, where he led the development of corporate sustainability services, communications, and strategic partnerships. He also served 17 years with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, with multiple roles in the Energy Star program and a decade leading the Green Power Partnership.

Electrifying News:

• The Race to Decarbonize Heavy Industry Heats Up (Inside Climate News, May 2024)
• Massachusetts kicks off first pilot to shift gas utilities to clean heat (Canary Media, June 2024)
• How heat pumps can turn wasted energy into low-carbon whisky (Canary Media, June 2024)

To dig in deeper, check out these must-read resources:

• Electrification Action Plan (Renewable Thermal Collaborative, 2024)
• Renewable Thermal Collaborative
• RTC Summit (Sept 30-Oct 1, 2024)