GridPulse, a Grid Forward podcast

Energy affordability is a growing problem across the commercial, industrial, and residential sectors. In this episode, Christopher Knittel of MIT and Ryan Hledick of The Brattle Group turn to recent research to unpack the many factors pushing up electricity prices, including infrastructure replacement, climate change impact, fast-growing demand and evolving energy policies. They then lay out potential solutions using grid flexibility and energy pricing to help manage costs while advancing a reliable, capable grid. You won't find a better up-to-date explanation of the dynamic between energy affordability and grid modernization. Listen in!

Virtual power plants (VPPs) are entering a new phase. Utilities and regulators are moving beyond pilot programs and enrollment metrics toward dispatchable distributed capacity that can reliably support the grid. At the same time, new policy frameworks, funding mechanisms, and technology capabilities are accelerating deployment. In this episode, leaders from Tesla (Kevin Joyce), Virtual Peaker (Jeff Quigley) and Ohm Analytics (Madeline Turner) explore how DERs, and especially storage, are being deployed at scale to provide fast, flexible capacity. They discuss the way these systems are already reducing pressures on costs, improving reliability and helping utilities respond to quickly shifting conditions.

State energy offices have a delicate balancing act in leading policy, tracking market signals, and encouraging economic development. All that is harder now that load growth is accelerating. David Terry, the president of National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) , discusses trends within state energy offices to help get energy onto the grid quickly to grow the economy while meeting community concerns. David and Bryce discuss how new approaches such as grid enhancing technologies, automated load management and long-duration energy storage provide new pathways. Listen in to this insider perspective on how the state energy offices are learning more, planning better and adjusting to new federal energy priorities.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) draws on signature fundamental capabilities to advance scientific discovery, improve energy resiliency, and enhance national security. On this podcast episode, Laboratory Director Steven Ashby, Ph.D., discusses key drivers and challenges that are steering the lab’s important work regarding grid resiliency and affordability. Ashby also tells our listeners about the new Grid Storage Launchpad, a one-of-a-kind Department of Energy facility to develop and test novel battery concepts at scale in a safe environment. Of course, with all these emerging technologies, there are inherent risks—wildfires, and cyberattacks to name a few. Ashby discusses these risks and the ways PNNL is working together with the industry (including by leveraging novel AI capabilities) to quantify and combat problems that can be addressed by advancing the grid.

With consumer needs and capabilities rapidly evolving, many electric co-ops are quickly pushing grid advancements to meet current and future demands. On this podcast episode, Bryan Hannegan, president/CEO of Holy Cross Energy, and Mark Gabriel, president/CEO of United Power REC, discuss how they prioritize tasks as leaders of their respective utilities during a time of transition from a hub-and-spoke business model to one more like a distributed system operator. Hear how they are using battery storage, demand flexibility, satellite data, AI, drones and other new techniques to expand flexibility, improve service and keep costs down. With the energy landscape rapidly changing, Bryan and Mark are building cultures of innovation and creativity that attract new talent and provide a greater return of investment for all their members.

Even as energy rates have steadily risen, reliability has suffered in many parts of the country over the past five years. What is the new Congress prioritizing to help alleviate this challenge? For insights, we turned to U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R, N.D.), member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce who also served as past president of NARUC and Commissioner of the North Dakota PSC. Talking with Bryce Yonker, Rep. Fedorchak discusses the need to approach grid modernization with a healthy dose of common sense—don’t retire energy assets too early, look at the lowest cost solutions and ensure any incentives are directed toward those who really need them. The Congresswoman also discusses onshoring the production of grid components, updating the tax code, using a ’scalpel’ to reduce federal expenditures and how to meet energy needs driven by AI increased demands. Rep Fedorchak’s office has an open Request for Information (RFI) available for download requesting insights around the energy requirements from the expanding AI industry.

In this season-opener of “GridForward Forum,” we are joined by two special guests: Sean Kelly, co-founder & CEO at Amperon, and Xing Wang, global leader of grid modernization at AWS Energy and Utilities. The expansion of energy generation and transmission is a top priority for the grid landscape. Although artificial intelligence is largely driving the need for this growth, AI is also the tool that can be used to help solve many of the major energy challenges. Sean Kelly and Xing Wang discuss how AI is being used to improve forecasting despite weather extremes, streamline complex processes to shorten permitting time and interconnection queues, and provide predictive analytics and solutions for operators in real time. The era of AI on the grid is here. Grid Forward is hosting its main GridFWD event Oct 6-8 in Monterey focused on the role of AI for the grid. Hope to see anyone interested in and working on this area there with us. More information is at https://gridforward.org/conference/gridfwd-2025/

The recent U.S. election has raised a lot of questions about future directions for grid-related policies and programs. We reached out to people with a good view on the new administration for their perspectives. In this first special episode, Bryce chats with Kellie Donnelly, Executive Vice President & General Counsel of Lot Sixteen and a long time lead staff person for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and other Hill positions. They cover how an incoming Trump administration might shift energy policy, impact key federal agencies, and change national energy priorities. Bryce and Kellie also discuss how the Republican Congress may bring back the reconciliation process in a package bill, implications of the Congressional Review Act, and how grid innovation may be impacted under the returning administration.