clean grid

This is a critical moment in time for the energy transition. The U.S. Department of Energy will oversee ~$400 billion through the  Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to galvanize America's energy transition. So what are the questions that policymakers are asking right now? That’s a question Elena and Pete ask Mandy Mahoney, Principal and U.S. Program Director of the Regulatory Assistance Project. Mandy and her team serve as technical advisors to the DOE and policymakers around the country. 

Based in Atlanta, Mandy also recently ran for the Atlanta City Council as a climate change candidate and has served as the city of Atlanta’s first sustainability director across two administrations.

This episode covers:

1.44 - Mandy’s background as an environmental steward in the American South

7:55 - Experience as Atlanta City Council’s Climate Candidate 

13:00 - Overview of the Regulatory Assistance Project and U.S. focus areas

14:30 - Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and timing of funding

19:20 - Areas of the IRA that will require further clarification

26.00 - Recommended readings & resources 

The entire infrastructure of our economy depends on a reliable grid. And the work we are doing to decarbonize will only increase demands on the grid moving forward.

So, how do we look into the future? What are we doing to upgrade the grid? To make it stronger and more adaptable? 

And most importantly, how do we get solar and wind energy facilities connected to the grid in a timely manner?

Jay Caspary serves as Vice President at Grid Strategies, a power sector consulting firm based in Washington, DC. 

With 40 years’ experience in transmission planning and renewables integration, Jay provides policy makers, grid planners and utilities with the sound engineering analyses they need to transform our grid for the evolving resource mix.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, Jay joins Tim to discuss his top three priorities for building a more robust but clean grid, describing his vision for a national macrogrid that makes use of existing infrastructure and grid-enhancing technologies. 

Jay explains the benefits of high-voltage direct current systems, exploring why it makes sense to put HVDC infrastructure underground and why we’re slow to adopt the technology here in the US.

Listen in to understand what’s behind the moratorium on solar at PJM and learn what FERC is doing to reform the transmission planning process and accelerate the decarbonization of the grid.

Key Takeaways

Jay’s career in transmission planning and wind integration

Jay’s top 3 priorities for building a more robust but clean grid

1.     Shared vision of national macrogrid

2.     Take advantage of aging infrastructure

3.     Deploy grid-enhancing technologies

The goals of the DOE’s Building a Better Grid Initiative 

The benefits of high-voltage direct current systems

Why we’re slow to adopt HVDC here in the US

What’s behind the moratorium on solar at PJM

How FERC is reforming the transmission planning process

Why it makes sense to put HVDC infrastructure underground

Connect with Jay

Grid Strategies

Email jcaspary@gridstrategiesllc.com

Connect with Tim  

Clean Power Hour  

Connect with Tim

Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn

Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

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The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

California is leading the United States into the solar panel revolution. And spoilers: it’s actually quite boring. Or at least, that's what an OG environmentalist would say. 

This episode, Nature N8 walks us through the process of installing solar panels on his parents’ roof, in the Californian suburbs. He explains the financial magic of solar, compares it to industrial scale installments, and finds hope in how the once-radical technology has now become ordinary.

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EPISODE CREDIT | Nate Maynard (@N8May), host | Yu-Chen Lai (@aGuavaEmoji), producer | Emily Y. Wu (@emilyywu), executive producer | a Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme) | www.ghostisland.media

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