The Clean Energy Edge

Episode 86: The Energy Risk Most Business Leaders Aren't Seeing

Electricity is no longer just a utility expense—it's becoming a strategic business issue. As AI, data centers, electrification, and rising electricity demand place increasing pressure on the grid, organizations face growing risks related to reliability, resilience, and energy costs. Yet many business leaders still aren't thinking about energy strategically. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates sits down with Elena Yearly, CEO of EMY Consulting and author of You Can Do This: Enterprise Risk Management Made Simple, to discuss why energy is becoming a major business risk and what leaders should be doing about it. We discuss: ⚡ Why energy is increasingly becoming a strategic business issue ⚡ How AI and electrification are reshaping energy demand ⚡ Grid strain, reliability concerns, and operational risk ⚡ The financial impact of outages and energy uncertainty ⚡ Why resilience and predictability matter to the bottom line ⚡ How executives and CFOs should think about energy planning Whether you're a business owner, executive, facility manager, investor, or energy professional, this conversation offers practical insights into the changing energy landscape and why energy strategy is quickly becoming business strategy.   Connect with Elena Yearly: Website: emyconsulting.biz LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elenayearly   #CleanEnergy #EnergyStrategy #GridReliability #BusinessRisk #EnergyManagement #AI #DataCenters #Electrification #BusinessLeadership #EnergyTransition

Episode 85: America's Power Problem Is About to Get Worse

Electricity demand is rising faster than it has in decades. AI data centers are consuming enormous amounts of power. Manufacturing is returning to the United States. Electric vehicles are growing. Utilities are warning about future capacity challenges. So why are critical energy projects being delayed, canceled, or slowed down? In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ examines the growing disconnect between America's rising electricity needs and the policies, permitting delays, and project cancellations that are slowing the deployment of new energy infrastructure. Topics include: • AI and data center electricity demand • Rising electricity consumption across the U.S. • Offshore wind project cancellations and delays • Congressional scrutiny of federal energy permitting • Grid reliability and future power needs • Why utilities are warning about generation shortages • The role of clean energy, storage, and transmission expansion This isn't a debate about politics. It's a conversation about whether America is building enough energy infrastructure to support the future economy. #Energy #Electricity #PowerGrid #AI #DataCenters #CleanEnergy #Infrastructure #Utilities #BatteryStorage #EnergyPolicy #RenewableEnergy #GridReliability

Episode 84 : Solar Can Be Built 4X Faster? Here’s How

The biggest challenge in solar today isn’t demand—it’s speed. Projects are taking too long to deploy, and that’s becoming a major bottleneck as electricity demand continues to rise from AI, data centers, electrification, and more. So what if there was a way to build solar faster… without sacrificing quality? In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates sits down with David Griffin, CEO of 5B, to break down how their modular solar technology is changing the way projects are deployed. We cover: -Why traditional solar construction is too slow -How 5B’s Maverick system enables rapid deployment -The impact on labor, cost, and scalability -Why speed is becoming one of the most important factors in energy This is a practical, real-world conversation about how we scale clean energy faster. Learn more at 5b.co or email NXTGEN: info@nxtgencleanenergy.com [info@nxtgencleanenergy.com]

Episode 83: AI Is About to Change the Power Grid Forever

Artificial Intelligence is driving one of the biggest increases in electricity demand in modern history, and most people have no idea what’s coming. As AI data centers multiply across the United States, utilities are being forced to rethink how they generate, deliver, and prioritize power. In Nevada, a growing dispute involving utility service and rapidly expanding data center demand is raising questions about what happens when electricity demand grows faster than the grid can keep up. Could AI eventually compete with communities for electricity capacity? Is America prepared for the massive power needs of AI, electric vehicles, domestic manufacturing, and an increasingly electrified economy? In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ breaks down: • Why AI data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity • What’s happening in Nevada and why it matters • How growing power demand is changing utility planning • Why the U.S. grid may not be ready for what’s coming • The role of solar, battery storage, transmission, and grid modernization • What this means for electricity prices, reliability, and the future of energy The future economy runs on electricity. The question is whether we can build enough of it. #AI #DataCenters #Electricity #PowerGrid #Energy #CleanEnergy #ArtificialIntelligence #Utilities #BatteryStorage #GridModernization #Infrastructure #Technology

Episode 82: Every Electron Counts

Electricity demand is surging from AI, data centers, electrification, and aging infrastructure — yet many renewable energy assets are still underperforming and leaving valuable power on the table. In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates sits down with Gareth Brown of Clir Renewables to discuss why “every electron counts” in today’s energy environment and how AI, analytics, and asset optimization are becoming critical to the future of renewable energy, grid reliability, and business resilience. We discuss: * Why underperforming renewable assets are costing the industry money * How AI and data analytics are transforming clean energy operations * Grid strain, rising electricity demand, and the coming energy crunch * Why energy optimization is now a business and infrastructure issue * The role of battery storage, solar, wind, and predictive maintenance * Why businesses and utilities can no longer afford wasted power As electricity demand accelerates worldwide, the ability to maximize every available electron may become one of the most important challenges facing the energy sector. Learn more about Clir Renewables: clir.eco