The American grid faces a triple threat: climate disasters, explosive AI data center growth, and mass electrification. Paul Gerke, Content Director for Renewables at Clarion Events and host of Factor This podcast, breaks down how batteries, microgrids, and smart grid technology provide the path forward for grid resilience and reliability.

Paul leads content strategy for Factor This, the rebranded home of three legacy energy publications: Renewable Energy World, Power Grid International, and Hydro Review. He covers utility innovation, grid modernization, and clean energy deployment through both written journalism and weekly podcasting.

Key Discussion Points:

• The three forces stressing the grid: climate shocks, electrification of everything, and AI data centers driving 30-fold load growth
• Why the regulated utility monopoly model must transform to meet modern challenges
• How microgrids and battery storage deliver critical resilience during extreme weather events
• Texas ERCOT success story: 50% clean-powered, handling record heat without blackouts
• Air conditioning will drive more load growth than data centers over the next 30 years
• Blue Oval Initiative: Ford is building 120 GWh of domestic battery manufacturing capacity
• State-level leadership: California, New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts are driving grid innovation
• Clean energy economics: 90% of new generation is renewables, winning on cost without subsidies
• Political power gap: Clean energy invests 1/20th of what fossil fuels spend on political influence

The grid transformation is already underway. Utilities that break down silos and adopt batteries, microgrids, and smart technology will lead. Those that resist will fall behind as extreme weather, soaring demand, and economic reality force change.

You can find Paul Gerke here.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrgerke/

Factor This B2: https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/podcasts/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB8XYCq2Wah9nfI7olK6If7DPUZADfYnZ

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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

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

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

#Ep313

Grid modernization is accelerating across America. In Q2 2025 alone, 48 states plus DC and Puerto Rico took 468 actions to modernize their grids through energy storage, microgrids, and virtual power plants. This shift is reshaping how utilities deliver reliable, resilient power.

Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague speaks with Vincent Potter, Policy Project Manager at NC State Clean Energy Technology Center, about the latest 50 States of Grid Modernization report. Potter tracks policy developments across all 50 states every quarter, providing unmatched insight into how states are transforming their grids from centralized, one-way systems into decentralized, interactive networks that integrate distributed energy resources.

Key Highlights:

• 41 states took action on energy storage in Q2 2025, making battery deployment a nationwide priority
• Self-healing grid technology is now deployed in major population centers, allowing utilities to reroute power around failed transformers
• Virtual power plants are emerging as non-wires alternatives that reduce utility capital investments
• Performance-based regulation is shifting utilities from guaranteed returns to outcome-driven compensation
• Microgrids are moving from niche pilots to mainstream resilience tools in Hawaii, Oregon, Texas, and West Virginia
• Time-of-use rates and advanced metering infrastructure are enabling smarter energy consumption patterns
• Equity and environmental justice are being incorporated into resilience planning in states like Maryland, New York and Illinois

The grid is evolving faster than most people realize. To stay informed about clean energy policy and technology, subscribe to the Clean Power Hour and visit cleanpowerhour.com for more resources.

Connect with Vincent Potter

Vincent Potter
NC State Clean Energy Technology Center

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Connect with Tim

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

Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

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

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

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

Most solar installers miss the biggest opportunity in clean energy today.

Jay Marhoefer started Intelligent Generation in 2009, six years before the market was ready. Today, his company delivers 3-6x higher ROI for commercial solar projects by stacking revenue streams from batteries. This episode reveals how the "Earn, Save, Protect" model works in PJM markets, where capacity charges alone can cost customers $100,000 per megawatt annually.

Key Discussion Points:

• The value stack explained: earning from grid services (like frequency regulation), saving on capacity charges (up to 50% of C&I bills), and protecting operations with backup power
• 5CP strategy: how predicting five coincident peaks saves industrial customers hundreds of thousands per year
• Battery economics shifting: 4-hour systems now at $200/kWh, 8-hour systems approaching $100/kWh (the natural gas replacement threshold)
• Data centers driving massive grid growth: 26 gigawatts requested in ComEd territory versus 20 gigawatt peak load
• AI optimization: using machine learning to extract maximum value from distributed battery fleets
• Technology comparison: lithium iron phosphate dominates today, but flow batteries and sodium offer specialized advantages for grid applications
• Geographic expansion: Intelligent Generation moving from Illinois throughout 13-state PJM territory

Jay shares lessons from 15 years building the company, including early pilot projects, frequency regulation markets, and partnerships with Continental Energy Solutions and G&W Electric. Learn why batteries paired with solar create compelling economics even without incentives.

Connect with Jay Marhoefer, Intel Gen

Jay Marhoefer LinkedIn

Intelligent Generation Website

Support the show

Connect with Tim

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

Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

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

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

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