Community for Sustainable Energy, www.cforse.org, is a Fort Collins, CO based grassroots campaign to raise awareness of energy issues in Colorado and organize public support for sustainable energy policies and practices. We are hiring for: entry level positions with our canvassing team, digital media manager, and heir apparent. cforse.fred@gmail.com
You have often bemoaned our local utility Seattle City Light. Do you have specific improvements that they could make? Do you know of any groups working to put pressure on them to that end? Now that Katie Wilson is mayor will you use the political capital you got from bringing her on got you to ask for anything?
Dave, who is developing the standards for home appliances (solar, batteries, heat pumps, HPWHs, EV chargers, etc) to communicated back and forth with the utilities, and where is everyone at with the implementation?
I may have asked this on an outdated thread, so I'm trying again...
In order to help me understand the role of aggregators with regard to DERs, it would help to understand how two of your recent guests' companies, Piclo and Octopus/Kraken, would overlap. They are approaching the issue differently, but what I wonder is whether they are simply two different solutions to the same problem or whether they are they complimentary?
Also, I was just reading about Mazama Energy's new geothermal project at the Newberry volcano in Oregon. If I could nominate a potential future guest, my pick would be Mazama Energy.
(2) Climate Collective San Diego which manages the above calendar also organizes regular happy hours and panels, join us at our next one on 11/19 at Moniker General. Subscribe to the calendar to keep an eye out for future ones and other events.
Invitation to anyone in Wisconsin who knows youth anywhere from 8th grade through college: this Saturday (11/22) is the annual Wisconsin Youth Climate Conference! It's happening in Madison at Madison College from 10-4, is completely free, and is a great opportunity for youth to meet up, share stories, learn, and be inspired. More info: https://www.theconnectiondane.org/2025youthclimateconference I can highly recommend it!
I remember listening to the first episode of volts as I waiting in line for a COVID test at one of NYCs mass test sites. Dave was talking all about Joe Manchin 🤦♂️. It’s crazy to think how bad things were then, how much has gotten better, and how much things have gotten worse. Through it all Volts has been a delightful listen to help keep me sane and hopeful yet not pollyannish. Here’s to another 5 years 🥂
I hope folks involved in policy are reading the memo of self-examination and self-critique from some of the Biden energy team. In particular they ask themselves why it took so long to get "steel in the ground," and do a decent job of answering it. Some of it is very fed-centric, but a lot applies to all policy and programs.
A fair bit on one of my peeves, echoed by some nearby implementors and deployers, trying to make energy policy into everything policy. "(e.g., impractical BABA requirements for every component; labor union requirements for transmission projects where union labor didn’t exist). 'DOE tried to solve structural inequality via grid infrastructure, which was an unrealistic goal.'"
Maybe an interview with one/some of the authors.
Right now there is a push even in blue states and cities to pull back from aggressive building efficiency and electrification. Seems like it's being led by "moderate" Dems who fear "affordability" propaganda's effects on "swing" voters. I've read about NY and Mass.
I wonder if Portland has actually been getting that money out the door to good projects and if it's good at publicizing what it does with it. Seems like a lot for a small city.
Bill Althouse has 40+ years experience as a renewable energy engineer and advocate for democratizing the energy space. He is currently intervening in a Colorado Public Utilities case for the fair compensation of DER owners on Xcel's grid. Xcel wants to add $30 billion in G&T assets to ratepayer's bills. Bill is arguing that Prosumers can fill the need without raising costs to consumers at all.
He has worked with one of your past guests, Lorenzo Kristov, to make Colorado's DER/VPP policies some of the most progressive in the country, securing a legal definition for "Prosumer".
He recently won a grant from Slate Auto for 1,000 V2G trucks to be deployed, for free, to income qualified participants who can leverage arbitrage for two years, and then get to keep the truck... for free! This project demonstrates the potential of V2G to democratize the grid and support disadvantaged communities.
Oh, and he is working with Green Tech Auto to lease 1,000 refurbished Nissan Leafs to be deployed where V2G can provide the most grid benefit, with an eye towards powering local grids during blackouts. In some parts of CO regional transmission is shut off during wildfire risk events. The Leafs can drive past the vacant wires to plug in to disconnected communities.
Conversations with Bill cover topics from personal energy property rights, to ancillary services, to the artisanal strawberries he grows on the hemp farm. He does require some conversation corralling, and his knowledge can leave the layman in the dust, which why I think David is the perfect host to amplify Bill's amazing work and ideas.
Is there an alternative to listening on the substack app or website? I have the worst experience using the app and the website also doesn’t save my place and isn’t convenient. Maybe I’m the sole idiot, but I have many times given up on an episode because I lost my place or tried to listen on the road — big mistake.
Well, thanks, but I mainly use YouTube music and it's not on there. I've tried other podcast apps on my Android phone, but they always throw in lots of ads.
--- CLIMATE JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES ---
Scale Microgrids is hiring! Reach out to me on LinkedIn if you're interested in a role:
Current list of open roles:
Pre-construction Manager - CA
Senior Scada Engineer - remote
DC - Senior Project Engineer - remote
DC - Senior Project Manager - remote
Product Engineering Manager - NYC/NJ
Project Manager - CA
Software Engineer - NYC
Contracts Manager - NJ
Project Analyst - NYC
Client Success Manager - NYC/NJ
Production Manager - OH
Site Manager - OH
My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonah-feld/
Community for Sustainable Energy, www.cforse.org, is a Fort Collins, CO based grassroots campaign to raise awareness of energy issues in Colorado and organize public support for sustainable energy policies and practices. We are hiring for: entry level positions with our canvassing team, digital media manager, and heir apparent. cforse.fred@gmail.com
--- QUESTIONS ---
So in this big wide wonderful world, where does a guy go to buy his TEAM ELECTRON T-shirt, bumper sticker, and/or window sticker?
I need me some of them.
We've considered it but merch and decarbonization aren't exactly complimentary. Maybe someday!
You have often bemoaned our local utility Seattle City Light. Do you have specific improvements that they could make? Do you know of any groups working to put pressure on them to that end? Now that Katie Wilson is mayor will you use the political capital you got from bringing her on got you to ask for anything?
Dave, who is developing the standards for home appliances (solar, batteries, heat pumps, HPWHs, EV chargers, etc) to communicated back and forth with the utilities, and where is everyone at with the implementation?
I may have asked this on an outdated thread, so I'm trying again...
In order to help me understand the role of aggregators with regard to DERs, it would help to understand how two of your recent guests' companies, Piclo and Octopus/Kraken, would overlap. They are approaching the issue differently, but what I wonder is whether they are simply two different solutions to the same problem or whether they are they complimentary?
Also, I was just reading about Mazama Energy's new geothermal project at the Newberry volcano in Oregon. If I could nominate a potential future guest, my pick would be Mazama Energy.
--- CLIMATE EVENTS & MEETUPS ---
Attention San Diegans:
(1) I help run the San Diego Climate Events Tracker which includes tons of local meetups, panels, workshops, etc to help you connect on work, policy, etc. https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=c_5b0280bb86b4f152d9e288c653972bc2684f58160b3bc202f85b29de0365f846%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FLos_Angeles
(2) Climate Collective San Diego which manages the above calendar also organizes regular happy hours and panels, join us at our next one on 11/19 at Moniker General. Subscribe to the calendar to keep an eye out for future ones and other events.
https://luma.com/kth9bbmp
Invitation to anyone in Wisconsin who knows youth anywhere from 8th grade through college: this Saturday (11/22) is the annual Wisconsin Youth Climate Conference! It's happening in Madison at Madison College from 10-4, is completely free, and is a great opportunity for youth to meet up, share stories, learn, and be inspired. More info: https://www.theconnectiondane.org/2025youthclimateconference I can highly recommend it!
--- EVERYTHING ELSE ---
I remember listening to the first episode of volts as I waiting in line for a COVID test at one of NYCs mass test sites. Dave was talking all about Joe Manchin 🤦♂️. It’s crazy to think how bad things were then, how much has gotten better, and how much things have gotten worse. Through it all Volts has been a delightful listen to help keep me sane and hopeful yet not pollyannish. Here’s to another 5 years 🥂
I hope folks involved in policy are reading the memo of self-examination and self-critique from some of the Biden energy team. In particular they ask themselves why it took so long to get "steel in the ground," and do a decent job of answering it. Some of it is very fed-centric, but a lot applies to all policy and programs.
https://energyimplementation.github.io/
A fair bit on one of my peeves, echoed by some nearby implementors and deployers, trying to make energy policy into everything policy. "(e.g., impractical BABA requirements for every component; labor union requirements for transmission projects where union labor didn’t exist). 'DOE tried to solve structural inequality via grid infrastructure, which was an unrealistic goal.'"
Maybe an interview with one/some of the authors.
Right now there is a push even in blue states and cities to pull back from aggressive building efficiency and electrification. Seems like it's being led by "moderate" Dems who fear "affordability" propaganda's effects on "swing" voters. I've read about NY and Mass.
Maybe find some folks to speak to this. One place might be ACEEE. https://www.aceee.org/fact-sheet/2025/09/nahbs-fictitious-building-code-cost-claim
In other cases clean energy money is sought by more reactionary types:
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/11/13/portland-ballot-proposal-climate-police
I wonder if Portland has actually been getting that money out the door to good projects and if it's good at publicizing what it does with it. Seems like a lot for a small city.
Is this the spot for interview suggestions?
Bill Althouse has 40+ years experience as a renewable energy engineer and advocate for democratizing the energy space. He is currently intervening in a Colorado Public Utilities case for the fair compensation of DER owners on Xcel's grid. Xcel wants to add $30 billion in G&T assets to ratepayer's bills. Bill is arguing that Prosumers can fill the need without raising costs to consumers at all.
He has worked with one of your past guests, Lorenzo Kristov, to make Colorado's DER/VPP policies some of the most progressive in the country, securing a legal definition for "Prosumer".
He recently won a grant from Slate Auto for 1,000 V2G trucks to be deployed, for free, to income qualified participants who can leverage arbitrage for two years, and then get to keep the truck... for free! This project demonstrates the potential of V2G to democratize the grid and support disadvantaged communities.
Oh, and he is working with Green Tech Auto to lease 1,000 refurbished Nissan Leafs to be deployed where V2G can provide the most grid benefit, with an eye towards powering local grids during blackouts. In some parts of CO regional transmission is shut off during wildfire risk events. The Leafs can drive past the vacant wires to plug in to disconnected communities.
Conversations with Bill cover topics from personal energy property rights, to ancillary services, to the artisanal strawberries he grows on the hemp farm. He does require some conversation corralling, and his knowledge can leave the layman in the dust, which why I think David is the perfect host to amplify Bill's amazing work and ideas.
Thanks!
--- SHARE WORK, ASK FOR HELP, FIND COLLABORATORS ---
Is there an alternative to listening on the substack app or website? I have the worst experience using the app and the website also doesn’t save my place and isn’t convenient. Maybe I’m the sole idiot, but I have many times given up on an episode because I lost my place or tried to listen on the road — big mistake.
Hi Mark — Volts can be found on just about any podcast app there is… have you tried Spotify or Apple Podcasts?
Well, thanks, but I mainly use YouTube music and it's not on there. I've tried other podcast apps on my Android phone, but they always throw in lots of ads.
Oh, wait, I found it on YouTube! That will work.
For Richard T: What are the arguments against your defense of street facing panels?
Definitely like Jazz music! I tend to favor music from the soul and other music 🎶! Nat King Cole Miles Davis! Thank you !