Batteries

Sooner than you think, electricity is going to be cheap, abundant, and boring

How batteries can enable big new loads like data centers to reduce electricity rates and increase grid reliability.

May 20 • David Roberts

1:44:04

Ruggedized solar power for the hard places

I chat with Lauren Flanagan about self-contained solar nanogrids in disaster areas & forward deployments.

Apr 10 • David Roberts

50:26

A Tesla vet tries to master the VPP market

Kunal Girotra and I explore the massive potential of combining plug-and-play home batteries with smart enterprise software to stabilize the grid

Mar 18 • David Roberts

1:16:32

Clean electrification is inevitable

Kingsmill Bond explains why the global march of "electrotech" has moved beyond the reach of US political interference.

Nov 21, 2025 • David Roberts

1:22:33

Are we finally getting 3D-printed batteries?

Sakuu's Karl Littau joins me to discuss how 3D-printing is poised to make battery manufacturing cheaper and more adaptable.

Sep 17, 2025 • David Roberts

54:19

How inverters can stabilize a renewables-heavy grid

Daniel Duckwitz and Catarina Augusto explain how we can run stable electricity grids on inverter-based clean energy resources.

Sep 5, 2025 • David Roberts

1:02:18

What's the deal with sodium-ion batteries?

Landon Mossburg on beating lithium-ion on cost and safety with a grid storage system that has no moving parts.

Sep 3, 2025 • David Roberts

1:18:32

What's going on with electric boats?

Arc CEO Mitch Lee on building electric vehicles for lake sports.

Jul 18, 2025 • David Roberts

1:02:19

Solar+storage is so much farther along than you think

On how plummeting battery prices make 24/7 solar power a reality today.

Jul 16, 2025 • David Roberts

1:05:02

What's the deal with pumped-hydro energy storage?

Can two artificial reservoirs and gravity compete with batteries? Erik Steimle makes the case for modern pumped-hydro storage.

Jan 22, 2025 • David Roberts

57:32

Should we put utilities in charge of distributed energy?

The grid needs to double in size - and the solution might be giving utilities control over DERs.

Dec 18, 2024 • David Roberts

1:53:26

A tool that enables solar-first home electrification

James Quazi of Balto Energy helps California homeowners navigate the complex puzzle of optimizing the mix of electrification, solar, and batteries for…

Sep 13, 2024 • David Roberts

50:35

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