Energy Gang

America needs more electricity, but building new power lines takes time. Some transmission projects in the US have taken more than 20 years to complete. Many others have been blocked completely. With power demand rising rapidly, driven by AI data centres, electrification and industrial growth, the pressure is on to find ways to make better use of the grid we already have. Could smarter technology unlock the capacity needed to keep the lights on and energy bills under control?
In the second of two special episodes of the Energy Gang recorded at the ACORE Grid Forum in Washington, DC, host Ed Crooks explores the technologies that could help America's electricity system meet growing demand without waiting years for new infrastructure to be built.
Ed is joined first by Georg Rute, chief executive of Gridraven, a company developing grid-enhancing technologies that use advanced weather forecasting to increase the amount of electricity that existing transmission lines can carry. Georg explains how dynamic line ratings can unlock additional capacity by accounting for changing weather conditions, allowing utilities to move more power through their networks without adding new infrastructure. He discusses why adoption may have seemed slow so far, and argues that the technology is just beginning to take off.
Next Jeff Bladen, head of energy at data centre developer Verrus, explores how the sites that are a big part of the growing strain on the grid can also be part of the solution. He explains how integrating large-scale battery storage into data centres can allow them to reduce their demand on the grid during periods of peak stress, without interrupting computing operations. The conversation examines whether flexible data centres could connect to the grid more quickly, and why “islanded” off-grid power systems represent a missed opportunity.
Then Ed speaks to Carla Pinzón, founder and chief executive of Expand Power Technologies, about the potential of solid-state transformers to modernise the electricity system. Traditional transformers have changed little in more than a century, and growing demand has pushed equipment lead times to several years. Carla explains how new semiconductor-based technology could provide a smaller, more flexible alternative, capable of managing both AC and DC electricity and supporting solar power, batteries and data centres.
Finally, Ed is joined by Ray Long, president and chief executive of ACORE, to reflect on the key themes emerging from the Grid Forum and the policy decisions that could shape the future of American energy. Ray discusses the prospects for bipartisan permitting reform, which could significantly reduce the time needed to approve new transmission and generation projects. He also explores how political uncertainty has affected investment in renewable energy, why long-term policy stability matters to developers and investors, and what the industry needs to do to rebuild public confidence in the affordability and reliability of clean energy.
Across the conversations, a common message emerges: America cannot rely on building new infrastructure alone to meet its electricity needs. Making better use of existing grid capacity, introducing more flexibility into electricity demand and accelerating the adoption of new technologies will all be essential.
This is the second of two special episodes of The Energy Gang recorded at the ACORE Grid Forum (2026) in Washington, DC, exploring the strategies, policies and technologies shaping the future of America's electricity grid.
This episode is brought to you by ACORE, the leading nonprofit organization uniquely operating at the intersection of energy affordability, reliability, and clean energy deployment. ACORE is focused on stabilizing energy prices, strengthening the electric grid, and driving investment in cost-effective technologies to ensure that clean energy delivers for people, businesses, and the U.S. economy.
Visit www.acore.org to learn more about ACORE's work and upcoming events, like the ACORE Policy Forum on February 24-25 in Washington, D.C.
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Americas needs more electricity, and fast. Data centres for AI, and new factories for computer chips and batteries, are driving up demand for electricity, putting mounting pressure on a power grid that has already been struggling. Across different industrial sectors, and different parts of the political spectrum, there is a broad agreement that new transmission infrastructure is urgently needed. But despite that support, getting new power lines built remains a major challenge. In the first of two special episodes of The Energy Gang recorded at the ACORE Grid Forum in Washington, DC, host Ed Crooks asks what is holding back investment in the grid, and what can be done to speed it up.
The Grid Forum brings together industry leaders, politicians and policy experts to discuss the future of the American electricity system. This year the hot topics were lengthy permitting processes, uncertain project costs, and market rules that are no longer fit for purpose at a time when there is a demand for new generation to be connected to the grid as rapidly as possible.
Ed is joined first by Madeline Gould Laughlin, director of regulatory affairs at Grid United, which is developing long-distance transmission projects to connect different regions of the US. Madeline explains why she thinks grid operators need to do more to recognize the reliability benefits of inter-regional transmission, giving utilities stronger incentives to invest in new connections.
Next Jenny Chen, a principal at the Regulatory Assistance Project, explores how changes to financing and regulation could encourage investment. She discusses the cap-and-floor model for funding transmission that is used in Great Britain: it combines revenue certainty for developers with incentives to make transmission projects commercially successful. Could a similar approach work in the US, where different states, regulators and grid operators often struggle to agree on who should pay for new infrastructure?
The conversation also turns to the growing backlog of energy projects waiting to connect to the grid. Adam Stern, director of market policy at independent power producer Clearway Energy, explains how uncertain connection costs and lengthy interconnection queues are preventing new electricity supply from coming online. He highlights reforms being introduced by Southwest Power Pool that could provide developers with greater cost certainty, and could provide a model for other grid operators to follow.
Finally, Ed speaks to Colin Meehan, vice president for grid campaigns at ACORE, about the policy changes needed to accelerate grid expansion. Colin argues that stronger connections between regional electricity systems could improve reliability, unlock access to lower-cost power and help keep consumer bills down. The discussion examines the potential impact of bipartisan permitting reform in Washington, and why work at the state and regional levels will remain essential regardless of what happens at the federal level.
Across the conversations, a common challenge emerges: the investment opportunities to expand grid capacity are real, but regulatory barriers, financing challenges and slow development processes continue to hold projects back. For the energy industry, the question is how to turn the general agreement on the need for a stronger grid into the action required to build one.
This is the first of two special episodes of The Energy Gang recorded at the ACORE Grid Forum (2026) in Washington, DC, exploring the strategies, policies and technologies shaping the future of America's electricity grid.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Energy companies use sensors and AI to anticipate equipment failure. Can the same predictive approach protect the people operating that equipment, without turning safety systems into a new form of workplace surveillance? As AI moves from screens into robots, control rooms and industrial sites, that question is becoming practical, not theoretical.
Host Ed Crooks is joined by Olivier Oullier, a neuroscientist, investor and AI entrepreneur whose work focuses on how people and machines interact. Olivier argues that AI can improve operator safety and productivity at once through neuroadaptive systems that use signals such as brainwaves, facial expression, eye movement and voice to detect fatigue, stress, distraction or cognitive overload.
In energy operations, those systems could adapt control-room dashboards to foreground the information that matters, or help collaborative robots respond when an operator is tired or distracted. Olivier says pilots are already underway in energy operations in Mexico, Australia and the UAE. Drawing on lessons from surgery and transport, he describes this as an extension of predictive maintenance: moving from monitoring equipment to anticipating human needs, or what he calls predictive care.
That promise rests on a sensitive trade-off. Continuous physiological monitoring could support safer work, but it also raises concerns about consent, autonomy and employee surveillance. Olivier says programs should be voluntary, transparent and compliant with regulation; the discussion tests what responsible deployment needs to look like and whether better outcomes can justify collecting such intimate data.
The conversation also ranges from the risks of poorly supervised AI agents and the skills needed to use AI well to the next phase of physical AI. Olivier points to world models, which aim to help robots understand and act in physical environments, while cautioning against precise long-range predictions about jobs. For energy companies, the near-term challenge is to deploy systems that improve safety and performance without losing sight of the people they are meant to serve.

This episode of the Energy Gang is brought to you by ADIPEC, the world's largest energy event, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 2-5 November.
As demand rises and global energy markets evolve, ADIPEC 2026 brings together governments, industry, investors and technology leaders to accelerate investment, advance technology and build the partnerships needed to meet today's energy needs while building a more resilient system for tomorrow.
Discover more at adipec.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Energy security and resilience have moved to the top of the agenda after repeated supply disruptions. As the industry gathers for ADIPEC, AI is being pitched as a way to anticipate equipment failures, improve operations and respond faster to risk. But can it deliver measurable results in critical energy systems, or is the promise still running ahead of the proof?
Host Ed Crooks is joined by Saravan Penubarthi, Chief Technology Officer of AIQ, an energy-focused AI company. Saravan argues that AI creates value when it moves from pilots into day-to-day operations, with tools built around energy-sector problems and tested alongside customers.
He describes a model that spans prediction, recommendations and, in some cases, autonomous action. Examples include RoboWell, which adjusts well controls, and computer-vision systems used for safety, security and productivity. Saravan cites a 2 to 5 per cent production improvement for ADNOC, AI solutions deployed across its 148 rigs, and more than a billion camera-based predictions a day. He also outlines AIQ’s emissions-monitoring work and its expansion into international markets.
The central question is how much of that promise can be trusted at scale. Saravan distinguishes assisted AI, where people approve recommendations, from autonomous operations, which he says require extensive testing, fallback mechanisms and clear human oversight. He says AIQ is developing Genesis, an AI-native operating system for energy, for unveiling at ADIPEC.
For operators, the test is whether these systems can produce repeatable, measurable gains without compromising safety or accountability. As AI moves closer to controlling critical assets, evidence from real deployments will matter more than ambitious claims about what the technology might eventually do.

This episode of the Energy Gang is brought to you by ADIPEC, the world's largest energy event, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 2-5 November.
As demand rises and global energy markets evolve, ADIPEC 2026 brings together governments, industry, investors and technology leaders to accelerate investment, advance technology and build the partnerships needed to meet today's energy needs while building a more resilient system for tomorrow.
Discover more at adipec.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Energy security has surged up the policy agenda as geopolitical shocks have exposed the risks of relying on imported fuels. But replacing oil and gas with renewables, batteries and electric vehicles can create new dependencies of its own. The question running through Climate Week NYC was whether countries can strengthen energy resilience while curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Host Ed Crooks held a series of conversations with leaders in energy policy and business about managing the trade-offs between energy security and climate action.
First, he is joined by former British Army Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, and Erin Sikorsky, a former US intelligence officer who leads climate-security work at the Council on Strategic Risks. They argue that climate change itself is a security concern: extreme heat can threaten military operations, while climate pressures can create political instability. They see adaptation to a warmer world and emissions reduction as complementary, not competing priorities. However, they acknowledge that the shift to clean energy also raises questions about reliance on Chinese supply chains. Richard and Erin discuss cyber protections, domestic innovation, and “friend-shoring”, as ways to manage those risks.
Next is Harry Mateer, US head of FIC research at Barclays. He sets out an overview of a global energy system that is mostly adding new sources of supply rather than replacing old ones. Barclays expects global energy demand to grow by 1.9% a year through 2050, with renewables growing faster, at more than 3%. Harry and Ed discuss what that means for investment in oil and gas, nuclear power, batteries and electric vehicles.
Next up are Hannah Safford, co-director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Center for Regulatory Ingenuity, and Noel Hacegaba, CEO of the Port of Long Beach. Noel says the port has cut emissions while cargo volumes grew 44%, and is targeting net zero emissions by 2050. Hannah argues that outdated rules and fragmented agency responsibilities can slow progress in decarbonizing transport systems. Both guests point to clearer long-term plans, coordinated regulation, incentives and partnerships as practical ways to move the whole supply chain towards lower-carbon systems. But the remaining steps will be harder and costlier, and some of the required technology is not yet widely available.
Long-time climate activist Bill McKibben is next. He published a book last year on renewable energy, which he sees not just as a solution to the challenge of climate change, but “a path that opens into a very new world.” He makes the case for accelerating deployment of solar, wind and batteries, and explains his latest group Third Act, which organizes people over 60 to work on climate and related issues.
Finally, we hear from Helen Clarkson, CEO of the Climate Group, which organizes Climate Week. Helen says climate work continues even as corporate announcements grow quieter: much of the focus has shifted to implementation, investment and the need for stable policy. Her view is that electrification can serve both emissions goals and energy security. The stakes are whether governments and businesses can turn that shared interest into durable infrastructure and investment without mistaking a quieter climate conversation for a reason to slow down.

This episode of Energy Gang is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at engieresources.com.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.