99 / A second life for America's abandoned oil wells / with Kemp Gregory

WE'RE BACK from our December break. At the end of '25, Kemp Gregory — CEO and co-founder of Renewal — joined good traffic for a conversation about energy infrastructure, the hidden potential of idle oil wells, and why the future of renewable energy storage might already be in the ground. As cities debate electric cars, housing development, and transit expansion, energy remains the crucial constraint — one that demands innovation beyond conventional batteries and solar panels.

Kemp walks us through Renewal's unconventional approach: converting millions of abandoned oil and gas wells into gravity-based energy storage systems. He explains how 30,000-pound weights moving up and down inside existing steel infrastructure can discharge power to the grid when needed and store it when it's cheap. From his early days as a petroleum engineer, to his pivot into clean energy at Stanford, Kemp shares how technical knowledge from fossil fuels is being repurposed for renewable infrastructure — and why working with local drilling crews and engineering firms matters more than reinventing everything from scratch.

We also touch on: Why energy storage is the bottleneck for electrification. The geometry problem of EVs and infrastructure strain. How data centers highlight AI's energy costs. Standing on the shoulders of the oil and gas industry. Why rural Texas and California need the same solutions. The importance of making technical work accessible. Biking at Stanford and burning calories without trying.

Timeline:

00:00 Energy as the missing conversation.

01:07 The electric car paradox.

02:13 Data centers and AI's energy appetite.

03:03 Clean energy as infrastructure policy.

03:30 Introducing Kemp Gregory and Renewal.

04:15 Making the technical accessible.

04:56 From petroleum engineer to clean tech.

05:39 Leaving shell for Stanford.

06:27 The startup that had to happen.

06:47 How gravity-based energy storage works.

07:36 Reusing existing infrastructure.

08:10 Standing on the shoulders of giants.

12:43 Why abandoned wells matter.

15:21 The economic model of energy storage.

18:09 Peak demand and grid stability.

20:45 Texas grid challenges and opportunities.

23:17 Working with local drilling firms.

25:33 Regulatory differences: California vs. Texas.

28:40 Environmental reviews and timelines.

31:28 Why rural energy storage serves cities.

34:15 The transmission challenge.

37:22 Collaboration over reinvention.

40:06 Proving the technology at scale.

42:50 Trust and partnerships with legacy industry.

45:30 Local knowledge and expertise.

47:02 The commute question.

47:43 Audiobooks in Argentina.

48:17 Biking at Stanford.

50:27 Wrapping up and happy holidays.

For context:

More on Renewell's tech (via Pique Action).

Renewell website.

On LinkedIn.

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