The energy grid is facing a challenge unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Think about this: one Virginia co-op has over 20 GW of demand in its queue. That’s more than the energy demand of New York City. As electrification and data center expansion accelerate, public power and electric co-ops are on the front lines of solving this surge.

Electric cooperatives and public utilities are facing a wave of electrification, data center load, and manufacturing demand that rivals the size of major cities. That’s what major power providers are up against — but they’re not backing down.

This Tactical Tuesday episode is your front-row seat to a high-stakes, high-impact conversation hosted by Sheri Givens, CEO of SEPA. She’s joined by two utility leaders tackling today’s fastest-growing energy challenges while maintaining reliability, affordability, and equity.

They deliver on active solutions - from smart customer programs to creative tariff structures and innovative infrastructure partnerships.

Expect to learn:

🔹 How utilities are planning for multi-gigawatt load growth

🔹 What it takes to avoid blackouts during grid stress events

🔹 How equity-driven programs are supporting underserved communities

🔹 Why customer relationships are the new frontier in grid reliability

If you’re in clean energy, this is the episode that explains how the game is changing - and how leaders are rising to meet the moment.

Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

2025 was a year of hardship for many, yet it was also a crucible for entrepreneurs, developing grit, resilience and perspective. We were able to capture some phenomenal conversations on the SunCast Podcast, and wanted to highlight a few that stand out for their vision and which also got among the most downloads of the year. In 2025, the clean energy industry was finally thinking like Amazon, building like Ford, and investing like it’s personal. Today’s episode highlights some of the key moments in the SunCast Podcast that illustrated these points through conversations with a powerhouse lineup of leaders who have been influential in bringing attention to the sector in a year where “good news” was hard to come by.

In a classic tell-all live interview, Dean Solon breaks down his revolutionary solar logistics model—equal parts fast food and supply chain genius. Jigar Shah returns with an urgent message: the energy transition will stall unless we, as an industry, stop underestimating the role of political power. And Alex Honnold (Oscar-winning extreme rock climber) offers a rare perspective on how personal ambition can align with global progress, and why he believes solar power is a great social justice tool.

Expect to learn:

🔹 How the Honnold Foundation fuels energy access in the Amazon

🔹 The case for solar distribution hubs that run like McDonald’s kitchens

🔹 Why scaling solar requires more than just tech—it takes soul

🔹 Jigar Shah on what CEOs still get wrong about growth and support

From the factory floor to the forest canopy, you’ll hear how big bets, personal values, and systems thinking are driving the next wave of impact.

Here’s to a more prosperous year ahead, hopefully with fewer hurdles & headwinds!

Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

What do a struggling mom in Georgia and a solar installer named Jim have in common? Their stories can change elections and shape public perception of clean energy.

In this final episode of 2025, Aaron Nichols returns to SunCast with a mission: rescue storytelling from corporate cliché and remind us why one emotional story is worth a thousand graphs. His viral LinkedIn article Four Rules for Storytelling Corporate America Desperately Needs takes aim at how we confuse content creation with actual narrative power.

Aaron and Nico dissect why storytelling in our industry so often falls flat and how to fix it.

You’ll walk away with a practical, human-centered playbook for narrative that converts.

Expect to learn:

🔹 Why “make me care before you make your case” is rule #1 in marketing

🔹 Why facts follow emotion, not the other way around

🔹 How to build a story stack that scales with your business

🔹 Why AI-generated content will never replace a real narrative

🔹 The 4 essential story types every clean energy leader should master

This episode will change how you think about marketing, leadership, and your next LinkedIn post.

Get The Story Stack PDF

Happy New Year!

Let’s get it started right.

Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus