Sponsored by KPMG

With rising energy prices are poised to be a political hot potato in the months ahead, Amperon CEO Sean Kelly stops by the show to dive into the underlying reasons for energy price increases. Sean and I discuss what utilities, policymakers and other market participants can do to address rising energy costs associated with increased power demand from AI data centers. We also outline what energy traders are doing -- and the tools they are leveraging -- to respond to the price volatility. This episode is not about pointing fingers or placing blame. We focus on what’s happening, why it's happening and perhaps most importantly ... what’s next?

More Resources from KPMG

• Unlocking the power of data products in the energy sector
• KPMG report: Energy sector tax provisions in “One Big Beautiful Bill”
• Shaping the Future of Renewable and Emerging Energies

Episode Highlights

• The impact AI data centers are having on energy demand - (3:51)
• Are PJM's most recent auction results a sign of things to come? - (7:24)
• "All of the above for everything" - (9:30)
• The role for nuclear - (12:35)
• Energy forecasting in this environment - (16:13)
• How power traders a managing price volatility - (18:34)
• New trading tools and capabilities - (21:17)
• Bold predictions: What are we going to be talking about in 2-3 years? (24:48)

Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Sponsored by: EDF power solutions

As the Trump administration continues to announce policy changes at a rapid pace, Jessica Libby, principal with KPMG Trade and Customs, returns to the show to discuss the shifts that are having the biggest impact on the renewable energy industry. Jessica highlights rules related to content from Foreign Entities of Concern (FEOC), new tax guidance from the Treasury Department related to wind and solar and, of course, tariffs.

Jessica explains a new contractual term known as 'tariff majeure' or 'Trump majeure' and also reveals the one policy tweak that she thinks is currently under the radar, but might yet become a major challenge for the industry.

More resources from EDF power solutions:

Distribution-Scale Power

Key highlights:

"It's a new and different world." - (4:18)

Foreign entities of concern - (6:37)

Tariffs, tariiffs and more tariffs - (8:16)

Challenges to onshoring manufacturing - (10:55)

Treasury Department guidance for wind and solar - (13:44)

How business owners are responding to all these changes - (19:15)

'Tariff majeure' or 'Trump majeure' - (21:36)

Could all these changes make supply chains more sustainable? - (22:26)

Logistically speaking, is the US capable of collecting all these tariffs? - (24:54)

A big policy change that is currently under the radar - (29:47)

Jessica's bold predictions - (32:54)

Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief

Sponsored by: EDF power solutions

When hockey legend Mike Richter retired from the NHL, he pivoted to a career in energy efficiency. Mike is now the president of Brightcore Energy, a company that offers turn-key solutions -- including geothermal systems, solar, energy storage, or smart building technologies -- that simplify the clean energy journey for large commercial and industrial clients.

During our conversation, Mike and I focus on advancements in geothermal that enable companies like Brightcore to not only complete projects in wide open spaces like business parks and college campuses, but also in extremely tight spaces ... like Manhattan.

Selected highlights

• How geothermal helps buildings 'beat the heat ... and the cold' - (4:33)
• The challenges of using georthermal in urban settings - (10:05)
• Geothermal and earthquakes - (18:48)
• PPAs and other financial factors for geothermal - (25:17)
• The impact of the Big Beautiful Act on geothermal - (32:06)
• Mike's bold predictions for the future of geothermal - (39:33)
• Geothermal and AI data centers - (43:13)

Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBrief