Clean Power Hour

Storm Fern just knocked out power for nearly a million Americans. But here's what the media won't tell you: this wasn't a freak accident—it's the new normal.
New research from the Union of Concerned Scientists reveals that 100% of the worst power outages in the last decade share one shocking cause. And it's getting worse every year.
This matters now because we're building infrastructure today that needs to last 50 years. But we're planning for yesterday's climate while tomorrow's storms are already here. The result? Billions in damage, lives lost, and communities left powerless when they need electricity most.
Key Takeaways:
• Why every single major blackout traces back to extreme weather events
• The 3 states actually preparing for climate disasters (and why 47 aren't)
• How community-scale microgrids could end power outages forever
• Why low-income communities suffer most when the lights go out
• The infrastructure investments we're delaying that will cost lives
The guests are Rachel Licker and Sam Gomberg from the Union of Concerned Scientists, authors of the "Power After the Storm" report. Their research uses fine-resolution power outage data to reveal patterns that should terrify anyone who depends on electricity, which is all of us.
We have the technology to build resilient grids. Solar, wind, batteries, and smart switchgear can create community-scale microgrids that keep the lights on when the big grid fails. The question isn't whether we can do it, it's whether we'll act before the next Storm Fern.
Connect with Union of Concerned Scientists 
Union of Concerned Scientists
Rachel Licker
Sam Gomberg
Power After the Storm report
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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

A Missouri state senator wants to ban all solar construction for two years, threatening a 430 MW project already under construction. On the Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver cover the Missouri solar moratorium, the first UL standard for balcony solar, Elon Musk's 100 GW solar manufacturing ambitions, and Vineyard Wind's court victory sending its final turbine to sea. They also dig into LFP cell prices hitting $60/kWh in China, zinc battery economics for commercial projects, and what a $2.3 trillion global energy transition spend means for the US market.
Episode Highlights:
A Missouri state senator filed legislation to halt all solar construction, including projects already underway, through the end of 2027. A 430 MW project set to double the state's solar capacity faces risk. (LinkedIn)
Balcony solar UL 3700 standard. UL released its first standard for balcony solar, UL 3700. (PV Magazine)
Musk's 100 GW solar manufacturing plan. Elon Musk announced SpaceX and xAI will each source 100 GW of solar to power data centers. (PV Magazine)
LFP cells race to 500+ Ah. Chinese battery manufacturers are scaling LFP cells from 314 Ah to 500 Ah and beyond. (PV Magazine)
Global clean energy investment reached a record $2.3 trillion in 2025, up 8% from 2024. (Bloomberg NEF)
Solar module prices from China rose 20 to 30% ahead of an April 1 export tax, adding 9 to 10% to costs. (PV Magazine)
This episode is for solar professionals, battery storage developers, project developers, and clean energy investors tracking policy risk and market shifts.
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Connect with Tim
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Email [email protected]
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

What separates solar projects that get built from those that die in development? Brad Stutzman has spent 16 years figuring out the answer.
Brad is the Founder and CEO of O3 Energy, a Dallas-based solar development and construction company. He started in 2009 during the Great Recession, pivoting from real estate financing to renewable energy. O3 Energy has since deployed hundreds of on-site solar projects across commercial, municipal, and non-profit customers throughout the Southwest, Hawaii, Guam, and Mexico.
Key Discussion Points
How the 2009 recession and Obama's American Recovery Act launched Brad's solar career through the 1603 grant program
Why behind-the-meter projects reduce development risk by eliminating land acquisition and off-taker uncertainty
O3 Energy's approach to "practical innovation" and requiring ROI from every business improvement
How Brad converted a capped New Mexico landfill near Sandia Labs into a working solar facility (brownfields to brightfields)
Why Brad is repowering a project with Erthos flat-to-earth racking technology after wind damage destroyed the Ballasted fixed tilt system
The future of "renewable baseload power" through solar plus battery storage achieving grid parity
AI integration in solar monitoring platforms that analyze system performance and troubleshoot issues
Brad's 16 years in solar development reveal a consistent truth: successful projects require patience, practical thinking, and smart partnerships. His brownfield conversion near nuclear weapons storage required Nuclear Regulatory Authority sign-off. His California municipal project needed creative cross-property engineering. Neither would have happened without tenacity. 
As Brad puts it, mistakes are only mistakes if you don't learn from them. O3 Energy continues expanding into the Midwest and Mexico while preparing for the next wave of solar plus storage. The company is actively seeking partners for development, construction, and asset management opportunities nationwide.
Connect with Brad Stutzman 
Brad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradstutzman/
03 Energy Website: https://o3energy.com/
Support the show
Connect with Tim
Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn
Email [email protected]
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Most businesses are stuck in AI demo mode, watching impressive one-off showcases that never become daily operations. In this episode, Tim Montague welcomes Josh Huston from Agents Anywhere to break down the three categories of AI opportunity: apps, agents, and automations. Josh has spent over three years helping companies turn AI from buzzword into working business infrastructure.
Key Discussion Points:
Why AI is an accelerator for working workflows, not a fix for broken processes
The three AI opportunity categories: apps (custom interfaces), agents (goal-driven LLMs with tool access), and automations (background workflows)
How data ownership shifts when you build custom applications instead of relying on third-party tools
Real-world example: proposal generation workflow reduced from hours to minutes using AI agents
Pilot project framework: $15K-$25K investments targeting high-impact workflows with measurable ROI
Cost structure for AI agents: service fees, token usage (as low as 2 cents per process), and platform licensing
This episode gives clean energy operators a practical framework for AI adoption. The message is clear: stop accumulating tools and start building strategic workflows. Josh and Tim walk through the entire process from identifying friction points to scaling successful pilots across your organization. 
If you run a solar EPC, energy storage company, or any cleantech operation feeling pressure to "do something with AI," this conversation provides the roadmap. The approach is simple: find what works, accelerate it with AI, measure ROI, then expand intentionally.
Book a strategy call today: https://calendly.com/tim-montague/ai-consulting#/
Support the show
Connect with Tim
Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn
Email [email protected]
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Energy storage is not a green technology. It's grid infrastructure.
That reframe from Shawn Shaw, CEO of Camelot Energy Group and author of "Energy Storage Systems," challenges how we talk about batteries in the energy transition. With 22 years in solar and storage and 1.2 GWh of projects commissioned in late 2025, Shaw brings practical insight into why storage matters for grid operators regardless of your views on renewables. China installed 65 GWh of storage in December 2025 alone. The US installed 40-50 GWh for the entire year. This conversation explains why that gap matters.

Key Discussion Points
Why energy storage is a grid resource like transformers and substations, not just a companion to renewables. Loads are more dynamic than ever, and batteries provide the controllability grid operators need.
How storage transforms predictable renewables into dispatchable assets. A 100kW solar project might earn only 10kW capacity credit alone, but pairing it with batteries captures significantly more value.
The real data on battery safety: Commercial and utility-scale systems catch fire at 0.3% per year, the same rate as residential homes. NFPA 855 2026 now requires active ventilation and separate fire and explosion testing.
Hot storage markets in 2026: Massachusetts 83E procurement, New York's index storage credit, Illinois CRGA legislation, and why Texas requires nodal-level analysis to avoid 50% revenue swings.
Why utility interconnection delays are pushing developers toward microgrids. Google acquired Intersect Power for $4.75 billion to self-develop solar and storage near data centers.
FEOC compliance economics: Chinese DC blocks at $100-125/kWh vs Tesla at $300-500/kWh. Developers may want FEOC free but the economics of built in America may drive business as usual for BESS procurement. The devil is in the details! 
This episode offers a clear-eyed view of where the industry stands and what it takes to move faster.

Connect with Shawn Shaw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnshawpe/
Website: https://www.camelotenergygroup.com/
Support the show
Connect with Tim
Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn
Email [email protected]
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com