Electrification Loves Grid Reliability

02/13/25 • 35 min

In this special valentine to the electric grid, Electrify This! host Sara Baldwin speaks with grid expert, Ric O’Connell of GridLab, about a topic front of mind for more people, utilities, and policymakers around the world: grid reliability. Demand for electricity is on the rise after decades of relatively flat load growth as more end-uses seek to connect to the grid. Simultaneously, the grid’s portfolio is diversifying as more utilities and states integrate more renewable energy, energy storage, and other clean energy technologies in the race to reduce climate emissions and stabilize the climate. While this transition has been underway for some time, converging factors are impacting the grid and uncertainty looms on the horizon. In this episode, we explore the myriad issues facing the grid and what policies and practices are needed to build a resilient, reliable, affordable clean grid to power the future.

About the guest:

Ric O’Connell is the founding executive director of GridLab, where he leads a team of experts to provide comprehensive technical grid expertise to policy makers and advocates. A recognized leader in renewable energy technology and policy, Ric has provided engineering support for more than 8 GW of utility scale solar projects worldwide. Ric also served as a consultant with Black & Veatch for 12 years where helped build a global renewable energy consulting practice and led numerous high-impact policy studies. Ric has a BSEE from Duke University and a Master’s in Renewable Energy Policy from CU Boulder.

Electrifying News:

2025 Renewable Energy Outlook: Full speed ahead as second Trump administration begins(Utility Dive, January 21, 2025)
Uncertainty over Trump’s electric vehicle policies clouds 2025 forecast for carmakers (AP News, January 9, 2025)
U.S. solar cell production resumes for first time since 2019, as solar module manufacturing sets record in Q3 (Wood McKenzie and Solar Energy Industries Association, December 2024)

To dig in deeper, check out these must-read resources:

Grid Lab – website: https://gridlab.org
Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) website https://www.esig.energy/
Surplus Interconnection Policy Explainer (Grid Lab)
The Future of Operational Grid Reliability Can Be Bright with Clean Energy (Energy Innovation, Real Talk on Reliability Series)
Explained: Fundamentals of Power Grid Reliability and Clean Electricity (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
Meeting Growing Electricity Demand Without Gas (Energy Innovation)
What’s the impact of artificial intelligence on energy demand? (Hannah Ritchie, Sustainability by Numbers, November 2024)
AI and energy: The big picture (Ben Levitt, S&P Global, December 2024)

About the guest:

Electrifying News:

2025 Renewable Energy Outlook: Full speed ahead as second Trump administration begins(Utility Dive, January 21, 2025)
Uncertainty over Trump’s electric vehicle policies clouds 2025 forecast for carmakers (AP News, January 9, 2025)
U.S. solar cell production resumes for first time since 2019, as solar module manufacturing sets record in Q3 (Wood McKenzie and Solar Energy Industries Association, December 2024)

To dig in deeper, check out these must-read resources:

Grid Lab – website: https://gridlab.org
Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) website https://www.esig.energy/
Surplus Interconnection Policy Explainer (Grid Lab)
The Future of Operational Grid Reliability Can Be Bright with Clean Energy (Energy Innovation, Real Talk on Reliability Series)
Explained: Fundamentals of Power Grid Reliability and Clean Electricity (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
Meeting Growing Electricity Demand Without Gas (Energy Innovation)
What’s the impact of artificial intelligence on energy demand? (Hannah Ritchie, Sustainability by Numbers, November 2024)
AI and energy: The big picture (Ben Levitt, S&P Global, December 2024)

Previous Episode

The State of EV Charging for Multifamily Housing

Did you know that nearly a third of households in the U.S. face an uphill climb to drive and benefit from an EV simply because they live in multifamily housing? This is not only a climate and public health issue, but also an equity issue. Research shows that access to reliable, convenient, and affordable EV charging is one of the biggest factors for consumers considering owning or leasing an EV. But are the public charging networks sufficient to meet the need for those without at-home charging? How do different cities stack up when it comes to public charging? And what actions should policymakers take to ensure a smooth road ahead? In this episode of Electrify This! host Sara Baldwin speaks with Ingrid Malmgren, Senior Director of Policy with Plug in America, to discuss the state of EV charging for people living in multifamily housing, key findings from new Energy Innovation research, and innovative approaches states and cities are taking to solving the EV charging gap. Tune in today to learn more!

Guest Bio:

Ingrid has over a decade of experience advancing sustainable energy and transportation electrification through research, utility regulatory proceedings, and legislative advocacy. She began to focus on EVs in 2015, working to demonstrate the benefits of EVs to consumers, the economy, the environment, and the electric grid. Before joining Plug In America, she worked as a senior analyst at Cadmus Group, a lobbyist in the Vermont Statehouse, and a transportation policy manager at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation.

Electrifying News :

To dig in deeper, check out these must-read resources:

Next Episode

Repealing Inflation Reduction Act Harms America’s Economy and Costs Consumers

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 marked the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history, supporting homegrown clean energy, electrification, and manufacturing. It has generated $600 billion in private investment across 750 clean energy projects, creating more than 406,000 new jobs. The IRA is now under threat, with calls to repeal federal funding and tax credits, risking billions investments. Host Sara Baldwin speaks with Robbie Orvis of Energy Innovation to discuss the benefits of the IRA and how repealing the IRA would harm America's economy and cost consumers.

Guest Bio:

Robbie Orvis is the Senior Director of Modeling and Analysis at Energy Innovation where he works with policymakers around the world to analyze legislation and regulation and provide insights on how to achieve climate goals. He has helped develop and deploy Energy Policy Simulator models in more than a dozen countries and is the lead author of Designing Climate Solutions: A Policy Guide for Low-Carbon Energy. Robbie holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University and a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Electrifying News:

More Wisconsin cities are powering municipal operations with renewable electricity (Wisconsin Public Radio)
Rivian startup is focused on small, lightweight electric vehicles (LA Times)
Hyundai to make ‘low-carbon’ steel at $6B plant in Louisiana (Canary Media)

Must-read Resources:

Electrify This! - Electrification Loves Grid Reliability

Transcript

Sara: I'm your host, Sara Baldwin, Senior Director of Electrification with Energy Innovation.

Hello and welcome to another season of Electrify This, a podcast focused on electrification as a pathway to cut climate pollution and invigorate our economy. Each episode, I connect with experts to explore the policy and market issues underpinning the shift to electrified transportation, buildings, and industry, all powered by a clean energy grid.

Today's episode, Elec