This Week in Cleantech (04/17/2026) - Utilities are on a spending frenzy to power the AI boom

Tell us what you think of the show! The most robust virtual power plant (VPP) program in the United States is running out of funding at a time when the grid needs it more than ever. Launched in 2022, California's Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) program coordinates more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of dispatchable capacity from more than 200,000 unique customer sites enrolled across every single legislative district in the state. The program leverages customer-sited resources like home batteries, sol...

Tell us what you think of the show! Utilities face mounting pressure to improve reliability and reduce power outage frequency while meeting rising electricity demand. For the Littleton Electric Light & Water Departments (LELWD), Hendrix Aerial Cable Systems (ACS) by Marmon Utility has become an important part of building a stronger, more resilient overhead network for today and tomorrow. In this episode of the Factor This podcast, host Paul Gerke is joined by Ted Gardner, application eng...

Tell us what you think of the show! While utilities of all types and sizes have recognized that affordability is a top-of-mind issue and are doing what they can to ease customer bill pressure, few fully grasp how ratepayers interpret these rising costs. When monthly bills increase, most customers focus on the name on the envelope rather than the complex mix of market forces, policy mandates, and grid modernization efforts that are ultimately driving those increases. Closing this gap requires...

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest Benton Graham from Grist, who discusses the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's plans to electrify Boston’s Fairmount Line with battery-powered trains. This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is Christopher Galarza, a longtime chef and co-...

Tell us what you think of the show! PJM Interconnection, the largest wholesale electricity market and grid operator in the United States, is at a crossroads. Demand is surging across its footprint, accelerated by the needs of artificial intelligence data centers, and PJM is struggling to keep up- to put it lightly- spurring some rather existential examinations of the grid operator’s processes, markets, and even its governance. It’s clear that changes are needed, but what those changes ...