#EP326 Happy Holidays! Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague breaks down his top 5 episodes of 2025, featuring conversations that shaped how we think about solar, storage, virtual power plants, microgrids, and AI. From Jigar Shah's call for the industry to become a political force to Spark AI's permitting breakthroughs, these episodes capture where clean energy is headed.

Key Episodes Covered:

Episode 304 - Jigar Shah

• 85% of new grid capacity will be solar, wind, and batteries
• Fossil fuels outspend clean energy 10:1 on political lobbying
• VPPs could shift 20% of peak load by 2030
• 20% of Americans struggle to afford their electricity bills

Episode 274 - Ryan Mayfield and Jayson Smith

• CPS America's Gonzo containerized battery (125-256 kWh)
• 20-millisecond switchover for grid-forming capability
• Daisy chain up to 12 units for megawatt-scale deployments
• 60% of CPS workforce dedicated to service

Episode 307 - Peter Kelly-Detwiler

• 1,500 MW of data center load disconnected in Virginia incident
• PJM capacity prices jumped from $30 to $329 per MW-day
• California VPPs dispatched 535 MW from 100,000 homes

Episode 310 - Jeff St. John (Canary Media)

• 93% of new U.S. grid additions were solar, batteries, and wind
• Texas ERCOT grid now 50% solar, wind, and batteries
• California VPPs show 2:1 cost-benefit ratio
• Texas allocated $1.8B for microgrids after Winter Storm Uri

Episode 322 - Julia Wu and Anuj Saigal (Spark AI)

• Platform compresses 4-10 hours of research to seconds
• Standard Solar reduced acquisition diligence from months to one week
• Three core use cases: site selection, regulatory monitoring, acquisition due diligence

Bonus: Episode 296 - Mark Palmer (Conductor Solar)

• Most listened to and shared episode on Spotify
• Covers PPAs, project finance, and tax credit swapping
• Discusses tariffs, supply chain pressures, and state policy importance

Episodes Mentioned
Ep 304 - https://youtu.be/lGv6NoDlf70
Ep 274 - https://youtu.be/QxLIzBSM-lQ
Ep 307 - https://youtu.be/apMrWUz7TV8
Ep 310 - https://youtu.be/76PDeZ7ZGps
Ep 322 - https://youtu.be/B3t0cpvTT-Y
Ep 296 - https://youtu.be/aj_zNnpAUk8

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