David Roberts (Volts)
Energy journalist/podcaster covering power markets, VPPs, DERs, transmission, permitting, and decarbonization strategy.
Dynamic Real‑Time Prices Align Millions of Devices Privately
Today on Volts: how do you coordinate the behavior of millions of distributed energy devices so that they work to the benefit of the larger grid? My guest today argues that real-time, dynamic retail prices -- communicated directly to devices -- are the customer- & privacy-friendly answer.
Digital Imaging Streamlines Tedious Home Retrofits for Clean Heat
Today on Volts: the work of retrofitting homes with good air sealing & clean heat (eg, heat pumps) is incredibly important & also incredibly tedious & high-touch. I talk with a company that's using digital imaging to remove several steps...
Invest $100 in Emerging Market Solar Projects
Today on Volts: Want to invest a little money in renewable energy projects in the emerging economies where they're most needed? Thanks to "Regulation A" (don't ask), a company called Energea can accept consumer investments as low as $100 in...
Solar Dominates Day, Batteries Own Night, India Accelerates Clean Energy
Today on Volts: the think tank @emberenergyresearch is out with its yearly Global Electricity Review. I talk with two of the co-authors about the big stories this year: Solar has won the day; batteries are winning the night. Fossil power...
Energy Politics Shift: War, Policy, Affordability Explored
Today on Volts: There sure is a lot going on! Instead of a nerdy deep dive, today I go broad, talking current events with @yayitsrob of @heatmapnews: the Iran War, its effects on Trump's energy policy, the lessons of the...
Trump Halts $7B Climate Fund; Creator Battles in Court
Today on Volts: Climate United was designed to disperse $7 billion worth of climate & clean-energy funds to underserved communities. Just as it had begun pushing money out the door, Trump killed it & rescinded the money. I talk with...
Distributed Power Beats Gas Peakers for Data Centers
Today on Volts: I talk with my old friend Jigar Shah about the headlong rush to build data centers, the lunacy of building a bunch of behind-the-meter gas-fired power plants to run them, the benefits of distributed capacity & greater...
Modular Solar‑Battery‑Hydrogen Nanogrids Replace Diesel Generators
Today on Volts: in difficult places where power needs to be portable & reliable -- think disaster recovery, or forward military bases -- diesel generators have been the standard answer. I talk today with someone making modular, portable, self-contained nanogrids...
US Grid Operates at Half Capacity, New Tech Boosts Utilization
Today on Volts: the US grid is, on average, carrying about half the capacity it's capable of. A new industry coalition argues that, before building expensive new infrastructure to serve rising demand, we should more efficiently use the infrastructure we...
Geoengineering Debate: Sulfur Injection as Climate Fix
Today on Volts: at this point, it is all but inevitable that global temperatures will exceed the 2° threshold & continue rising. Should we shoot sulfur particles into the stratosphere to block some of that heat? I talk with the...
Data Centers Power Up Grid with Self‑Generation, Flexible Connections
Today on Volts: how can we get data centers hooked up without screwing over the grid or other ratepayers? Two of my favorite thinkers, Astrid Atkinson & Jesse Jenkins, lay out a new model whereby data centers bring some of...
Tesla Vet Simplifies Home Batteries for Plug‑Play VPPs
Today on Volts: Kunal Girotra applied the lessons he learned from starting Tesla's home-energy business to Lunar, a startup sells simple, modular home battery & software systems. The idea is to make solar panels, smart devices, & VPPs "plug &...
Billionaires Plot 400K‑Resident City in Northern California
Today on Volts: perhaps you've heard that a group of billionaires is planning to build a big (400K residents) new city in Northern California. I talked to the ringleader Jan Sramek about it. And talked. And talked. The first half...
Expect Abrupt Fossil Fuel Decline During Energy Transition
Today on Volts: for the next few decades, we'll be in the "mid-transition," with clean energy systems growing as FF systems decline. Those FF systems will not decline smoothly -- there will be thresholds, "cliffs," where they suddenly crumble --...