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The GT Power Hour: Episode 32 (N.J.'s Path to Carbon-Free Power, w/ Princeton U. Prof. Jesse Jenkins)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 32 (N.J.'s Path to Carbon-Free Power, w/ Princeton U. Prof. Jesse Jenkins)

In which we… well, honestly, we talk a lot more about basketball than most episodes — but such comparative analysis fits well given that our guest is Jesse Jenkins, a Princeton University professor, energy-system analyst and modeler and all-around deep-thinker on the best and most-frugal paths to power-industry decarbonization. We dig into a study recently published by his ZERO Lab on pathways to a 100% carbon-free electricity in New Jersey (spoiler alert: you’ll still need natural gas, imports from other states will be key and offshore wind is perhaps too expensive), but also discuss life in the Ivy League in the time of COVID, technology tribalism in the energy-transition community, the media’s value in energy research, the good professor’s confession that he might be “a bad Duck” and much more!

The GT Power Hour: Episode 31 (Workers Wanted: ICC Chair Carrie Zalewski talks CEJA implementation)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 31 (Workers Wanted: ICC Chair Carrie Zalewski talks CEJA implementation)

In which we ask Illinois Commerce Commission Chair Carrie Zalewski to summarize Illinois’ new Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), and it still takes more than an hour — though, in fairness, we do also shoot a lot of hardball Illinois-related Rapid Fire questions at her. Listen for discussions on grid reliability, performance-based rates, integration plans for the state’s electricity-distribution utilities, lessons learned from the reliability issues in Texas and much more!

The GT Power Hour: Episode 30 (Planning for Renewables and the Grid of the Future, w. PJM's Ken Seiler)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 30 (Planning for Renewables and the Grid of the Future, w. PJM's Ken Seiler)

In which we ask Ken Seiler, PJM’s vice president of system planning, to unbox transmission-planning issues and how PJM is preparing for a grid of the future that’s dominated by intermittent-renewable resources. Generator interconnection is front and center, but we also get into the New Jersey BPU’s SAA and offshore wind, FERC’s transmission-focused ANOPR, cost allocation, system reliability, fly-tying, various books: A River Runs Through It by Norman MacLean, Power Hungry by Robert Bryce and Shorting the Grid: The Hidden Fragility of Our Electric Grid by Meredith Angwin, Penn State, THON and Glen’s recent visit to NARUC.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 29 (The Politics of Energy Generation, w. FERC Cmmsr. Mark Christie)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 29 (The Politics of Energy Generation, w. FERC Cmmsr. Mark Christie)

In which we receive several history lessons from FERC Commissioner Mark Christie on what has caused capacity markets to (so far) fail to live up to their full promise and threatens to tear regional markets apart, as well as what choices states have. From there, we consider the impact to the industry of the shale-gas revolution, get to the bottom of the tension regarding the minimum offer-price rule (MOPR), make a plea for Robert Caro to finish his LBJ biography series and the Steelers to draft Heisman-finalist Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett to replace Roethlisberger, reminisce about the heroes of the golden age of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball and the antiheroes of the current Golden Age of Television, pay tribute to former Virginia SCC Judge Preston Shannon, discuss new year’s resolutions and Glen’s apparent love of coffee, plus much more.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 25 (A Primer on the Infrastructure Bill and all things Beltway)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 25 (A Primer on the Infrastructure Bill and all things Beltway)

In which we sit down with one of FERC’s newest voices, Commissioner Allison Clements, and delve into her perspectives on transmission, public participation, the grid of the future and many other topics, not to mention her love of the band Wilco and live music in general, split allegiances in the age-old Michigan-Ohio rivalry, and advice for how the white-male-dominated energy sector can increase representation and inclusion of everyone.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 24 (Clements on Transmission, Among Other Things)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 24 (Clements on Transmission, Among Other Things)

In which we sit down with one of FERC’s newest voices, Commissioner Allison Clements, and delve into her perspectives on transmission, public participation, the grid of the future and many other topics, not to mention her love of the band Wilco and live music in general, split allegiances in the age-old Michigan-Ohio rivalry, and advice for how the white-male-dominated energy sector can increase representation and inclusion of everyone.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 23 (Line in the Sand: A Garden State-ment)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 23 (Line in the Sand: A Garden State-ment)

In which we submit New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joe Fiordaliso to our line of questioning on resource adequacy, capacity markets, offshore wind, PJM, NIMBYism, state relations with PJM and FERC, New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan and its aggressive goals and the state of thermal generation in the Garden State.

Later, we force the president to engage in a little political Catch-22 and force him to pick favorites among beloved New Jersey icons, after which he doles out some advice to another president whose tenure his own has far exceeded and finally urges everyone to follow his state’s bold lead in addressing climate change.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 22 (Morgan You Bargained For)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 22 (Morgan You Bargained For)

In which we sit down with Curt Morgan, the president and CEO of Vistra Corp., to discuss his investment philosophy in the power-generation business, the current investment status of generation technologies, how financial markets are disciplining the industry and leading the ESG revolution, the “terminal value” issue with gas-fired generation and why you never want to be the first owner of such a facility, gas pipelines’ dirty little secret, the reality of climate change, putting the power-industry transition into historical perspective, how PJM’s markets have performed, why power markets need to ditch some terminology as they add emissions to their list of must-haves, why carbon pricing and PJM’s MOPR are DOA and ERCOT turning gun-shy.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 21 (Bowring 2: The Monitor Is Always Watching)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 21 (Bowring 2: The Monitor Is Always Watching)

In which we welcome PJM Independent Market Monitor Joe Bowring into the illustrious GT Power Hour Two-Timers Club to continue discussion of the compelling comments fellow club-member FERC Chairman Glick made on the previous episode, and the Monitor - as he is wont to do - happily (and ably) complies. Brace for a deep dive on the minimum offer-price rule (MOPR) in the capacity market, why FERC wants it pared back, how PJM appears likely to respond, the interaction of capacity and energy markets and what can be done to transfer generators’ reliance on capacity-market payments to actual performance in energy and ancillary-services markets. Let’s just say the Monitor and the Chairman don’t see eye to eye on several things.

It’s a pretty meaty talk that doesn’t stray far from the issues at hand, but there is some ranting and commiseration on the misery of driving the I-76 Schuylkill Expressway. Better buckle up!

The GT Power Hour: Episode 20 (Glick 2: A Change Is Gonna Come... No Really, Like Now)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 20 (Glick 2: A Change Is Gonna Come... No Really, Like Now)

In which we take a second crack at recently appointed FERC Chairman Rich Glick as he settles into his new role, and he is very clear in setting his agenda: changes are coming - and some are already here. Less than three months into his leadership, Glick’s FERC has already announced more than a dozen major changes and initiatives, some of which touch on hot-button issues - like system reliability and resource adequacy in relation to climate change - and others that focus on it, such as creating a new senior-level commission position to address environmental justice and opening an Office of Public Participation.

From PJM’s minimum offer-price rule (MOPR) to the standards for evaluating proposals for natural-gas pipelines to how power generators are compensated and whether capacity markets are essential, the chairman goes on to lay out his vision and plans going forward, as well as expected timelines. We also discuss his beloved New York Mets, his abysmal record in picking this year’s March Madness winners and his expectations on energy-related legislation coming out of Congress this session. Shorter than many of our episodes, let’s just call this one “highly concentrated” and well worth the time!