Who: Daniel Hullah, Managing Director at GE Ventures, focused on investing in the energy space. With a Phd in in Chemistry, Daniel has a unique view of clean energy in addition to 10 years of clean energy venture capital experience.

What: How does the grid of the future evolve from central, fossil fuel power plants? We have this discussion during our live recording at SolarWakeup Live! Boston. With several investments in energy storage and grid technologies, Daniel’s looking to grow GE’s footprint in the energy space as it continues to evolve.

Your Takeaway: GE is in the middle of a power transition itself with major layoffs announced at the power unit. Power plants are being closed and new builds are slowing due to the major increase of new and cleaner technologies. GE is investing in hardware that is participating in this market and Daniel walks through the thesis on some of those investments.

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Make sure to check out SolarWakeup Live! in New York on 1/31.

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Who: Thierry Lepercq, EVP of Research, Development and Innovation at Engie. Member of the executive committee. Engie is a global energy company with $78billion in revenues and 150,000 employees.

What: A discussion about the future of energy regarding the use of traditional power plants, transition to renewables and investing in innovative companies around the world.

Impact to You: Engie has sold its US portfolio of coal and gas power plants. It closed a 45 year old coal plant in Australia and sees mobility as a massive impact to the energy system. If they view the future to be without central power fueled by fossils, what does that mean to your business and your customers? Thierry may be paid to be a futurist but getting Engie to turn its business strategy into this direction matters to you.

Sometimes while in deep conversation with a leading energy executives, they say something extraordinary in such a casual way that unless you are paying attention, you might miss it.

I had that experience the other day when SolarWakeup had an exclusive conversation with Thierry Lepercq of Engie’s Executive Committee and the company’s EVP of Research, Development and Innovation, in which he made a bold prediction: Rotating-machinery electricity production—meaning all fossil-fuel and nuclear plants—are going away.

“That’s a given,” he said matter-of-factly, as if this as if it were common knowledge. I can attest, however, that I had never heard anyone say it out loud before—especially from someone leading the future for an energy company with 150,000 employees and over $75billion in 2016 revenues. After all, the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are on a fast-tracked course to bail out failing and dissipative nuclear and coal plants at an enormous cost to taxpayers.

Listen to the episode to hear all of the other forecasts Thierry makes.

Make sure to check out SolarWakeup Live! in New York on 1/31.

If you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher radio. Please subscribe and share with your friends how much EnergyWakeup is helping you.

In this episode of EnergyWakeup I talk about the current Tax Reform Bill with Audrey Louison from Mintz and Greg Jenner from Stoel Rives. The tax reform bill was in conference committee at the time of this recording and had several issues that impacted the solar industry. The corporate AMT, a lower corporate tax rate and the BEAT provision. I walk through each of the items with Audrey and Greg, get an explanation (because nobody understood the BEAT provision) and how it impacts solar project financing going forward.

Greg has been around tax law for many years, including as a tax counsel for the senate finance committee when the last major tax reform passed in 1986 and Audrey has completed over 500 project transaction. This bill will have major impacts to the way you present projects to your clients and investors and this episode helps guide you through that process with a bit more knowledge. This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at SolarWakeup Live DC.

Make sure to catch previous episode on your favorite podcast platform

Make sure to check out SolarWakeup Live! in New York on 1/31.

If you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher radio. Please subscribe and share with your friends how much EnergyWakeup is helping you.