The Clean Power Hour: Best of 2025 #326

#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 Shah85% of new grid capacity will be solar, wind, and batteriesFossil fuels outspend clean energy 10:1 on political lobbyingVPPs could shift 20% of peak load by 203020% of Americans struggle to afford their electricity billsEpisode 274 - Ryan Mayfield and Jayson Smith CPS America's Gonzo containerized battery (125-256 kWh)20-millisecond switchover for grid-forming capabilityDaisy chain up to 12 units for megawatt-scale deployments60% of CPS workforce dedicated to serviceEpisode 307 - Peter Kelly-Detwiler 1,500 MW of data center load disconnected in Virginia incidentPJM capacity prices jumped from $30 to $329 per MW-dayCalifornia VPPs dispatched 535 MW from 100,000 homesEpisode 310 - Jeff St. John (Canary Media) 93% of new U.S. grid additions were solar, batteries, and windTexas ERCOT grid now 50% solar, wind, and batteriesCalifornia VPPs show 2:1 cost-benefit ratioTexas allocated $1.8B for microgrids after Winter Storm UriEpisode 322 - Julia Wu and Anuj Saigal (Spark AI) Platform compresses 4-10 hours of research to secondsStandard Solar reduced acquisition diligence from months to one weekThree core use cases: site selection, regulatory monitoring, acquisition due diligenceBonus: Episode 296 - Mark Palmer (Conductor Solar)Most listened to and shared episode on SpotifyCovers PPAs, project finance, and tax credit swappingDiscusses tariffs, supply chain pressures, and state policy importanceEpisodes MentionedEp 304 - https://youtu.be/lGv6NoDlf70Ep 274 - https://youtu.be/QxLIzBSM-lQEp 307 - https://youtu.be/apMrWUz7TV8Ep 310 - https://youtu.be/76PDeZ7ZGpsEp 322 - https://youtu.be/B3t0cpvTT-YEp 296 - https://youtu.be/aj_zNnpAUk8 Support the showConnect with Tim  Clean Power Hour  Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email [email protected] Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected] sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com