PODCAST · business
Rise Up
by the MREA
MREA's Rise Up podcast brings real-time, relevant energy and policy information to Midwest stakeholders. Join MREA's Executive Director Nick Hylla, as he talks to a range of solar professionals working to improve the energy system in Midwest states. Enjoy engaging discussions focused on the decisions we’ll need to make regarding the energy transition. Episodes share opinions, recent news, engaging interviews, relevant resources, strategies, Midwest success stories, and actions you can take.
Episodes
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Solar In Minnesota and a Must-Attend Conference
Minnesota stands out as a leader in the energy transition, uniquely positioned at the forefront of renewable adoption in the Midwest. Through bipartisan legislation and innovative incentive programs, the state has become a trailblazer in advancing renewable energy technologies and setting a...
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Fronius: Gen 24 Inverter and Roadshow
With so many solar products out on the market today, it can be difficult to choose which one works best for your home or business. Boasting over 20 years of solar experience in the US, Fronius has become a leader in the solar industry, providing quality products and reliable customer service. In...
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E-Bikes
Did you know you don't have to be a pro cyclist to keep up with the racers competing in the Tour de France? E-bikes are one of the best environmentally conscious transportation options that keep you fit while having fun. These electric bikes significantly reduce carbon emissions, decrease air and...
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Big Changes for Minnesota’s Community Solar Gardens
Minnesota's solar accessibility has skyrocketed since the passing of the Minnesota Solar Energy Jobs Act in 2013, creating clean energy opportunities for communities across the state. One such opportunity, community solar gardens, have exploded in the past ten years, adding up to 900 megawatts of...
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Cold Climate Heat Pumps
Renewable energy technology has come a long way over the years. One such advancement — cold climate heat pumps — are no different and can offer homeowners an efficient and economical way to heat and cool their home while reducing carbon emissions. Learn everything you need to know about heat…
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The Basics of Photovoltaics
Ever wondered how solar panels work? Or how the solar industry has grown over the years? Or how to ensure a quality solar installation? Get answers to all these questions and more in this episode of the Rise Up Podcast as Nick Hylla interviews Kris Schmid, founder and owner of Legacy Solar, LLC…
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Advancing Energy Justice in Illinois
Illinois stands out as a leader in solar development across the United States. Essential to this progress are various solar training programs, notably those run by the Chicago Urban League, which play a crucial role in meeting the workforce demands necessary for the sector's advancement. In this...
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Financing Home Electrification Projects
So you want to finance a home electrification project but don't know where to start? Well, you're in luck! In this episode of the Rise Up Podcast, Nick Hylla talks to Nicole Burford, VP of Market Development and Sustainability at Clean Energy Credit Union, about what consumers should know before...
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Is Your Home Electrification Ready?
In today's world, electrifying your home and becoming more energy efficient has never been easier. With various funding opportunities and programs available, the incentives to upgrade your energy systems are too big to be ignored. Join Kevin Kane in this week's episode of the Rise Up Podcast that...
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West CAP - WAP in WI
Ensuring that every home is weatherized and equipped with energy-efficient systems should not only be a possibility, but a reality for all. Community Assistance Programs (CAPs), such as West CAP, play a vital role in enabling low-income communities to access these essential upgrades, fostering…
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Missouri - On-Bill Inclusive Financing (PAYS)
For many, conducting an energy audit and installing energy efficient systems can be a financial challenge. Inclusive financing, like the Pay As You Save (PAYS) program, hopes to ease that challenge by allowing homeowners and tenants to pay a monthly charge along with their utility bill, instead…
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Farm and Rural Business Energy Efficiency
Becoming more energy efficient not only cuts costs but also helps preserve our planet. Whether it's transitioning to electric, conducting energy audits, or enhancing energy systems, committing to energy efficiency today promises future savings and fosters a healthier environment for everyone....
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Rise Up - LIVE at The Energy Fair - June 23-25, 2023
Nick Hylla, MREA Executive Director & Rise Up Podcast host, led Rise Up Live Events and a live panel during The Energy Fair! Participants had the opportunity to hear from the guests of Season 4 throughout the weekend, followed by a Q&A session on Sunday. On Friday, June 23rd, in the Special…
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Rise Up Season 4 LIVE at The Energy Fair - Trailer
Nick Hylla, MREA Executive Director & Rise Up Podcast host, led Rise Up Live Events and a live panel during The Energy Fair! Participants had the opportunity to hear from the guests of Season 4 throughout the weekend, followed by a Q&A session on Sunday. On Friday, June 23rd, in the Special…
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Voice of the People
n a time when corporate spending is protected as free speech, each of us must wonder how our voices will be heard. Utility companies have deep pockets, and their lobbyists are a fixture at state capitol buildings. Big businesses have big energy budgets and their associations are adept at making...
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Energy Justice in Minneapolis
The first and largest US financial maneuver in response to COVID-19 was an unprecedented bailout of Wall Street investors to head off an impending stock market crash. Building upon the “Modern Monetary Theory” implemented to bail out the banking sector after the mortgage default crisis in 2008…
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Workforce Readiness
The topic of workforce development is near and dear to our hearts at MREA. We started providing training in solar PV, solar thermal, small wind energy, and energy efficiency in 1990. We were one of the first accredited solar training programs in the country and still maintain accreditation with…
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Critical Mineral Mining
Since 2018, the United States has expanded its list of critical minerals from 35 to 50 as supply chains have become increasingly concentrated to fewer countries and the needs for minerals in industrial and consumer products have increased. Beginning in 2022, the Biden Administration began making...
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Pathways to 100%
Eleven US states plus the District of Columbia have passed laws committing to 100% carbon-free or 100% clean energy. The path to 100% is full of choices that influence the cost to electricity ratepayers, ownership of critical infrastructure, and access to the financial and social benefits of…
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Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Today, nuclear energy remains the largest low carbon source of electricity in the world. Yet looking closer at the trend reveals that it is a rapidly decreasing share of the global portfolio as plants are retired and wind and solar consistently lead new energy capacity additions. The US fleet is...
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Rural Renewable Energy and Transmission Projects - Powering the Midwest!
Get ready to harness the power of renewable energy as Season 4 Episode 5 of MREA's Rise Up podcast takes you on a journey through the world of large-scale wind, solar, and transmission projects in the Midwest. Join our host Nick Hylla, as he sits down with esteemed guest Peder Mewis, a driving...
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Electric Vehicles
Rev up your knowledge on electric vehicles with Clean Fuels Michigan's Jane McCurry, on MREA's Rise Up Podcast. As compelling as electric vehicles are, electrifying transportation presents significant policy and market development challenges. EVs represent just over 5% of passenger vehicles on US...
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Building Energy Efficiency
75% of all electricity consumption occurs in buildings. With a goal to fully electrify our building energy use, more buildings will be moving their heating, cooking, and operations systems from natural gas, propane, diesel, and fuel oil to grid electricity. Pair this with home and business…
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Distributed Energy Resources
The plan is to electrify the economy. Reduce the combustion of fossil fuels for heating and transportation by replacing it with electricity from a grid powered by low-carbon sources like solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear. These are the basics of the energy transition but, there are two competing...
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Episode 1 - The Electric Utility Business Model
When it comes to transitioning the electricity system, we are constrained by public policy choices and investment decisions made over the last 100 years. The past decisions have given us the infrastructure, ownership structure, regulatory process, and debts that define how we produce and use...
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Rise Up Podcast - Season 4 Trailer: The Energy Transition
Welcome to a new Rise Up Podcast season focused on the energy transition in Midwest states! In this podcast season, MREA Executive Director Nick Hylla talks to a range of professionals working to improve the energy system in Midwest states. The discussions focus on the decisions we'll need to…
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2022 Energy Fair Workshops Preview
Rise Up’s season 3 finale is a special episode highlighting some of the great speakers and presenters that’ll be present at the 2022 Energy Fair. Guests join MREA Executive Director, Nick Hylla, to introduce themselves, preview their workshops at the Fair, as well as highlight some of their...
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Tribal Power Utilities
On this episode of the Rise Up podcast, we feature a double interview with 2022 Energy Fair keynote speakers, Bob Blake and John Farrell, hosted by MREA Executive Director Nick Hylla. Bob Blake is the founder and CEO of solar installer, Solar Bear, as well as the executive director of the...
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Community Owned Solar
MREA Executive Director Nick Hylla hosts Shimekia Nichols, Executive Director of Soulardarity, an environmental non-profit based in Highland Park, Michigan. Soulardarity's mission is to build community power in Highland Park through community-owned solar streetlights. In their talk, Shimekia...
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Group Buy Solar Programs
In today’s episode, MREA Executive Director Nick Hylla hosts Peter Murphy, the MREA’s Associate Director. Nick spoke with Peter about the development and growth of the Grow Solar Group Buy program, the strength of collective buying power in solar curious communities and methods to improve access…
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Kinship and Environmental Justice
MREA Executive Director Nick Hylla hosts Kyle Whyte, a 2022 MREA Energy Fair keynote speaker. Kyle is a Potawatomi climate/environmental justice scholar and organizer and professor at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability. During this conversation, Kyle addresses...
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Indigenous Kitchen and Return of the Fair
MREA Executive Director Nick Hylla sits down with Sean Sherman, Sioux chef, cookbook author, and 2022 MREA Energy Fair keynote speaker, on what it means to decolonize foods. Sean talks about the work his restaurant, Owamni, and his non-profit, the North American Traditional Indigenous Food…
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Pay As You Save
What role does inclusive financing play in ensuring the transition to clean energy is accessible to all? We sat down with Holmes Hummel and Anthony Kinslow II from Clean Energy Works to find out.
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Michigan Saves
How can innovative financing incentivize private investment and accelerate the transition to clean energy? We sat down with Mary Templeton, President and CEO of Michigan Saves, to find out.
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Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
What happens when a strong coalition engages energy stakeholders and works tirelessly to chart an equitable renewable energy future in Illinois? We spoke with John Delurey, Senior Regional Director for Vote Solar, to find out.
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Energy Democracy
What does decentralized ownership of renewable energy really look like and why does it matter? We sat down with John Farrell to find out.
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Get People Moving
What can American's energy future look like with the country's 573 Tribal Nations taking a leadership role in renewable energy? We sat down with Robert Blake - a tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation, owner of the Solar Bear solar installation company, executive director of the nonprofit Native…
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Back in the Game
What happens when a state task force spends the better part of a year developing policy recommendations focused on mitigating and adapting to climate change? We sat down with Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, to find out.
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Think Like a Planet
What can a deeper appreciation of the earth’s physical structure and natural processes lend to our understanding of the problems we face currently? We asked Marcia Bjornerud, a professor of Geosciences at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and author of Timefulness: How Thinking Like a...
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Energy Equity
Summary: How do we achieve a more equitable energy economy? If you ask Denise Abdul-Rahman with the NAACP, she’ll kindly tell you that we need a system that increases employment opportunities and decreases pollution externalities. We need a system that creates investment opportunities for those…
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Beyond Coal
Did you know that uneconomical coal plants in the Midwest are costing you, the ratepayer, millions of dollars? In recent years, utilities across the region have been clinging to uneconomical coal assets while slow-walking investments in clean energy. Yet, the age of coal is coming to an end and...
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Local Energy Influence
How can your community gain influence over how your energy dollars are spent? It’s not easy. In this episode, we discuss how jurisdictions are harnessing their economic and political power to get more local, clean energy. We speak to Mathew Roberts from the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council...
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Credit Where Credit is Due
If you have been following energy policy developments in the Midwest over the last 5 years, you’ve probably noticed that electric utilities recently switched from fighting against solar energy development to developing solar projects at a record pace. Have energy companies seen the light? Should…
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Get Up and Try
How does a small kid from a small town make a positive and lasting impact on the lives of many people? If you ask Tia Nelson, she’ll tell you that it is by using our power to get up every day and try. In this episode, we interview Tia Nelson about her decades of work in service of her father’s...
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TurmOIL
We are living in a time of uncertainty. The turmoil in global oil markets offers us a glimpse into a complex industry unraveling amid uncertainty and the federal response to save it at all cost. What if we invested in the long term stability of clean energy markets instead? To help us better...
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Physical Distancing, Social Uprising
In this episode we’ll introduce ourselves, preview coming episodes, and interview the MREA’s Executive Director, Nick Hylla. In response to wide ranging questions from the MREA staff and Board of Directors, he’ll address the current economic crisis, the...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
MREA's Rise Up podcast brings real-time, relevant energy and policy information to Midwest stakeholders. Join MREA's Executive Director Nick Hylla, as he talks to a range of solar professionals working to improve the energy system in Midwest states. Enjoy engaging discussions focused on the decisions we’ll need to make regarding the energy transition. Episodes share opinions, recent news, engaging interviews, relevant resources, strategies, Midwest success stories, and actions you can take.
HOSTED BY
the MREA
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Rise Up have?
Rise Up currently has 46 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Rise Up about?
MREA's Rise Up podcast brings real-time, relevant energy and policy information to Midwest stakeholders. Join MREA's Executive Director Nick Hylla, as he talks to a range of solar professionals working to improve the energy system in Midwest states. Enjoy engaging discussions focused on the...
How often does Rise Up release new episodes?
Rise Up has 46 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Rise Up?
You can listen to Rise Up on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Rise Up?
Rise Up is created and hosted by the MREA.
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