Disruptive Innovation in Energy – Jennifer Gerbi, ARPA-E

“There’s this amazing thing that we think should happen, which is right now physically impossible. That’s fine. Let’s talk about that. Let’s dig down to the technical gap that needs to be filled to enable that new disruptive pathway to start.” To truly address climate change, we need to pivot to a zero-carbon economy, and… Continue reading Disruptive Innovation in Energy – Jennifer Gerbi, ARPA-E

New Portable Energy – Rita Hansen, OnBoard Dynamics

What if we had a way to get power to devastated areas quickly in an emergency, such as a natural disaster like a hurricane? Listen to host Joan Michelson’s fascinating conversation with Rita Hansen, CEO of OnBoard Dynamics about their new mobile natural gas-powered energy source that could provide that much-needed power at these critical… Continue reading New Portable Energy – Rita Hansen, OnBoard Dynamics

Funding Energy Innovations – Dr. Ellen Williams, ARPA-E, Dept of Energy

The Paris Accord to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions is ambitious and the U.S. has agreed to reduce it’s emissions by 26 to 28 % below 2005 levels by 2025. How do we do it? With breakthrough energy innovations! Leading the charge in these breakthroughs is ARPA-E, the innovation arm of the U.S. Department of… Continue reading Funding Energy Innovations – Dr. Ellen Williams, ARPA-E, Dept of Energy

Circumventing Uncertainty – ARPA-E 2016 Energy Innovators

Everybody knows how hard it is to make intelligent decisions based on fluctuating circumstances and priorities, as well as indecision on the part of those who can affect us.

‘Shark Tank’ winner, Andrea Sreshta

Listen to this exciting interview with recent ‘Shark Tank’ winner, Andrea Sreshta. She and her business partner were awarded $200K from Mark Cuban (and his support) for their product, LuminAID, a solar powered inflatable light. In response to the massive earthquake in Haiti, LuminAID was born out of the need the two saw for one… Continue reading ‘Shark Tank’ winner, Andrea Sreshta

Clean Energy Innovation – Amy Francetic of Clean Energy Trust

The front lines of the clean energy economy are fascinating, brutal and potentially very lucrative.
Listen to one of the masters at growing clean energy start-ups, Amy Francetic of the Clean Energy Trust, discuss how it all comes together and CET’s $100 million partnership with Argonne National Laboratory. She spoke with GCR host Joan Michelson at the 2013 ARPA-E Summit in Washington, DC recently. Much of her advice is timeless.

Innovation Requires Risk, but… Government Risk?

What is the government’s role in driving innovation? Listening to Senators during the recent Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearings on the Energy Department loan guarantee program (specifically loans to the now-infamous Solyndra), you’d think the federal government has no role in American innovation. The lawmakers love it when they can show up at… Continue reading Innovation Requires Risk, but… Government Risk?

ARPA-E on the Practical Side of (Energy) Innovation

Leaders talk about growing a green economy and developing clean energy solutions, but the (mostly-male) talent trolling the halls of the Gaylord National Harbor Convention Center for the ARPA-E 2012 Innovation Summit last week was filled with folks actually doing it. One of the keynote speakers who brought the engineers face-to-face with reality was Steve… Continue reading ARPA-E on the Practical Side of (Energy) Innovation