EcoRight Speaks

The power grid is old and it is being asked to do things it wasn’t built to do. Luckily, there are a lot of smart people on the task of updating the grid. Pat Wood is one of those people. Co-chair of The Pew Charitable Trusts Distributed Energy Resources Initiative Advisory Council, Wood has spent three decades building more competitive, resilient energy systems — first as a regulator in the state of Texas and now as an entrepreneur. He is also Executive Chairman of Hunt Energy Network, deploying distributed resources across the Texas power grid, and chairs Luma Energy's board, overseeing the rebuild of Puerto Rico's power system after decades of underinvestment. 
Previously, as Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under President George W. Bush, Wood helped shape the nation's wholesale energy markets and strengthen grid reliability. As Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, he helped engineer the restructuring that made Texas one of the most competitive electricity markets in the world.
Wood also led the recent Pew report, "Distributed Energy Can Unleash the Resilient, Affordable Grid of the Future," a comprehensive policy playbook with recommendations and examples from throughout the country and around the globe for deploying distributed energy resources and virtual power plants. Catch the interview with Pat Wood!

How do we keep the lights on during extreme weather such as Winter Storm Yuri, the Texas ice storm of five years ago? This week's two guests lived through the debilitating storm and hope to never repeat that experience, NextGen Energy founder Kimberly Johnston and Vice President of Public Partnerships Shannon Fitzgerald O’Shea. 
A community energy infrastructure company focused on catalyzing public and private-sector collaborations and mobilizing capital investment towards transformative U.S. clean energy economic development projects, NextGen Energy was founded to build a safer, more resilient America by ensuring that families, communities, and critical services never lose power. Check out what Kimberly Johnston has to share about clean energy on this episode!

AI is changing the shape and scope of the world as we know it. While many talk about the negatives of AI, including the energy demands, the Climate Leadership Council’s Greg Bertelsen sees an opportunity to take advantage of the largest investments being made probably in our lifetimes. 
Clean energy and renewables can attract significant investment to fuel AI needs, potentially making AI a force for a new energy paradigm. In Bertelsen's essay "An Optimist’s Case on AI and Climate," he delves into the transformative prospects AI has to drive us toward a decarbonized world. Don't miss this interesting conversation with the CLC's Greg Bertelsen!

Host Chelsea Henderson was recently asked to join the steering committee of the Thriving Economy Project, a coalition of members of Congress, former senior congressional aides, officials from multiple presidential administrations and leading energy and environmental policy experts. The group is collaborating on a new policy blueprint aimed at strengthening economic competitiveness, creating jobs, and delivering affordable and reliable energy for American families and businesses. An upcoming report in September 2026 will outline a blueprint to build a thriving economy for all Americans.
Joining us this week is the Congressional lead for the section of the report advising on 21st-century agricultural opportunities. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, a Democrat from Illinois, is leading the recommendations that will help farmers have stable, diversified income streams; drive innovation and adaptation; and make farming more sustainable, more lucrative, and healthier for all. She brings a wealth of experience both in her district, which features a strong agricultural constituency, and her work protecting workers and strengthening the middle class.

American Action Forum's Shuting Pomerleau explains what the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is and how it works.