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Factor This

Factor This

Launched in 2022, the Factor This Podcast has featured many of the most influential leaders driving the energy transition. From solar and battery storage executives to utility CEOs, the Factor This Podcast brings unique insights and answers to the energy industry’s most pressing challenges. Go beyond high-level trends and mainstream talking points with actionable takeaways. 

 

The Factor This Podcast grew in 2023 with the addition of This Week in Cleantech, a weekly roundup of the biggest stories in climate and clean energy in 15 minutes or less. With new episodes every Friday, Factor This content director Paul Gerke and Mike Casey, a cleantech commentator and president of Tigercomm, bring listeners the most important headlines of the week while featuring the leading journalists behind the stories.


The all-new FactorThis.com is your best source for news, commentary, and analysis of renewable energy and the power grid. 

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  • 26 episodes
  • Avg 32 min
  • English

Episodes 26

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  • June 5 · 19 min

    This Week in Cleantech (06/04/2026) - Why are some Democratic governors backing Trump's gas pipelines?

    Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest Benjamin Storrow from E&E News, who discusses how some Democratic governors are more open to natural gas pipeline expansion as energy costs rise. This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is Kevin Doffing who runs a group of veterans involved in cleantech. He has 50 caliber shell casings he uses as lobby swag. Congratulations, Kevin! This Week in Cleantech — June 5, 2026 The Sorry State of Carbon Removal — Heatmap News Solar energy helps US farms stay afloat – but Republicans’ bill could change that — The Guardian America’s Data-Center Build-Out Is Falling Way Behind Schedule — The Wall Street Journal 7 states sue Trump administration over nearly $1 billion deal to halt offshore wind farm — ABC News ‘Ready to cave’: How liberal governors warmed to Trump’s pipelines — E&E News Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

  • June 1 · 53 min

    Stalled federal funding is freeing up to aid homeowners eyeing energy efficiency

    Tell us what you think of the show! The U.S. Department of Energy is moving forward with releasing billions of dollars in rebate funding to states earmarked by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for two home energy programs: Home Efficiency Rebates (HER/HOMES), which enables whole-home retrofits that cut overall energy use by at least 15%, and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR), providing point-of-sale coupons for high-efficiency electric appliances like heat pumps and electric stoves for low- and moderate-income households. On this episode of the Factor This podcast, host Paul Gerke is joined by Advanced Energy United policy principal Kate Shonk, who explains why the funding was stalled, where it's headed, and how it can really help people at a time when electricity prices are climbing almost everywhere, and affordability is on the menu for dinner table discussion. She dives into examples from a few of the roughly dozen states that are rolling out unique programs to take advantage of the efficiency rebates and shares what's working. Rebecca Puck Stair, a director for the State of New Mexico's Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, also joins the show and explores the real, tangible, human impact programs like HER and HEAR can have on communities in need. She details her state's efforts to optimize and consolidate programs to maximize the use of federal dollars and reveals a bit of the behind-the-scenes bureaucracy involved in translating policies from paper to practice. Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

  • May 29 · 25 min

    This Week in Cleantech (05/29/2026) - Local pushback against data centers hits a new high

    Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest Robison Meyer from Heatmap News, who discussed how local opposition to data centers hit a new record in the first quarter of 2026. This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is Tom Sisto, CEO of XL Batteries. XL Batteries makes an organic flow battery that lasts for 250 hours. The technology runs on non-toxic, non-flammable electrolytes, meaning these batteries can be deployed in population-dense communities without the heavy permitting scrutiny that is required for similar-sized lithium-ion installations. Congratulations, Tom! This Week in Cleantech — May 29, 2026 Rep. Chip Roy loses runoff for Texas attorney general to a MAGA challenger – POLITICO U.S. Aims to Give Cold War Plutonium to Start-Ups for Nuclear Fuel – The New York Times China’s world-beating solar industry is in turmoil — The Economist Wind-Permit Stall Is Threatening $50 Billion in US Developments – Bloomberg Exclusive: Local Opposition to Data Centers Explodes in 2026 – Heatmap News Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

  • May 26 · 18 min

    This Week in Cleantech (05/26/2026) - Iran conflict makes clean energy look more secure

    Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest Akshat Rathi from Bloomberg News, who discussed how the Iran conflict is boosting the security benefits of clean energy. This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is a tribute to a life and career that left an indelible mark on the clean energy community. Jake Clark spent his career at Encore Renewable Energy, most recently pivoting from Vice President of Project Development to stand up the company's Community Engagement program. Those who knew him describe him as one of those rare people who made the whole field better through both his work and who he was. The clean energy community is smaller without him. We honor his memory and the standard he set for all of us. This Week in Cleantech — May 26, 2026 China’s $3 Billion US Clean Tech Exit Is an Investment Warning — Bloomberg 'Paying their fair share': EV drivers could see new fees in proposed bill – USA Today A new mega-utility is at ground zero for AI. Here’s what could happen. — E&E News The World Can’t Get Enough U.S. Energy, Keeping Prices High for Americans — The Wall Street Journal Zero: Iran War Boosts Clean Energy’s Security Benefits — Bloomberg Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

  • May 15 · 16 min

    This Week in Cleantech (05/15/2026) - xAI grows data center gas fleet despite legal scrutiny

    Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest Molly Taft from WIRED, who discusses Elon Musk's AI company xAI's decision to add 19 natural gas turbines to its Colossus 2 data center in Southaven, Mississippi. This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is fourth grader Christian Mango. At 10 years old, Christian researched electric vehicles, cited facts, and wrote to his U.S. congresswoman Virginia Foxx proposing a $5,000 federal EV tax rebate. When she responded by reprimanding Christian as foolish and his teachers as propagandists, Christian made national news for writing the letter. Congratulations Christian! This Week in Cleantech — May 15, 2026 Solar trade group taps former GOP governor as new chief — POLITICO Organic flow battery company CMBlu closes €50 million Series C — Energy Storage News Fervo IPO ushers geothermal energy into mainstream — Axios EDPR upbeat on US renewables market, sees profitable growth and new opportunities — Reuters xAI Adds 19 New Gas Turbines Despite Ongoing Lawsuit — WIRED Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

  • May 8 · 20 min

    This Week in Cleantech (05/08/2026) - Can Ford revive its struggling EV program?

    Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey. This week's episode features special guest Andrew Moseman from Heatmap News, who discusses Ford's efforts to rebuild its struggling EV program from the ground up. This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is Brad Rouse, the volunteer Executive Director of Energy Savers Network. This small non-profit provides free weatherization and appliance upgrades to income-qualified families. Brad co-founded ESN in 2016 and has helped reduce the power bills for over 1500 families in western North Carolina. Congratulations Brad! This Week in Cleantech — May 8, 2026 Untapped lithium on East Coast could replace US imports, USGS finds — E&E News Brussels bars Chinese-made ‘brains’ of solar panels from EU funding — Euractiv The balcony solar boom is coming to the US — MIT Tech Review Thieves Are Stealing Chile’s Solar Panels and Cashing In on the Black Market — Bloomberg Inside Ford’s Secret EV Skunkworks — Heatmap News Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

Showing 21–26 of 26 episodes