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Energy GangAuthor: Wood Mackenzie
Covering breaking news in clean tech, going deep on global energy policy, and debating the levers that need to move to accelerate the energy transition. Energy Gang is the podcast covering clean energy technology, renewable energy, and the environment. The world of clean energy moves fast, and you need a reliable source to stay on top of the news that matters. Youll find it on Wood Mackenzies Energy Gang.How will changes to the US government affect decarbonisation and energy security? When will hydrogen, nuclear and carbon capture deploy at scale? Wheres the money for the energy transition green finance coming from and how much more is needed? Whats the outlook for EVs? What are the energy predictions for solar energy? What's the latest on climate change?Get answers to questions like these, bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7am ET. Plus, get special live episodes recorded at the biggest climate and energy events throughout the year, like COP30 and Climate Week NYC. Dont worry if you cant make it in person, Energy Gang brings you all the updates on energy policy, energy finance and energy innovation you need to hear.Energy Gang is presented by Wood Mackenzie and hosted by Ed Crooks, Vice-Chairman of Energy at Wood Mackenzie and a former Financial Times and BBC News journalist. Regular guests are Amy Myers-Jaffe (Director of NYUs Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab), and Dr Melissa Lott (Partner at Microsoft) plus a roster of industry leaders and policy influencers, like Jigar Shah (Industry figurehead and former director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy), Caroline Golin (Head of North America, Global Energy Market Development and Policy at Google) and Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt (Former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources).If you like The Energy Transition Show, Catalyst with Shayle Kann, The Big Switch from Columbia University, Open Circuit with Stephen Lacey or The Language: en Genres: Business, News, Tech News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Data centers are adding an extra 220 gigawatts of electricity demand in the US. How can the grid cope? A second special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum
Episode 563
Thursday, 26 February, 2026
New analysis from Wood Mackenzie shows that 220 gigawatts of additional power demand from data centers is in the pipeline in the US, and 183 GW of that is already backed by firm commercial commitments. That is a huge amount to add in just a few years: it’s equal to about 22% of US peak demand in 2025. The big question is whether the US electricity industry going to be able to meet that additional demand. And if so, how?On the second day of ACORE’s 2026 Policy Forum in Washington, host Ed Crooks talks to industry leaders and experts about the answers to those questions. First he talks to Wood Mackenzie’s Anna Shpitsberg, who is global head of power and renewables research. She breaks down the numbers on electricity demand from new data centers, and discusses some of the implications for the industry.Next up is someone whose role is right at the heart of the data center boom. Arthur Haubenstock is senior counsel at Equinix, which is one of the world’s largest developers, owners and operators. He talks about what data centers actually need in terms of electricity supply, and gives his perspective on some of the controversies currently raging around the industry.A key issue for him is how data center developers can benefit local communities by cutting their electricity bills and strengthening the stability of the grid. He talks about the reality behind popular ideas such as BYOP (bring your own power) and BYONCE (bring your own new clean energy). And he explains why data centers often cannot be flexible loads on the grid, the constraints on backup generation, and why power grids matter.Ray Long, President and CEO of ACORE, then joins the show to talk about his key takeaways from the event. He says the AI-driven data center boom is creating great opportunities for all kinds of energy, including renewables and other low-carbon technologies. But progress is being slowed by three critical challenges: permitting delays, trade policy uncertainty, and regulatory bottlenecks.With electricity demand surging, he says, tackling those policy barriers is essential. Governments and the power industry need to find ways to stop electricity bills soaring and the grid becoming unstable, while enabling the infrastructure buildout required for AI. Finally, Ed talks to three entrepreneurs who are leading startup companies that aim to build the energy industry of the future. Kimberly Johnston of NextGen Energy, Saxon Metzger of Polaris Ecosystems, and Ebony Seymour of Ellement Group, explain the problems in energy that they are taking on, and talk about what they need to accelerate their growth.This episode is brought to you by ACORE, the nonpartisan nonprofit organization uniquely operating at the intersection of energy affordability, reliability, and clean energy deployment. ACORE is focused on strengthening the electric grid and driving clean energy investment that delivers for the American people. ACORE’s membership includes industry leaders across the clean energy economy. Nearly 80% of the booming utility-scale domestic clean energy growth was financed, developed, owned, equipped, or contracted by ACORE members. Visit www.acore.org to learn more about ACORE's work and upcoming events, like the ACORE Finance Forum on May 12-13 in New York City. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
