Clean Power Hour

Billion-dollar weather emergencies hit the United States every 19 days. In the 1980s, they came every 90 days. The grid is still running, but communities are paying the price when it fails. Elisa Wood, founder of Energy Changemakers and host of the Energy Changemakers podcast, joins Tim Montague on The Clean Power Hour to explain why community microgrids are the missing layer in grid resilience, where they are actually working, and what is stopping most communities from building them.
In this Episode:
You will learn exactly how a community microgrid differs from standard solar and storage, specifically the islanding capability that keeps critical services running when the main grid fails.
You will understand why the "over the fence" rule blocks most community microgrid projects and how California is beginning to create exceptions that other states could follow.
You will learn why resilience has no assigned dollar value in today's grid market, and why that missing valuation is the root cause of the community microgrid funding problem.
You will hear which states are leading on community microgrid development right now and why federal funding cuts have made state and local action the only real path forward.
You will learn why utilities have a structural reason to resist community microgrids and what financial incentive changes could shift that dynamic.
You will take away a community engagement lesson from Cascadia Renewables in Washington State, showing that talking to residents before doing engineering studies is what determines whether a project wins local support or stalls.
With federal support retreating and extreme weather intensifying, the window for state-level action on community microgrids is narrow. The case studies in this episode show that community microgrids save lives, reduce economic losses from outages, and create local energy wealth. Clean energy professionals who want to move these projects forward need to understand the regulatory barriers, the funding gaps, and the community engagement strategies that separate successful projects from stalled ones.
Connect with Elisa Wood
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisawood/
Website: https://energychangemakers.com/
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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Revenue from aging solar assets can now more than double through redevelopment. Matt Murphy, CEO of Flux Energy, joins Tim Montague on the Clean Power Hour to explain how. Murphy, a 20-year solar industry veteran and former Greenbacker executive, launched Flux Energy to focus on repowering and redeveloping existing solar farms, adding energy storage, renegotiating contracts, and replacing outdated panels with modern technology. His claim: deploying capital into operating assets delivers returns as good or better than building new projects from scratch. 
With SREC 1 and SREC 2 programs expiring in Massachusetts and solar panels from the early 2010s producing a fraction of what today's 750-watt modules deliver, the opportunity for solar asset redevelopment is growing fast.
Here's what you'll learn in this conversation about repowering and redeveloping aging solar assets:
Learn how Murphy's "redevelopment" strategy stacks new revenue streams on existing solar farms by adding battery storage, repowering with modern panels, and renegotiating offtake agreements.
Understand the scale of the efficiency gap: panels installed a decade ago were 120-watt modules, while today's range from 600 to 800 watts. A repowered site on the same acreage produces up to four or five times the energy output.
Find out why Flux Energy prefers DC-coupled battery storage.
You'll hear how Murphy restores EBITDA to peak incentive levels, then connects sellers with IPP buyers in what he calls "solar house flipping."
Learn why about 50% of the decommissioned panels Flux has evaluated so far have secondary market value at a few cents per watt.
As the ITC phases down and a rush to complete new projects dominates industry attention, a parallel opportunity is emerging in the existing fleet. With state incentive programs expiring and aging assets underperforming, companies like Flux Energy represent a new segment of the solar industry focused on extracting maximum value from what has already been built. 
Connect with Matt Murphy, Flux Energy 
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-murphy-b900877a/
Flux Energy Website: https://www.fluxenergy.com/
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 
Email [email protected] 
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

LG Energy Solution and GM are converting their Tennessee EV battery plant to LFP production for the US grid storage market. The $70 million retooling signals a broader industry shift as EV demand in the US slows and grid storage demand accelerates. Tim Montague and John Weaver break down what this means for battery pricing, domestic manufacturing, and project developers on this week's Clean Power Hour Live. 
They also cover the natural gas supply disruption that sent European energy prices up 27%, balcony solar legislation advancing in 24 states, and the debut of robotic solar construction from Terabase Energy.
Episode Highlights:
Iran attacked a major gas facility in Qatar that produces roughly 17% of Qatar's output. John Weaver estimates this takes 3.5% of the global natural gas supply offline for at least a year. (Source)
Illinois is among 24 states advancing balcony solar legislation. A Canary Media story reports that a balcony system at $3 per watt costs about $2,000 and saves consumers $400 per year. (Canary Media)
LG Energy Solution and GM are converting their Ultium Cells joint venture in Tennessee from EV battery production to LFP batteries for the US grid storage market. (PV Magazine Energy Storage)
Terabase, the automated solar construction platform, is ready for full market debut. The company assembles module tables on torque tubes in a covered structure, then uses robotic vehicles to transport them to field positions. (Solar Power World)  Tim has interviewed Terabase CEO Matt Campbell on the Clean Power Hour (Episode 165) 
Global battery storage deployment hit 17 gigawatt hours in February 2026, a 60% increase over February 2025. (Energy Storage News) 
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 
Email [email protected] 
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

FEOC compliance is the number one question solar buyers ask in 2026, and the answer determines which module manufacturers survive. In this episode, Tim Montague talks with Chris Lettman of Imperial Star, Benoy Thanjan of Reneu Energy, and the host of the Solar Maverick podcast, and Dean Solon of Create Energy at InterSolar San Diego 2026. 
Here's what you'll learn in this conversation:
Find out how Imperial Star offers "domestic light" module configurations that let developers hit their required domestic content percentage without overpaying for content they don't need.
Learn why some module manufacturers will disappear this year as FEOC compliance separates companies with verified supply chains from those without. 
Understand what the ITC phase-out by 2028 means for project economics and why Dean Solon says the industry needs to "break free of that pacifier." 
You'll hear why Dean Solon built Create as an open-architecture system where project owners control their own data without recurring software fees. 
Learn how battery storage is expanding beyond California and Texas into Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Benoy Thanjan notes that residential customers in Florida are now buying storage for peace of mind during blackouts, not purely for economic payback.
The FEOC compliance deadline that took effect in January 2026 is reshaping the entire solar supply chain. With the ITC phasing out by 2028 and battery storage markets expanding into new states every year, solar professionals need to understand their module sourcing options, domestic content configurations, and post-incentive business models right now.

Connect with the Guest
Chris Lettman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislettman/
Benoy Thanjan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bthanjan/
Deon Solon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-solon-b8876649/
Imperial Star: https://www.imperialstar.com/
Reneu Energy: https://www.reneuenergy.com/
Create Energy: https://www.create.energy/
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 
Email [email protected] 
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Natural gas prices in Europe surged roughly 80% after the Iran war disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off 20% of the world's oil supply. On this episode of The Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down how this energy war affects electricity costs, solar economics, and your business as a clean energy professional. They cover solar's fastest growth in a decade, the new SEIA market report, Virginia's clean energy moves, deep geothermal technology, and a perovskite milestone that signals large-scale manufacturing.
Episode Highlights:
The Iran war has disrupted oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Tim and John discuss how this "energy war" raises electricity costs, increases shipping expenses for solar equipment, and changes forward price curves for commercial solar proposals. (Clean Air Task Force)
John reports in PV Magazine that US solar generation grew at its fastest rate in a decade. (PV Magazine)
Solar and wind are set to pass nuclear as a share of global electricity generation in 2026. Combined with hydro at 14%, clean sources now supply about 44% of global electricity. (Michael Liebreich)
Virginia's new Democratic governor moved the state back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which funds renewable energy certificates worth 3 to 4 cents per kWh. (Politico Pro)
Quaise Energy raised $200 million to develop a super-hot geothermal power plant in Oregon. (Canary Media)
Maxwell Equipment achieved 32.5% efficiency in a perovskite/HJT tandem solar cell. (PV Tech)
If you sell, finance, or develop solar projects, this episode gives you the numbers and context to update your proposals and conversations with clients.
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 
Email [email protected] 
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com