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About the Episode:

Extreme weather underscores the necessity for energy resilience, a theme Sean Kelly, CEO of Amperon, intimately understands through personal experience and technological innovation. His firsthand battle with Winter Storm Uri's devastation brings to light the critical impact weather has on our energy systems. Amperon responds with advanced analytics, offering real-time load forecasts that bolster grid reliability. This dialogue delves into the significance of data in forecasting, simplifying regulatory processes, and adopting strategic financial and asset management practices bolstered with world class data.

Importantly, it transforms weather conversations from mundane to meaningful, serving as a compelling call to action for energy developers to better understand all aspects of the power sector and integrate accurate energy trading models into their asset management protocol.

Helpful RESOURCES:

Connect with Sean Kelly: 

• LinkedIn 

Check out Amperon:

Website | LinkedIn | X | YouTube

Podcast Mentioned:

Scaling Clean: Mike Casey interviews Sean Kelly of Amperon

Articles:

• What investors are looking for as the AI revolution hits the energy industry
• Amperon Raises $20 Million Series B to Accelerate Energy Analytics and Grid Decarbonization
• Why We Invested in Amperon | Energize
• Renewable Energy Forecasting
• 3+ Houston innovators to know this week
• Forecasting Wind and Solar Generation: Improving System Operations
• Renewable energy forecasting with AI and machine learning
• Visualized: Global Clean Energy Spending Forecasts (2022-2030)

Key Takeaways:

1. Impact of Extreme Weather: Natural disasters and extreme weather events have catalyzed both the collection of crucial data for future preparedness by companies like Amperon and inspired a significant shift towards the clean energy transition, as individuals seek more meaningful contributions beyond traditional tech roles.
2. Regulatory Hurdles: The acceleration of the clean energy transition is impeded by bureaucratic hurdles, highlighting the need for streamlined regulations to facilitate faster progress. Additionally, the financial and operational optimization, even weatherization, of projects in the face of extreme weather is becoming a priority, with Sean advocating for a proactive “merchant market” approach to enhance project efficacy.
3. Weather Talks: The conversation around weather has evolved from being an after thought to an integral component to any project’s operational success, reflecting a broader societal focus on asset management, risk assessment, and the overall impact of climate on business operations.

NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:

“Extreme weather is now dinner table conversation.”

— Sean Kelly

“This has made the people that I get to hire now really, really fun. Because they are all passionate and they say, ‘you know, I’m tired of working at this massive tech company, I’d prefer to come and do something impactful’.”

— Sean Kelly

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.