Utility Industry Podcasts Worth Listening To Right Now

What’s packed with information, easy to consume, engaging speakers, and ready to accompany your commute or exercise routine? Why yes, you guessed it, we are referring to podcasts. As of 2023, there are 464.7 million podcast listeners globally, which is why the industry has a market size of around $23.56b; podcasts are as lucrative as informative, and the audience is massive. Customers want to engage through digital channels, whether that’s a well-built landing page for your programs or to hear the latest and greatest in the industry. For the latter, utility industry podcasts offer a rich platform to help inform, educate, and delight listeners.

Tech-savvy enthusiasts are tuning in to podcasts to elevate the news around sustainability efforts, the clean energy transition, and the regulatory imperative to decarbonize now. With so many podcasts out there, it can be hard to pick the best for your interests. Fortunately, we have included our list of the most exciting utility industry podcasts for you!

Energy Beat Podcast

The Energy Beat Podcast pairs Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) president and CEO Jen Szaro with leaders in the energy industry to discuss the state of decarbonization and more. This month, Jen sat down with our very own founder and CEO Dr. William Burke for the episode AI: Auto-Tune for Load Management. In that podcast, Bill discusses Topline Demand Control, a novel combination of the Shift Grid-Edge DERMS suite, forecasting software, AI, and model predictive control. Listen to learn how Virtual Peaker is working to make energy demand as controllable as a gas turbine generator.

Available on Apple, Spotify, or any podcast app. 

Grid Forward Chats

Grid Forward Chats –  This podcast is produced by our good friends at Grid Forward, an industry association located in the NorthWest focused on modernizing the grid and more specifically, how policy and regulation affect the changing of the grid. Each episode is hosted by the Executive Director, Bryce Yonker. He chats with utility industry executives,  regional and national leaders, and technology enthusiasts – all focused on changing the power grid, ensuring grid resiliency through innovation, and ushering in clean energy.

Last year, our CEO and Founder Bill Burke was in the hot seat to discuss the April 20, 2023 episode “Taking an Innovative Grid Solution to Market” to discuss the challenges that renewable energy startups face in the industry’s continued efforts to decarbonize. Give it a listen.

Most recently, our Director of Product Management, Brenda Chew, joined Bryce and Franco Albi from Portland General Electric season 5, episode 6, titled “Scaling Virtual Power Plants to Their Fullest Potential.” This engaging episode covers the benefits of virtual power plants in lowering cost, creating grid flexibility, and reaching decarbonization goals, as well as how Topline Demand Control is set to revolutionize the next generation of virtual power plant capabilities. Listen here.

Available on Apple Podcasts.

Just Energy

Just Energy – Listen to this thought-provoking intertwining of social justice movements, climate change, climate justice (or injustice in some cases), and energy inequity in this podcast. You’ll hear from Sanya Carley, an energy justice professor at Indiana University, together with her master of public affairs students. They weave together their research on energy and justice and offer fascinating views into the economic, cultural, political, racial, and social aspects of the energy transition. Give this one a listen and ask, does humanity have access to clean energy? Is the future of the energy transition equal for all?

Available on Spotify.

The Carbon Copy

The Carbon Copy – The Carbon Copy is a weekly news analysis podcast hosted by Stephen Lacey. The focus is to put a spotlight on the reworking of our carbon-based economy, through the lens of modern world events, scientific advancement, and the news cycle. The Carbon Copy utility industry podcast is a co-production of Canary Media and Post Script Media.

Available on Apple, Spotify, or any podcast app. 

Along Those Lines

Along Those Lines – In its fourth season and focused on rural America’s energy issues and needs, Along Those Lines is a monthly podcast for electric co-ops. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association does a comprehensive job of covering topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workforce in co-ops, innovative technology, and the advances it can have on the grid for co-ops, to covering the unique challenges rural electric cooperatives face. Be sure to give this one a try, as you’ll even get to hear from leaders within cooperatives themselves about their successes, failures, and decarbonization goals.

Available on Spotify and Apple. 

Political Climate

Political Climate – The name says it all. Yet another utility industry podcast produced by Canary Media, Political Climate is co-hosted by Brandon Hurlbut, Shane Skelton, and Julia Pyper. They dig into climate-energy issues, politics, and policies shaping the future of the planet.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. 

Comedians Conquering Climate Change

Comedians Conquering Climate Change – To mix things up a bit, check out this comedian-hosted podcast that is short and most importantly, funny! Host Esteban Gast is a comedian, writer, and teacher and he does a phenomenal job at hitting on critical climate and energy topics while entertaining his listeners. Bonus? Gast also has guest appearances from other comedians. They discuss key topics like clean energy movements, electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging, solar, and how and why we should electrify everything. Don’t skip this one. Listen today.

Available on Apple, Google, and Spotify. 

The Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast

The Squeaky Clean Energy Podcast – The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association produces this monthly podcast that covers the aggressive decarbonization efforts of the state of North Carolina. Topics range from technologies advancing the clean energy industry like solar, electric vehicles, and battery storage. Host Matt Abele chats with political candidates of all levels from across the state.

Available on iTunes and Spotify. 

The Big Switch

The Big Switch – Dr. Melissa Lott of Columbia University focuses on the changing grid and the effects of climate change in this twice-a-month podcast. Her goal is to offer solutions to slow climate change and accelerate decarbonization efforts through demand response programs, distributed energy resources (DERs) technologies, and more.

Available on Deezer, Stitcher, and Spotify. 

The Energy Transition Show

The Energy Transition Show  – Hosted by energy analyst and consultant, Chris Nelder, he engages with experts on the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy. Nelder’s topics range from the just energy transition to conversations about the macroeconomics required to shift toward renewables.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. 

With Great Power

With Great Power – While it may seem like the With Great Power podcast is a reference to Spider-Man’s ethos, the GridX series offers a deep dive into the industry, including featured stories on climate, security, renewable energy technologies, and the economy of each. On January 18, our Director of Product Management Brenda Chew was on hand to discuss the benefits of maximizing distributed energy. With Great Power is a great podcast to help broaden your understanding of our very complex and evolving industry.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. 

Women’s Energy Council Podcasts

Women’s Energy Council Podcasts – Looking for a fresh perspective on the energy and utility industry? The Women’s Energy Council Podcasts serve to bring in the very best women in the business, focusing on the advice and opportunities that transform leadership. The series routinely speaks with industry insiders from the C-Suite to IT and beyond, to garner a different perspective on the shape of the grid to come.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. 

GreenBiz 350

GreenBiz 350 – The GreenBiz 350 podcast offers another deep dive into the news behind this week’s headlines. Focused on sustainability business and clean technologies, hosts Joel Makower and Heather Clancy interview guests from within the industry to discuss topics like the economics of the energy transition, climate resilience, ESG culture wars, and so much more.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. 

Switched On

Switched On – The Switched On podcast from Bloomberg offers conversations about “global commodity markets and the disruptive technologies driving the transition to a low-carbon economy.” Hosted by Dana Perkins, the Global Head of Business Development and EMEA Regional Lead of Bloomberg NEF, the series speaks with industry experts across a myriad of disciplines, from infrastructure to agriculture, and, of course, all things energy and utility oriented.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. 

Powerful Women Podcast

Powerful Women Podcast – As the name suggests, the Power Women podcast, courtesy of Nationwide Energy Partners, offers another excellent exposé on the incredible women that serve in the energy and utility industries. A limited series event, this podcast ran during Women’s History Month in 2023 and featured our Director of Product Management Brenda Chew for a discussion on her journey into the energy industry and the opportunities to be found therein. While it remains to be seen if they revisit this series again, we’re hopeful that they will!

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. 

Redefining Energy

Redefining Energy Podcast – The Redefining Energy podcast is a bi-monthly series hosted by Gerard Reid and Laurent Segalen designed to examine, scrutinize, and debate how the energy market is radically changing to decrease carbon emissions while still meeting needs. The series looks at markets worldwide and features topics ranging from large-scale battery operations to the supply chain issues plaguing the wind, solar, and battery industry and beyond. Join Reid and Segalen on Sundays for one of the utility industry podcasts ranked in the Top 20 in the Energy Transition category by player.fm.

Available on Apple, Spotify, Speaker from iHeart Radio, Stitcher, and YouTube. 

Utility Industry Podcasts Final Thoughts

As we mentioned, there are so many podcasts in the world that it can be hard to keep up. In fact, there were almost 30 million new podcast episodes published in 2022! So with so many options for podcasts these days, it can be hard to narrow down decent options. Hopefully, this top ten list helps guide your future utility industry podcast downloads and listening habits. Did we miss an excellent energy-focused podcast that makes your top ten list? Let us know about it in the comments below.

This article was originally published on April 19, 2022, with updates on May 10, 2024.

About The Author

With almost two decades of leadership, growth marketing, and communication experience, Amber Mullaney drives the strategy behind Virtual Peaker's marketing initiatives. A proud Texan native, she graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Public Relations and Interpersonal Communication. She is passionate and experienced in managing brands, product lines, marketing programs, and driving cross-functional teams.

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