🎙️ Podcast: ZELFRs, the Energy Unicorns

Introduction: This is the seventh episode of our "Unlocking the Energy Trilemma" podcast. The podcast's topic was "ZELFRs, the Energy Unicorns". Our Managing Director, Mr. Ravi Krishnan, and our partner, Mr. Jose A. Martinez, moderated this podcast, which included Mr. Mike Caravaggio, Director of the Thermal & Hydro Fleet at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). We finished the podcast on June 25, 2024. The following are some of the questions and issues discussed during the episode. To listen to the podcast directly, click on the link provided above.

  1. Can you share with us a fact or figure that you think is related to the energy trilemma and you want to highlight it?

  2. What are some of the challenges for the thermal assets in the realm of the small but still growing renewable portfolio?

  3. With projected increases in energy demand and reliability concerns raised by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, how do you see the role of thermal power plants and energy storage solutions evolving, particularly in terms of balancing economic growth and sustainability, as evidenced by recent energy decisions made by countries like India?

  4. Are negative energy prices, resulting from the volatility caused by massive investments in renewables without adequate long-term storage, ultimately good or bad?

  5. How do you foresee the balance between renewable and non-renewable energy sources shifting over the next decade and which technologies do you believe have the greatest potential to transform the energy industry?

  6. How viable is the concept of distributed energy resources (DERs) and off-grid solutions for customers, particularly data centers, and what challenges do you foresee with the proliferation of DERs in the market?

  7. Considering the need to balance renewable and thermal energy sources, how important are interconnections between regions for electricity imports and exports, and what challenges do you foresee in developing these interconnections?

  8. What are your thoughts on the diverse technologies regarding decarbonization efforts?

  9. Do you expect the cost of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), currently estimated around $5 million per megawatt, to decrease over time?

  10. If you could use a magic wand to solve the energy trilemma, what actions would you take? And what would you ask?