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The Gist
The Gist is the monthly newsletter of The Ad Hoc Group that covers everything at the intersection of climate tech and policy. Subscribe at the link here to have The Gist mailed to your inbox each month.
The Ad Hoc Gist: Two Utility CEOs Spill the Tea
After a thought-provoking dinner conversation at last month’s Power Resilience Forum with Mari McClure, the CEO of Green Mountain Power in Vermont and Rudy Garza, the CEO of CPS Energy in Texas, that we asked them to do it all again for this month’s Gist.
In our interview, they break down the overly simplified narratives that have emerged about clean energy, resilience, data centers, and affordability. And they share what it’s really like to run utilities in two very different parts of the country right now; it turns out it’s neither monolithic nor simple.
The Ad Hoc Gist: Our 2026 Grid PredictionsÂ
We’re barely into 2026, and already it’s full of surprises. This month, Julia and I, along with two of our senior advisors, share our predictions for the year in energy.
We’re also proud to share a new Alliance to Save Energy report co-authored by our own Matt Anderson on how hyperscalers like Google and Microsoft can leverage investments in distributed resources and energy efficiency to create more capacity on the grid.
The Ad Hoc Gist: Four Things Our Team Thinks You Missed in 2025Â
As 2025 wraps up, we asked our team a simple question: What’s one development that flew under the radar this year—something overlooked in the usual energy market coverage—that you believe will have a significant impact in 2026 and beyond?
The answers surprised us. From the politics of electricity bills to a quiet federal tax provision that could reshape residential heating and cooling, this month’s Gist highlights four trends worth watching as we head into the new year.
White Papers
The Ad Hoc Group, in partnership with other industry thought leaders, publishes white papers that take a deep dive into the complex issues facing the energy industry and our clients.
Bridging the Load Gap: A Collaborative Path for Utilities, Hyperscalers and Customers
In this white paper, published in January 2026, the Alliance to Save Energy and the Ad Hoc Group explore whether a collaborative model – one in which a large load funds incremental, utility-directed demand-side management (DSM) investments that include both demand response (DR) and energy efficiency (EE) programs – could unlock new capacity, reduce pressure on infrastructure timelines, and support improved affordability and resilience for customers.
Blog
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People as Moat – Ad Hoc Expands into Search
In climate tech, we talk a lot about, well, technology. But talk with most CEOs and they’ll share that the hardest part of their job is figuring out how to hire and retain the right people. In my experience, a company’s ability to hire and effectively onboard the right people is what differentiates successful businesses from those that falter. Because, as a CEO, you can have a great vision, but if you don’t have the right people, you can’t execute it.
Press
Is winter coming for climate tech?
We’re worried about climate tech.
We lived through cleantech 1.0 (b. 2007, d. 2011), and we see signs of similar mistakes unfolding this time around. And the problems are not restricted to a single group. Both founders and venture capitalists need to re-think their approach to the market.
On the one hand, founders need to deeply assess the business they’re building, and create a capital plan that fits their model — not every company is built to be a unicorn. On the other, VCs need to re-assess how they partner with startups, and consider paths that involve more ownership and increased operational expertise. For both sides, it’s time to focus on putting points on the board.
Unbound Wildfire Liability is a Cost the US Can’t Afford
Utility wildfire mitigation plans aren’t enough.
“We are all one spark away from bankruptcy,” said one utility CEO at the recent Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners meeting.
He was speaking about wildfires: a topic under regular conversation at energy industry events and in utility board rooms. The business of providing electricity is being turned on its head, and all of us are paying a price....
USEA Power Sector Podcast Episode 27: The Ad Hoc Group Principal Brian Kooiman
In Part 3 of a series on distribution system resources and reliability, The Ad Hoc Group Principal Brian Kooiman answered questions by journalist Herman K. Trabish about the role of demand side flexibility in the U.S. power sector resource mix and reforms are urgently needed from federal and state regulators to allow customer-owned resources to realize their potential to improve electricity delivery reliability, reduce customer bills, and achieve decarbonization goals.
Podcast
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