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Past Issues
The Ad Hoc Gist: Can Utilities Learn to Innovate Faster?
Utilities have struggled to adopt new technologies quickly and are known to pilot tech startups out of business. As a result, investors often avoid investing in startups that sell to utilities.
But utilities need to innovate now more than ever. There is no way to achieve the goals of the energy transition, meet rising electricity demand from AI, and address the threats posed by climate change without significant innovation in the utility sector.
In this month’s Gist, we interviewed Larry Bekkedahl, senior vice president of advanced energy delivery at Portland General Electric (PGE), Oregon’s largest utility, which has gone from last to first in utility innovation. We discussed how PGE did it, and why it has been an imperative for the company.
The Ad Hoc Gist: Is the US Sabotaging the $250B Carbon Removal Opportunity?
Carbon removal is in temporary panic mode as the Trump administration injects uncertainty into this nascent market. It doesn’t need to be this way.
In this month’s Gist, my colleagues Annie Gilleo and Myron Lam argue why America should continue to “dominate” this market and not cede its jobs and technological advancements to Asia and Europe, and how states can step up to fill the temporary gap.
The Ad Hoc Gist: The Pentagon’s Energy Transition
While it’s been a minute since I worked in the Pentagon, I still consider myself a national security professional. After all, energy is the national security issue to which I’ve committed the better part of my career.
In this month’s Gist, my colleague Joshua Grelle and I write about how the energy transition — particularly the growing demand for electricity at home and globally — is transforming our military.
In big AHG news, in partnership with our friends at Latitude Media, we announced the launch of the Power Resilience Forum, a new industry event focused on managing threats to our electric grid. Save the date and come join us in Houston on January 22-23, 2026.