<![CDATA[Clean Energy Shorts: Brief Chats with Energy Leaders]]>https://cleanenergyshorts.com/Riverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Wed, 27 May 2026 17:41:39 GMTMon, 01 Sep 2025 20:14:39 GMT60Jennifer ZajacSmart conversations, quick format Clean Energy Shorts offers bright insights for power sector pros on climate change, renewables &amp; sustainability. Efficiency that's shockingly good. Our podcast's mission: Deliver insights that power your thinking without draining your time and energy. We are a trusted, valued source of clean energy news and insights that lift people up and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world. Host Jennifer Zajac has spent more than 25 years making the complex compelling, from reporting for Sports Illustrated and Money to creating communication strategies for Fortune 500 companies focused on the energy transition. She has a Master's Degree in Global Energy Management from The University of Colorado-Denver and a Bachelor's Degree in English from The George Washington University. JZ currently serves as a board member of the Women's Energy Network Carolinas Chapter and in her spare time volunteers at the Humane Society of Charlotte. She's discovered that both boardrooms and dog kennels require similar skills: patience, agility, and the ability to clean up messes while maintaining eye contact and reminding yourself that this is what you signed up to do.episodicJennifer Zajacjazajac4@gmail.comno<![CDATA[Hiatus Announcement]]>So here's the short of it: Clean Energy Shorts is going on hiatus. But before you blow a fuse: this isn't so much as a blackout as it is a redirect.

]]>ff13c307-50a5-4b77-a3ec-10f1acf18876Sat, 17 Jan 2026 19:55:29 GMT<p>So here's the short of it: Clean Energy Shorts is going on hiatus. But before you blow a fuse: this isn't so much as a blackout as it is a redirect.</p><p></p>no00:00:39Hiatus Announcementfull<![CDATA[Sheep, Scholarships, and Solar: CleanChoice's Counter-Narrative]]>While many feel shaky about solar's future, Zoë Gamble, president of CleanChoice Energy, shares why the company is kind of having a "candy store" moment. The company hit $300M revenue and is building 400MW of projects.

In the latest episode of Clean Energy Shorts: Brief Chats with Power Leaders, Zoë discusses how they select solar sites, her screening question for potential new hires, and how sheep and scholarships help make solar projects happen.

"The opportunities in front of us far outweigh the headwinds," says Gamble.

]]>99864954-0aee-46d7-843a-b700cab6dddaSat, 15 Nov 2025 17:54:11 GMT<p>While many feel shaky about solar's future, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoehanes/" target="_blank"><b>Zoë Gamble</b></a>, president of <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleanchoice-energy/" target="_self"><b>CleanChoice Energy</b></a>, shares why the company is kind of having a "candy store" moment. The company hit $300M revenue and is building 400MW of projects.<br /><br />In the latest episode of Clean Energy Shorts: Brief Chats with Power Leaders, Zoë discusses how they select solar sites, her screening question for potential new hires, and how sheep and scholarships help make solar projects happen.<br /><br />"The opportunities in front of us far outweigh the headwinds," says Gamble.<br /><br /></p>no00:19:1216Sheep, Scholarships, and Solar: CleanChoice's Counter-Narrativefull<![CDATA[Power to the People: Elizabeth Bennett on Community-Driven Clean Energy ]]>Clean Energy Shorts plugs into Elizabeth Bennett's brain for a charged conversation about renewable energy's grassroots revolution. Bennett illuminates how communities have gone from energy novices to savvy negotiators, why data centers are becoming the industry's hungriest customers, and what's really clogging up our interconnection pipelines. She also shares fresh insights on why the smartest developers are trading top-down tactics for genuine community partnerships.

]]>aa4b3c6f-29e1-4d1c-9c33-3bc25a5872d3Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT<p>Clean Energy Shorts plugs into Elizabeth Bennett's brain for a charged conversation about renewable energy's grassroots revolution. Bennett illuminates how communities have gone from energy novices to savvy negotiators, why data centers are becoming the industry's hungriest customers, and what's really clogging up our interconnection pipelines. She also shares fresh insights on why the smartest developers are trading top-down tactics for genuine community partnerships. </p><p></p>no00:27:2815Power to the People: Elizabeth Bennett on Community-Driven Clean Energy full<![CDATA[Clemson's Brandon Boatwright on Selling EVs to the South Through Economics, Not Environmentalism]]>Brandon Boatwright, assistant professor of communications with Clemson University, plugs into the Southeast's complicated relationship with EVs, where environmental benefits get the cold shoulder while economic gains spark joy.

New research Boatwright conducted with a team of academics shows the South prefers its clean energy served with a side of autonomy rather than altruism. Marketers, take note: "save money" resonates more with Southerners than "save the planet."

]]>77b76312-f065-4008-a36e-3715760429c9Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:45:00 GMT<p>Brandon Boatwright, assistant professor of communications with Clemson University, plugs into the Southeast's complicated relationship with EVs, where environmental benefits get the cold shoulder while economic gains spark joy.</p><p>New research Boatwright conducted with a team of academics shows the South prefers its clean energy served with a side of autonomy rather than altruism. Marketers, take note: "save money" resonates more with Southerners than "save the planet."</p><p></p>no00:20:3714Clemson's Brandon Boatwright on Selling EVs to the South Through Economics, Not Environmentalismfull<![CDATA[Comic Sue Funke on Why You Should Support Clean Energy Shorts: Buy a Cup of Coffee]]>Comic Sue Funke on why you should buy Clean Energy Shorts a cup of coffee.

]]>ad77866f-da4c-4b23-88b7-4bff80e46b3aSat, 11 Oct 2025 20:37:51 GMT<p>Comic Sue Funke on why you should buy Clean Energy Shorts a cup of coffee.</p><p></p>no00:00:42Comic Sue Funke on Why You Should Support Clean Energy Shorts: Buy a Cup of Coffeebonus<![CDATA[Thermo King's Adam Wittwer on Decarbonizing by Cutting Waste & Inefficiencies ]]>Adam Wittwer runs the company that helps keep your ice cream frozen and your medicine safe while it travels cross-country. Turns out, more than 30% of the diesel burned in refrigerated transport is wasted. Doors left open. Engines idling for hours. Trailers running empty in the Love's parking lots at 3 a.m.

Adam breaks down why heat pumps are revolutionizing EV buses, why a depressed freight market is accelerating clean tech adoption, how AI factors into fighting inefficiencies, and how his daughters became obsessed with counting Thermo King trucks on their way to school.

]]>1396f495-ef04-4170-ab02-ff5eccf7bb10Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT<p>Adam Wittwer runs the company that helps keep your ice cream frozen and your medicine safe while it travels cross-country. Turns out, more than 30% of the diesel burned in refrigerated transport is wasted. Doors left open. Engines idling for hours. Trailers running empty in the Love's parking lots at 3 a.m.</p><p></p><p>Adam breaks down why heat pumps are revolutionizing EV buses, why a depressed freight market is <i>accelerating</i> clean tech adoption, how AI factors into fighting inefficiencies, and how his daughters became obsessed with counting Thermo King trucks on their way to school.</p><p></p><p></p>no00:25:0013Thermo King's Adam Wittwer on Decarbonizing by Cutting Waste & Inefficiencies full<![CDATA[Energy Changemakers' Elisa Wood on Community Solar, Microgrids & Tomorrow's Energy Playbook]]>Clean Energy Shorts speaks with veteran energy journalist Elisa Wood, Energy Changemakers to hear how microgrids, community solar, and cutting-edge technology can finally drag our power system into the modern era. The irony? We already have the tech, the funding, and public enthusiasm for distributed, local, clean energy. What we don't have are rules and economic models that make sense anymore—they're still cheerleading for yesterday's dinosaur days.

]]>259c758e-b914-456e-bc59-bb6f65b93db9Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:10:38 GMT<p>Clean Energy Shorts speaks with veteran energy journalist Elisa Wood, Energy Changemakers to hear how microgrids, community solar, and cutting-edge technology can finally drag our power system into the modern era. The irony? We already have the tech, the funding, and public enthusiasm for distributed, local, clean energy. What we don't have are rules and economic models that make sense anymore—they're still cheerleading for yesterday's dinosaur days.</p><p></p>no00:25:3312Energy Changemakers' Elisa Wood on Community Solar, Microgrids & Tomorrow's Energy Playbookfull<![CDATA[Southeastern Wind Coalition's Katharine Kollins on the Fluctuating Onshore & Offshore Wind Sector]]>It only feels like the current administration is blowing up the wind industry. Katharine Kollins, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, discusses how this clean energy resource:

  • has advanced in technology
  • can relatively quickly and efficiently power growing energy demand from data centers and AI
  • has support across the aisle at all levels of the US government.

Those in the clean energy space know that the wind sector has a history of fluctuating growth spurts but for some, this may be breaking wind news.

]]>4ec0a18c-e520-4780-bba8-44a45e66564aSat, 27 Sep 2025 20:37:37 GMT<p>It only <i>feels</i> like the current administration is blowing up the wind industry. <b>Katharine Kollins</b>, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, discusses how this clean energy resource:</p><ul><li>has advanced in technology</li><li>can relatively quickly and efficiently power growing energy demand from data centers and AI</li><li>has support across the aisle at all levels of the US government.</li></ul><p>Those in the clean energy space know that the wind sector has a history of fluctuating growth spurts but for some, this may be breaking wind news.</p><p></p>no00:25:5013Southeastern Wind Coalition's Katharine Kollins on the Fluctuating Onshore & Offshore Wind Sectorfull<![CDATA[Preview of Clean Energy Shorts: Brief Chats with Power Leaders]]>The energy transition is happening and now’s the time to double down on energy efficiency and clean technology to make the world more sustainable for the generations to come.

In each episode of Clean Energy Shorts, we'll speak with innovators, policy gurus, company execs, association directors, subject matter experts and others who are literally rewiring our future. Whether you're a seasoned industry insider looking for fresh perspectives, a newbie clean energy or an investor seeking the next breakthrough, this podcast is your direct connection to the insights that matter.

]]>6ee217cc-f384-4075-bdfe-45a236c32a45Mon, 01 Sep 2025 20:43:42 GMT<p>The energy transition is happening and now’s the time to double down on energy efficiency and clean technology to make the world more sustainable for the generations to come.</p><p></p><p>In each episode of Clean Energy Shorts, we'll speak with innovators, policy gurus, company execs, association directors, subject matter experts and others who are literally rewiring our future. Whether you're a seasoned industry insider looking for fresh perspectives, a newbie clean energy or an investor seeking the next breakthrough, this podcast is your direct connection to the insights that matter.</p>no00:02:2411Preview of Clean Energy Shorts: Brief Chats with Power Leaderstrailer