A weekly podcast featuring veteran investor Shayle Kann interviewing experts about the state of the energy sector and the technologies powering decarbonization.
Shayle Kann is asking the big questions about the ways we power our world: How cheap can clean energy get? Where is the smart money going on new technologies? How will the AI boom both help and hinder us on our journey to decarbonization? Every Thursday on Catalyst, Shayle dives deep into the world of energy with prominent experts, investors, researchers, and executives to unpack both the solutions and the challenges at play in this ever-changing landscape.
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It’s been a wild few years for grid-scale batteries in Texas. At the start of the decade, the Lone Star State was home to roughly 200 megawatts of battery capacity. Today, that number has skyrocketed to seventeen gigawatts…with at least five more gigawatts expected to come online by the end of 2026.
But this rapid buildout quickly led to market saturation. In the past year alone, revenues plummeted by more than 80%, far below the threshold needed for fleet operators to stay in the black.
The future of the battery market in Texas remains murky. Will the depression continue? Or will the imminent, enormous surge of data center load growth reset the state of play and bring volatility back into the mix?
In this episode, Shayle sits down with Brandt Vermillion, U.S. market lead at Modo Energy, to unpack the mechanics of the Texas battery storage market, and consider when the tide could turn back in developers’ favor. They cover topics like:
- The factors behind the recent cratering of the market
- How longer battery durations are able to capture secondary price spikes
- The degree to which weather patterns have contributed to battery demand
- Reconciling currently suppressed revenues with the hundreds of incoming gigawatts of proposed data center demand
- Whether on-site generation for hyperscaler data centers will blunt peak demand spikes and delay the return of grid volatility
- Why off-takers are considering tolling agreements to survive the market downturn
- Catalyst: 2026 trends: Gas turbines, Texas' load queue, and China electrifies
- Catalyst: Why C&I storage is finally taking off
- Catalyst: The rise of flexible data centers
- Open Circuit: Data centers have a Texas-sized energy problem
- Open Circuit: The off-grid data center fantasy
- Open Circuit: A global energy shock and the case for distributed power
- Open Circuit: Power is caught in AI’s doom loop
- Latitude Media: How the AI boom has impacted US battery storage so far
- Latitude Media: Branch Energy heads to PJM to sell battery capacity to data centers
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
Catalyst is brought to you by GridBeyond. GridBeyond is the world’s leading technology platform for managing distributed and flexible energy resources. Learn more by visiting GridBeyond.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the strategic communications and marketing partner behind the biggest names in energy, climate, and infrastructure. For three decades, Antenna has helped breakout companies amplify their stories, build reputation, differentiate from the competition, define new categories and accelerate growth. Learn more at antennagroup.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 230 utilities to coordinate over 2.6 million DERs and more than 3.6 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at EnergyHub.com.
The rush for clean, on-site power [partner content]
Monday, September 28, 2026 • Duration 31:23
This is a partner episode, brought to you by Bloom Energy.
Long interconnection queues, fragile supply chains, and a lack of grid capacity are pushing a wide range of C&I customers to invest in distributed, on-site power.
But as data centers and other industrial facilities build more power behind the meter, new challenges have emerged. Air quality, noise, and water use are top concerns for local communities, making cleaner solutions like fuel cells much more attractive.
This shift within the data center industry is starting to shape energy decisions in the broader C&I sector across retail, healthcare, higher education, and manufacturing.
In this Frontier Forum, Stephen Lacey talks with Aman Joshi, chief commercial officer at Bloom Energy, about how the scramble for electricity is changing how large energy users plan their power.
In this new landscape for large loads, Aman explains why more customers are planning to permanently stay disconnected from the grid; how the familiar cost-per-megawatt-hour calculation can fall short; and why speed, reliability, and community acceptance are central to power decisions.
This conversation was recorded live as part of Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum with Bloom Energy. You can access the full video here.
Anduril's vision for powering maritime defense
Thursday, September 24, 2026 • Duration 32:17
Dual-use technologies and the rise of defense tech are having a moment. But how does the defense sector approach innovations in energy that may be necessary to optimize its fleets?
To help answer that question, Shayle turns to the maritime sector to explore how advanced batteries, nuclear propulsion, and autonomous capabilities are shaping the future of defense.
Unlike conventional EVs, maritime vehicles and drones must compete with the challenges presented by the sea in order to complete surveillance and reconnaissance-related missions, as well as direct attacks. Saltwater corrodes hardware, and vehicles at great depths must withstand enormous pressure; to say nothing of the fact that moving through water requires nearly 1,000 times more energy than through air.
To learn how the sector navigates these obstacles, Shayle sits down with Andrew Nuss, the head of growth and strategy in the maritime division at the defense technology company Anduril. They unpack topics including:
- The complicated physics influencing maritime drone design and energy usage
- How lithium-ion cells fare in deep-sea deployment
- Why extreme reliability and long-range capabilities drive the military’s energy requirements compared to commercial shipping
- How surface or subsea recharging depots could reshape vehicle design
- Why both commercial and defense sectors are revisiting nuclear propulsion as a viable option for high-speed, zero-emission surface vessels
Catalyst: The rise of metal fuels
- Catalyst: GM’s big new battery tech push
- Catalyst: Decarbonizing the high seas
- Open Circuit: A five-alarm fire for the grid?
- Latitude Media: Is adaptation ready for growth money?
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 170 utilities to coordinate 2.5 million devices and 3.4 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at https://www.energyhub.com/
Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom Energy fuel cells deliver affordable, ultra-reliable onsite power for hospitals, utilities, and data centers – at speed and at scale. Learn more by visiting https://www.bloomenergy.com/
This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at https://www.engieresources.com/.
AMA: Fuel cells, geopolitics, and the solar growth curve
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 23:21
As we head into the final quarter of this pivotal and dramatic year for the energy sector, Catalyst host Shayle Kann takes stock of 2026 so far – and considers what’s to come – in this AMA-style episode. He discusses the year’s biggest stories, the trends that have surprised him the most, and his hot takes on the current energy landscape.
Shayle dives into topics including:
- The data center backlash and why it has become more bipartisan than he expected
- The impacts of the war in Iran on global EV adoption, and how the rollback of U.S. tax credits has countered that momentum
- Why fuel cell maker Bloom Energy is flourishing amidst the rush for behind-the-meter generation
- Tariff innovations: How big data centers could subsidize retail electricity rates in small utility territories
- Why Shayle thinks predictions of a flattening U.S. solar market are underestimating massive growth potential
- Hot take: why Shayle thinks massive grid capacity is about to hit the system
- Catalyst: What comes after the data center backlash?
- Catalyst: Can AI revolutionize grid operations?
- Catalyst: Why C&I storage is finally taking off
- Catalyst: Enter the electric supercycle
- Catalyst: Inside the global fertilizer crunch
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 170 utilities to coordinate 2.5 million devices and 3.4 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at https://www.energyhub.com/
Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom Energy fuel cells deliver affordable, ultra-reliable onsite power for hospitals, utilities, and data centers – at speed and at scale. Learn more by visiting https://www.bloomenergy.com
This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at https://www.engieresources.com
Do data centers actually increase electricity prices? No...and yes
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 42:18
You don’t have to look far to see the vitriol and backlash ignited by the rapid expansion of hyperscaler data centers. While critics and activists tend to focus their ire on resource consumption and residents’ electricity bills, the reality of data center economics is far more complex.
In this episode of Catalyst, host Shayle Kann sits down with Andy Lubershane, head of research at Energy Impact Partners, to unpack the nuances. They crunch the numbers behind utility rate structures, consider the "denominator effect" that can lower customers’ rates, and dig into the supply chain crunches pushing global power system costs higher.
Shayle and Andy discuss:
- Why a new data center can reduce utility rates for locals while contributing to rising costs elsewhere
- How data centers impact utility tariff rates
- Separating public perception of data centers from the reality of the grid
- How soaring demand for transformers, switchgear, conductors, gas turbines, and labor is driving systemic cost increases across the power sector
- Strategies to mitigate rising global grid costs, from load flexibility and distributed energy resources (DERs) to energy efficiency hardware
- Catalyst: What comes after the data center backlash?
- Catalyst: Enter the electric supercycle
- Catalyst: Can AI revolutionize grid operations?
- Catalyst: Inside the AI power wars
- Open Circuit: As midterms approach, electricity bills are on the ballot
- Open Circuit: Data centers have a Texas-sized energy problem
- Latitude Media: The great home battery financing experiment
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 170 utilities to coordinate 2.5 million devices and 3.4 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at https://www.energyhub.com/
Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom Energy fuel cells deliver affordable, ultra-reliable onsite power for hospitals, utilities, and data centers – at speed and at scale. Learn more by visiting https://www.bloomenergy.com
This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at https://www.engieresources.com
What comes after the data center backlash?
Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Duration 47:34
In their early days, data centers were largely welcomed by communities who saw their arrival as an economic boost. Today as concerns around noise levels, power prices, water use, and AI grow, they face fierce opposition.
In this episode, Shayle speaks to Brian Janous, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Cloverleaf Infrastructure. Together, they unpack the data center backlash and explore how the industry can approach the problem differently.
Shayle and Brian dive into specifics like:
- Communities’ shift from “red carpets to pitchforks” on data center development
- How misleading information about data center energy and water usage has led to the AI sector losing the public relations battle
- Distinctions between data centers’ micro-level benefits and macro-level price inflation on power grids
- The potential, and pitfalls, of "bring-your-own-capacity" and behind-the-meter generation
- The viability of taking data centers off-grid, off-land, or off-planet
- The emerging market for distributed edge compute facilities
Resources:
- Catalyst: When to colocate data centers with generation
- Catalyst: Explaining the ‘Watt-Bit Spread’
- Open Circuit: The off-grid data center fantasy
- Open Circuit: Utilities are in the crosshairs of the data center backlash
- Latitude Media: In Indiana, an anatomy of data center opposition
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 170 utilities to coordinate 2.5 million devices and 3.4 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at https://www.energyhub.com/
Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom Energy fuel cells deliver affordable, ultra-reliable onsite power for hospitals, utilities, and data centers – at speed and at scale. Learn more by visiting BloomEnergy.com.
This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at engieresources.com.
The rise of metal fuels
Thursday, August 27, 2026 • Duration 40:29
Diesel generators remain ubiquitous because they offer an unusually powerful combination of low cost, high energy density, long-duration storage, and reliable off-grid power. But their pollution, noise, maintenance requirements, permitting challenges, and growing footprint are becoming increasingly problematic as data centers drive demand for backup generation.
In this episode of Catalyst, Shayle Kann talks with Richard Wang, co-founder and CEO of Voya Energy, about the company's effort to replace diesel generators with generators powered by aluminum.
Richard explains why diesel has been so difficult to displace, why natural gas and batteries fall short for some backup applications, and how Voya's electrochemical generator uses aluminum pellets and air to produce electricity. Unlike combustion-based generators, the system is designed to operate without air emissions, while offering high energy density, quiet operation, rapid startup, and long-duration capabilities.
The conversation also explores aluminum's potential as a globally transportable energy carrier and why low-grade scrap aluminum could provide Voya's initial fuel supply.
Richard and Shayle discuss:
The global diesel generator market and why diesel remains dominant
Why natural gas generators and batteries haven't displaced diesel
Aluminum as a high-energy-density fuel
How Voya Energy's electrochemical aluminum generator works
Voya vs. diesel on cost, footprint, power quality, and runtime
Using Voya generators as grid assets and battery alternatives
Why metal fuels are becoming viable now
Using low-grade scrap aluminum as fuel and the long-term vision for recyclable aluminum energy storage
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by John Sheehan. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at engieresources.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 170 utilities to coordinate 2.5 million devices and 3.4 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at EnergyHub.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom Energy fuel cells deliver affordable, ultra-reliable onsite power for hospitals, utilities, and data centers – at speed and at scale. Learn more by visiting BloomEnergy.com.
Can AI revolutionize grid operations?
Thursday, August 20, 2026 • Duration 39:11
Everyone loves to talk about the “broken grid.” But if you look inside a utility’s planning and operations functions, a different picture emerges: infrastructure that is remarkably reliable, built and run by engineers solving impossibly complex problems with often outdated tools.
In this episode, Shayle Kann sits down with Josh Wong, CEO and founder of ThinkLabs AI, a company building physics-informed AI for utility planning and operations. They break down how utility studies get built today, the data cleanup headaches, the silos between teams, and the “worst case” mentality that drives an overbuild of infrastructure.
Shayle and Josh discuss:
Why utility planning is split into silos across transmission, distribution, and DER planning.
The gap between studies that identify grid problems and the work of actually solving them.
What “physics-informed AI” actually means.
The shift from AI that identifies problems to AI that actually solves them.
The disconnect between utility planning and real-time operations.
Should data center microgrids be treated as micro utilities?
Resources:
Latitude Media: GE spinout ThinkLabs has a new copilot offering for the grid
Latitude Media: Do microgrids make sense for data centers?
Latitude Media: The case against relying on behind-the-meter power for data centers
Latitude Media: Unpacking DOE's proposal to transform data center interconnection
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at engieresources.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 170 utilities to coordinate 2.5 million devices and 3.4 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at EnergyHub.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom Energy fuel cells deliver affordable, ultra-reliable onsite power for hospitals, utilities, and data centers – at speed and at scale. Learn more by visiting BloomEnergy.com.
Is now the time for DERs to scale? [re-published]
Thursday, August 13, 2026 • Duration 42:21
A decade ago, DERs were hot. The hype was that things like batteries, smart devices, and other distributed energy technologies would offset the need for expanding traditional grid infrastructure.
But DERs never took off, at least not at the scale that many hoped for. They had high price tags and short track records compared to the existing substations, transmission lines, and generation options that utilities were familiar with. In short, the market didn’t need them yet.
Fast forward 10 years, and things have changed. Load growth is increasing while major grid bottlenecks — like in transmission, interconnection, and supply chains — may be opening up a new opportunity.
So is the time finally right for DERs? In this episode, Shayle talks to his colleague Andy Lubershane, partner and head of research at Energy Impact Partners. Last week, Andy published a blog post making the case that DERs were a good idea that was just too early, but the market is ready now. Original episode date: 9/18/2025.
Shayle and Andy cover topics like:
- What held DERs back a decade ago
- Why now is different, including falling system costs and growing grid bottlenecks
- The difference between demand response and virtual power plants
- The potential hurdles to scale, like supply chain bottlenecks, foreign entity of concern regulations, and fire codes
Resources:
Latitude Media: Can distributed energy answer AI’s power problem?
Open Circuit: The grid flexibility solutions staring us in the face
Catalyst: Making DERs work for load growth
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, with reliable, flexible solutions built for what's next. Learn more at engieresources.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. Peak season puts every grid to the test — and the utilities that pass are the ones that built flexible capacity before they needed it. EnergyHub works with more than 170 utilities to coordinate 2.5 million devices and 3.4 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at EnergyHub.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom Energy fuel cells deliver affordable, ultra-reliable onsite power for hospitals, utilities, and data centers – at speed and at scale. Learn more by visiting BloomEnergy.com.
Critical Capital: Senator Tillis' case for "all-of-the-above" energy
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 • Duration 31:21
This week, we’re presenting an episode of Critical Capital, a new podcast from Crux and Latitude Studios.
Energy policy has become increasingly polarized just as the U.S. faces record electricity demand, a rapidly expanding AI economy, and growing competition from China.
In this episode, Alfred Johnson speaks with North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis about why the country's biggest energy challenge is the inability to build durable, bipartisan policy that survives changes in political leadership.
Drawing on more than a decade in the Senate, Tillis argues for an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy that embraces renewables, natural gas, nuclear, and other generation sources rather than treating them as competing ideologies. He discusses the economic consequences of abruptly cancelling energy projects, the need for stable investment signals, and why rising electricity demand requires policymakers to focus on practical solutions instead of partisan rhetoric. Tillis also discusses domestic manufacturing, critical minerals, AI governance, and the importance of strengthening America's energy supply chains while remaining globally competitive.
Subscribe to Critical Capital on Apple, Spotify, or any podcast platform.
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Catalyst with Shayle Kann, a podcast by Latitude Media - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data
