Here are the Special Guests, Industry Experts and Community Leaders in the episode of This Week In Energy for February 28, 2025:
Warren Martin, Kansas Strong, joins This Week In Energy to share his views on newly appointed Department of Energy’s Chris Wright, Department of Interior’s Doug Burgum and Bureau of Land Management Kathleen Sgamma.
Chris Wright – CEO of Liberty Energy, an oilfield services company, Wright has been a vocal advocate for domestic energy production and has often criticized regulatory restrictions on the oil and gas sector. His appointment signals a continued push for deregulation and energy independence.
Doug Burgum – The current governor of North Dakota, Burgum was a candidate in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries before endorsing Trump. With a background in business and technology, including his leadership at Great Plains Software (later acquired by Microsoft), Burgum is expected to bring a pro-business, pro-energy stance to his new role in the administration.
Kathleen Sgamma – President of the Western Energy Alliance, Sgamma has been a leading advocate for oil and gas development on federal lands. Trump has nominated her to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a critical agency overseeing public lands and energy leases. Her appointment reflects a shift toward industry-friendly policies in managing federal land resources.
"Unleash American Energy" is a central theme in former President Donald Trump’s latest energy plan, which focuses on increasing U.S. fossil fuel production and reducing environmental regulations. His plan emphasizes expanding oil, gas, and coal development, particularly by lifting restrictions on federal land leases and rolling back environmental protections such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act.
The initiative also includes declaring an "energy emergency," which would allow expedited approvals for new energy projects, even those that might impact protected lands and species.
A key aspect of this plan is reducing support for renewable energy, such as wind and solar, which Trump argues has been overfunded under the Biden administration. One of his executive orders halts federal wind leasing and permitting, which could significantly impact states like Colorado that have relied on a subsidized renewable energy sectors. Critics argue that this shift could hurt job growth in clean energy while reinforcing long-standing subsidies for fossil fuels.
Trump and his supporters argue that increasing fossil fuel production will lower inflation and improve energy reliability, particularly as concerns grow about the stability of the electric grid.
Dave Roberts, host of Volts the podcast, is joined by Mustafa Amjad and Waqas Moosa to discuss Pakistan’s solar boom.
Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented solar energy boom driven by high electricity costs, frequent power outages, and the removal of import restrictions on solar panels.
Since 2023, the country has become the third-largest importer of Chinese solar panels, with businesses, real estate developers, and households rushing to adopt solar energy. Some top distributors import up to 250 megawatts of panels per month.
“There is something quite remarkable taking place in Pakistan right now,” Roberts said. “Though the precise number is difficult to pin down, it appears the country has imported something close to 30 gigawatts worth of solar panels since 2020.”
This rapid transition has been largely market-driven, occurring without government subsidies. Farmers, for example, have seen major benefits, with some reporting an 80% reduction in electricity bills and increased agricultural productivity due to lower energy costs.
“And to be clear, almost none of it is utility-scale solar farms, these panels are going on roofs, barns, and irrigation canals,” Roberts said. “What has prompted this explosion of distributed solar is some combination of punishingly high prices for grid power and solar panels getting very, very, very cheap.”
However, this surge has created challenges. Pakistan's power grid, already struggling due to financial instability, is under strain as more consumers shift to solar, reducing demand for traditional utilities. This has led to concerns over who will bear the costs of idle power plants and the potential financial instability of energy providers. Some experts warn that if the government does not regulate solar expansion, the traditional power sector could face a crisis.
Despite these risks, Pakistan’s solar boom represents a major shift in the country’s energy landscape, potentially setting a model for other developing nations looking for decentralized energy solutions.
“A glut of Chinese overcapacity means that the price of panels in Pakistan has gone from 24 cents a watt to 10 cents a watt in just the past year or two,” Roberts said. “Distributed solar is breaking over Pakistan like a tidal wave, despite utilities and a grid that do not seem entirely prepared for it.”
Click here for full length interview
Jo Olson leads the discussion involving Minnesota’s legislative session on Decarbonize: The Clean Energy Podcast.
Fresh Energy is a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that advocates for clean energy policies and legislation. As a lobbying group, it works closely with policymakers, businesses, and other advocacy groups to promote decarbonization, electrification, and energy efficiency.
One of Fresh Energy's key legislative initiatives is the Hundred Percent Campaign, which aims to transition Minnesota to 100% clean energy by 2050. The organization has been a significant supporter of policies that promote fuel switching, particularly in buildings, to reduce carbon emissions. A major legislative win for Fresh Energy was the passage of the ECO Act, which updated Minnesota’s Conservation Improvement Program to increase funding for low-income energy initiatives and provide structure for fuel switching.
Fresh Energy also focuses on advancing building codes to improve energy efficiency. It has worked to accelerate updates to the state’s commercial energy code, advocating for a three-year review cycle instead of the current six-year process, with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2036.
In addition to legislative work, Fresh Energy collaborates with state agencies and utilities to implement clean energy programs, such as Clean Cars Minnesota, which aims to expand electric vehicle options and reduce transportation-related emissions.
For more details, you can visit their website or check out their legislative updates here
The race to power artificial intelligence is dramatically reshaping America’s electricity landscape.
Recent analysis from the power-consultancy firm Grid Strategies shows that between 2024 and 2029, US electricity demand will grow at five times the rate predicted in 2022. This surge comes as artificial intelligence and data centers reshape power markets, with tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon pursuing direct power purchase deals, sometimes bypassing traditional utility structures entirely.
At the same time, President Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency and appointment of new leadership at key agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission signal potential upheaval in how we approach grid reliability, renewable energy integration, and climate goals.
So how do we meet this demand growth while navigating a complex political environment? And what role will emerging technologies like advanced nuclear, enhanced geothermal, and energy storage play in our energy future?
This week host Bill Loveless talks with Michelle Solomon about the challenges and opportunities facing the US electricity sector.
Michelle is a senior policy analyst at Energy Innovation, focusing on electricity policy. She brings a distinctive background combining technical and policy experience. Before joining Energy Innovation, she earned her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Stanford University. She also served as a Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow working on energy policy in the Senate.
Click here for full length interview
Executive Coach Joe Sinnott, Witting Partners, and the host of The Energy Detox Podcast discusses how an executive coach would guide a manager or business owner in handling an employee’s unexpected call-in for a "mental health day" or other subjective workplace absences with a balanced approach.
Key strategies include:
Foster a Supportive Culture – Encourage open conversations about mental health to reduce stigma while setting clear expectations for attendance and performance.
Clarify Policies and Expectations – Review company policies on sick leave, personal days, and mental health accommodations to ensure consistency and compliance with labor laws.
Respond with Empathy and Professionalism – Acknowledge the employee’s request with understanding while maintaining professional boundaries. Avoid intrusive questioning but ensure accountability.
Encourage Proactive Communication – Suggest employees provide advance notice when possible and discuss alternative solutions, such as remote work or adjusted schedules.
Balance Flexibility with Business Needs – While accommodating mental health needs, ensure operational continuity by having contingency plans or cross-training employees.
Monitor Patterns and Address Concerns – If frequent unexpected absences arise, engage in a private discussion to explore underlying issues, offering resources such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).
Document and Stay Consistent – Maintain records of absences and ensure that policies are applied uniformly to prevent perceived favoritism or legal risks.
This approach allows managers to support employees while maintaining productivity and fairness in the workplace.
Click here for full length interview
Dwayne Farris, Black Creek K9 Pipeline Leak Detection, joined Townsquare Media’s Talk of the Town with Steve Bakken and guest co-host Jason Spiess, founder of The Crude Life.
The oil and gas industry is a major economic driver, providing energy and jobs to many countries. As the industry continues to grow, so does the need for safer and more efficient methods to detect and prevent costly pipeline leaks.
A relatively new development that is helping to save the industry money is the use of pipeline sniffing dogs.
These specially-trained dogs are able to quickly and accurately detect leaks in pipelines, reducing downtime and repair costs. In addition, pipeline sniffing dogs (or pipeline leak detection dogs) are an innovative solution to marketing as well as connecting with the masses. Many people love dogs.
Leaks in pipelines, whether caused by human error or natural disasters, can be costly to repair and result in significant downtime for the entire operation. As the industry continues to expand and more pipelines are being built, detecting and preventing leaks has become increasingly difficult and costly.
These specially-trained dogs are able to quickly detect the presence of hydrocarbons in pipelines, which can indicate the presence of a leak.
“The dogs are trained to detect even the smallest leaks, and can be used in a variety of situations, from large-scale operations to smaller, localized pipelines,” Farris said. “The dogs are able to detect the presence of hydrocarbons in the air, allowing them to identify the location of a leak with remarkable accuracy.”
The use of pipeline sniffing dogs is a much more efficient and cost-effective method of leak detection than traditional methods, such as manual visual inspections or electronic sensors.
Spiess added that many times manual inspections require a large number of personnel and can take a considerable amount of time to complete, while electronic sensors can be costly and often require a certain level of expertise to operate.
By comparison, pipeline sniffing dogs can be deployed quickly and with minimal personnel, and they are able to cover a much larger area in a shorter period of time.
Farris served in the United States Marine Corps as a Military Police Officer receiving assignment as a Military Working Dog handler. This experience brought him to the oil and gas industry detecting leaks in pipes with dogs.
“I had the fortunate paths cross of canine work and military while in the Marines and I competed and got selected and that’s what started the journey,” Farris said.
Understanding the skills of the canine and working ethics of a dog was something Farris found remarkable and totally understands why Hollywood has gotten on the Military Dog angle the past decade as a way to connect a military brand to the average person.
“Even in movies today you can see how they’ve gone towards telling the story of these dogs,” Farris said. “A lot of that is trying to capture memorable events for military or service members with working dogs.”
The types of dogs used in pipeline leak detection is discussed from bloodhounds to labradors to shepherds.
In the second half of the interview, Farris talks about his expansion into other areas of working dogs. His military background became a natural evolution for BCK9 Services to add narcotics and firearms inspections to the working dog’s list of specialties.
Much like his former additions of new revenue generators for BCK9 Services, this year Farris has added one more – Pet Training.
“No matter their age, breed or behavioral problem, we can help,” Farris said. “And best of all we do not use any forceful techniques with our animals.”
This Week In Energy is a newsmagazine radio podcast that broadcasts weekly across 22 radio station and qualifies for FCC mandated Public Affairs time.
Singer Songwriter music feature is the Moody River Band
The Moody River Band is a blues/folk fusion rock group, formed in March 2009, they feature a unique sound blending blues and folk influences. Known for songs like "Pineapple Baby" “Big Bad World” and "Yes I Do," they offer free music downloads on their website and are active on social media platforms.
For more on the Moody River Band and to download free music, click here.
This Week In Energy is a weekly newsmagazine radio podcast which qualifies for FCC mandated Public Affairs time. This Week In Energy addresses issues of public interest, such as safety, education, poverty, environment, mental health, and/or employment. Published files and recordings of interviews available as public files to increase accessibility to the public and to ensure the security of information.
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