Here are the most-read articles and most-downloaded podcasts from our platforms — Decentralized Grid Magazine, Microgrids Now, and the Energy Changemakers Podcast — in 2025.
Five Most Read Articles in Decentralized Grid Magazine
Off-grid power, microgrids and other forms of distributed energy get a boost from the Trump administration’s signature legislation — even if that wasn’t the intent.
A California study indicates that 65% grid defection with solar may be the best way to electrify a home.
What We Learned After We Gathered in a Room with Data Center and Distributed Energy Experts
Energy economist explains why policymakers need to let go of 1970s thinking and focus on energy productivity.
Distributed solar can still offer an impressive return without the tax credit. But it requires some rethinking about how projects are structured.
Five Most Read Articles on Microgrids Now
The Bahamas expects a fleet of microgrids to lower electricity costs, provide resilience, and help the islands cut carbon emissions.
How are microgrid projects surviving steep federal funding cuts? We asked microgrid developers. Here is what they told us.
What is about Humboldt County, California? Still.
A new microgrid introduced by industry giants Eaton and Siemens shows how energy innovators are overcoming today’s market and regulatory challenges.
Spring Lane Capital’s CA$100M Canadian investment offers an example of market animation
Five Most Downloaded Energy Changemakers Podcasts
Renowned energy economist Skip Laitner talks about the surprising ways our “stuff” — from food waste to excess parking lots — is shaping our energy use, economy, and environment. Drawing from his decades of work at the EPA, ACEEE, and beyond, Skip reframes the energy conversation from simply producing more to using resources more productively.
What exactly is a “digital grid”—and why is it the cornerstone of our energy future? Ruben Llanes, CEO of the Digital Grid business at Schneider Electric, explores the digital transformation of energy infrastructure. Ruben shares his insider perspective on why grid modernization is the key to managing the explosive growth of data centers, aging infrastructure, and prosumer energy participation.
Elisa Wood is joined by journalists Lisa Cohn and Peter Asmus to explore the dynamic world of microgrids. They trace the evolution of microgrids from niche solutions for remote areas to vital tools for resilience in a world facing rising energy demands, data center expansion, and climate uncertainty.
Lisa and Peter share their extensive experience in the field, discussing how microgrids have evolved from basic solar-plus-storage setups to complex, multi-resource systems that integrate fuel cells, hydro, data centers, and even artificial intelligence. They dive into how microgrids are transforming industries, from agriculture in Oregon to energy resilience in Alaska.
Tim Hade, a founder of Scale Microgrid, explains why now — despite, or perhaps because of — federal policy turbulence, the distributed energy industry is poised for massive transformation. Tim unpacks his move to Santa Barbara (which, by the way, he calls “home to the worst grid in the continental U.S.”) and how that community could become a national model for DER-powered resilience.
He explores why community organizing is becoming just as crucial as engineering, how local governments are key players in energy infrastructure, and what role utilities can play in funding distributed solutions. From virtual power plants to the Distributed Capacity Procurement model, this conversation is a masterclass in building pragmatic, bottom-up energy systems in a time of urgent change.
The global data center boom is colliding head-on with one of the most pressing bottlenecks in the energy sector: access to reliable, timely power. In this episode, Jim Mozell, senior director of strategic partnerships at Siemens Energy, and Juan Colina, data center and IT segment leader at Eaton, discuss how together they are trying to overcome interconnection delays and provide “speed to power” for microgrids.
While many data center developers scramble for quick fixes—from reviving retired plants to chasing speculative nuclear projects—these two energy giants came together to propose a “power to chip” approach. The result, they say, is faster deployment timelines, optimized efficiency, and a more financially sustainable way to meet AI-driven compute demand.
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