79. Katherine Hamilton - "The Energy Gang" podcast former co-host; Clean energy lobbyist

Ordinarily Extraordinary - Conversations with women in STEM

Katherine Hamilton co-hosted "The Energy Gang" podcast for over eight years. She is the co-founder and Chair of 38 North Solutions, a public policy firm focused on clean energy and innovation. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Clean Electrification. She was the President of the GridWise Alliance, served as a policy advisor for Good Energies, Inc. She served as a federal and state policy advisor for a number of years for Energy Storage Association. Katherine was named Ambassador to the Secretary of Energy’s Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) under the Clean Energy Ministerial and was Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Advanced Energy Technologies.
Episode Notes

Katherine Hamilton has an extensive career in public policy in the clean energy space. She co-hosted the podcast "The Energy Gang" for over eight years and brought her deep knowledge, expertise, and viewpoints to the show. She shares how she got involved with the podcast and what it was like co-hosting the podcast.

Katherine also shares how she went from a bachelor's degree in English from Cornell University and a master's degree in Culture and Civilization from Université Paris-Sorbonne into energy public policy and how her initially non-technical background provides a great foundation for the technical work she does now. We get into a fun discussion about the importance of verbal communication and how to develop that skill.

Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio

Acronyms, Definitions, and Fact Check

"The Energy Gang": https://www.greentechmedia.com/podcast/the-energy-gang

Stephen Lacey - produces and hosts The Energy Gang and Interchange podcasts, two of the most popular podcasts on energy and cleantech. (https://www.greentechmedia.com)

Jigar Shah - co-host of The Energy Gang. The director of the Loan Programs Office of the US Department of Energy. (Wikipedia)

Podcasting began to catch hold in late 2004. (Wikipedia)

38 North Solutions: https://38northsolutions.com

World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Clean Electrification's Mission and Objectives: Achieving net-zero carbon targets will require clean electrification of energy uses, especially for buildings, transport and industry. In addition, to meeting these targets, electrification needs access to renewable energy sources at scale combined with the availability of grid infrastructure to connect them. The Global Future Council on Clean Electrification will bring together subject matter experts from industry, academia and civil society to amplify the value and role of clean electrification in the energy transition. (https://www.weforum.org/communities/gfc-on-clean-electrification)

An integrated resource plan is a roadmap that large utilities use to plan out generational acquisitions over five, 10, or 20 years (or more). Many utilities use integrated resource plans for coal, natural gas, and smart grid energy. (https://www.energyacuity.com/blog/what-is-an-integrated-resource-plan-why-is-it-important/)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) focuses on creative answers to today's energy challenges. (https://www.nrel.gov)