EBA Energy Exchange
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The Energy Exchange podcasts are conversations with luminaries across the energy industry. The interviewees are thought leaders, CEOs, attorneys, cutting edge entrepreneurs, and experts who have a deep understanding of energy issues and are working to shape our energy future.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
Jan 9, 2023
Season 3, Episode 3: Diana Hernandez, PhD, tenured Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Diana Hernandez, PhD is a tenured Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Hernandez conducts research at the intersection of energy, equity, housing and health. A sociologist by training, her work focuses on the social and environmental determinants of health and examines the impacts of policy and place-based interventions on the health and well-being of socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. An innovator in the field, Dr. Hernandez has operationalized and conducted foundational research on the concept of 'energy insecurity' which reflects the inability to adequately meet household energy needs. Her pathbreaking work on energy insecurity has explored the multiple dimensions of this phenomenon identifying sociodemographic disparities, adverse consequences and promising interventions toward energy justice.
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Jul 28, 2022
Season 3, Episode 2: Dr. Arshad Mansoor, EPRI President and CEO
In this episode, Dr. Mansoor and Mosby have an in-depth conversation about EPRI’s history, work, and mission on advancing our generation, deployment and use of electricity in the United States and around the globe. Arshad talks in-depth about wind, solar, and hydrogen and how EPRI is thinking about distribution and storage. Arshad discusses next generation nuclear power plants, how that technology will continue to evolve, and how we can harness AI and new technologies to produce safer and cheaper nuclear-produced electricity, steam, and hydrogen. Dr. Mansoor explains his focus on climate change and how it is personal for him, coming from a densely populated country that is largely at sea level.
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Jun 20, 2022
Season 3, Episode 1: David Dardis, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Constellation Energy
David O. Dardis, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Constellation Energy Corporation, former legal advisor to Chairman Joseph Kelliher of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and attorney at Hunton & Williams LLP and Balch & Bingham LLP.
In this episode, David talks to Mosby about his new role at the recently spun-out Constellation Energy. He discusses leadership, what he has learned from trial and error, and how he is approaching the challenges ahead. Mosby asks David about his base-stealing record at Pomona College where he played varsity baseball and they reminisce about the mighty FERC kickball team. David shares his views on the future of clean energy, the imperatives created by global warming, and how Constellation seeks to navigate those waters.
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Mar 29, 2022
Season 2, Episode 7: Meredith Jolivert, Vice President and General Counsel at Politico
Meredith Jolivert, Vice President and General Counsel at Politico, In-House Counsel with Perpetual Capital and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Attorney with Verner Liipfert, Sullivan & Worcester, and Dentons.
In this episode, Meredith talks about life as General Counsel at Politico and some of the issues that she has helped the company navigate from advising reporters during the storming of the Capitol in January 2021 to the current crisis of Russian attack of civilians in the Ukraine. She discusses with Mosby her life in private practice at large law firms working on cutting edge issues. Meredith shares insights about some of the work she did in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She gives Mosby very-much-solicited advice on raising his newly minted teenage daughter and showing up for the family. They discuss some of Meredith’s favorite books, a new meditation practice for managing life, attorney wellbeing, and the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Mar 3, 2022
Season 2, Episode 6: Dr. Tony Reames, Senior Advisor for the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity with the Department of Energy
Dr. Tony Reames is a Senior Advisor for the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity with the Department of Energy. He is on leave from the University of Michigan where he is a professor of Environment and Sustainability and where he established the Urban Energy Justice Lab to conduct research and develop solutions on racial, income, and geographic disparities in energy access, affordability, decision making, and participation. Reames served in Iraq as a commissioned officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has worked in the public and private sectors as a licensed professional engineer. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, a Master of Engineering Management from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Kansas.
In this episode, Mosby asks Tony about his roots in South Carolina and how that shaped the way he thinks about energy and the environment. A champion of energy and environmental justice, Tony discusses some of his ground-breaking research on disparities in the cost of energy, the efficiency of living space, and the effectiveness of programs aimed at reducing energy poverty. He reflects on his service in Iraq as a commissioned officer with the Corps of Engineers and the ability of professional norms to connect cultures. Tony shares his perspective on the Infrastructure Bill which provides DOE and other government agencies with billions of dollars. Tony and Mosby discuss the Justice40 Initiative, its goal of delivering 40 percent of the overall benefits of relevant federal investments to disadvantaged communities, and what that might look like for projects and timelines. They also dig in to what he has learned over his dynamic career in the private sector, government service, and academia.
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Jan 25, 2022
Season 2, Episode 5: Max Minzner, General Counsel at Arcadia Power
Max Minzner is General Counsel at Arcadia Power. He previously served as General Counsel of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and was a partner at Jenner & Block. Minzner also spent over a decade teaching law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University and the University of New Mexico School of Law, where he also served as Associate Dean.
In this episode, Max describes his experience in New York as a prosecutor and what he learned trying criminal cases in the nation’s largest metropolis. Max explains some of the research and writing he did during his as a law professor and how real-world experience and math informed his theories. Mosby asks Max about his time as General Counsel for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, what it was like leading the legal team at a relatively young age, and key cases that were appealed during his tenure. Max talks about the start-up he now works for and what it is like to be part of a growing company working on climatetech. He reveals what he now looks for in his outside attorneys, how his team has coped with remote work, his company’s focus on technology and management as leverage.
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Dec 7, 2021
Season 2, Episode 4: Donna Attanasio, Senior Advisor for Energy Law Programs at George Washington University Law School
Donna Attanasio is the Senior Advisor for Energy Law Programs at George Washington University Law School. She was previously a partner at White & Case LLP, in its Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance practice, serving as chair of its renewable energy task force and co-chair of the DC Office’s Women’s Initiative. Prior to that, Donna was with the firms of Dewey Ballantine LLP and Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan. Before attending law school, she supervised load management programs and worked on conservation and customer service projects at Potomac Electric Power Company.
In this conversation, Mosby and Donna discuss transmission, microgrids, free markets and regulations. Donna explains the challenge of having a transmission system designed for reliability and low costs evolving into a system that must also support a new generation mixed aimed at lowering emissions. We talk about energy as a holistic problem cutting across disciplines and we define and discuss energy equity—who gets to decide who decides? Donna walks through some of the great work her program at George Washington Law School is doing with communities and energy. We talk about the book Cadillac Desert and gifts from your kids, and Donna shares insights from her many decades of practicing law at high powered firms in DC.
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Nov 8, 2021
Season 2, Episode 3: Juliana Garaizar, Head of Houston Incubator and VP of Innovation for Greentown Labs
Juliana Garaizar is the Head of Houston Incubator and VP of Innovation for Greentown Labs. A Board Member of the Angel Capital Association, Juliana is a Lead Investor of the Portfolia Rising America Fund that invests in BIPOC and LGTBQ founders, as well as the Portfolia Consumer and Rising Tide Funds. She is also an Advisory Board Member of the University of Houston Cougar Venture Fund, the Houston Diversity Fund, the Investors of Color network and Impulse4women. Juliana is a Kauffman Fellow, and received MBAs from the London Business School and Haas School of Business in Berkeley, specializing in Entrepreneurship.
In this conversation, Mosby and Juliana do a deep dive into entrepreneurship, climate tech, the energy transition, and Houston’s place at the intersection of these threads. Juliana talks about being from the Basque Region in Spain, her father’s adventures travelling around the world, her early studies in France, and how those experiences have informed her life. Juliana discusses her time in Singapore working first as an International Trade Consultant for the Trade Commission of Spain and then for Citigroup where she started thinking about going to business school. Mosby asks Juliana about her mission in Houston, what Greentown Labs—an incubator for climatetech start-up companies—offers the city, and what the city offers the world. They discuss why entrepreneurs might be the most important key in navigating climate change.
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Oct 4, 2021
Season 2, Episode 2: Professor Joel Eisen, University of Richmond
In this episode of The Energy Exchange, Mosby and Joel talk about his new book as well as several important articles that Eisen authored over the years. They do a deep dive on start-up culture for energy, the differences between environmental justice and energy justice, and how progress on reducing energy insecurity will shape the next 25 years. Joel shares his insights on how to become a law professor, what writing laws on Capitol Hill can teach you about statutory interpretation, and the benefits of hacking on a Les Paul Studio electric guitar during a global pandemic.
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Sep 15, 2021
Season 2, Episode 1: Lets Talk Leadership, Courage and Navigating Private Practice with Regina Speed-Bost
In this episode, Regina talks about leadership, diversity, courage, and moving from big firm work to a small boutique private practice in the midst of a global pandemic. She provides insight on how to navigate private practice, and what young attorneys should look for in a law firm. Regina discusses race, why it can be difficult to talk about race, and why it is important to have those discussions. The conversation also revolves around Energy, and what large firm work taught Regina about the law and about herself.
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Aug 9, 2021
Season 1, Episode 10: Diversity in Clean Energy (DiCE) Roundtable Conversation
This episode features a roundtable discussion by leaders in Clean Energy initiatives. Diversity in Clean Energy (DiCE) is a coalition sponsored by Duke Energy’s Strategic Account Management Organization working collaboratively with Duke Energy’s supplier engagement arm, three strategic accounts and three representatives of diverse suppliers in clean energy. Its visionary outcome is to “advocate, utilize, drive visibility and open doors of opportunity for diverse suppliers in clean energy through collaboration.”
*Guests on this Roundtable Episode Include:*
*Amy Bond,* Energy and Sustainability Program Manager at T-Mobile. Amy was formerly Sprint’s Manager of Energy and Sustainability before its merger with T-Mobile. She worked previously as an executive assistant for Marcus & Millichap, a marketing assistant with Reece and Nichols, and as a publisher.
*Cheryl Comer*, Strategic Account Manager in the Sales and Relationship Management organization at Duke Energy Sustainable…
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Jul 26, 2021
Season 1, Episode 9: Professor Catherine J.K. Sandoval, Santa Clara University School of Law; Former Commissioner, CA Public Utilities Commission
In this episode, Catherine discusses her journey from a trailer park in East Los Angeles to studying at Yale, Oxford, and Stanford Law. Catherine tells Mosby about her first winter in New Haven and being the first Latina Rhode Scholar. They dig into net neutrality and its implications for energy policy, Catherine’s experience with the Yurok tribe in Northern California on access to energy issues, and climate justice. Catherine shares stories from her time as a Commissioner on the California Public Service Commission and some recommendations on books and productive habits.
*Chapters*
4:08 -Early life
8:00 - School years
52:40- Writing
2:27:30 - Lightning Round
Catherine J.K. Sandoval is a tenured Law Professor at Santa Clara University who teaches and conducts research on Energy, Communications, Antitrust, and Contract law. Her scholarship analyzes legal and policy drivers of energy, communications, and water infrastructure safety, reliability, and access gaps. She served a six-yea…
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Jul 12, 2021
Season 1, Episode 8: Robert H. Solomon, FERC Solicitor
Robert H. Solomon, Solicitor, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of General Counsel, Member US Senior Executive Service, Professorial Lecturer in Law, George Washington University Law School, Adjunct Professor of Law, American University George Washington College of Law
In this episode, Bob shares his insights from decades of experience defending the FERC on appeal before Federal Appellate Courts including landmark decisions before the DC Circuit and the Fourth Circuit. Mosby and Bob also discuss pop music, Bob’s collection of presidential campaign buttons, and the restorative benefits of multi-day hiking and biking. Bob explains why FERC’s Office of General Counsel is the best energy law firm in the country and two of the best gifts he ever received.
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Jun 21, 2021
Season 1, Episode 7: Suzanne Russo, CEO, Pecan Street
Suzanne Russo is chief executive officer for Pecan Street, having previously served as its chief of staff and chief operating officer. During her time at Pecan Street, Forbes named her one of five women ‘Using Technology to Blow Up Social Change.’ Suzanne also worked for New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. An urban planner with a masters degree in community and regional planning from the University of Texas at Austin, Suzanne has worked in Africa, China, India and the USA on community-based sustainable development.
In this conversation Suzanne talks about her time in New York at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the skills she learned working on energy efficiency projects there. We discuss her time in Kenya and how that shifted her focus to the human environment as she worked on solving issues related to energy conservation. We touch on the Texas blackout, systems level thinking, and her vision for a data utility regulator…
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Jun 7, 2021
Season 1, Episode 6: Former FERC Commissioners Cheryl LaFleur and Marc Spitzer
Cheryl A. LaFleur is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy. She a nationally-recognized energy leader and a member of the Board of Directors of the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE). LaFleur was one of the longest-serving commissioners on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). nominated by President Obama. LaFleur served as Chairman and as Acting Chairman of FERC.
Marc L. Spitzer is a former member of the Arizona State Senate and former Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Spitzer is a partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he represents utilities and energy companies before FERC and state utility commissions.
In this episode, Marc and Cheryl talk about shaping energy policy and how important communication, compromise and leadership are in government, especially at a time like now where the country emerges from the pandemic and renews its focus on climate change and the economy. Cheryl and Marc h…
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May 24, 2021
Season 1, Episode 5: Larry Gasteiger, Executive Director of WIRES
Executive Director of WIRES, former Chief of Federal Regulatory Policy at Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG), held various senior leadership positions in a long career at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, worked as an Attorney for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and clerked for the Honorable Edwin M. Kosik in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
In this episode, Mosby talks with Larry Gasteiger about his start working for a federal district court judge in Scranton, Pennsylvania before The Office was a thing. They cover Larry’s early days at the Commodities Futures Trade Commission and discuss futures contracts, domestic terrorism, and a close encounter with a famous performer. Larry shares secrets on preparing for oral argument and putting together a strong case on appeal from his long tenure as a solicitor at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Larry shares WIRES’ vision for a more robust high voltage t…
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May 10, 2021
Season 1, Episode 4: Bidtah Becker, Attorney for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, Former Director of the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources
Attorney for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, Former Director of the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources.
In this conversation, Mosby speaks with Bidtah about growing up in New Mexico as a member of the Navajo Nation, her experience as a student at Georgetown University, a mission trip to the Rama Peninsula in Nicaragua just after the Civil War and how that shifted her focus back home. Bidtah discusses the incredible history of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and the intricate web of regulations, treaties, history, culture, and negotiation that have shaped energy and water rights and policies in Indian Country, and how those norms are changing with the rise of a new generation of Native American professionals. Bidtah explains how we are in an inflection point in history where we can rethink our approaches and reconsider the value of life and the intrinsic value of natural resources to our human lives, and find more equitable paths forward.
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Apr 27, 2021
Season 1, Episode 3: Jason M. Stanek, Chairman, Maryland Public Service Commission
Chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission, Former Senior Counsel to the Energy Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce, former senior positions at Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), National Fuel Gas Company, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Member of Committee on Electricity and Committee on International Relations for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), serves on the Board of Directors for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), Center for Public Utilities Advisory Council and the Critical Consumer Issues Forum (CCIF) Advisory Committee.
In this episode of the Energy Exchange, Mosby talks to Jason about time travel through visiting hydroelectric facilities and Jason's front row seat as Chairman Pat Wood's legal advisor in the wake of the Western Energy Crisis of 2000-2001. Jason discusses the Maryland PSC's efforts to regulate utilities during a time of great change, in…
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Apr 12, 2021
Season 1, Episode 2: Sue Kelly, Board of Trustees North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Retired President and CEO of the American Public Power Association,
Board of Trustees North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Retired President and CEO of the American Public Power Association, former Attorney Miller, Balis & O'Neil, Former Attorney with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Past President of EBA and served on the U.S. Department of Energy's Electricity Advisory Committee under two Presidents from different parties
In this episode of the Energy Exchange, Mosby asks Sue Kelly about her time representing Coops against the backdrop of looming bankruptcies in the wake of the Texas Blackout of 2021. Sue shares her thoughts on making choices and being confident that life is not linear and one can always make another choice. Mosby asks Sue to discuss electric reliability, what the blackouts in Texas may teach us, and how we might prepare the grid of the future for even more renewable resources. Sue reveals what she learned moving from being general counsel of a trade association to becoming its President and CEO. Sue…
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Mar 18, 2021
Season 1, Episode 1: Bob Fleishman, Partner Kirkland & Ellis, former General Counsel Baltimore Gas and Electric, former Editor-in-Chief of Energy Law Journal, Past President of EBA
Partner Kirkland & Ellis, former General Counsel Baltimore Gas and Electric, former Editor-in-Chief of Energy Law Journal, Past President of EBA and recipient of Paul E. Nordstrom Service Award for exceptional service
In this episode of the Energy Exchange, Mosby sits down with Bob Fleishman, long-time energy attorney and former President of the Energy Bar Association, to talk about Bob's journey from government service to in-house counsel to private practice. Bob explains what a PUS was at FERC and why he was proud to be one. He talks about his experiences growing up with martial arts and how taking lawyers to paintball skirmishes helped him lead his legal team during gas restructuring. Mosby asks Bob about his different transitions, and Bob reveals that when he left BG&E, he thought about becoming a Rabbi. Bob shares stories about his many years with EBA and doing pro bono work, and they discuss what receiving the Paul E. Nordstrom Service Award in 2016 meant for him.
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