10 Essential Podcasts: From LDES and Data Centers to Global Energy Security
As long duration energy storage (LDES) moves from early deployments toward gigawatt-scale pipelines, the sector is being shaped by new investment, evolving policy, and shifting grid demands. Staying current requires looking at the transition from multiple angles—from the technical realities of the grid to the geopolitical drivers of energy security.
We’ve compiled a selection of recent podcasts featuring LDES Council leadership, members, and partners. These episodes provide a clear look at what is happening across the energy landscape, the progress of specific storage technologies, and the strategic role LDES plays as the transition accelerates.
Know a podcast worth adding to the list? Share it in the comments
Terraflow’s Jon Parrella on the real toll AI data centres are taking on the grid
SunCast Tactical Tuesday — Episode 913
AI loads don’t behave like traditional demand, they spike, swing, and stress infrastructure in ways it wasn’t designed for. Jon Parrella, founder of Terraflow Energy, breaks down what that means for storage, developers, and interconnection timelines
US clean energy hit a 20-year high — what do the numbers actually mean?
Switched On — Bloomberg · Mar 18, 2026
Renewables and storage made up 90% of new US capacity last year, even as federal policy support pulled back. BloombergNEF’s Ethan Zindler and Trina White dig into the 2026 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, produced annually with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE).
Hydrogen, long duration energy storage, and where the transition matters most with LDES Council’s Oghosa Erhahon
H2 Liftoff — Episode 7
Founder Oghosa Erhahon to explore hydrogen’s role in long duration energy storage and why the stakes look different for islands and emerging economies heading into COP30.
Raj Apte on how Malta went from moonshot to company
X Moonshot Podcast
Former X Project Lead Raj Apte joins host Astro Teller to tell the story behind Project Malta Inc: how a bold idea inside Google X became an independent company building long duration energy storage at grid scale. A rare behind-the-scenes look at how deep tech actually gets commercialised.
Julia Souder in conversation with Ronan Kavanagh on LDES global footprint
In Conversation With — Energy Intelligence
Curious about the LDES footprint? LDES Council’s CEO Julia Souder sits down with Ronan Kavanagh to map out the current landscape. Beyond just the grid, they explore how storage is securing energy for transport and heavy industry right now. A perfect “proof of concept” listen.
Curtis VanWalleghem on building Hydrostor from underwater balloons to $8B in contracts
Watt It Takes — Powerhouse
The Hydrostor co-founder and CEO shares the unvarnished story: 200+ investor rejections, mortgaging his house, pivoting technology and strategy. A rare founder episode that’s as much about persistence as it is about compressed air storage
The Iran war’s ripple effects: fuel, freight, fertiliser with Tom Raftery
Resilient Supply Chain+ — Episode 113
Host Tom Raftery maps the second-order effects of Hormuz disruption — from LNG and jet fuel to fertiliser shocks — and argues the real strategic lesson is about reshoring energy, not just diversifying suppliers.
Iran, oil, and why renewables are a security argument
Outrage + Optimism — The Climate Podcast
GRA’s Bruce Douglas joins Christiana Figueres and Paul Dickinson to make the case that this crisis is different, because fast, cheap clean alternatives now exist. The GRA’s five-point emergency action plan features prominently.
Beyond lithium: Invinity’s Jonathan Marren on why flow batteries are built for the long game
Wolfe Power Club Podcast
Invinity Energy Systems CEO Jonathan Marren explains why vanadium flow batteries hold an edge for grids dominated by wind and solar — and why the media debate about storage efficiency is missing the point.
Anna Siefken of LDES Council and the ESNA panel: where LDES technologies diverge — and align
SunCast Media Hub Stage, Energy Storage North America (ESNA), San Diego
LDES Council’s Anna Siefken joins reps from Noon Energy, CellCube, and e-Zinc for a frank look at how different long duration energy storage technologies approach the same problem, and what signals are finally unlocking deployment
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