Energies Magazine Summer 2024 : simplebooklet.com

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com1FEATURE PakEnergy CEO Santosh Nanda Stakes Ground in the Energy Transition Land Rush PAGE 18 IN THIS ISSUELetter from the Editor-in-Chief PAGE 2ENERGIES Contributors PAGE 2ENERGIES Online PAGE 3Industry Data PAGE 3CARBON INSETTING The Spark That Will Ignite The Acceleration Of Low-Carbon Fuel Adoption PAGE 4SPOTLIGHT ON UGANDA Uganda’s Renewable Energy Ambitions PAGE 6CLIMATE Weathering the Storm: Leveraging Data-Driven Resiliency Solutions to Protect Critical Infrastructure PAGE 8Energies Cartoon PAGE 11WIND ENERGY Flipping the Switch: Vineyard Wind 1 Phase 1 PAGE 12CONFERENCE RE+ 24 PAGE 14GREEN HYDROGEN The Impact Of Green Hydrogen On Grid Stability PAGE 16CATALYTIC DECARBONIZATION Lowering Carbon Emissions, Saving Money, Improving Lives and Nature PAGE 24ELECTRICITY Surviving the Surge: Strategies for Managing Electricity in the Face of Grid Instability PAGE 30EXCERPT Introduction to Chapter 2: Assess the Opportunity PAGE 32INNOVATION Making Wind Energy Even More Sustainable PAGE 34Santash Nanda at work in the company’s newest ofce in Frisco, TX. Photo courtesy of PakEnergy.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com2SUMMER 2024PUBLISHER Emmanuel SullivanEDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rebecca PontonMANAGING EDITOR Nick VaccaroASSISTANT EDITOR Sarah Skinner COPY EDITOR Shannon WestCREATIVE DIRECTOR Kim FischerCONTRIBUTING EDITORS Katie Navarra Emily Newton Nick VaccaroADVERTISING SALES Diana George Connie LaughlinSUBSCRIBE To subscribe to Energies Magazine, please visit our website, www.energiesmagazine.com/subscribe. MAILING ADDRESS U.S. Energy Media P.O. Box 3786 Galveston, TX 77552 Phone: (800) 562-2340 e-mail: editor@usenergymedia.comCOPYRIGHT The contents of this publication are copyright 2023 by U.S. Energy Media, LLC, with all rights restricted. Any reproduction or use of content without written consent of U.S. Energy Media, LLC is strictly prohibited.All information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of the information cannot be guaranteed. Energies Magazine reserves the right to edit all contributed articles. Editorial content does not necessarily reect the opinions of the publisher. Any advice given in editorial content or advertisements should be considered information only. Cover photo courtesy of PakEnergy. LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEFCONTRIBUTORS — BiographiesRebecca Ponton, Editor-in-ChiefOccidental Petroleum Corp. CEO Vicki Hollub shook up the oil and gas industry in August of 2019 with the $55 billion decision to acquire Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which included the assumption of Anadarko’s debt. At the time, the bold move was met with skepticism and, in some corners, outright derision. In November of 2023, Oxy’s whole owned subsidiary, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV) CE Holdings, ULC, completed its $1.1 billion purchase of the direct air capture technology company, Carbon Engineering, Ltd. Oxy is currently in negotiations to acquire shale producer CrownRock in a $12 billion cash-and-stock deal including debt. Hollub could be on to something. In the ve years since the Anadarko deal, other Majors have become Super Majors as a result of mergers and acquisitions, something Managing Editor Nick Vaccaro discussed in his December 2023 article. In May, Hess shareholders approved the company’s $53 billion purchase by Chevron and are awaiting regulatory approval. Surpassing even the Oxy-Anadarko deal, ExxonMobil is fresh off its $60 billion May acquisition of Pioneer Resources. And, just this past week, ConocoPhillips announced a $22.5 billion agreement to purchase Marathon Oil. Traditional oil and gas companies have incorporated renewables into their portfolios and gradually become all-inclusive energy companies. In keeping with U.S. Energy Media’s philosophy of the importance of including all forms of energy and all people, the publisher is undergoing a merger of sorts: Combining all three publications – Oilman, Oilwoman and ENERGIES – into one platform, featuring all types of energy – with new ones yet to be fully developed and brought to scale – and the people that power those industries. Watch this space for further details and, in the meantime, visit the website and subscribe to continue reading about what the future holds from the people at the forefront of the industry.With the dog days of summer (the period of peak temperatures from July to August) fast approaching, emphasizing the effects of climate change, it isn’t hard to comprehend the need to join forces to solve the energy trilemma: The goal of providing the world’s population with access to secure, affordable and sustainable energy.Katie NavarraKatie Navarra is a non-ction writer. Her byline has appeared in Popular Science, The Motley Fool, Education Dive, ChemMatters, Society of Human Resources Management, Western Horseman Magazine and Working Ranch, among others. Emily NewtonEmily Newton has eight years’ experience creating scientic and environmental articles under her belt. She loves exploring innovations impacting the energy industry and helping people stay informed. Her work in EnergyTech, Renewable Energy Magazine, and Energy Central, showcases her ability to identify newsworthy stories. When Newton isn’t writing, she takes her telescope out to look at the stars.Nick VaccaroNick Vaccaro is a freelance writer and photographer. In addition to providing technical writing services, he is an HSE consultant in the oil and gas industry with eight years of experience. Vaccaro also contributes to SHALE Oil and Gas Business Magazine, Louisiana Sportsman Magazine, and follows and photographs American Kennel Club eld and herding trials. He has a BA in photojournalism from Loyola University and resides in the New Orleans area. Vaccaro can be reached at 985-966-0957 or navaccaro@outlook.com.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com4CARBON INSETTINGThe Spark That Will Ignite The Acceleration Of Low-Carbon Fuel Adoption By Jeroen van HeiningenThe transportation market is facing an increasingly tightening web of regula-tory frameworks that seek to dramati-cally curtail carbon emissions across all modalities. The transportation of goods by sea, road, and air currently emits over two gigatonnes of carbon a year, which is expected to quadruple by 2050. The constantly evolving regu-latory landscape has created a palpable sense of urgency behind the need to adopt low-carbon fuels and clean tech-nology, but the difculty in recovering these investments from the end con-sumer represents a signicant obstacle to the adoption of low-carbon fuels, at scale.The development of carbon inset-ting methodologies seeks to solve this problem. Insets allow energy provid-ers, owners, carriers and forwarders to share the cost of carbon reduction projects with their direct custom-ers, the broader market, or pay for their decarbonized transport through veried carbon claims. Unlike offset-ting, carbon insets represent concrete reductions that physically contribute to the decarbonization of that specic supply chain, which can be allocated to freight forwarders and cargo owners based on a globally developed and fully veried book and claim methodology. This exible allocation methodology allows for an acceleration of low car-bon initiatives across all transportation modalities, as well as the opportunity for operators to share the costs of decarbonization.This innovative approach to decar-bonization is more important than ever, especially in the current context, where reducing emissions is at the top of the transportation sector’s agenda. With regards to the maritime industry, for instance, the revised targets estab-lished by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) during the Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 81), in 2024 – which includes an adoption of alternative zero and near-zero Greenhouse Gas (GHG) fuels by 2030 – sets a clear di-rection of travel for the industry in its efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Furthermore, the European Union’s extension of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) in January 2024 has placed even greater emphasis on shipping’s need to rapidly decarbonize. The full impact of the EU ETS won’t be fully realized until 2027, at which point, all shipowners will be required to surrender European Emissions Al-lowances (EUAs) to cover 100 per-cent of their CO2 emissions for their voyages between EU ports, and 50 percent for those between an EU and non-EU ports. For the aviation sector, governments around the world are increasing their scal support for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which received signicant support following the ratication of the US In-ation Reduction Act (IRA), in 2022. This legislation established US$3.3bn in tax credits and competitive grant schemes to support the development of SAF. In Europe, the aviation sec-tor is also mandated by the EU ETS, which seeks to phase out allowances provided to the aviation industry by 2026, and with the introduction of the RefuelEU aviation initiative in 2023 – as part of the EU’s Fit for 55 package – the European Commission established legislation which seeks to increase both demand and supply of SAF. As part of RefuelEU, fuel suppliers will have to incorporate two Jeroen van Heiningen presents at Captain’s Table 2023. Photo courtesy of 123Carbon.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com5CARBON INSETTINGpercent SAF in 2025, six percent in 2030, and 70 percent in 2050. However, impactful solutions must be implemented in the short-term in order to reduce carbon emissions, if transportation industries have any hope of achieving these ambitious decarbonization targets.The supply of low-carbon biofuels as a viable replacement for traditional fuels sources is limited in terms of its production and adequate infrastruc-ture to support widespread adoption throughout the industry. One of the biggest barriers remains the cost of implementation; the price of biofuels, such as bio-methanol, is signicantly higher than that of traditional fuels, which greatly inhibits owners and op-erators from beginning to adopt them.In order to bridge the signicant price gap, it is vital that carbon insetting certicates within the transportation market provide the transparency, level of detail, and robust control mecha-nisms needed to guarantee their integ-rity – failure to do so poses a risk to the inset buyer and could undermine the validity of the certicate. By fo-cusing not simply on the inset issuer, but on every supply chain partner, both upstream and downstream, inset-ting methodologies represent a rigor-ous verication process. Developed in partnership with Smart Freight Centre – a global non-prot organization for climate action in the freight sector – insetting removes the risk of double counting, as the certicates cannot be changed or duplicated. Alongside this assurance, carbon insetting also provides detailed information regard-ing the specic project, the issuer’s compliancy with regards to sustain-ability; as well as emissions calcula-tions, allocation principles, assurance details, and mitigation action. Founded by multi-modal carbon insetting expert, Jeroen van Heinin-gen, 123Carbon represents the rst independent insetting platform which allows fuel providers, carriers, freight forwarders and cargo owners to own, manage and allocate their CO2 reductions within the supply chain, thereby supporting decarbonization projects, ranging from fuel switches to eet renewals. The name denotes the breadth of emissions that the inset-ting platform seeks to address, namely the allocation from Scope 1 parties to the downstream Scope 3 partners.Scope 1 emissions are those created by an actor through the use of car-bon-heavy fuels; Scope 3 are the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the actor, but those that are indirectly created throughout the value chain, as a result.Although the concept of insetting is not new to the transportation sector, the introduction of more immediate and stringent regulations are prompt-ing more and more companies to engage with the platform. 123Carbon recently completed an insetting pilot with TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K Lines, Ltd (MOL), the rst shipping com-pany within the APAC region to issue carbon insets; whilst other major players within the maritime industry, such as Chevron, Norden and Titan, have also engaged in initial insetting pilots to tokenize the emissions re-ductions associated with the bunker-ing of biofuel. Efforts to establish the viability and affordability of future fuels requires innovative solutions that will ultimate-ly unlock the necessary investment that is needed in order for such fuels to be adopted across all transporta-tion modalities. The inherent cost of implementing renewable and low-car-bon fuels on the current global eet is signicant. However, by embracing carbon insetting, the industry has a proven and viable means of stimulat-ing the production of low-carbon fuels – at scale – while also connect-ing fuel buyers and sellers from across the global value chain, removing the geographical barriers that arise from sourcing through physical supply chains and therefore bringing the supply and demand actors within low-carbon fuel development together.Although the development of viable fuel diversity is widely considered as the leading method by which the transport sector will ultimately achieve its ambitious emissions reduction targets, the limited availability of low-carbon fuels represents a signicant barrier to entry. However, insetting provides a solution that can help mitigate the cost of future fuel adop-tion, whilst making a tangible impact on Scope 3 emissions within the value chains. As a result, the importance of carbon insetting methodologies, which ultimately seek to incentivize the adoption of low-carbon fuels, cannot be overstated as it represents the key that will unlock the global transition to net zero. Jeroen van Heiningen has over 15 years’ experience in the decarbonization of transport, covering both air, marine and road trans-port. He was involved in setting up KLM’s corporate SAF program in 2009 and was one of the founders of GoodFuels, a leading supplier of low carbon marine fuels, where he developed the GoodShipping program and managed the Road division. In 2021, van Heiningen founded 123Carbon to develop an independent, multimodal platform to ensure the correct allocation of transport related reductions (Scope 1 emissions) to downstream players like freight forwarders and cargo owners (Scope 3 emissions).In his early career, van Heiningen was an oil and gas strategy con-sultant at Accenture, where he Launched Accenture Sustainability Services Benelux in 2006.Van Heiningen lives in the Nether-lands with his wife and two daugh-ters and holds an MsC in Business Administration from the Tilburg University in the Netherlands.For more information, visit 123Carbon.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com6SPOTLIGHT ON UGANDAUganda’s Renewable Energy Ambitions By Diana Taremwa KarakireIn an attempt to convey its beauty, abun-dant wildlife, and natural wealth of the land, Winston Churchill, an early explorer of Uganda, called it the “Pearl of Africa” in his 1908 book, My African Journey. “The land of rolling hills, fertile valleys and meandering rivers,” is how Ugandan author Jennifer Makumbi describes it in her novel, Kintu.Known for its breathtaking lush green hillsides and expansive savanna grass-lands, Uganda is also rich in a diverse mix of renewable energy sources includ-ing solar, wind, hydro, bio energy and geothermal power, although these remain largely untapped.With a high energy demand catering to a population of some 47 million people, 25 percent of which reside in urban centers, the East African nation has embarked on initiatives to promote the develop-ment of its abundant renewable energy resources for reliable, accessible electric-ity and modern energy to fuel social and economic development.Uganda boasts of an immense renewable energy potential, including an estimated 2,000 MW of hydroelectric power, 450 MW of geothermal energy, 1,650 MW of biomass, an average of 5.1kWh/m2 /day of solar energy, and about 250 million tons of peat, according to the Energy and Minerals Ministry. Government estimates indicate that the potential of renewable energy power generation is at 5,300 MW.The Government of Uganda has ex-pressed a commitment toward trans-forming the country from an agrarian low-income country to a modern upper middle-income status country by 2040, through development of energy sources that will deliver modern sustainable en-ergy for all.Uganda continues to have one of the low-est electrication and clean cooking rates in sub-Saharan Africa. As of 2022, around 20 percent of the Ugandan population had access to electricity from the national grid; meanwhile, the government contin-ues to spend colossal sums on importa-tion of petroleum products that most small and medium scale businesses rely on for power as well as transportation.According to Central Bank data, Uganda imported $1.6 billion worth of petroleum products in 2022. The country has a me-dium-sized economy, with the agricultural sector accounting for the largest source of export earnings and employment. The services sector, especially tourism, contributes the biggest share to Uganda’s GDP with approximately 53 percent. The ofcial estimate for Uganda’s GDP was $114 billion at the end of 2023.Renewable energy sources currently contribute up to 92 percent of Uganda’s 1,402.0 MW of installed power capacity. Hydroelectricity contributes the highest with 1,099.6 MW, which constitutes 78.4 percent of the total capacity from a string Photos courtesy of UGECL.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com7SPOTLIGHT ON UGANDAof hydro plants along the world’s longest river Nile. Thermal and bagasse cogen-eration electricity, each contribute a pro-portion of 9.7 percent and 7.2 percent respectively, and 4.5 percent by solar PV plants, according to state regulator Electricity Regulatory Authority.Last year, Uganda commissioned one of its largest hydroelectric projects, the 600 MW Karuma Dam across the River Nile, built with Chinese loans, which is expected to raise power generation capacity to nearly 1,900 MW at full capacity. However, signicant reliance on hydropower has had implications for energy security, particu-larly due to uncertain-ties surrounding future climate change impacts on Uganda’s water resources.The government is also promoting solar energy through tax breaks and consumer subsidies as well as rural electrica-tion projects. More than 200 companies, includ-ing foreign investors, are active in the PV and solar thermal eld. Solar data shows that average solar radiation is 5.1kWh/m2 /day, which is high throughout the year. In 2007, the government introduced public purchase agreements with feed-in tariffs for renewable energy projects under 20 MW. However, the market for solar home systems and components remains signi-cantly undermined by faulty installations, importation of substandard systems and poor after-sales service.Several suitable locations have been identied and singled out for geothermal energy exploration. Micro-grid systems and off-grid systems provide a solution in the rural areas where the electrication rate is very low at around 38 percent.Bioenergy, through biomass, is the most commonly used source of cook-ing energy. Charcoal is mostly used in urban areas while rewood, agro-residues and wood are generally used in rural areas, which has resulted in the depletion of the country’s forests, woodlands and related health hazards from indoor air pollution.In the past 25 years, Uganda has lost 63 percent of its forest cover due to tree-cutting for rewood, timber and charcoal, according to the National For-estry Authority. The loss of these fragile ecosystems compromises the ability of the country to cope with the reality of climate change.Uganda has experienced increased adverse weather patterns such as devas-tating oods, landslides in the east, and prolonged drought in the north, which have led to loss of livestock, crops and human life.As an intervention, the government is in-creasingly promoting the use of climate-friendly energy in the form of renewable energy for its energy needs and to power the long-term growth of its economy.The Renewable Energy Policy of 2007, the regulatory framework for renewable energy in the country, is intended to increase the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix.Uganda also subscribes to legal and policy frameworks of both regional and international scopes, such as the sustain-able development goals and the Paris Agreement, which requires parties to develop climate change policies, strate-gies and plans promoting adaptation and mitigation. Priority adaptation actions for the energy sector considered in Uganda’s Nationally Determined Con-tribution Plan include improving access to electricity to reduce dependence on traditional biomass and promoting the use of renewable energy sources.While the country is set to begin pro-duction of its oil reserves currently at 6.5 billion barrels, concerns have been expressed by international and local campaigners about the environmental impact of oil projects. However, ofcials say that most of the oil revenues will be deposited in the Petroleum Fund and channeled toward development of the country’s renewable energy sector.Last year, during COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Uganda’s Min-istry of Energy and Mineral Develop-ment unveiled the energy transition plan which lays out a roadmap for Uganda to sustainably develop its renewable energy sector, meet its climate targets and deliver universal energy access for widespread economic benets.The major goal of the plan is expand-ing low-emissions electricity across the country. According to Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Uganda’s energy minister, strong partnerships between the government and the private sector will be key in the implementation of the energy transition strategy. The plan lays a roadmap for Uganda’s major energy advantages to be leveraged to meet development objectives.Diana Taremwa Karakire is a Ugandan freelance journalist with over seven years of experience writing about renew-able energy, extractives, climate change, Indigenous peoples and human rights. Her work has featured in publications like Equal Times, Ubuntu Times, Biofuels In-ternational, Petroleum Economist and African Business Magazine. In 2022, Karakire re-ceived Uganda’s Nation-al Population Council’s Journalist of the Year award for coverage of population and development issues. She is a 2021 gender justice fellow with the International Women’s Media Foundation and a 2022 grantee of Indigenous stories with the Earth Journalism Network. Her stories pro-mote Indigenous peoples’ rights, en-vironmental conservation, and inform policy debate in Uganda and Africa.Connect with Karakire on LinkedIn and X (Twitter). Read more of her work on her blog. Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com8CLIMATEWeathering the Storm: Leveraging Data-Driven Resiliency Solutions to Protect Critical Infrastructure By Allan SchurrAs climate change intensies, the vulner-ability of our electrical grid to extreme weather events is becoming increasingly evident. From shifting tornado patterns to more frequent winter storms in unex-pected regions, the impact on electrical reliability is undeniable. But the solu-tion to these challenges goes beyond a simple investment in backup generation to ensure continuity for businesses and critical infrastructure. To truly achieve resiliency, one needs to understand how various solutions perform before, during and after backup power is needed. In other words, businesses must ask, are the results from any investment actually meeting expectations for eliminating the impact from power outages? Weather patterns across the globe are undergoing signicant transformations, and they are reshaping the landscape of electrical resiliency. The National Oce-anic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has observed a notable shift in tornado activity, with tornado alley gradually expanding further eastward. Additionally, regions traditionally spared from harsh winters—from California and Texas to the Northeast—have been experiencing more frequent and severe storms year-round, exacerbating the strain on the grid infrastructure.One of the consequences of these changing weather patterns is an escala-tion in power outages for critical infra-structure that can disrupt business op-erations, incur signicant nancial losses, and even endanger lives. For example, large load facilities like data centers may be structurally resilient to storms, but they can face operational challenges that compromise their functionality and data integrity when the grid fails to deliver the power they require. As a result, backup power has become essential. And with a growing recognition of the need for enhanced resiliency strategies, microgrid backup power systems are emerging as a key solution. Microgrids provide on-site, localized power generation with system man-agement capabilities that can operate autonomously from the grid, enabling businesses and communities to main-tain essential services independently during grid disruptions. And in the case of Enchanted Rock’s natural gas microgrids, the dual-purpose systems can seamlessly contribute capacity back to the grid when backup power isn’t needed. Additionally, these microgrids are continuously monitored to ensure high performance and early detection of system anomalies.Investing in a resiliency solution like a microgrid requires careful consideration to ensure maximum effectiveness and reliability. The idea of simply having die-sel gensets or even a microgrid in place is not sufcient and gone are the days of relying solely on buying equipment and maintaining it with best efforts. Busi-nesses and communities deserve tangible evidence of how a system will perform and deliver on its promise of uninter-rupted power supply when it matters most. Access to real-world, comprehensive performance data allows stakeholders to objectively evaluate the efcacy and value of the microgrid, providing the peace of mind they need during outages. Actual performance data serves as a crit-Photos courtesy of Enchanted Rock.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com9CLIMATEical tool in maintaining a high readi-ness state, as well as assessing the true value proposition of microgrid backup power systems. The analysis of historical performance metrics such as uptime, response time during grid disruptions, component level, and overall reliability can gauge the system’s effectiveness. Performance data also enables continuous optimi-zation and renement of microgrid systems, ensuring that they remain adaptive and resilient in the face of evolving challenges. By identifying ar-eas for improvement and implement-ing targeted enhancements, microgrid providers can improve the reliability and effectiveness of their systems in an iterative process.Accurate, real-time reporting can provide the transparency customers need, and Enchanted Rock relies on a microgrid network operations center (mNOC) as well as a proprietary microgrid aggregation and control software to achieve this visibility. By constantly monitoring each deployed asset and proactively addressing any system or component issues, the mNOC and software have contrib-uted to more than 10,000 hours of worry-free grid support. These sys-tems work together to monitor grid disruptions and technical abnormali-ties for over 1,300 generator units at 300-plus locations, collecting accurate performance data for further analysis that will inform best practices.Resiliency providers that leverage advanced technology for real-time, secure communications and em-brace the digitization, monitoring, and management of backup power assets are more adept at merging those insights into the performance and readiness of a microgrid system. A proprietary software platform is integrated into all Enchanted Rock microgrids to monitor, automate, analyze and control microgrid operations. ADVERTISE WITH US!Are you looking to expand your reach in the renewable energy marketplace? Do you have a product or service that would beneﬁt the industry? If so, we would like to speak with you! We have a creative team that can design your ad! Call us (800) 562-2340 Ex. 1 EnergiesMagazine.com/advertiseAdvertising@USEnergyMedia.comContinued on next page...

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com10Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com10CLIMATEData-driven insights allow providers to identify trends, anticipate poten-tial failures and implement preven-tive maintenance that can minimize downtime and maximize uptime. A proactive approach is required to en-sure a backup power provider meets the specic needs of a facility or community requires proactive steps. Resiliency providers that embrace digitization, monitoring and daily reporting enhance the reliability and effectiveness of your backup power infrastructure, and It’s crucial to chal-lenge a provider to demonstrate how they deliver reliable power when it’s needed most. Enchanted Rock’s aggregation and control software monitors assets for current available capacity and planned maintenance schedules to safeguard against outages while also empower-ing customers to participate in the energy market. By continuously moni-toring market dynamics, customers can be notied of opportunities to shift from using generators for facility power to protably supplying power back to the grid. This dual function-ality “resiliency-as-a-service” model ensures both service reliability and increased cost offsets, contributing to a stronger bottom line and allowing customers to contribute to grid stabil-ity for the entire community.As the grid’s vulnerability to extreme weather and other unforeseen events continues to escalate, the importance of investing in the right resiliency measures cannot be overstated. Businesses and communities must adopt a proactive approach to ensure a backup power provider meets the specic needs of their operations. Microgrid systems that leverage real data not only help those stakeholders make strategic investments and deci-sions, but they are also one of the most reliable means of ensuring high performance that consistently safe-guards critical infrastructure against growing threats to the grid.With more than 30 years of experience in commercial and indus-trial energy services and technology and innovative utility solutions, En-chanted Rock Chief Commercial Ofcer, Allan Schurr, is respon-sible for market development and expansion of resiliency solutions and partnering with utilities. Schurr is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California and is a co-inventor on seven pat-ents related to distributed energy. Real-time monitoring of asset conditions and market performance guarantees service reliability and allows customers to feed power from the generators back to the grid when needed. Enchanted Rock’s fully staffed mNOC monitors critical assets around the clock, keeping an eye out for potential grid disruptions, technical abnormalities, market opportunities and upcoming maintenance needs.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com12WIND ENERGYFlipping the Switch: Vineyard Wind 1 Phase 1 By Katie NavarraAs federal approvals continue to open opportunities for commercial offshore wind projects, the earliest approved projects are now coming online. In early 2024, Vineyard Wind 1, located just 14 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vine-yard, began sending electricity to the grid. The site is generating 68 megawatts (MW), which powers 30,000 Massa-chusetts homes via ve GE Haliade-X turbines. A joint venture between Avangrid, Inc. and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) through their afliate Vineyard Offshore, construction on Vineyard Wind 1 began in late 2022, with steel-in-the-water by June 2023. The project included the completion of the rst offshore substation in July 2023. More than 3.3 million people are served by the eight electric and natural gas utilities owned and run by Avangrid, a part of the Iberdrola Group, in New York and New England. Vineyard Wind 1 is the rst phase of a larger project now named New England Wind, previously known as Vineyard Wind South. When the entire project is completed, more than 400,000 homes and businesses across Massachusetts will be powered by offshore turbines.According to a statement issued by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, the total 806-megawatt project is projected to generate $1.4 billion in the cost of energy savings and reduce carbon emis-sions by over 1.6 million metric tons each year, an amount equal to reducing vehicle trafc by 325,000 yearly. “The Vineyard Wind 1 project marks a monumental milestone in our nation’s journey towards sustainable energy,” says Joe Curtatone, the president of the Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC), in a statement. “With its 806-megawatt capacity, Vineyard Wind will energize over 400,000 homes and businesses and invigorate our economy, creating thousands of jobs in the climate economy and saving customers billions in energy costs.”“Moreover, its substantial carbon emis-sions reduction will leave a lasting legacy of environmental stewardship and the transformative potential of clean energy, driving us towards a brighter, greener future for generations to come,” Curta-tone adds.While celebrations of bringing Vineyard Wind 1 online have taken place, it hasn’t been without challenges. The project has faced multiple lawsuits, including one from an association of Nantucket residents who alleged that various agen-cies failed to conduct sufcient environ-mental reviews. The lawsuit claims that the project broke the Endangered Spe-cies Act, and that construction would threaten the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. As of late April 2024, two lawsuits were dismissed, and the federal court rejected appeals. Pushback on commercial-scale wind projects, broken contracts, and canceled wind farms are creating strong head-winds to advancing wind projects and achieving President Joe Biden’s climate agenda, which aims to complete envi-ronmental reviews for 16 projects by the end of 2024, according to a 2021 execu-tive order. Across the country, opposition to re-newable energy projects has led to bans, moratoriums and other restrictions, making the transition to renewable en-ergy sources complex and contentious in some parts of the U.S. A massive wind farm project that includes 100 wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey’s resort towns Ocean City and Atlantic City is laden with controversy. The project would generate energy to power 500,000 homes in the area but is now facing lawsuits to stop its installation. According to the Oceantic Network U.S. Wind Quarterly Market Report published in the rst quarter of 2024, the instal-One of the rst completed turbines of the Vineyard Wind project, an 800 megawatt wind farm near Martha’s Vineyard. Photos courtesy of Vineyard Wind.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com13WIND ENERGYlation of offshore wind projects has increased across the United States. Last year, 42 MW were installed compared to 242 MW, with approximately 4,000 MW in progress. Ten GW have received approval for construction in the United States, with three projects approved and construction pend-ing, three under construction, and one complete.The Biden-Harris administra-tion has been a big supporter of commercial-scale offshore wind projects to accelerate the construc-tion of renewable energy sources. In April 2024, the U.S. Depart-ment of Interior announced the approval of the country’s eighth offshore wind project. Since 2021, the administration has conducted four auctions for off-shore leases, opening up 1,074,039 acres and generating $5.45 billion in revenue for the U.S. Treasury, according to the Oceantic Net-work U.S. Wind Quarterly Market Report published in the rst quarter of 2024. Three more auctions slat-ed for 2024 will open new projects on three coasts: the Oregon coast, the Gulf of Maine, and a second in the Gulf of Mexico.On its website, the American Clean Power Association states, “There are more than 35,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind potential under development on the East Coast, and there is room for further development.” The South Fork Wind project by Ørsted, a Danish energy devel-oper, and Eversource, a utility company, ipped on the switch to send energy from its 12-turbine wind farm about 35 miles east of Montauk Point, New York.Last year, in an interview for an Energies article, Sam Salus-tro, The Business Network for Offshore Wind’s vice president of strategic communication, noted that the supply chain was a signicant challenge facing the offshore wind industry. He added that the U.S. must build a robust and deep domestic sup-ply chain capable of achieving national and state offshore wind targets, which will play a critical role in the energy transition. Supply chain elements – including manufacturing facilities, ports, ves-sels and even university programs – remain constrained worldwide as the demand for offshore wind grows exponentially. Signicant in-vestments are being made in build-ing a more robust supply chain. For example, U.S. Forged Rings announced a new $700 million tower and forge facility for the East Coast in addition to manu-facturing facilities in New Jersey, Albany, New York, Providence and Boston, according to the Oceantic Network U.S. Q1 Market Report. Since 2023, six new crew transportation vessels (CTVs) have been launched based on data in the same report. Experts predict that 2024 will allow for greater progress citing lower interest rates and greater interest from state leaders interested in wind to meet climate targets. As the rst two commercial-scale offshore wind farms in the United States power up, offshore wind advocates see the renewable energy source’s potential to drive economic growth, reduce carbon emissions, and create a more resil-ient energy system. For more information, visit www.vineyardwind.com. Katie Navarra is a non-ction writer. Her byline has appeared in Popu-lar Science, The Motley Fool, Education Dive, ChemMatters, Society of Human Resources Management, Western Horseman Magazine and Work-ing Ranch, among others. Joe CurtatoneGovernor Maura HealeyLt. Governor Kim Driscoll

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com14CONFERENCERE+ 24 By U.S. Energy Media StaffAfter the success of RE+ 23 last year boasting over 40,000 attendees and 1,300+ exhibitors, RE+ 24 is set to make history as it celebrates its 20th year at the Anaheim Convention Center & Campus in Anaheim, California. From September 9th through 12th, commemorate two decades of power, innovation, technol-ogy, business, collaboration and leader-ship. This year brings back some popular events, including the Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix Final, this year’s Spotlight Country (Germany), plus an expansive show oor across the whole campus, all aimed at showcasing the clean energy industry. RE+ 24 promises to be bigger than ever, with plenty of networking op-portunities, education and cutting-edge technologies for minds alike.RE+ is NetworkingAt RE+ 24, networking isn’t just an op-tion – it’s an experience in itself. From the opening night “Cheers to 20 Years” anniversary party at House of Blues, to annual events like the golf tournament, 5k, and the highly anticipated annual Block Party at Angel Stadium, a lineup of networking events has been curated and designed to spark meaningful con-nections and collaborations. Attendees should come prepared to mix, mingle and make connections that could shape the future of their career in the industry.RE+ is InnovationThis year, RE+ 24 is spanning the entire Anaheim Convention Center & Campus. From exhibits across multiple oors to outdoor booths and installations, the Anaheim Convention Center & Cam-pus will provide a new look and feel to showcase the latest products, services and ideas across the clean energy in-dustry. Attendees will experience solar and energy storage solutions, microgrid demonstrations, hydrogen production and applications, and more. Partner-Led EventsRE+ 24 is committed to providing at-tendees with plenty of opportunities to educate and connect. Partner-led events are where innovation meets collabora-tion, offering diverse activities, work-shops and sessions that drive success in the ever-evolving clean energy industry. Photo courtesy of RE+.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com15CONFERENCEFor its second year at RE+, Horizon Educational will host the Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP) series in which students from around the globe construct, design and race model fuel cell power cars, gaining vital skills in renewable energy. Their 2024 H2GP World Final will bring the top teams from around the globe to take center stage and compete for a chance to be crowned World Champion. The U.S. Installer Awards, presented by EUPD Research; AEG’s Action Chal-lenge; the American Made-Program brought to you by the U.S. Department of Energy; the Clean Energy Job Fair, presented by GRID Alternatives and Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE); and the Tribal Clean Energy Technology Sympo-sium with Alliance for Tribal Clean En-ergy are some other examples of partner-led events that will shape RE+ 24. Spotlight Country (Germany)The Spotlight Country of RE+ 24 is Germany. At this pavilion, attendees will be able to collaborate with German exhibitors and learn about their innova-tive solutions toward Germany’s clean energy goals. Hear from esteemed ex-perts and industry leaders who are guid-ing the transition of energy throughout Germany by sharing their expertise in hydrogen, solar, storage, wind energy and zero-emission vehicles. The Spot-light Country is supported by prominent German organizations: EUPD Research, Fraunhofer, The Representative of Ger-man Business for the Western United States (GACC West), International Solar Energy Research Center (ISC Konstanz), and VDMA. Its initiative embodies the essence of cross-border partnerships and serves as a reminder of the bound-less possibilities that lie ahead in the world of business. Education for Everyone: Concur-rent Education Sessions, Show Floor Theaters, and WorkshopsRE+ 24 has a comprehensive educa-tional program, which offers sessions designed to empower attendees with knowledge and insights from industry experts. RE+ Platinum holders get access to eight tracks of concurrent education on Tuesday, September 10th, and Wednesday, September 11th, led by the brightest minds in the clean energy industry. Formats include panel sessions, interactive sessions, TechTalks, Quick-Talks, and the Master Speaker series. For those who are not an RE+ Plati-num pass holder, there are plenty of educational opportunities open to all passholders, including the general ses-sion, Global Market Summit, and eight show oor theaters offering education from Tuesday, September 10th, through Thursday, September 12th. Additionally, hands-on workshops provide an immer-sive experience for participants to learn practical skills, explore emerging trends, and exchange ideas with industry experts and peers. Workshops are offered during the day on Monday, September 9th, and Thursday, September 12th, as an add-on to a registration pass.RE+ Tech: Calling all Technical and Scientic Communities RE+ Tech is a unique educational path-way that offers a dedicated platform for the technical and scientic communities to showcase groundbreaking research within the solar, storage and smart energy sectors at North America’s pre-mier energy gathering. Recognizing the necessity of collaboration in accelerat-ing carbon reduction efforts, RE+ Tech sessions spotlight emerging technologies across clean energy sectors. Balancing technical presentations with practical innovation, RE+ Tech seeks to foster partnerships between tech trailblaz-ers and business and industry leaders, providing a hub to collectively innovate tomorrow’s clean energy solutions. A Can’t Miss EventAs organizers prepare for the biggest show yet and the 20th anniversary, at-tendees are invited to commemorate 20 years of excellence, innovation and progress in the clean energy industry. Whether a seasoned industry veteran or a clean energy career newcomer, RE+ 24 promises to be an experience like no other. Mark your calendars for Septem-ber 9th through 12th, pack your bags, and join this inspiring celebration. See you in Anaheim! Visit RE+ for more information. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Get the renewable energy news and data you need in a magazine you’ll be proud to read.To subscribe, complete a quick form online:Editor@USEnergyMedia.com • (800) 562-2340 Ex. 5EnergiesMagazine.com/subscribe

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com16GREEN HYDROGENThe Impact Of Green HydrogenOn Grid Stability By Emily NewtonGreen hydrogen is one of the most eco-friendly forms of renewable energy creation. However, it still has a way to go before it becomes even close to market standard. Arguing its benets for electric grid stability during modernization could be focal in transforming green hydrogen into a well-known and discussed contend-er for stabilizing eco-conscious energy to meet modern demands.Energy StorageGreen hydrogen targets are pivotal for in-uencing energy storage integration and expansion. Systems may transfer excess renewable energy from generators like solar panels and hydropower into electro-lyzers to produce green hydrogen. Tanks and underground reservoirs receive extra fuel for later dispersal.Regulatory bodies acknowledge the po-tential behind hydrogen storage, which is why the Advanced Clean Energy Project received a loan from the Department of Energy for $504.4 million to build the largest storage facility in the world. It will bolster U.S. efforts catalyzed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.Load Shifting Other renewable energy sources become more reliable with hydrogen as a supple-ment and storage lled to the brim, which helps with load shifting. Having hydrogen at the ready in resilient banks alleviates grid pains when usage spikes by pull-ing from these reserves to keep services uninterrupted. Hydrogen has a longer storage time compared to other energies. Load shifting is also critical during natural disasters, as an upgraded grid will seam-lessly transfer required energy to in-need areas. Backups are essential for reframing the reputation of renewable energy into one that is more reliable and consistent, no matter how much electricity and en-ergy citizens need. For example, power-intensive structures like data centers emit a considerable per-centage of worldwide greenhouse gases and demand a lot from the grid. They will have less of a negative grid and environmental impact with hydrogen-infused cooling systems, demonstrat-ing how benecial the relationship of hydrogen is to the grid and technologies connected to it.Variability in Green TechEngineers cannot make the grid from homogenous technologies and materi-als. Otherwise, supply chains would cause disruptions and resource abuse may occur. Additionally, each device and structure connected to the grid has var-ied energetic requirements. Therefore, having less intensive devices to balance the load is essential.Consumers see this as rising concerns over lithium-ion batteries permeating EV discourse, which also need a sturdy, powerful grid to deploy. Green hydro-gen making and storage offers another solution in a portfolio of sustainable technologies to make a diverse yet com-patible grid.Grid BalancingUtility providers are responsible for releasing an accurate amount of energy into the grid. With intermittent and novel renewable energies becoming increas-ingly associated with electric grid stability, providers will need time to hone in on consistently accurate amounts. Dispens-ing too much will make voltage exceed capabilities, causing damage to brand-new infrastructure.Grid balancing is a strategy typically asso-ciated with increased carbon emissions by putting a coal or gas plant on full throttle. Instead of needing fossil fuel-based resources, green hydrogen electrolyzers could perform these tasks. Leveling the delivery and intensity of power through-out the grid could happen with zero greenhouse gas emissions, eliminating the normalcy of brown and blue hydrogen production.Sector CouplingSector coupling is an ideal strategy paired with increased energy storage infrastruc-ture. Extra renewable energy from wind, Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com17GREEN HYDROGENsolar and others that would otherwise be lost may be trans-formed into usable green hydrogen. The production can go di-rectly to public transportation or industrial heating and cooling. The grid needs varied types of redirection to minimize the po-tential for overloading a growing system. Distributing resources more evenly makes equipment and machinery last longer while keeping energy demands met.Decentralization of Power GenerationOne of the boons of renewable energy is power decentraliza-tion. Anyone may become a renewable energy generator and the same will be true for green hydrogen in the future. Distributed production is necessary for scaling as old fossil fuel infrastructure undergoes renovations and companies break ground to build storage. Instead of waiting for these projects to come to fruition, communi-ties can now lead the charge to energy independence. Transmission infrastructure quickly wears down. The advent of microgrids and diverse energy providers prolongs its life and efciency, eliminating waste and resources going into retrots and overhauls – even commercial eets could contribute as hydrogen propels sustainable transport.Reducing CurtailmentRenewable energy generators and the grid are in constant com-munication. The grid informs power companies to decrease production if the grid cannot handle the inux, resulting in curtailment. Intentional minimization of productivity dimin-ishes the value of production methods like green hydrogen because it could keep making fuel. However, green hydrogen provides the assets to decrease the chances curtailment would occur and prevents grid saturation. If there is too much energy, integrated tech can convert it to hydrogen storage with a power-to-hydrogen-to-power (P2H2P) model instead of missing out on prime times to keep opera-tions owing.Grid ResilienceSeveral green hydrogen benets change how energy weaves through systems to make machinery, wiring and connected devices last longer. It is essential to keep the grid as pristine, maintained and protected as possible to obtain the resilience modern society needs. Natural disasters may rise from nowhere, but green hydrogen within the grid can keep emergency services alight and ready to deploy regardless of the scenario. Communities vul-nerable to severe hazards or underserved by unjust systems see increased electric grid sta-bility when green hydrogen is a backbone.Process DiscoveryAs engineers and urban plan-ners meld green hydrogen equipment with grid infrastructure, workforces will realize the small details needing streamlining or improvement. How can energy transfer more efciently for less money? How can staff expedite assembly with eco-friendly materials and tactics?Forced incorporation of green hydrogen into the grid im-proves its stability by promoting research and development that could only happen with hands-on experience with this integration. Meeting Green Hydrogen Targets with Electric Grid StabilityElectric grid stability will be a combination of renewable tactics. Reaching for lofty green hydrogen targets is the least nations can do when promoting the power behind sustainable power and grid upgrades. The benets of creating a balanced and carbon-neutral system for longevity and resilience are unparalleled.Emily Newton has eight years’ experience creating scientic and environmental articles under her belt. She loves exploring innovations impacting the energy industry and helping people stay informed. Her work in Energy-Tech, Renewable Energy Magazine, and Energy Central, showcases her ability to identify newsworthy stories. When Newton isn’t writing, she takes her telescope out to look at the stars.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com19FEATUREAs the world progresses, software solutions have inltrated all sectors and industries. The energy industry is no different, with its growing dependency on software to retrieve data, manipulate, integrate, process, and visualize it for a spe-cic outcome. The oil and gas industry alone has become highly intuitive with its use of automation and optimization systems. Upstream, midstream, and down-stream sectors have all witnessed incredible benets from innovative software solutions that are increasingly built on the cloud as SaaS (software as a service).PakEnergy is a SaaS solution provider for the oil and gas industry. It positively impacts the business’ land management, production operations, accounting, and transportation components, each critical to driving protability.As the chief executive ofcer of PakEnergy, Santosh Nanda understands the importance of the company’s ability to enhance data and enable efciency, which impacts protability. He earned a Bachelor of Computer Science and Engineering degree from Bangalore University in India and a Master of Com-puter Science from the University of Texas at Arlington. His stellar educational background established the foundation of his leadership. As the vice president of Sabre Corporation, Nanda solidied the accomplishments in his career as his direction over the company’s technology organization produced over $100 million in annual revenues. Through a deep understanding of customer goals and his proven track record of success, he feels PakEnergy is waging that game-changing success.“A big part of our success has been PakEnergy’s deep understanding of the challenges our customers face each day. They’re looking to effectively manage a lot of very nuanced and, frankly, sometimes overwhelming obligations and are under pressure to drive more prots with leaner teams,” says Nanda. “Our products are built and continually enhanced by experienced energy professionals for energy professionals. That makes a big difference in the quality and relevancy of products and our ongoing customer success efforts.”CEO Santosh NandaStakes Ground in the Energy Transition Land RushBy Nick Vaccaro

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com20FEATUREPersonal Transition: From Oil and Gas to RenewablesNanda brings over 25 years of leadership and knowledge earned in the software industry to PakEnergy. Driven by a hyper-focus on meeting customer needs and a results-driven mindset, the CEO has har-nessed a career of success exacting impacts in the commercial, operational, product, M&A and technology arenas. This exper-tise provides him with the arsenal needed to positively impact the energy industry. Until recently, PakEnergy concentrated only on the oil and gas sector, but Nanda exhibited the foresight to see another way to meet the needs of a new customer base in the energy transition.“Only the oil and gas industry has faced the large-scale challenge of land manage-ment that renewable energy and carbon capture operators face, which we saw as a rare opportunity to redeploy our proven technology into the energy transition,” says Nanda. He reasons that because PakEn-ergy has developed category leading land management software for the oil and gas industry and continues to innovate, that it is uniquely positioned to build on a time-tested technology foundation to tailor solutions that t the unique needs of the energy transition.Boasting incredible growth over the past decade in solar power alone, Nanda reasons the renewable energy industry support sky-rocketed due to the 2022 Ination Reduc-tion Act and its provisions of investor tax credits developers need to combat today's increased capital costs. Paired with falling costs, U.S. solar manufacturing capacity doubled last year. And although wind has lost some of the momentum in its sails due to rising supply chain costs, wind and geothermal projects are another important aspect of the clean energy mix that have seen growth over the last decade. Identifying the NeedNanda recognized the need to enable efciency in the land rush accompanying the energy transition. Having the foresight to identify essential factors and needs has been a staple of the experience Nanda brings to the table. Before joining the Pak-Energy team, he led E2open as the general manager. He oversaw the metamorphosis of go-to-market and product strategies, leading to signicant organizational growth and increased protability. When studying the globe’s conversion to renewable energy use, Nanda saw the need for assistance at multiple levels, including screening acreage, tracking agreement obligations, and effec-tively managing utility-scale projects.“Many of our current land customers and several new customers in the clean energy space were coming to us asking for help managing their land and mineral assets and compliance efforts,” he explains. “Like our land customers, many of these clean energy companies have multiple land leases to track and maintain and they are continually prospecting areas of interest and working to prove out whether those areas are wor-thy of a more long-term lease agreement.”Managing Multiple FacetsAccording to Nanda, clean energy compa-nies face the large scale challenge of acquir-ing and managing the surface rights needed to construct and operate projects.Santosh Nanda with PakEnergy’s CFO, Melissa Pursley, in the company’s newest ofce in Frisco, TX. The site was chosen due to its proximity to many of Pak’s customers who frequently visit the facility. It features several collaboration spaces to foster innovation and reinforce the company’s focus on customer success.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com21FEATURELeases and easement agreements must be signed with multiple landowners to secure surface rights as well as subsurface rights for geothermal wells and CO2 injection. Clean energy operators must also com-municate with property owners regularly and pay lease fees and royalties promptly to avoid steeper costs and potential lease renegotiations. Lease performance must also be continually evaluated, potentially driving renegotiation activity. Nanda says this catalyzed PakEnergy’s desire to develop a solution for solar, wind and geothermal customers. The benets extend to carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) project developers who face similar land management challenges.“Most people do not realize that the Mc-Donald’s corporation, for instance, gener-ates most of its revenue not from burgers but from real estate it owns and on which franchise owners pay leases,” says Nanda. “Similarly, clean energy companies may be in the business of generating megawatt hours, but they are also in the land business – although many teams may not have fully appreciated just how complex acquiring the acreage they need would be or recog-nize the long-term challenges of managing those leases or easement agreements and the obligations involved.”The oil and gas industry faces these same challenges, but using PakEnergy’s technol-ogy, they easily navigate the complexities of acquiring land use rights, negotiating agree-ments, and meeting obligations to land-owners. Nanda says PakEnergy capitalized on what was already established for oil and gas customers, which allowed the company to build upon a successful foundation and develop a solution that adequately meets the unique needs of the energy transition.Software Puts the “New” in RenewablesAccording to Nanda, the company devel-oped Pak Renewables, a software package offered nowhere else. It allows renewable energy customers to automate processes and delivers a real-time vantage into opera-tions. This high visibility focus enables the customer to continue positively growing its portfolio while successfully managing obligations and maintaining assets.Renewable energy developers oversee capi-tal intensive projects and attempt to man-age work streams that become increasingly compartmentalized as they contemplate project delivery and how to satisfy multiple demands. “There’s not another solution on PakEnergy Renewables tackles the unique challenges of managing wind, solar, geothermal, and carbon capture projects, leases, owner relations, and assets with automated workows, optimization, and collaboration features that unleash productivity. Real-time visualization tools and data analytics drive faster, smarter decision-making to help teams deliver consistently strong results.Continued on next page...

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com22FEATUREthe market that organizes the chaos de-velopers face from the preliminary work of nding project sites, permits, and land use agreements to power purchase agree-ments, site construction, interconnection, and operations,” Nanda points out.“Pak Renewables is a product that gen-erates immediate value for users which was important to us,” says Nanda. “Take site selection, for example. We’ve taken the location data from the two so-called energy communities described in the Ination Reduction Act and the 190,000 browneld sites identied in the EPA’s Re-Powering America’s Land initiative and pre-loaded it into a mod-ern GIS solution built on the leading Esri platform. Users can instantly nar-row their search for project sites with the map layers showing the best acreage for investor tax credits.”Pak Renewables assists companies in simplifying and accelerating the land acquisition process, capturing owner-ship and division of interest, tracking royalty payments, and managing owner relations. As a project management tool, Pak Renewables supports the customer’s workow from start to nish and en-ables companies the capacity to structure documents, agreements, and contracts at every stage of the process for rapid search, reporting, negotiations, and au-diting activity.Keeping Landowners HappyLike the oil and gas industry has learned over many decades, successfully secur-ing the land needed for long term energy projects is about cultivating relationships with landowners who are protected by the terms of the agreements they sign. To accomplish this, Nanda explains that clean energy operators must track these multiple agreements, each with its terms and expirations. Essential provisions such as payment obligations must be tracked daily to ensure royalty owners are paid timely, and special terms are met based on contract agreements.“Pak Renewables helps by capturing agreement metadata as leases or ease-ment agreements are signed,” says Nanda. “It allows users to monitor agreements by exception with a pow-erful eCalendar that shows upcoming expiration and important deadlines. With business automation features like this, clean energy operators reduce risks while operating with a lean team.”Next Level CybersecurityAnother challenge that clean energy operators face is data security. The data cultivated by PakEnergy contains con-dential information only for specic peo-ple and departmental use. Nanda points to a high level of security made available through three strategies.Pak Renewables is built on the Ama-zon Web Services (AWS) cloud, which contains an integrated high-level security presence that includes advanced re-walls, application isolation, and real-time monitoring. PakEnergy takes security to the next level by building on the AWS foundation with its data security plat-form and granular user permissions.According to Nanda, another Pak Renewables strategy includes a robust backup management plan that automati-cally replicates the customer’s database, storing it in a cloud vault with redun-dant copies and physical backups stored ofine. The nal strategy employed by Pak Renewables resides in PakEnergy’s SOC 2 certication. A third party audits the company’s technology annually, and the system and security controls are heavily surveyed. These essential mea-sures provide high protection against cybersecurity threats, including malware and ransomware.PakEnergy Renewables’ robust GIS and mapping tools help you create and map projects in minutes. Get fast visualization of shape les, agreements, and third-party data. Search, lter, report, and annotate with ease.Easy to use, PakEnergy Renewables delivers powerful results with features designed specically for clean energy project developers, operators, and asset managers. Maximize success throughout the project lifecycle with dynamic workows, data analytics, and automated risk management tools to empower teams and boost performance.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com23FEATUREMoving into the future, there is no doubt that businesses will continue to widen their dependency on software solutions to meet growing demands, increase prot-ability, and offer the absolute best services to customers. Information or data control is the primary focus of importance. With Pak Renewables’ capability in retrieving, cultivating and processing data for the many components of clean energy land management, its platform must remain multidirectional and continue to impact the information that drives each business model element. Pak Renewables’ ability to accomplish this provides a snapshot of the power that information management will bring in the future.Information is Power“Pak Renewables is truly multifaceted,” says Nanda. “Because of the large scale land use, agreement, and owner relations challenges clean energy companies face, Pak Renewables offers a complete land management solution. It is a central hub for a clean energy company’s critical doc-uments, providing rapid-re search and ltering when information is needed for reporting, audit or asset divestiture. More-over, documents are organized according to each customer’s unique organizational structure using a congurable hierarchy.” Business intelligence is another critical component that clean energy developers and asset operators need to mine their data for insights and better compete for acreage, which is why the solution boasts advanced BI capabilities and a powerful self-service report builder.This cultivation and manipulation of data gives PakEnergy customer’s the tremen-dous power of information control. Amidst a full scale land rush for project sites, the ability to quickly drill down to suitable acreage, lter out the opportunity set, and integrate data from across clean energy workows is urgently needed to efciently manage large project pipelines, from site selection through day to day operations where land management plays such a crucial role. The outcome proves just how powerful information can be.When gaining a respite from the respon-sibility of leading PakEnergy’s rst mover charge into the clean energy transition while continuing to double down on innovation for its traditional customers, Nanda retreats to what brings him peace and balance. Mirroring the same level of skill he brings to PakEnergy, he is an avid golfer and takes advantage of any oppor-tunity to enjoy the outdoors and improve his game. While that brings happiness, Nanda nds the ultimate satisfaction in spending time and being a xture in his family as they inspire his daily efforts in what he brings to the table with PakEner-gy: Now, it is a clean energy opportunity.For more information, please visit www.pakenergy.com. Nick Vaccaro is a free-lance writer and pho-tographer. In addition to providing technical writing services, he is an HSE consultant in the oil and gas industry with eight years of experience. Vaccaro also contributes to SHALE Oil and Gas Business Magazine, Louisiana Sportsman Magazine, and follows and photographs American Kennel Club eld and herding trials. He has a BA in photojournalism from Loyola Universi-ty and resides in the New Orleans area. Vaccaro can be reached at 985-966-0957 or navaccaro@outlook.com. Administer land rights and agreements proactively with PakEnergy Renewables’ automated workows. Track and manage project, lease, and general obligations and expirations easily and effectively.Utility-scale renewable projects generate a multitude of documents and other unstructured data from pre-construction due diligence through asset operations. PakEnergy Renewables centrally organizes critical documents, contracts, and agreements, creating an organizational hierarchy that denes the unique way renewable projects are structured (e.g., by business unit, type of project, and region). The system associates documents with the hierarchy and enables users to rapidly nd information using powerful lters and search features.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com24CATALYTIC DECARBONIZATIONLowering Carbon Emissions, Saving Money, Improving Lives and Nature By Dail St. ClairePublic and private enterprises are increasingly designing an energy transi-tion strategy for their business given economic opportunities, legal and regulatory requirements, environmental, health and safety benets, new technolo-gies, and increasing stakeholder demand. Stakeholders, including all constituents impacted by a company’s business – shareholders, clients, management, employees and communities in which they operate, including state and local community leaders – have a crucial role in this process, and their involvement and support is invaluable.According to the United Nations, 45 percent of public companies (9,000 companies from over 140 countries), have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Carbon dioxide accounts for 76 percent of global green-house gas emissions. Decarbonization, the process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, is not just a part of a business’s energy transi-tion and risk reduction plan; it catalyzes sustainable business practices, paving the way for a more sustainable economy.This article, focused on companies operating in the U.S., discusses design-ing a decarbonization strategy and the nancial and social return on investment (ROI). The impact of decarbonization varies across economic industry sectors, with specic industries able to reduce carbon emissions by 60 to 80 percent and achieve positive nancial outcomes.The BeginningThe Greenhouse Gas Protocol is a critical element of the energy transition, promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainable practices. First publicly released in 2001 and revised over the years, the Protocol is a comprehensive global standardized framework. It is designed to measure and manage Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emis-sions from electricity and other energy purchases and account for their value chain emissions. • Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources within a company’s property or operations • Scope 2: Indirect emissions resulting from purchased electricity • Scope 3: All other indirect emissions associated with an enterprise’s activities DecarbonizationU.S. companies, small and medium-sized businesses, and organizations increasing-ly disclose their carbon footprint volun-tarily. Some companies are responding to stakeholder interests or demands, state regulatory requirements, or anticipating the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to provide carbon emissions standards for public companies.Many enterprises are developing tar-gets to reduce their carbon emissions, quantifying their goals, and committing to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or less or transitioning to a lower carbon footprint, the quantity and time often unspecied.To implement a successful energy transi-tion and decarbonization plan, a C-suite executive must rst assume the responsi-bility of running this project or appoint a director with a clear reporting line, key performance indicators, and results. The decarbonization strategy director forms a team. Depending on company re-sources, this team may comprise internal executives, or an external partner may be contracted to work with appointed internal executives. The external partner, hired with a dened scope of work and timeline, can cover any missing internal Source: S&P Global 2023

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com25CATALYTIC DECARBONIZATIONskills or functions required to access design and execute an effective decar-bonization strategy. Functions include energy management, nance, investor relations, legal, facilities, operations, IT, communications, and corporate social responsibility or sustainability. Commu-nicating with all stakeholders early and throughout the development of this strategy is critical to its success. Key Steps:• Determine carbon emission baseline from a comprehensive carbon foot-print assessment.• Identify main carbon emission source(s).• Establish clear, measurable decarbon-ization targets and goals with industry benchmarks, regular monitoring and reporting guidelines.• Identify all stakeholders, all who are impacted by your business, includ-ing employees, customers, investors, shareholders, board of directors, suppliers, state and local communi-ties and enterprises, and establish a communication feedback loop for engagement and collaboration.• Develop a roadmap for decarboniza-tion and energy strategies outlining initiatives, actions, and solutions and identifying manageable and impactful projects rst.In 2023, clean energy in the U.S. was the same price as energy burning from fossil fuels due partly to government policy measures, including the 2022 Ination Reduction Act (IRA). Clean energy technology investments in 2024 will rise to $800 billion, an addi-tional 10 to 20 percent compared with 2023, according to S&P Global, adding that the average capital expenditures of using clean energy technologies will fall by a further 15 to 20 percent by 2030. Solar energy will account for the largest share of the additional spending and 55 percent of total clean energy investment, followed by onshore wind, battery, energy storage, and carbon dioxide electrolysis. Scarcely in use today, electrolysis uses electricity from renewable and low-carbon energy, converting captured carbon waste into chemical commodities such as ethanol and formic acid.The cost of solar and batteries is decreasing with the oversupply of products and falling raw material prices. Continued improvements in technol-ogy, including the integration of AI, ensure equipment costs will continue to fall, mitigating the upward cost of labor and smart grid development – com-prised of grid technologies, devices, and associated systems that provide and use digital information, communica-tions, and controls to optimize the ef-ciency, reliability and security of electric power delivery.Companies can transition to a resilient decarbonization plan with the careful execution of a sustainable business framework designed with the com-pany’s team, stakeholder input, and collaboration. Core decarbonization strategies: Energy Efciency• Implement energy-saving measures across operations, buildings, and transportation, educating stakehold-ers on energy conservation tech-niques, practices, and impact.Electrication • Evaluate and modernize grid infra-structure to accommodate decen-tralized and intermittent renewable sources. According to the Clean Energy Transition Institute: o Electric drive trains are 4.4 times more efcient compared to re-placed internal combustion that now run on petroleum. o Electric heat pumps can be more efcient than heat and gas furnaces.Energy Mix• Not all end uses can or should be electried. The goal of a decarbon-ization plan is to lower carbon emis-sions as much as possible. Mitigate the supply network with natural gas or renewable energies on-site, evalu-ating the use of solar panels, wind turbines, hydrogen, nuclear energy and biofuels.Carbon Capture• For all energy uses that can be neither electried nor converted to low carbon fuel, capture carbon emissions and sequester them or use carbon emissions to produce clean synthetic fuels (electro fuels).Employee, community, and other stakeholder engagement and collabora-tion are critical to a successful energy efcient strategy. It also has the lowest implementation cost. Electricity and heat production are responsible for 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. By 2058, the world population will increase to 10 billion people from 7.6 billion, according to the United Nations Population Division. Thus, energy and food demand is expected to grow sig-nicantly. Commercializing new proven technologies is crucial to unlocking scalable and efcient electrication, en-ergy mix, and carbon capture strategies.Nuclear energy is the only renewable energy devoid of carbon emissions. Growth trends for nuclear energy are generally at. Wind and solar are projected to lead growth in U.S. power generation for the next two years. Solar growth is forecasted to grow 75 percent by 2025, according to the U.S., accord-ing to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).Grid DecarbonizationCommercial, industrial, and residential increasing demand for solar and wind energy are overtaxing U.S. electrical grids. An electrical grid is a network of power plants, transmission lines, and other components that deliver electric-ity to consumers. Natural gas is general-ly used during extended power outages and intermittent service. More than 70 percent of U.S. grid transmission lines are over 25 years old. Technology exists to transform electrical grids into smart grids, increasing usage Continued on next page...

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com26CATALYTIC DECARBONIZATIONefciencies and expanding energy storage systems to support increased transmis-sion and solar, wind, and hydropower. Digital technologies can help reduce carbon emissions by up to 20 percent by 2050 in energy, materials and mobility sectors, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). New battery, storage, AI and digital technologies can signicantly impact grid decarbonization. Solar Energy and Food SecurityAgriculture, forestry and land use are re-sponsible for 24 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural innovation, introducing new products, processes, and social and economic structures to increase effectiveness, competitive-ness, or environmental sustainability, contributes to food security and eco-nomic development. Agrivoltaics, or co-location systems, utilize the land for two purposes: Benets include increased productivity of certain crops and protec-tion of crops from pests. Energy producers install solar photo-voltaic systems on agricultural land, increasing food production and land use efciencies and decreasing greenhouse emissions from grazing cattle. Cows are responsible for 60 percent of agricul-tural greenhouse gas emissions. Benets include energy efciency if an agrivoltaics system is next to a vertical farm. Vertical farms use less land and water than outdoor farms and require electricity. A young industry in the U.S., leading countries in vertical farming in-clude Japan, China, Singapore, Germany and France.Market-Based InstrumentsFinancial instruments are additional tools that may be used to advance a company’s energy transition and decar-bonization plan. “Greenwashing” refers to falsifying the environmental impact of a company’s or developer’s product to investors or the public that occurred with some of these market-based instru-ments. New technologies such as drones and machine learning, digitalization and ledger-based marketplaces help to ad-dress these challenges.Renewable Energy Certicates (RECs)RECs are market-based instruments for electricity generated from renew-able energy sources that represent their environmental attributes. State law un-derpins the legal basis of RECs issued when a renewable energy source such as solar, wind, or hydropower is gener-ated and delivers one megawatt-hour of electricity. RECs may be sold separately and are traded by power companies, people who own residential energy systems such as solar panels, and third-party market makers. Voluntary and Compliance MarketsRECs are used in two separate markets – voluntary and compliance. In the U.S., the voluntary markets primarily serve cor-porate, institutional or individual buyers seeking to meet various environmental and economic goals. The voluntary usage of RECs is recognized by U.S. govern-ment agencies’ legal and regulatory regimes, including the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Environmental Pro-tection Agency, Department of Defense, the Federal Trade Commission, and the International Swaps and Derivatives As-sociation (ISDA), with 1,000 members across 79 countries, and the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA).The compliance markets for RECs are often dened by a state renewable portfolio standard requiring a percentage of energy supplied to consumers from renewable resources.Carbon Offsets and Carbon CreditsCarbon offsets represent emissions that have been removed from the atmosphere, which can be bought to reduce carbon emissions beyond what a buyer can achieve through their efforts. Offsets are bought and sold voluntarily through brokers or marketplace trading platforms.Carbon credits represent an allow-ance for companies to emit one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2). They are bought and sold in two markets: voluntary and compliance. The voluntary markets are based on the decarbonization goals of each company. The compliance mar-kets are based on emissions compliance requirements in a cap-and-trade system – the number of emissions a company can emit and allow companies to trade for the emissions they save. Types of Carbon CreditsCarbon credits are generated from

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com27CATALYTIC DECARBONIZATIONnature-based or engineered-based projects.Forest and Land Use: Projects for reforestation, deforestation, and natu-ral resource conservation can generate carbon credits. Farmers and landown-ers can sell a carbon credit for every CO2 their land sequesters.Renewables and Oil and Gas: Companies creating wind, solar and hydroelectric power can sell the carbon emissions they avoided as carbon cred-its. Companies that shut down oil and gas wells can sell the carbon emissions they avoided as carbon credits.Carbon Capture and Storage: Com-panies that suck carbon directly out of the air and sequester the carbon for long-term storage can sell their cap-tured carbon credits.Carbon credit benets from the three most signicant economic sectors generating greenhouse gas emissions include:Electricity and Heat Production Benets • Support integration of electric and hybrid vehicles. • Fund the design and implementation of sustainable public transport. • Finance the development of low-impact hydroelectric technologies. • Finance direct-air capture tech and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. • Support the installation of solar panels in low-income communities. • Support solar microgrids in rural areas.Industry Benets• Promote supply chains prioritizing low-carbon methods and sustainable materials. • Support programs for zero waste in manufacturing and industrial waste to energy. • Fund projects that safely dispose of or reduce hazardous waste. • Assist the aviation industry in mov-ing to sustainable fuel alternatives. • Assist sheries facing changing cli-mate conditions to adopt sustainable practices. • Support projects that minimize aring and venting in oil and gas production.Agricultural, Forestry and Land Use Benets• Facilitate sustainable land use, in-tegrating practices that protect and enhance land’s productivity and eco-logical health. • Educate farmers about sustainable agricultural practices. • Incentivize practices for soil health improvement through carbon seques-tration, increasing crop yield. • Support agricultural water manage-ment strategies optimizing water use. • Enhances food security by funding the development of crop varieties resistant to drought and implement-ing sustainable grazing practices. • Fund the expansion of vertical farm-ing, increasing land and water use efciencies.Voluntary Carbon Market Registries and Credit Rating AgenciesThe voluntary carbon market (VCMs) has grown substantially in recent years, as has greenwashing incidents. Histori-cally, carbon credits have been difcult to validate and demonstrate that they are sequestering, reducing, mitigating or avoiding the amount of carbon they claim. A growing industry of indepen-dent carbon credit veriers emerged in recent years, including carbon credit rating agencies that independently as-sess carbon credits and assign a credit score based on various factors, includ-ing the project’s environmental and social impact. These credit ratings are generally used along with a carbon registry’s protocols. The largest carbon credit rating agencies are BeZero, Calyx and Sylvera.The Core Carbon Principals (CCP), published by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market, set a global benchmark for high-quality car-bon credits. These principles outline 10 key criteria and ensure carbon credits awarded to the CCP label meet strin-gent standards. Continued on next page...

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com28CATALYTIC DECARBONIZATIONMost carbon credit registries use similar principles. American Carbon Registry, Climate Action Reserve, Gold Standard, and Verra are the oldest and largest vol-untary carbon credit registries. None of these four registries utilizes blockchain technologies. This drove the emergence of many blockchain-based carbon credit registries. Once validated, carbon credits may be transformed into digital currency on a blockchain network. The blockchain can help ensure that environmental claims, such as carbon reductions and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions, are veri-able and accurate.High Quality Carbon CreditsHigher quality credit often results in higher prices. Principals include:• Transparency – Limited information is available for the vast number of meth-odologies to count avoided or reduced carbon emissions.• Double Counting – No central carbon credit repository exists, and many registries exist. Someone may sell the same credit to more than one registry.• Additionality – Carbon credit emis-sions avoided or reduced is additional such that it would not occur at all if the project did not exist.• Permeance – The carbon credit will have a lasting impact on reducing carbon emissions.• Governance – Improves transparency, accountability, and participation while increasing public engagement.• Overestimation – The estimated carbon emission impact quantied is accurate.• Co-Benets – In addition to carbon reduction, avoidance or sequestration, projects providing additional environ-mental, social or economic benets offer more value.• Quantication, Monitoring, Report-ing and Verication – Practices should involve rigorous data collection and third-party verication for accuracy and verication.Return on Investment (ROI)A company’s decarbonization strategy, nancial performance, environmental and social impact are intertwined with its sustainability and risk mitigation strate-gies. The energy transition is catalyzed by digitalization, emerging technologies, innovative energy nance strategies, in-creased R&D investment, public/private partnerships, new laws and regulations.Upfront capital expenditures and long-term returns vary according to several factors, including economic industry sector, geographic location, and carbon emission baseline. According to McKin-sey, top-line gains from fostering energy efciency aimed at curtailing energy usage, lowering operating costs, and adopting cutting-edge technologies have resulted in up to a 60 percent enhance-ment in operating prots.The stakeholder communication feed-back loop employed in the initial decar-bonization plan design can provide data indicating improved stakeholder and investor relations and its positive im-pact on workforce retention, employee engagement, and community relations. Sustainability positively impacts con-sumer loyalty and brand reputation. Emphasizing decarbonization is pivotal to employee engagement, according to McKinsey’s research.For companies manufacturing consumer products, research shows that 66 percent of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods (73 percent of millennial consumers). Prioritizing sustainability results in increased sales revenue.Source: S&P Global

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com29The modern workforce is often com-prised of teams within the age range of 20s to 70s. Deloitte’s retail worker research shows employee retention is tied to sustainability. Forty percent of survey respondents reported chang-ing jobs or planning to change jobs due to climate concerns. According to Deloitte’s research, companies with an integrated sustainability strategy experi-enced a 13 percent increase in employee productivity and up to a 50 percent turnover reduction.The nancial landscape of decarboniza-tion is shaped by the accessibility of government subsidies, including the 2022 Ination Reduction Act, grants and tax incentives, generally offsetting initial investment costs, and enhancing nancial protability. According to S&P Global, decarbonizing the economy could take the global green, social, sus-tainability and sustainability-linked bond market closer to the $1 trillion mark. Blended nance strategies and the stra-tegic use of government capital, such as those from government, philanthropic and commercial capital, are growing in the U.S. This nancial structure miti-gates risk and facilitates nancing for private sector-led projects that have the potential to generate environmental and social benets. The energy transition is transforming businesses across economic industry sectors, enhancing a company’s climate resilience – the ability to adapt and operate due to climate-related chal-lenges such as extreme weather events. Being prepared by regularly monitoring company operations, accessing long-term risk mitigation strategies, and adapting to unexpected impacts on op-erations, supply chains, and employees may uncover new opportunities and strengthen resilience.Dedicated to advanc-ing a global sustainable economy, with over 25 years as a chief invest-ment ofcer, business advisor, and board director, Dail St. Claire began her career managing assets for New York City’s $240Bn pension fund. Her service includes being a nancial advisor for the Episcopal Church Endowment and Foundation. St. Claire has advised global corpora-tions and middle market companies with P&L responsibilities as a board director, energy and utility invest-ment banker and investor. With a track record of growing and scal-ing businesses in highly regulated industries, she co-founded Williams Capital, the largest women- and minority-owned broker-dealer invest-ment bank in the United States today. St. Claire is the Chief Investment Ofcer and Sr. Energy Advisor at Aurivos, a family ofce with deep experience investing in climate tech and energy strategies. Experienced in alternative investments and climate nance, her focus includes designing innovative nancial structures for in-stitutional and nonprot investment in energy, agricultural technology, low carbon, and zero carbon solu-tions and social impact. BOARD SERVICE • Independent Board Director, Audit Committee Member, Verde Clean Fuels, NASDAQ: “VGAS”, 2023 – present • Independent Board Director, CRS Temporary Housing, 2021– present • New York State Common Retire-ment Fund Investment, Board Mem-ber, Investment Advisory Commit-tee – Sustainability & Climate Fund, Corporate Governance, $260Bn AUM, 2021 – 2023. An RRCA-certied running and tness coach, St. Claire assists chal-lenged athletes through the Achil-les Foundation. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, San Diego, and an MA in Public Policy/Busi-ness from the University of Chicago Harris School. Contact dailst.claire@aurivos.com. CATALYTIC DECARBONIZATIONSUBSCRIBE TODAY!Get the renewable energy news and data you need in a magazine you’ll be proud to read.To subscribe, complete a quick form online:Editor@USEnergyMedia.com • (800) 562-2340 Ex. 5EnergiesMagazine.com/subscribe

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com30ELECTRICITYSurviving the Surge: Strategies for Managing Electricity in the Face of Grid Instability By Peter FollowsHistorically, business leaders have not had to prioritize electricity when audit-ing or improving their supply chain management. Often buried under umbrella categories such as utilities, maintenance, cost control and green initiatives, electricity has long been an assumed commodity. But, as the North American electrical grid faces rapidly increasing challenges, and the rate of outages continues to rise, the supply of electricity may no longer be as simple as ipping a switch. There is an urgent need for businesses to adopt a proactive approach to man-aging their supply of electricity as part of an overall supply chain strategy. This is particularly true for organizations experiencing rapid growth.Navigating Grid ChallengesThe demands on the North American grid are escalating dramatically, driven partly by the electric vehicle (EV) mar-ket and the growing energy needs of data centers. (1) Suppliers are struggling to keep up, and many experts are pre-dicting signicant electricity shortages over the next ve years. The challenges of sudden growth are not helped by a decades-old infrastruc-ture that is in desperate need of repair, expansion and modernization. Renew-able energy sources are expanding rapidly, but harnessing the power they provide is not as straightforward as it is sometimes made out to be. Thousands of solar, wind and battery projects are queued to connect to the U.S. electric grid, but they may never get the opportunity, in part due to the grid’s lack of capacity to handle new power sources. This is exacerbated by the long and arduous process of obtaining permits for new transmission lines, a process that can take up to 15 years. (2)Complicating things further, the uctua-tions and intermittent nature of these re-newable sources requires a resilient, intelli-gent and exible grid capable of ensuring a consistent energy supply. (3) (4)Articial intelligence (AI) is both a part of the problem and a part of the solution. Researchers estimate that, at current growth rates, some new AI servers could soon consume a small nation’s worth of electricity annually, putting tremendous pressure on a falter-ing electrical grid. At the same time, AI is being used in some areas to make the grid more adaptable and efcient, and large tech companies are even using AI to streamline the process of getting off-grid, on-site nuclear plants approved. (5)Extreme weather conditions and aging power lines continue to be the most common causes of blackouts. Incidenc-es of prolonged blackouts are estimated to be twice what they were just 10 years ago. Solutions are being developed, but their implementation is not keeping pace with demand, and the road ahead is likely to involve incremental improve-ments rather than a single, comprehen-sive x.(6)Optimizing Electricity ManagementApplying the elements of an effec-tive supply chain optimization plan to electricity requires leaders and managers to tailor each component of the plan to the unique challenges and opportunities present in energy management. Like all business challenges, energy manage-ment needs to be considered from three integrated perspectives: process, perfor-mance and people.Process definition Leaders need to carefully map out where energy demand comes from within their supply chains. Informed decision-making about energy manage-ment requires the comprehensive data collection on energy consumption pat-terns to better understand the drivers of peak demand, and costs from various points in the supply chain. Implementing energy plans for consis-tent and reliable production may also Photo courtesy of 123rf.com – yelantsev.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com31ELECTRICITYmean ensuring key parts and com-ponent suppliers are taking similar measures to ensure reliability.Collaboration with energy suppliers is another crucial component of energy management. As with other essential suppliers, businesses need to build strong relationships with utility compa-nies and renewable energy providers to secure reliable and sustainable energy sources. Diversifying energy sources by procuring multiple or alternate suppli-ers, including renewables where avail-able, can mitigate the risk of supply disruptions.Performance managementTo optimize performance, business leaders must dene clear objectives and goals, establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) for energy cost management, reliability of supply, and carbon footprint reduction. Measurable targets should include specic goals for energy efciency, renewable energy adoption, and system resilience. Utilizing predictive analytics can help forecast energy needs and optimize consumption based on usage patterns and demand forecasts. Integrated technology solutions, such as smart grid technology and energy management systems, can enable real-time monitoring and management of energy distribution and consumption. Automated controls for lighting, heat-ing, cooling, and production equip-ment can optimize energy usage, while devices designed to provide real-time tracking and control of energy con-sumption across facilities can further optimize usage and reporting.Risk assessments to identify potential disruptions in energy supply, such as grid failures or fuel shortages, and plans to ensure continuous operations during these disruptions, including backup generators and alternative energy sources, should be incorporated into risk management strategies. But understanding what will happen to business operations in times of elec-tricity interruption or rationing is only the rst step in emergency prepared-ness. It is important to also inspect readiness for such an event through frequent audits and scenario planning. People considerationsManaging energy differently requires understanding the impact changes have on people. Modifying processes and performance systems inevitably requires different behaviors from both man-agement and employees. For example, trying to minimize peak demand may require changes to historical operating practices or perhaps shift structures. As well, incentives need to be reviewed to minimize conicts and to promote cross-functional collaboration. Enhancing Energy ResilienceContinuous improvement requires reg-ular energy audits to identify areas for improvement and establish feedback mechanisms for continuous enhance-ment of energy management practices. Effective logistics and transportation management might include balancing the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in the logistics eet or using advanced routing software to minimize energy consump-tion in transportation.In energy-intensive industries, such as manufacturing, mining, and transporta-tion, businesses might also incorporate the development of microgrids (local-ized grids that can operate independent-ly from the main grid) into their electric-ity reliance strategy. Microgrids allow businesses to manage their energy use more effectively, ensuring uninterrupted power supply during main grid out-ages, and integrating renewable energy sources more seamlessly. (6) By adopt-ing microgrids, businesses can enhance their energy resilience, reduce costs, and contribute to sustainability goals.Businesses must pay close attention to the cost, availability, and reliability of their power supplies, and some should begin sourcing alternatives. By adapting components of supply chain manage-ment to focus on balancing the de-mand and supply of energy, businesses can achieve greater energy efciency, reduce costs, and improve overall en-ergy resilience and sustainability.References:AI’s Energy Appetite: Challenges for Our Future Electricity Supply (govtech.com) (1) Queued Up: Characteristics of Power Plants Seeking Transmission Intercon-nection (Energy Markets and Policy.gov) (2)Navigating the Future of Energy: How Utilities Can Modernize Their Grid Operations to Meet Increasing Energy Demands (powermag.com) (3)America’s Power Grid Is Increasingly Unreliable (WSJ.com) (4)The outdated power grid is nearing a crisis point. Here’s how to prevent it (msn.com) (4)Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power (Washington Post) (5)7 major challenges of a power grid and their solutions (Fuergy) (6)5 strategies for energy market cost and risk reduction (Supply Chain Manage-ment Review) (7)Peter Follows is the CEO and co-founder of Carpedia, a global management consulting rm, and the author of Results Not Reports. Carpedia, which helps organizations achieve lasting improvements in performance and protability, has worked with over 1,000 clients across a wide range of industries, including well-known organizations such as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, H.J. Heinz, Hilton, Delta Airlines, DHL and Yale New Haven Health. As CEO, Follows provides Carpedia’s overall strategic direction and is actively involved in product/service devel-opment and market-focused initia-tives. He has extensive experience in strategy, supply chain management, and operational effectiveness. Learn more at Follows’ website.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com32Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com32EXCERPTBe the news or get the news.SUBSCRIBE OR ADVERTISE TODAY!I had a sales meeting with an executive for a company headquartered in London, England. We met in the lobby, and he ushered me into his ofce. He asked me to grab a seat while he got some coffee for the two of us. He had a beautiful ofce with a stunning view of Trafalgar Square. The ofce had modern furnishings, which were a stark contrast to the mahogany paneling in the lobby and the historic building itself. The desk was a simple glass table with a chair on either side.It was one of the few sunny days on my trip, and brilliant light streamed through the window. I sat down and took the opportunity to absorb the magnicent view of the busy square. The executive returned with the coffee. As a casual conversation starter, I said, “I’ve been in many inter-esting ofces, but this may be the best view I’ve ever seen.”The executive placed the coffee down on the table and replied, “Thanks. Now get out of my chair.”Like the part in a movie where the plot twist is revealed, all the missed clues suddenly became painfully apparent (particularly the placement of a notepad and family photograph). I had made the simple assumption that the executive would have his back to the window. Precisely because of the view, this executive had chosen to face the window.A fairly heavy awkwardness followed as I collected my things and moved to the other side of the desk.It’s hard not to make assumptions.There are all sorts of common biases we all suffer from. Conrmation, framing, anchoring, pattern recognition, and self-interest are some of the more common ones. They all tend to lead us to embrace evidence that supports our thinking and to reject evidence that doesn’t.As you become more familiar with any subject matter, you’re more likely to cut corners or to jump to conclusions without considering all the facts.When we’re brought in by organizations to assess where they could improve, senior executives almost always have a good sense of what they want to achieve. They bring us in, in part, to get away from their own biases. What they want from us is a fresh perspective to identify where that improvement should come from and what’s re-quired to get it.We have our own biases, of course, but being an outside entity helps because it means we’re forced to gather facts to form our opinions, and we aren’t weighed down by poli-tics or organizational memory.To provide executives with this perspective, we perform an opportunity assessment. It’s a kind of operational due diligence to determine whether there are opportunities where we can help, above and beyond what they’re already doing.The basic concept is to assess the performance of the operat-ing environment and to link historical outcomes to the organi-zation’s nancial results. The assessment provides a snapshot of the operational health of an organization and an analysis of where they could improve.The purpose of the assessment is to quantify the magni-tude of opportunity and to determine what portion of it could be recovered. The purpose is not to identify solu-tions. Solutions are developed later with the input of op-erating managers and employees. The assessment provides a project approach and identies the base period so that performance changes can be measured.Reprinted with permission. Results Not Reports: Building Exceptional Organizations by Integrating Process, Performance, and People by Peter Follows (ForbesBooks; September 2023). Introduction to Chapter 2: Assess the Opportunity

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com34INNOVATIONMaking Wind Energy Even More Sustainable Photos courtesy of Voodin Blade TechnologyWith Voodin Blade Technology’s laminated veneer lumber blades, wind turbines can produce up to 78 percent fewer CO2 emissions, and production costs can decrease by up to 20 percent compared to current solutions. This solves the last hurdle of making wind energy truly sustainable.German wooden wind turbine blade manufacturer Voodin Blade Technol-ogy in May announced the world’s rst prototype installation of its 19.3-me-ter wooden wind turbine blades. The blades are installed on an existing wind turbine in Breuna, Germany. Using laminated veneer lumber (LVL) as a material is more sustainable than cur-rent materials and enables noticeably better recycling of decommissioned blades, a high level of automation – which is not possible with current materials – and more exibility.Wind energy is a renewable and sustain-able energy source, but there are still hurdles to solve to make it as sustainable as possible. Wind energy is growing at a fast pace, and it plays a key role in help-ing countries avoid fossil-based energy. However, while up to 90 percent of wind turbines are recyclable, the blades are currently not. Today, wind turbine blades are made of berglass and carbon ber bound together with epoxy resin, a material that is difcult and expensive to break down.The usual life cycle of wind turbine blades is 20 to 25 years. As the rst generation of blades approaches the end of their commissioning life, new, more sustainable turbine blade solutions are needed to ensure sustainable wind energy production in the future.

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Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com36Energies Magazine / Summer 2024 / EnergiesMagazine.com36CNC milling also enables more exibil-ity because the technology can be used for manufacturing any type of blade.By increasing the level of automa-tion, the need for labor decreases. As a result, manufacturing does not need to be done in countries with lower labor costs, where it is currently often done. This then means that production is also possible closer to the wind farms, allow-ing transportation costs and emissions caused by transportation to be reduced.Wood, and especially LVL, is highly du-rable materials; even more durable than the currently used composite materials. Through intricate laboratory testing, Voodin Blade Technology has ensured that the material will thrive in even the toughest conditions of onshore wind energy production which takes up ap-proximately 85 percent of the current wind energy sector.“We have conducted hundreds of labo-ratory tests during the past two years to perfect the blade material. Accord-ing to all our tests, our blades are even more durable than the existing ber-glass blades, as they show fewer fatigue characteristics and are proven to endure all kinds of onshore weather conditions extremely well,” explains Jorge Castillo, cofounder at Voodin Blade Technology.The rst prototype blades have been installed on an existing wind turbine in Breuna, Germany, near the city of Kassel. The company is building new prototypes, including bigger 60-meter and 80-meter blades, as a next step.For more information, visit Voodin Blade Technology GmbH. INNOVATION

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Energies Magazine Summer 2024

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