The Energy Transition Desk with Lisa Wood is the insider podcast for entrepreneurs, investors, energy executives, and policymakers navigating the hard work of bringing new technology to market.
Host Lisa Wood brings decades of experience in the power sector, including 15 years leading EEI’s Institute for Electric Innovation. Now a strategic advisor to clean energy startups and venture investors, Lisa covers the full energy transition — clean power, natural gas, and the messy space where new technology meets the market.
Each episode features candid peer-level conversations with the founders, investors, energy executives, and policymakers doing the hard work of commercializing energy technology. What’s working, what’s not, and what it really takes to succeed in one of the most complex markets in the world. New episodes every other week!
Superconducting cables are letting data centers grow without power holding them back
Today’s show is about superconducting power delivery to data centers. Delivering electricity is nothing new, but VEIR’s platform of low- and medium-voltage superconducting systems unlocks power density levels that far exceed legacy approaches, letting data centers grow without power holding them back. With up to 200 gigawatts of new data center capacity potentially coming online worldwide over the next 5 years, speed-to-power has become the single most important issue that data center customers face. VEIR sits right at the intersection of that story.
In this episode, Lisa sits down with Tim Heidel, co-founder and CEO of VEIR, to discuss how VEIR’s superconducting power cables, which are ten times smaller and lighter than the copper they replace, are changing how power gets delivered inside data centers. Tim describes why VEIR’s initial focus was on high-voltage transmission; how data center customers pulled the company in a new direction; and what he & his team had to rethink in making that pivot. Tim also dives into why he started VEIR and why the company’s North Star is a return to transmission and the power sector.
Lisa and Tim discuss:
Why speed-to-power is the biggest barrier to AI and data center growth
How superconducting cables shrink data center power systems
VEIR’s start with high-voltage superconducting transmission lines
The pivot from transmission to data centers: same technology but different economics, different voltages, and different timelines
Role of strategic investors
VEIR’s deeply collaborative culture
Fun energy facts
Credits: Host and Executive Producer, Lisa Wood; Associate Producer, Adam Cooper
Recorded September 2026
Find us at: https://podcast.energytransitiondesk.com/
14 Oct 2026
How AI is Changing Enterprise Customer Energy Management
Today's show is about using AI to manage energy for many of the world’s largest businesses. Energy has never been more complex and managing it has never mattered more. By providing a single place to pay energy bills, buy energy, and advance sustainability, Arcadia’s energy intelligence platform takes the friction out of managing energy for businesses that use energy across multiple sites and energy markets.
In this episode, Lisa sits down with Kiran Bhatraju, Founder & CEO of Arcadia, to discuss how Arcadia evolved from a consumer facing company to a global AI enterprise energy management platform for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers serving 2000 of the world’s largest businesses and transacting $35 billion of energy payments a year.
Lisa and Kiran discuss:
Arcadia’s evolution to an AI enterprise energy management platform
How AI is changing Arcadia’s approach to C&I customer energy management
Why giving C&I customers grid edge computing options is speed-to-power
Key pivots and turning points for Arcadia’s business
Acquisitions are not for everyone
The unique culture at Arcadia
How a policy nerd became an energy entrepreneur
Fun energy facts
Credits: Host and Executive Producer, Lisa Wood. Associate Producer, Adam Cooper.
Episode recorded: September 2026
Find us at: https://podcast.energytransitiondesk.com/
7 Oct 2026
Turning Data Centers into Flexible Power Grid Assets
Today's show is about flexible data centers. Simply delivering more energy to data centers — the fastest-growing source of new electricity demand in the US — isn't the solution. Emerald AI's Emerald Conductor platform dynamically interacts with local power grids to manage AI workloads: pausing work during grid stress, rerouting it elsewhere, and ramping back up when capacity frees up.
In this episode, Lisa sits down with Varun Sivaram, Founder and CEO of Emerald AI, to discuss how Emerald AI is turning data centers into flexible grid assets by orchestrating real-time workloads and introducing power flexibility. Most of the data center conversation has been about the supply side — delivering more power, where and when data centers need it. Emerald AI is flipping that on its head and going after the demand side.
Lisa and Varun discuss:
Emerald Conductor and data center flexible load
Grand bargain between data centers, the power grid, and customers
Early product and customer demonstrations
100 GW potential for flexible load
The two grids - power and AI
Investors and commercial scaling
The power of conviction
Fun energy fact
Credits:
Host and Executive Producer, Lisa Wood
Associate Producer, Adam Cooper
Episode recorded: September, 2026
Find us at: https://podcast.energytransitiondesk.com/
7 Oct 2026
How AI is revolutionizing energy forecasting in today’s rapidly changing landscape
Today's show is about combining AI and energy data for precision energy forecasting and analytics solutions for utilities, power producers, and energy markets. Forecasting has been done for decades in the power sector. But between extreme weather, surging electricity demand, and wild price volatility, the need for very accurate forecasting models has never been greater.
In this episode, Lisa sits down with Sean Kelly, Co-founder and CEO of Amperon, to discuss how Amperon’s AI-powered energy forecasting platform is changing the way energy gets forecasted and traded in today's rapidly changing energy landscape. Sean also reveals why he started the company; his first real customers; how Amperon hooked its first electric utility customers; the importance of strategic partners; and critical turning points for the company.
Lisa and Sean discuss:
Why precision forecasting is essential today
Early customers and pivots
Discovering the importance of smart meter data
The role of AI at Amperon
Critical turning points and challenges for Amperon
Why strategic partners matter
Venture capital, storytelling, and timing
Credits:
Host and Executive Producer, Lisa Wood
Associate Producer, Adam Cooper
Episode recorded: September, 2026
Find us at: https://podcast.energytransitiondesk.com/
5 Sept 2026
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