Know Power

About Know Power

Do you know what happens when you flip a light switch? How many people, dollars, and computers are involved to charge your smartphone? Do you understand the policy implications, political landmines, and local issues as we transition to clean energy? We’re here to answer those questions and more on KNOW POWER. Hosted by agnostic but informed industry experts Noha Sidhom and Mike Borgatti, Know Power is all about demystifying the entire energy industry, getting you involved in the discussion, and empowering you with knowledge to make an intelligent choice today and in the future. Learn more and subscribe today at knowpowershow.com. Noha Sidhom is a lawyer turned entrepreneur with a passion for advocacy and competition in the electricity markets. Noha started her career at FERC, went on to be General Counsel of a proprietary trading firm before launching her own hedge fund aimed at providing liquidity and competition to ultimately benefit consumers. Noha also runs a trade association that advocates for open, fair, transparent and competitive power markets. Mike Borgatti serves as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Gabel Associates, an energy and utility consultancy. He leads a team of diverse industry experts who assist some of the world's largest energy companies and consumers in navigating the complex and ever-changing energy landscape. Gabel Associates' clientele includes offshore wind developers, institutional investors, energy traders, and coal plant operators, spanning every sector of the energy industry. With extensive experience across the industry, Mike and team approach problems from multiple perspectives, and Know Power aims to share this knowledge with a wide-ranging audience.

Publisher

Noha Sidhom and Mike Borgatti

Category

business · government · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 May 2023

Latest episode

17 Sept 2025

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Sept 2025

   The Price of Power: Thomas Meric on Policy, Investment, and Infrastructure

   In this episode of Know Power, hosts Noha and Mike are joined by energy finance expert Thomas Meric, formerly of Janney Montgomery. They explore how political pressure, regulatory constraints, and supply chain issues are shaping power markets, new builds, and nuclear deployment. Thomas explains the capital hurdles in energy investment, shares his view on the role of RTOs, and examines the challenges with labor, permitting, and project financing. The conversation highlights the shifting economics of batteries, the policy “whipsaw” impacting innovation, and what it will take for nuclear and other technologies to scale. Guest bio: Thomas Meric was a Director covering energy in Janney’s Equity Research Group. He provided comprehensive and asset-level analysis of sectors and companies, with a focus on nuclear, IPPs, solar, renewable fuels, and wholesale power market technology. He delivers institutional clients with insightful, differentiated, and actionable opinions through a specialized, deep-dive approach. Prior to joining Janney in 2022, Thomas spent six years in various research roles at Capital One Securities, including most recently as a Senior Analyst covering alternative and renewable energy. Before that, he spent four years on the Oilfield Service research team. Thomas holds a B.A. from Washington and Lee. ______________________________________________________________________ [00:01:19] Thomas Meric's career path and focus on power and nuclear markets [00:03:45] What a stock analyst does in the energy sector [00:06:11] State pressure and the political role in shaping RTO outcomes [00:08:22] The significance of the Shapiro settlement and capacity auction dynamics [00:11:12] State vs. RTO responsibilities and finger-pointing in energy pricing [00:13:00] Trade-offs between technologies in solving the energy crisis [00:14:12] Why labor is a major pinch point for infrastructure deployment [00:18:13] How investors perceive risks and blind spots in clean energy buildout [00:20:00] Financing and permitting constraints that slow project development [00:23:36] How interest rates and revenue uncertainty affect battery deployment [00:26:48] The complementary roles of batteries and dynamic loads like data centers [00:29:05] Capital intensity and financial risk in building AI-driven infrastructure [00:31:48] Youth AI adoption, overreliance, and educational impacts [00:35:05] Implications of repealing IRA provisions on renewables and policy stability [00:40:52] Domestic manufacturing headwinds in the wake of changing incentives [00:43:26] How to categorize and evaluate future nuclear technologies [00:45:22] Lessons from Vogtle and the risk syndication approach for AP1000 [00:52:08] Advanced reactors, NRC hurdles, and the definition of safety [01:00:30] Why advanced reactors face a permitting—not financing—challenge [01:04:35] Valuing reliability and emissions attributes in energy markets [01:06:45] RTO price signals, capacity markets, and distorted incentives [01:10:54] How political interference undermines trust in energy governance [01:12:18] Why grid operators deserve more credit for reliability under stress [01:14:04] Thomas’s “magic wand” solution: price the attributes, let markets work Learn more and stay up to date at KnowPowerShow.com (https://www.knowpowershow.com/) Connect with our Hosts Noha Sidhom LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/noha-sidhom-7a27423/) Mike Borgatti <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-borgatti-61a50710/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

2. 

   13 Jun 2025

   Power Players: Rich Powell on Energy Policy and Clean Buying

   Hosts Noha and Mike interview Rich Powell, CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Association, who analyzes the policy decisions impacting clean energy deployment, CEBA's advocacy for voluntary markets, and the complexities of balancing clean energy with grid reliability.

3. 

   8 May 2025

   Unlocking the Japanese Power Market with Mark Todoroff

   In this episode of Know Power, hosts Noha and Michael are joined by Mark Todoroff, Head of APAC Business Development for Yes Energy. Together, they explore the dynamic changes within Japan’s energy market following its deregulation in 2016. Mark shares his journey into the energy sector and offers insights into Japan’s energy landscape, including its dual-grid system, the impact of renewables like solar and offshore wind, and the influence of global trends on Japan’s evolving energy market. The discussion dives into market design comparisons with the U.S. and Europe, the role of cultural and regulatory factors in shaping market participation, and the complex interplay of challenges like renewable integration, pricing mechanisms, and demand forecasting. Mark also highlights Japan's energy transition efforts amid growing industrial demands and its push toward sustainability. Tune in to understand the key drivers, challenges, and opportunities in one of the world’s largest power markets. Guest bio: Mark Todoroff is Business Development Director of APAC at Yes Energy (formerly TESLA Forecasting), based in New Zealand. His areas of expertise are gas and electric load forecasting, energy economics and econometrics. Through his leadership, he established and grew TESLA’s APAC forecasting team from 1 client in 1 country to 35+ clients across 6 countries. Mark is one of the 100 World Energy Council’s Future Energy Leaders and was previously Co-Chair of the Young Energy Professionals Network (YEPN), the national FEL programme of New Zealand. Prior to relocating to New Zealand, Mark worked as a Senior Energy Economist at TESLA’s USA branch for four years. Mark is well known in the global energy forecasting and trading communities with his analysis frequently shared in industry news such as Bloomberg and high scores in forecasting competitions like Tokyo Electric Power Company’s 1st Electricity Load Forecasting Technology Contest. Mark received an MA in Economics from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BBA in Economics and Finance from James Madison University. ______________________________________________________________________ [00:00:00] Introduction to Japan’s energy market and Mark Todoroff’s background. [00:04:03] The evolution of Japan’s deregulated market post-2016. [00:06:11] Regional demand dynamics: industrial hubs and seasonal peaks. [00:09:03] The impact of Japan’s dual-grid (50Hz/60Hz) system. [00:11:00] Market design comparisons: lessons borrowed from the U.S. and Europe. [00:15:07] Data transparency challenges and their impact on market participation. [00:18:05] The absence of negative pricing in Japan's power market. [00:23:12] Challenges in forecasting and data reliability amid energy transition. [00:27:02] Impacts of global LNG dependency and Fukushima on energy policy. [00:29:46] Rising industrial demand from AI, semiconductor manufacturing, and data centers. [00:32:15] Key barriers to market entry for foreign participants. [00:37:20] The role of futures markets in stabilizing Japan’s energy sector. [00:42:10] Opportunities for innovation in smart meters and real-time data integration. [00:47:23] Recommendations for improving market functionality through weather and demand forecasting. Learn more and stay up to date at KnowPowerShow.com (https://www.knowpowershow.com/) Connect with our Hosts Noha Sidhom LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/noha-sidhom-7a27423/) Mike Borgatti <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-borgatti-61a50710/"...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

41

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.