Welcome to the Power to the People Podcast, where we reimagine the future of Energy⚡
Hosted by Michiel van Lelyveld (young skeptical realist) & Auke Hoekstra (seasoned expert, techno-optimist), we have conversations with top thinkers, innovators, and policy makers to sketch a hopeful vision for our clean energy future. 🌱
Auke believes in a future where energy is abundant and available always, everywhere for everyone. Michiel is sceptical and sees how difficult it is for us to use technology responsibly. Critical conversations emerge from these viewpoints with our guests 🔥
11 - Unlocking immediate grid capacity with solar curtailment and reward-based grid connection contracts
S1E11 - We sit down with Gerard de Leede, CTO of Solarge (www.solarge.com)—one of the Netherlands’ most innovative solar companies—to talk about the growing problem of grid congestion and what can be done about it right now.
Solarge produces lightweight, toxin-free solar panels with a fair and transparent supply chain. Their mission? To lead the way in clean, responsible photovoltaic production.
But here’s the twist: despite making some of the greenest solar panels around, Gerard can’t get a bigger grid connection for his factory. To keep up with demand, he’s had to rely on… a diesel generator. We dive into this ironic situation, explore the challenges of limited grid capacity, and hear Gerard’s ideas for solving it.
23 Sept 2025
10 - Looking at the energy transition through the lens of systems change
S1E10 - Today we speak with Floor Alkemade, expert in systems change. Through the lens of systems change we see how the energy transition is connected to questions of economic survival of countries, energy policy and social behavior. We also discuss energy autonomy and the EU's dependency on gas and oil from other countries.
Floor is a professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology (https://www.tue.nl/en/research/researchers/floor-alkemade) and specialized in the field of systems change. This multidisciplinary approach shines a refreshing light on the challenges we face today. To understand system change is helps to break out of your bubble and see the system in all its different facets.
She acknowledges that we have to make sacrifices in this transition and that we will have winners and losers. But more importantly, she stretches the fact that the Energy transition is a smart investment. For the planet, our economies and the people.
16 Sept 2025
9 - Creating compelling stories to get people involved in the energy transition
S1E9 - We speak with Mark Spijker about creating compelling stories to get people involved in the energy transition.
Mark is the main director of Arnhem Electricity Week (https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/) and wants to make it the number one energy conference in Europe. He is a master in the art of Brand Building and has been shaping stories to make the energy transition speak to a broad audience. That is why we talk with him about creating compelling stories to get people involved in the energy transition
26 Aug 2025
8 - Electric Planes as a new sustainable Transport Category
S1E8 - We speak with Professor Maarten Steinbuch about the rise of electric planes. Electric planes have a huge potential to replace short haul flight and revolutionize the aviation sector. Something that was hard to imagine 20 years ago is coming within hand reach.
Maarten is a distinguished professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology. He has a very good eye for the influence that technology has on the world of tomorrow. For instance, he was one of the first to see the potential of electric vehicles and promoted this extensively in the media.
In recent years Maarten has talked about the next big transport revolution: short haul electric flying. Also, he has worked on making regional airports into energy hubs with his company NRG2FLY (https://nrg2fly.com/). Can we undo the bad rep that airplanes suffer and fly guild free again? Let's see what Maarten has to say about this.
22 Aug 2025
7 - Energy Poverty in the Netherlands
Today we speak with Marije Ruysch about energy poverty in the Netherlands. Marije is head of the energy bank Arnhem (https://energiebankregioarnhem.nl/), where they strive for energy access for everyone. We speak with her about how energy is a basic life necessity and how it should be available for everyone in a rich country like the Netherlands.
The stories that she shares of people in energy poverty make us think again about our energy system and how just it actually is. We ask the question if a system based on solar wind and batteries could provide us with a more just system.
This episode is part of the Arnhem Electricity Week (https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/) Series.
19 Aug 2025
6 - Using Electric Vehicles to enhance Grid Capacity
S1E6 - We speak with Doctor Gautham Ram about using electric vehicles to enhance grid capacity.
Gautham sees an important role for electric vehicles in the energy transition and frames them as big batteries on wheels. They can be used for energy storage, grid balancing services and very important today: enhancing the capacity of our electricity grid.
Gautham is an assistant professor at the Delft University of Technology (https://www.tudelft.nl/), where he researches electric vehicles, charging and battery storage. At the Delft University of Technology he also developed a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Electric Cars Technology (https://online-learning.tudelft.nl/courses/electric-cars-technology/) where he asked Auke to collaborate. This is a free university level course, feel free to enroll if you want to learn more about electric cars and their role in the energy transition!
15 Aug 2025
5 - Our projections about the future determine how we feel, think and act
E5S1 - We speak with Doctor Sietske Veenman at Arnhem Electricity Week (https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/)about what we can know about how our projections about the future determine how we feel, think and act.
Sietske is researching futures and their effects at the Radboud University of Nijmegen. She is specialized in environmental policy and governance. With her company Artemis Energie (https://artemisenergie.nl/) she helps organizations and governments act future proof.
Sietske is aware of the different possible futures concerning climate change and the influence these have on people. Today we explore this tention with her.
26 Jun 2025
4 - Transporting 3 times more Energy over Existing Powerlines
S1E4 - We speak with Dr. Johan Enslin at Arnhem Electricity Week (https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/) about his idea for a US supergrid.
In the US, most renewable energy is generated in the middle and the south of the country. Most of this energy needs to be transported to the densely populated West and East Coast. This means a lot of energy needs to be transported over long distances. Johan comes up with a solution that uses the existing transmission lines to transport 3 times more energy than they currently do⚡
Johan is working at ARPA Energy (https://arpa-e.energy.gov/about/people/dr-johan-enslin), where they fund and direct the discovery of new energy technologies. He focuses on the future of power generation and distribution.
20 Jun 2025
3 - Gas Plants as Transition Technology & Energy Poverty in The Netherlands
S1E3 - We speak with Laetitia Ouillet at Arnhem Electricity Week (https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/) about Gas Plants as Transition Technology & Energy Poverty in the Netherlands.
She is concerned about gas plants as a transition technology, because they may not be profitable with high integration of renewable sources. She is also confronted with energy poverty in her work and is surprised by how much this occurs in a rich country like the Netherlands. In her eyes, this points to the injustice that is embedded in the current Dutch energy policies.
Laetitia is a specialist in the heat transition and energy markets, and has helped organisations understand the energy transition and act accordingly. She also has her own Dutch spoken podcast #voetnoten, where she dives into policy papers to really understand the implications of what is being proposed.
12 Jun 2025
2 - Grid Control in a Decentralized Power Grid
S1E2 - Auke and Michiel sit down with Gerwin Hoogsteen at Arnhem Electricity Week (https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/), expert in smart grid control and optimization at the University of Twente (https://www.utwente.nl/), to explore the future of our power infrastructure.
We dive into the transition to a bottom-up energy grid, where decentralized energy sources, batteries, and grid-forming inverters challenge the traditional model of centralized, rotating mass-based power generation. Gerwin compares this upgrade to performing open-heart surgery: the system must keep running while being fundamentally reengineered.
We also tackle the role of AI in grid control. While promising, Gerwin brings a realistic perspective on its current limitations and where it truly adds value. He also shares why trust is crucial for the successful adoption of these technologies.
🔌Batteries, AI, decentralized control, and the future of energy—this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in how we’ll power the world of tomorrow.
4 Jun 2025
1 - Touching People's Hearts to Engage them in the Energy Transition
S1E1 - We speak to Caroline Kamerbeek at Arnhem Electricity Week (https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/)about the campaign she is running to accelerate the Energy Transition. DNV (https://www.dnv.com)created two short films for this campaign that are becoming a much bigger success than she could ever imagine. The goal of the short films is to bring the Energy Transition very close to people so it can become relatable. She hopes to influence voters and governments to get them more involved and accelerate the transition.
If you haven't watched the short films yet you can watch them before or after this episode at www.thegreattransition.org (https://www.thegreattransition.org). If you want to engage more with this movement go to www.thegreattransition.org/engage (https://www.thegreattransition.org/engage/). More ways to engage will follow soon.
DNV is an international purpose driven foundation and independent expert in assurance and risk management. Their purpose is to safeguard life, property, and the environment. They empower their clients with facts and reliable insights so that critical decisions can be made with confidence.
16 May 2025
Introducing the Power to the People Podcast
Welcome to the Power to the People podcast! Great that you are a renewable energy enthousiast like us. In this episode we talk about why we make this podcast, what is it about and who we are.The energy transition might well be one of the biggest challanges we have ever faced as human kind. Therefor it deserves to be talked about in depth, truthfully and with concern for all. This is not a left or right wing story, not only for the rich, it concernes all of us and we all have a right for a livable world and affordable energy.
Hosted by Michiel van Lelyveld (young skeptical realist) & Auke Hoekstra (seasoned expert, techno-optimist), we have conversations with top thinkers, innovators, and policy makers to sketch a hopeful vision for our clean energy future. Auke believes in a future where energy is abundant and available always, everywhere for everyone. Michiel is sceptical and sees how difficult it is for us to use technology responsibly. Critical conversations emerge from these viewpoints with our guests.
Join us on this adventure and let us know what you would like to hear in this podcast!
Inside a recent episode
11 - Unlocking immediate grid capacity with solar curtailment and reward-based grid connection contracts
Published 7 Oct 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] There was no responsible party, no responsible system architect. And that's really a shame because you know what is going to happen by a full overload with those things you are subsidizing. It's not very difficult drawing, right? You know how fast the industry was growing. But I agree with you there. But is it correct to say we have grid congestion because we have too much solar panels? Well, we have too much. If you would frame it that way, it would be wind and solar, of course, together. And I would also add electric vehicles, but okay, let's do that afterwards. Two as well. But the grid congestion has another reason, and that is that we have to build more and more housing, residential, as well as other industrial buildings. […]
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