Battery + Storage Podcast

Hosted by Bill Derasmo, Troutman Pepper Locke

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Episodes

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Troutman Pepper Locke energy attorneys sit down with battery energy storage professionals from across the industry. The podcast shares the perspectives of industry veterans and thought leaders as they discuss how energy storage technologies are being developed, financed, and deployed in today's power markets.

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58 recent

June 23, 202625 min

Vanadium Has Entered the Chat

In this episode, Bill Derasmo sits down with Shane McBee, vice president of business development at Invinity Energy Systems, to unpack why vanadium may hold the key to solving one of the grid's most persistent challenges. Invinity's vanadium flow batteries (VFB) store energy in liquid electrolyte rather than solid electrodes, delivering virtually unlimited charge cycles, zero fire risk, and a lower lifetime cost than lithium-ion. McBee discusses how VFBs differ from competing chemistries through the real-world performance of some of Invinity's projects, and what the growing appetite for long-duration storage means for the future of the grid. Listen in to learn how Invinity is making a compelling case that lithium-ion can't go it alone as renewable capacity surges worldwide. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

June 3, 202631 min

Solid Flow, Strong Future

Join host Vaughn Morrison for a conversation with Giovanni Damato, president of CMBlu Energy U.S., as they dig into the company's long‑duration, water‑based battery technology. They discuss how CMBlu's solid‑flow design delivers multihour energy storage using nonflammable, nonlithium materials, opening the door to more flexible project siting than traditional lithium‑ion systems. The episode also takes a closer look at CMBlu's evolving supply chain strategy, from its current manufacturing base in Europe to plans for future U.S. facilities, and how the company is positioning itself to benefit from domestic content requirements and clean energy tax incentives. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 12, 202630 min

The Silicon Switch-Up

Host Bill Derasmo sits down with Jonathan Tan, CEO and co‑founder of Coreshell, for a deep dive into how U.S.-made silicon anodes could reshape the global battery industry. Their conversation unpacks Coreshell's approach to producing low‑cost, domestically sourced silicon anodes designed to replace Chinese‑sourced graphite — an innovation with major implications for supply chain security, national competitiveness, and the future of electrification. For anyone tracking the next wave of battery technology or the geopolitics of energy storage, this episode offers insight you won't want to miss. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 15, 202631 min

Soaking Up the Sun

Host Vaughn Morrison sits down with Darin Green of Array Technologies to explore how "engineered simplicity" in solar trackers is reshaping the economics of utility‑scale solar and storage. They discuss how smarter tracking hardware and controls can make repowering older projects faster and more cost‑effective, the growing trend of pairing batteries with solar in the repowering context, and what developers should know about domestic content, FEOC, and IRA incentives as they plan their next generation of projects. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 11, 202627 min

Go Big and Go BESS

Host Bill Derasmo is joined by Chris McKissack, CEO of Fullmark Energy, to unpack the rise of standalone storage and the complexities of energy storage projects. From AI data centers to grid reliability, McKissack explains how batteries are quietly running the show. Hit play and get charged up on how storage is reshaping today's power markets. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January 28, 202628 min

Battery Chemistry's AI Era

Host Bill Derasmo sits down with ZincFive's vice president of global sales and product management, Brandon Smith, to talk about why nickel-zinc battery chemistry is built for the AI era. With a career that spans oil and gas, UPS systems, and now nickel‑zinc, Brandon explains why nickel‑zinc batteries are turning heads as a safer alternative to lithium‑ion and how they're set to reshape backup power for AI-driven data centers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 5, 202536 min

Watt's Up, ERCOT?

Co-hosts Bill Derasmo and Casey Bell sit down with OCI Energy President Sabah Bayatli to unpack OCI's approach to utility‑scale solar and four‑hour battery storage, explain why ERCOT remains a prime market in Texas, and examine how data centers and AI are reshaping power demand. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 11, 202520 min

NASA to Grid: The Journey of Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries With Majid Keshavarz, EnerVenue

Join host Bill Derasmo as he chats with Dr. Majid Keshavarz, chief technology officer at EnerVenue. They trace the evolution of nickel‑hydrogen batteries from their NASA origins in the 1970s — proven on missions like Hubble, the ISS, and Mars — to today's grid applications. Tune in to learn how this inherently safe chemistry delivers decades‑long service life, high cycle counts, and recyclable materials for long‑duration, grid‑scale storage. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 23, 202537 min

Navigating the Energy Frontier With Aric Zurek, Fluence

Join host Bill Derasmo as he chats with Aric Zurek, President of Fluence Digital and SVP of Fluence. Aric shares insights from his diverse career in nuclear, gas, oil, and battery storage, and discusses Fluence's strategic acquisitions of AMS and Nispera. Learn how software, AI, and machine learning are transforming energy storage, optimizing trading strategies, and enhancing asset reliability. Explore the evolving energy storage market and the shift towards lifecycle cost considerations. Don't miss this engaging discussion! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 10, 202531 min

Creating Solid-State Solutions: Todd Crescenzo, Clear Creek Investments and Jorge Diaz Schneider, ION Storage Systems

In this episode, hosts Bill Derasmo and John Leonti, chair of Troutman Pepper Locke's Energy practice, sit down with Todd Crescenzo, managing partner at Clear Creek Investments, and Jorge Diaz Schneider, CEO of ION Storage Systems. ION, a Clear Creek portfolio company, is pioneering solid-state battery technology using a breakthrough ceramic bilayer electrolyte. Jorge shares how his background in e-mobility and energy storage shapes ION's edge in the market, including its successful sampling of working cells for consumer electronics. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping battery operations, and why investor backing is critical to advancing both energy security and innovation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.