Changing Energy

Hosted by Wake Electric Membership Corporation

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Latest episode

Aug 2025

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EN-US

About the show

A casual conversation about the transformation of energy

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42 recent

August 8, 2025Episode 340 min

Episode 41: How Disaggregation Tells Your Energy Story

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria get into data disaggregation! The episode opens with banter, where Kirk reveals how much mileage his four-wheelers acquire. Then the gang gets into some timely news articles, including an article about a co-op on Kaua‘i island handling the threat of a potential tsunami and what that would have meant for their island and co-op. Don discusses an interesting piece of news regarding a company that has enabled a Level 2 charger to support bi-directional charging, compatible with Teslas - a feature that Tesla Powerwalls have not been able to provide. For the main topic, they are joined by a special guest, Jessica Sontag, a Product Analyst from NISC, to help tackle a listener question about how WEMC provides our monthly summary of member electrical usage. Together, the hosts and their guest dive into how data disaggregation helps provide members with better insights into their electrical usage.

June 17, 2025Episode 236 min

Episode 40: The Night the Lights Went Out in Spain

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria cover a recent news story that got international attention out of Spain. The episode opens with Kirk giving a big research update regarding his prize idea: the lightning box. For news, Shawn covers an article that discusses the growth of renewable energy in Australia. Don then introduces the main topic and main news article regarding the widespread power outage that hit southern Europe. The hosts discuss what happened and why it garnered interest from all over the world. The hosts then address a question about energy efficiency and discuss ways consumers can improve their efficiency at home.

May 28, 2025Episode 149 min

Episode 39: Staying Ahead of Wildfires

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria discuss a literal hot topic in the utility space - wildfires! The episode opens with banter about what the hosts have been busy doing, including Don's experience seeing self-driving cars in the wild. Later, they are joined by special guests Corey Parr, Vice President of Safety and Loss Prevention and Jason Springs, Safety and Loss Prevention Consultant from Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange to discuss wildfire risk and how insurance plays a critical role in protecting cooperative utilities against wildfire damage. Together, the hosts and guests explore strategies to enhance resilience and safeguard communities against the growing threat of wildfires.

February 6, 2025Episode 1838 min

Episode 38: The Rise of Cybersecurity

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria return with a special collaboration on cybersecurity! The hosts kick things off by touching on the unprecedented cold weather we experienced in January. For the main topic, the team explores how IT and cybersecurity have become essential pillars in the electric utility industry—so essential that they’ve brought in three experts to shed light on it all! Changing Energy invites Off The Wire, a cybersecurity podcast, to join this episode! Anthony Kent of Four County and Tanner Greer of Blue Ridge—co-hosts of Off The Wire—team up with Steve Ballard of Wake Electric to discuss their firsthand experiences watching cybersecurity and IT within the utility sector evolve. They share practical insights for utilities looking to stay one step ahead of emerging threats and more! If you’ve ever wondered how the backbone of our power grid stays protected, you won’t want to miss this episode! Check out Off The Wire: https://offthewirepodcast.com/ Available on Spotify and iTunes!

December 13, 2024Episode 1754 min

Episode 37: All about Hydrogen

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria discuss the hot topic of the moment: nuclear energy. The hosts open the episode by reflecting on their respective Thanksgiving holiday experiences. The team reviews news articles covering topics such as sci-fi billionaires' climate change efforts, underground battery storage, and renewable energy legislation related to hog waste. The main article focuses on nuclear energy and why it's now in such high demand. For the main topic, the hosts have to call in an expert! Dan Walsh, Senior Power Supply and Generation Director at NRECA calls in to educate the hosts on what’s on the horizon with hydrogen energy.

November 25, 2024Episode 1646 min

Episode 36: Now With a Live Studio Audience!

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria have a live studio audience! Live from the Youngsville Boardroom, Changing Energy welcomes the RAMblings Podcast Club from Franklinton High School. Don discusses an interesting article concerning researchers harnessing the power of lightning to help stop erosion on the California coastline. Special guest Jim House from FMI Consulting, shares his expertise in making human-built infrastructure more energy efficient. To round out the episode, the hosts invite questions from their studio audience.

October 11, 2024Episode 1532 min

Episode 35: Helping after Helene

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria focus on the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina and the monumental recovery efforts that followed. The hosts discussed the power of cooperative mutual aid as Wake Electric sent linemen to assist one of our sister co-ops in the mountains. Special guest Joe Everett, Wake Electric’s Right-of-Way Supervisor and Journeyman Lineman, shares firsthand stories from the front lines as part of the first crew dispatched for relief. Together, they explore the hurricane’s impact on the region, the challenges the crews faced, and the strength of community when disaster strikes.

August 2, 2024Episode 1459 min

Episode 34: All Data Tells a Story

In this episode, Don, Kirk, and Shawn talk about how they miss Maria as she vacations in Europe and plans to see Taylor Swift in concert. This sparks further discussions about the sustainability of rock concerts before diving into an article about the current challenges of the grid. Maria rejoins the group as we introduce our summer data science intern, Manuella Kwawu. Manuella talks about her experience moving from Ghana to New York City and summering in Wake Forest, North Carolina. She shares insights from her project analyzing residential bills, revealing fascinating findings about peak usage times and cost-saving opportunities for members.

July 3, 2024Episode 1348 min

Episode 33: The Degree Days of Summer

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria are ready for the 4th of July. The impact of the Tesla Cybertruck continues! Don banters about his experience driving it around town and people’s reactions to it. Kirk and Maria talk about hosting an EV Truck event in June as well as an employee appreciation event. Shawn talks about how busy dispatch has been with wildlife incidents. The hosts discuss multiple articles regarding tech companies and AI data centers as the energy sector continues to focus on this hot topic. They also get into an article regarding policy changes that could impact utilities regarding energy plans. For the main topic, Don talks about the hot summer weather despite the otherwise mild days we’ve experienced this year. Don explains the unit ‘degree days’ and how that helps determine how much heating and cooling can be expected in home usage. The gang dives into a listener's question about experiencing high voltage noise under transmission power lines.

June 10, 2024Episode 1244 min

Episode 32: We're Back!

In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria are thrilled to be back after a long break! The hosts banter about their busy schedules during the unintended hiatus, sharing stories from attending various conferences and being busy at the co-op. They also discuss the arrival of the new Tesla Cybertruck and the splash that the electric vehicle is making. Don talks about his drive out west and how that inspired him to explore what makes the state of Oklahoma an interesting case study in energy. The hosts discuss an article highlighting the states with the lowest and highest electric rates in the US. They also explore an article detailing the AI industry's insatiable demand for new data centers. Finally, they answer a listener's question about electric vehicle charging infrastructure, providing insights and updates on this rapidly evolving topic. Story Links: "Compare Your Energy Choices and Electricity Rates by State" "Why the AI Industry’s Thirst for New Data Centers Can’t Be Satisfied"