Resending: Entrepreneurs and Energy Democracy


Hi Friend,

Every energy entrepreneur has a tale of struggle, but I recently heard one that made others look easy. When Alex Bazhinov decided to quit mining and pursue clean energy, it wasn’t just a matter of finding the right business plan and financing. He had to find a new country. “I found myself living in a country where renewable energy was not an industry.”

I interviewed Alex about his journey from Russia to the US, which culminated in the founding of Lumin, a smart panel manufacturer. Now, he's on another journey, one to make the once boring household electrical panel a key money saver for those using EVs and distributed energy.

Check out today's feature story and podcast: The Very Unusual Path to Success for this Distributed Energy Entrepreneur


How Pew Hopes to Accelerate Energy Democracy in the US

When I heard that the reputable Pew Charitable Trusts was launching a distributed energy initiative with Audrey Zibelman and Pat Wood, I had to find out more. Here's what I learned.


Translating complicated energy ideas

Our October 15 live stream discussion is about a topic that occupies a lot of my brain space. What's the best way to convey complex energy ideas so that customers and audiences understand them quickly?

Our guest speaker, Robert W. Cross, founder and fractional Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Cross Consulting and principal and strategy lead of Outfit, will discuss why visual storytelling is the best tool for presenting complex ideas.

All newsletter subscribers are welcome to participate:

No need to pre-register. Just click on the Zoom link above a few minutes before the event begins. The doors open at noon. Space is limited.

This is an interactive, educational event. Robert will speak for 20 minutes and then open the floor to questions and discussion among those on the Zoom line.

You will benefit from attending this session if you are:

—Developing a product

—Working to advance a campaign

—Need to make a complex idea clear

For more information, email veronica@energychangemakers.com. Look forward to seeing you there!


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From Decentralized Grid Magazine

The Very Unusual Path to Success for this Distributed Energy Entrepreneur


Convos & Content in the Premium Community

2026 will be the year of the EV: Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs forecasts that battery prices could fall to $80/kWh by 2026, a 50% decrease since 2023. This would put battery electric vehicles (EVs) at cost parity with gasoline-fueled cars in the US — not counting any subsidies for EVs. As a result, demand for EVs is likely to grow. “We believe 2026 is when a consumer-led adoption phase will largely begin,” says Goldman.

Uber offers EV-only option in 40 cities, strikes deal with Octopus and BYD

Uber says its fleet now includes 182,000 EVs, enough to make it possible to offer an EV-only option for customers in 40 cities. The option is being priced the same as UberX. The company says its drivers are adopting EVs five times faster than the average motorist in the US, Canada and Europe.


Stuff We're Reading Around the Web

Poll: EV politics could cost Michigan its auto industry

A poll showing that Michigan voters are split on EVs along party lines worries Michigan business interests. “This is extremely concerning,” writes MichAuto. “Our state is a global epicenter for automotive manufacturing and innovation. To maintain our leadership role as the industry transitions, it will be critical that we lead in the development of new battery technology and that our supplier and assembly plants transition as well.”

Unfinished business: The bipartisan appeal of distributed power plants

Writing in Utility Dive, two former chairmen of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Democrat Jon Wellinghoff and Republican Neil Chatterjee, offer advice to presidential hopefuls Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

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