Interchange Recharged Podcast

Nearly 150 days into President Trump’s second term, the outlook for wind energy in the United States - particularly offshore wind - is increasingly bleak. Trump had pledged to end offshore wind development, and now the House Ways and Means Committee is proposing a phase-out of tax credits for renewables by 2031 - a move that would severely impact an already struggling wind sector (over on our sister podcast Energy Gang, we discuss the bill and what it means for renewables – check out that episode once you’re finished here).

Only three offshore wind projects have come online in US waters, with 4 GW currently under construction. In 2024, total wind installations reached a ten-year low at just 5.2 GW. By contrast, Europe has surged ahead, having built 35 GW of offshore wind capacity - ten times the US total – emphasising the stark differences in policy and financing frameworks.

Still, there are glimmers of hope: President Trump recently lifted a stop-work order on a $5 billion offshore wind farm off the coast of New York, following lobbying from Governor Kathy Hochul. The project, led by Norwegian company Equinor, is expected to power 500,000 homes by 2027. However, with developer confidence sinking, experts warn that the stop-start nature of US policy continues to undermine long-term momentum in the sector. 

To forecast the next few years for wind in the US, host Sylvia Leyva Martinez – principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie – is joined by analyst Stephen Maldonado. They explore the policy and technology that’s holding back deployment of offshore wind in the US.

Plus, looking across the Atlantic to Europe, Sylvia talks to WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson, about the financing frameworks for wind in Europe.

Sylvia, Stephen and Giles talk through the lessons for developers and financers: with uncertainty around tax credits and shifting policies, there may be a shift in resources to more advanced projects, putting early-stage ones on hold. Repowering old wind turbines is an option too; Giles explains how. And making use of domestic supply chain strengths is key – compared to solar, wind has more domestic supply chain support.

Follow the show wherever you’re listening to it now, and tell us what you think, we’re on X and Bluesky @interchangeshow

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The US is risking ceding global market share of clean energy to China, permanently.

New tariffs, put in place one day then removed the next. Rising costs for everything along the supply chain. The US clean energy sector is navigating one of its most unpredictable phases yet. From solar to storage, how are developers and policymakers reacting to renewed trade tensions and their impact on the energy transition? 

“This isn’t just about clean energy deployment. It’s about whether the US will have a seat at the table in the future global energy economy,” says Leslie Abrahams, Deputy Director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS – the Center for Strategic & International Studies. She joins host Sylvia Leyva Martinez, a principal analyst covering global energy markets at Wood Mackenzie, to find out what the outlook is for US energy innovation. Escalating tariff policy is shaking investor confidence, altering supply chains, and putting the power firmly with China.

Plus, in the second half of the show, Sylvia gets the developer perspective, from Joao Barreto, who is CEO of EDP Renewables’ distributed generation business in North America. He explains how one of the world’s largest clean energy developers is mitigating risk, adjusting their strategy, and building trust with manufacturers and offtakers amid unprecedented uncertainty.

Sylvia, Leslie and Joao discuss:

• Why US$8 billion in clean energy projects were cancelled in Q1 2025, and what that signals to the market
• How US tariffs on Chinese batteries are backfiring on domestic manufacturing
• The challenge of accelerating R&D while shutting out foreign investment
• How storage and solar developers are hedging their bets
• Whether the US risks ceding global market share to China permanently

Power Play was developed by ExxonMobil to shine a light on the accomplishments of remarkable women and the men who uphold the importance of empowering others in the LNG and decarbonization industries. Nominations for the seventh annual Power Play Awards are now open, with four categories available: The Rising Star, The Pioneer, The Ambassador, and The Low Carbon Accelerator. Nominate a deserving candidate today! Nominations close May 30th. Find out more.

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Tax equity plays a significant role in clean energy finance, but are developers using it effectively, or are they stumbling over complexities and recent changes? 

Sylvia Leyva Martinez is joined by Bryen Alperin, Partner and Managing Director at Foss and Company, a leading firm in renewable energy investment, to debate it. 

They explore how tax credits and incentives are reshaping clean energy's financial framework. Tax structures have changed significantly in the past few years, and there’s new changes happening every day. 

Bryen talks about the challenges developers face, including policy changes under the Trump administration, and how these could affect project economics. 

It’s everything you need to know about how to make tax structures work for you. 

This episode is brought to you by Foss & Company—a leader in tax equity investing. At the forefront of clean energy finance, Foss helps developers and investors unlock capital for solar and energy storage projects across the U.S. If you're navigating the tax credit landscape or looking to maximize project returns, partner with the experts. Visit fossandco.comto learn more. 

Foss & Company—investing in tomorrow, today. 

https://fossandco.com/contact-us/

"Power Play was developed by ExxonMobil to shine a light on the accomplishments of remarkable women and the men who uphold the importance of empowering others in the LNG and decarbonization industries. Nominations for the seventh annual Power Play Awards are now open, with four categories available: The Rising Star, The Pioneer, The Ambassador, and The Low Carbon Accelerator. Nominate a deserving candidate today! Nominations close May 30th. Find out more."

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They called the film Avengers: Infinity War the most ambitious crossover event in history. We can’t quite make the same claim, but at Wood Mackenzie’s 2025 Solar and Energy Storage Summit, we did record a crossover episode. Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Wood Mackenz’s principal analyst for solar power and host of Interchange Recharged, is joined by Ed Crooks, host of Energy Gang, to discuss the future of energy, and of the electricity grid in particular.

They are joined by Rob Chapman, Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions at the non-profit research group EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, which aims to help power society toward a reliable, affordable, and resilient energy future. 

Rob talks about a key theme in his work: the importance of flexibility on the electricity grid. Increased reliance on solar and wind power has created challenges in keeping the grid balanced and the lights on. Surging demand for electricity for new data centres to train and run AI models is giving rise to a whole new set of issues. More flexible demand and supply on the grid is increasingly valuable. But where can it come from?

Data centres don’t usually offer a lot of flexibility in their operations. People want to use ChatGPT and watch Netflix even at night and when the wind is low. So what can the hyperscalers do to create flexibility? Are virtual power plants an effective option? And how can the energy industry improve collaboration to find solutions that promote the clean energy transition while keeping prices down?

You can find Energy Gang wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Interchange Recharged with Sylvia Leyva Martinez for deep dives into the innovations that are accelerating the energy transition.

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Wood Mackenzie’s 18th Solar and Energy Storage summit is back, in Denver this week. If you can’t make it, don’t worry – we have all the debate and key insight you need to know here on the podcast. Recorded live on day 2 of the summit, host Sylvia Leyva Martinez talks to key industry leaders in solar and storage to answer these questions:

What’s best practice for battery asset management? To answer this Sylvia is joined by Jenny Fink, Director of Asset Management at KeyCapture Energy. They discuss the need to synchronise market operations, analytics and site management. What’s the biggest challenge involved in maintaining safe and efficient battery operations? 

How can developers and investors deal with market volatility? Petter Skantze is VP of Infrastructure Development at Nextera Energy. He talks to Sylvia about challenging load demands; stakes are higher now as project delays are a block to economic growth. Compared to legacy fossil fuels, solar and storage development lead times are many times faster – so why aren’t we seeing accelerated deployment?

Finally, Sylvia talks with Jeff Cramer about the benefits of community solar. Jeff is President and CEO of the Coalition for Community Solar Access, and he explains how community solar has grown from a niche offering to a key benefit to consumers. New York and California are leading the charge with programs that incentivise community solar with distributed energy sources. 

This episode is brought to you by Foss & Company - a leader in tax equity investing. At the forefront of clean energy finance, Foss helps developers and investors unlock capital for solar and energy storage projects across the U.S. If you're navigating the tax credit landscape or looking to maximize project returns, partner with the experts. Visit fossandco.com to learn more.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.