Ken Silverstein, Forbes Energy Contributor
In this episode of Path to Zero, Host Tucker Perkins talks with Ken Silverstein, a senior energy contributor at Forbes about the future of micro-grids and other advancements in the energy industry.
Ken Silverstein was set on the idea of becoming a journalist ever since college. It was a combination of being at the right place at the right time and his interest in covering Capitol Hill that launched Silverstein’s career as an energy journalist in the mid-90s, when energy was becoming mainstream. From covering the rise and fall of Enron to producing work for outlets like EnergyBiz Insider and The Breakthrough Institute, Silverstein has witnessed the ongoing changes in energy.
show notes
Silverstein walks listeners through the complexity of micro grids. Micro grids emerged due to the need for clean energy, resilience and economic development. Grids alone are not susceptible to unforeseen events like hurricanes, so places like Puerto Rico are using micro grids as a proactive solution if the grid goes down. Rural areas where there may not be any access to a grid, also utilize building onsite energy with batteries and micro grids to power up businesses and create an economic boom in an otherwise isolated place.
“Easy targets.” courtesy of Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
In the second half of the podcast, Silverstein discusses what the future holds for energy. Silverstein explains both the federal government and private sector will form a partnership to support the energy industry. The federal government will take the role of providing an initial investment to make new technologies appealing to the private sector. From there, the private sector will continue to provide support to increase growth and innovation. The involvement of public and private investments has already played out in the energy economic powerhouses of today.
With his ongoing experience in reporting, Silverstein pulls insights and eloquently ties together the main influences in energy and their role to what lies ahead for the industry.
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