Sparks & Currents

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Featuring: Dana Guernsey '06, TH'08 and Geoff Parker

The surge in U.S. energy demand, driven by data centers and electrification, has created a moment of opportunity for virtual power plants (VPPs) to scale. VPPs can now leverage immediate demand to create a more agile, affordable, and resilient grid. Join Voltus CEO Dana Guernsey '06, TH'08, for a conversation on how VPPs can solve the "speed to power" problem, reduce energy costs, and unlock new levels of efficiency on the grid.

Watch the video podcast

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Featuring: Geoff Parker and Charlie Donovan

In a video podcast, Tuck School of Business Professor Charlie Donovan interviews Geoff Parker, Faculty Director at the Irving Institute and a four-time Thinkers50 honoree. The conversation highlights how innovative platforms connecting different user types can modernize energy systems. 

Watch the podcast interview

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Author: Geoff Parker

A curated selection of December 2025 energy stories indicates encouraging trends in the clean energy transition. Corporations are integrating climate technology into business strategies, AI data centers can ease peak grid demand, distributed energy resources (DERs) are increasingly embraced as vital resources for expanding grid capacity, and geothermal solutions continue to make advancements. 

Explore the signals of progress

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Author: Honor Passow

Distributed energy resources (DERs), demand response (DR), and virtual power plants (VPPs) offer tremendous potential for increasing grid flexibility and reliability. But inconsistent definitions and disjointed perspectives are hindering the efficient coordination of these valuable resources. A proposed set of definitions seeks to clarify the landscape and accelerate DER deployment.

Explore the proposed framework

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Featuring: Geoff Parker and Stina Brock '01, TH'02

In a video podcast, Dartmouth alumna & entrepreneur Stina Brock '01, TH'02, talks with Faculty Director Geoff Parker about how AI can support distributed energy resource integration with the grid—enabling fast, affordable, & flexible energy deployment.

Watch the video podcast

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Authors: Sangeet Paul Choudary and Geoff Parker

Around the world, energy assets are being reimagined — shifting from rigid, single-purpose infrastructure to modular building blocks that can be recombined across roles and industries. This transformation is reshaping who creates value, shifting power away from asset ownership toward those who can coordinate and orchestrate asset collections.

Read about the surprising economics of modular, programmable energy

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Author: Giulia Siccardo

How can public, private, and philanthropic capital can be coordinated to accelerate innovation, strengthen supply chains, and position the U.S. as a leader in the global clean energy economy?

Explore the capital coordination challenge 

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Author: Cate Homicki

Energy systems are undergoing their most significant transformation since the widespread adoption of electricity over a century ago. Cutting-edge energy technologies, artificial intelligence, evolving policies, and shifting energy demands are reshaping markets domestically and globally. To effectively adapt to these changes and leverage emerging technologies, robust data management and platform solutions are critical for coordinating the complex interactions within the energy landscape.

Review the panel recap

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Authors: Sarah Kelly, PhD and Derek Walker

In April 2025, federal staff for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) were dismissed. While imperfect, LIHEAP provides critical support for a pressing issue affecting the wellbeing of people in every state of the USA: energy insecurity.

Read the energy insecurity insights

Meet the voices behind Sparks & Currents — academic experts, researchers, and industry practitioners driving new ideas and shaping the conversation on the future of energy.