Today’s show is about superconducting power delivery to data centers. Delivering electricity is nothing new, but VEIR’s platform of low- and medium-voltage superconducting systems unlocks power density levels that far exceed legacy approaches, letting data centers grow without power holding them back. With up to 200 gigawatts of new data center capacity potentially coming online worldwide over the next 5 years, speed-to-power has become the single most important issue that data center customers face. VEIR sits right at the intersection of that story.

In this episode, Lisa sits down with Tim Heidel, co-founder and CEO of VEIR, to discuss how VEIR’s superconducting power cables, which are ten times smaller and lighter than the copper they replace, are changing how power gets delivered inside data centers. Tim describes why VEIR’s initial focus was on high-voltage transmission; how data center customers pulled the company in a new direction; and what he & his team had to rethink in making that pivot. Tim also dives into why he started VEIR and why the company’s North Star is a return to transmission and the power sector.

Lisa and Tim discuss:

• Why speed-to-power is the biggest barrier to AI and data center growth
• How superconducting cables shrink data center power systems
• VEIR’s start with high-voltage superconducting transmission lines
• The pivot from transmission to data centers: same technology but different economics, different voltages, and different timelines
• Role of strategic investors
• VEIR’s deeply collaborative culture
• Fun energy facts

Credits: Host and Executive Producer, Lisa Wood; Associate Producer, Adam Cooper

Recorded September 2026

Find us at: https://podcast.energytransitiondesk.com/

Today's show is about using AI to manage energy for many of the world’s largest businesses. Energy has never been more complex and managing it has never mattered more. By providing a single place to pay energy bills, buy energy, and advance sustainability, Arcadia’s energy intelligence platform takes the friction out of managing energy for businesses that use energy across multiple sites and energy markets.

In this episode, Lisa sits down with Kiran Bhatraju, Founder & CEO of Arcadia, to discuss how Arcadia evolved from a consumer facing company to a global AI enterprise energy management platform for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers serving 2000 of the world’s largest businesses and transacting $35 billion of energy payments a year.

Lisa and Kiran discuss:

• Arcadia’s evolution to an AI enterprise energy management platform
• How AI is changing Arcadia’s approach to C&I customer energy management
• Why giving C&I customers grid edge computing options is speed-to-power
• Key pivots and turning points for Arcadia’s business
• Acquisitions are not for everyone
• The unique culture at Arcadia
• How a policy nerd became an energy entrepreneur
• Fun energy facts

Credits: Host and Executive Producer, Lisa Wood. Associate Producer, Adam Cooper.

Episode recorded: September 2026
Find us at: https://podcast.energytransitiondesk.com/

Today's show is about flexible data centers. Simply delivering more energy to data centers — the fastest-growing source of new electricity demand in the US — isn't the solution. Emerald AI's Emerald Conductor platform dynamically interacts with local power grids to manage AI workloads: pausing work during grid stress, rerouting it elsewhere, and ramping back up when capacity frees up.

In this episode, Lisa sits down with Varun Sivaram, Founder and CEO of Emerald AI, to discuss how Emerald AI is turning data centers into flexible grid assets by orchestrating real-time workloads and introducing power flexibility. Most of the data center conversation has been about the supply side — delivering more power, where and when data centers need it. Emerald AI is flipping that on its head and going after the demand side.

Lisa and Varun discuss:

• Emerald Conductor and data center flexible load
• Grand bargain between data centers, the power grid, and customers
• Early product and customer demonstrations
• 100 GW potential for flexible load
• The two grids - power and AI
• Investors and commercial scaling
• The power of conviction
• Fun energy fact

Credits:
Host and Executive Producer, Lisa Wood
Associate Producer, Adam Cooper

Episode recorded: September, 2026
Find us at: https://podcast.energytransitiondesk.com/