Energy Rant
Cut through the fluff with candid, expert takes on energy policy, programs, and industry trends. Written by our CEO, Jeff Ihnen, the Energy Rant is a blog that challenges assumptions, questions status quos, and delivers sharp insights with just the right dose of irreverence.
Silence Exposes Grid Problems but Offers No Solutions
I was planning to write about toothpaste this week. Instead, data centers hijacked my inbox—and the headlines. ...
Six Predictions for 2026 the Models Won’t Like
Models are useful tools. They simplify complex systems, quantify trade-offs, and provide decision-makers with ...
DOWZH, Kickoffs, and the Art of Ruining Things
My annual predictions are always popular with Rant readers. One reason may be that I go off-road and provide an ...
When Climate Forecasts Break the Bookends: The Potsdam Projection and Its Fallout
This Energy Rant examines the retraction of a high-profile climate economics study from Germany’s Potsdam ...
Case Studies In Bad Energy Policy
Shortly after the Russia-Ukraine war kicked off, I quoted a panelist from the Wisconsin Public Utilities ...
Efficiency Unbraided – Don’t Kill It, NTG Prisoner
Wanting to take a break from data centers, load growth, and grid stress, I went to my Google Alerts feed ...
A Rant for Shiny Happy Clappy People
A Rant reader asked me to take a break from ranting in lieu of “a piece about things that are going well in the ...
Productivity In The Barn and On the Feedlot
This week, Rant readers get a threefer on 1) self-inflicted opposing policies, 2) common sense versus uncommon ...
AI, Subsidies, Corn, and Climate
I spent a few days farming last week, resulting in a lot of podcast time. A couple of them provided kindling for ...
Thermal Energy Storage – The RPO of Energy Storage
Two weeks ago, I described how liquid-air energy storage systems work. Concisely:
Electricity drives air ...
The Campaign, Controversy, & Branding Takeaway
Guest blogger Liz Haworth, VP of Marketing at Michaels Energy
Following my guest Rant last month about Cracker ...
Liquid Air: Invention Yin Meets Economic Yang
Last week, I threw a hissy fit when I saw that The Wall Street Journal finally reported on its front page that AI ...
No results found.
Subscribe to Receive Free Content
When you sign up to receive Michaels Energy content, you'll receive the latest and greatest from our energy experts on the following topics:
- Energy Rant: This weekly blog, written by our CEO Jeff Ihnen, cuts through the fluff with candid, expert takes on energy policy, programs, and industry trends.
- The Big Why of Evaluation: This monthly blog, found in our e-newsletter The Hopper, explores the purpose, process, and impact of energy program evaluation.
- The Decarbonized Cold Chain: This new blog series provides insights on how the global cold chain can reduce emissions, increase efficiency, and build a low-carbon future.
Though we hope you never get bored with us, we want you to know that you can update your e-newsletter preference anytime! Feel free to email marketing@michaelsenergy.com with feedback on content you'd like to see (or see less of).