Episode 827
827: Can Microsoft Solve Solar’s Hardest Problems with AI?
Can one of the world’s biggest tech companies actually go carbon-free, not just today, but retroactively, all the way back to 1975?
In this powerhouse keynote from Intersolar 2025, Hanna Grene, leader of Microsoft’s Global Energy and Resources team, lays out a bold vision for this tech giant’s energy future. She makes one thing clear: Microsoft isn’t here to play catch-up. They’re partnering with the clean energy industry to lead. From ditching diesel in data centers to using AI to optimize dispatch and permitting, Microsoft’s commitments are already reshaping how energy is created, distributed, and consumed.
Whether you’re building the grid or optimizing your solar bids, this episode will show you how this tech stalwart is helping turn clean energy headwinds into tailwinds.
Expect to learn:
🔹 Why Microsoft is one of the largest buyers of carbon-free energy on Earth
🔹 How AI is slashing permitting timelines and supercharging forecasting accuracy
🔹 A mind-blowing story of how 17GW of fossil fuels got cut with just software
🔹 How quantum + AI helped shrink 32 million storage compounds down to 18 viable candidates
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