Hardware Podcasts

Plasma Tunnel Boring Machines to Revolutionize Energy Transmission: Insights from Troy Helming, Founder and CEO of EarthGrid

Hardware to Save a Planet · 20 Jun 2024 · 45m · Episode 55

What this episode covers

Troy Helming, Founder and CEO of EarthGrid, explains how his company uses patented plasma tunneling technology to bypass the interconnection bottlenecks stalling renewable energy projects. He details the engineering challenges of managing 27,000-degree plasma, removing molten rock via specialized vacuum systems, and lining tunnels at high speeds. Helming describes EarthGrid's business model, which leverages utility status in 43 states to secure rights-of-way and deliver power transmission 10-20 times faster than overhead lines.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
EarthGrid, Trade Wind Energy, Pristine Sun, Quays Energy, Tesla
Products
Big Bertha
Tools
ANSIS
Also
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 39m

    HIBT Lab! Quaise Energy: Carlos Araque

    Carlos Araque, co-founder and CEO of Quaise Energy, explains how his company plans to unlock global geothermal energy by drilling 20-kilometer deep holes using millimeter-wave technology developed at MIT. Araque details his transition from a 15-year career in the oil and gas industry, including time at Schlumberger, to founding Quaise to address the technological gaps in the energy transition. He discusses the technical mechanics of vaporizing rock with gyrotrons, the economic potential of repowering existing fossil fuel plants, and the challenges of scaling this capital-intensive technology to compete with wind, solar, and coal.

    Energy & climate techStarting a product company
    6 chapters

  • Catalyst · 41m

    Understanding the transmission bottleneck

    Rob Gramlich, founder and president of Grid Strategies, explains the three major bottlenecks hindering the U.S. energy transition: transmission congestion, interconnection delays, and insufficient buildout. He details how congestion costs doubled from 2020 to 2021 and how interconnection timelines have stretched to over four years with costs exceeding $300/kW due to flawed generator-by-generator study processes. Gramlich argues that the grid is the primary constraint on decarbonization, citing that 80% of IRA carbon reductions could be lost without new transmission, and points to past successes like ERCOT’s CREZ and MISO’s MVPs as proof that proactive planning, permitting, and cost allocation can solve these issues.

    Energy & climate techPolicy, trade & tariffs
    5 chapters

  • Catalyst · 58m

    Getting more energy on the wires

    Liza Reed, Electricity Transmission Research Manager at the Niskanen Center, discusses technologies and policies needed to expand the U.S. power grid. She explains the limitations of existing alternating current infrastructure and highlights high-voltage direct current (HVDC), composite-core conductors, and undergrounding as key solutions. Reed also addresses the critical role of interregional interconnections, citing the Texas grid isolation during Winter Storm Uri, and advocates for federal permitting reform to streamline the construction of new transmission lines.

    Energy & climate techMaterials & manufacturing processes
    7 chapters

  • Over the Air · 15m

    Powering the World: Unlocking Grid Capacity with Heimdall Power

    Jorgen Festervoll, CEO of Heimdall Power, explains how his company uses dynamic line rating technology to unlock 30-40% more capacity on existing power grids by monitoring line temperature and sag in real-time. He details the deployment of their 'neuron' sensors via autonomous drones and the integration with utility software using DNP3 and IPCC protocols. Festervoll discusses the regulatory drivers like Firk Order 881, the rapid ROI from reduced congestion costs, and the company's expansion from a small team to a global player with over 40 customers in 17 countries.

    Energy & climate techSensors & measurement in products
    6 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 05m

    Electric Fields, Son.

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss a Veritasium video explaining that electromagnetic energy flows outside wires in the fields, analyzing the transient response of a circuit with half-light-second wires using capacitance and transmission line theory. They then review a Wendover Productions video on grid infrastructure, discussing high-voltage DC transmission, pumped hydro storage, and smart EV charging. Finally, Gammell announces he has joined a startup founded by Jonathan Berry to build an IoT platform using Zephyr RTOS, while Jones discusses the scaling of Linus Tech Tips and career dynamics for older hardware engineers.

    Wireless & RFEmbedded firmware
    9 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Hardware to Save a Planet. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.