# Turning Idle Wells into Renewable Power Solutions with Kemp Gregory of Renewell Energy

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2024-09-12
- Length: 41m
- Episode: 61
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/xn1445x8-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-kemp-gregory

## Summary

Kemp Gregory, Co-founder and CEO of Renewell Energy, explains how his company repurposes idle oil and gas wells for gravity-based energy storage to address grid intermittency. He details the system's core components—a weight, winch, and wire—and contrasts its low capital cost and adjustable duration with electrochemical batteries. Gregory also discusses the regulatory strategy, specifically California's SB 1433, and the engineering challenges of wire rope durability and remote control scaling.

## Chapters

- [0:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=2) Introduction: Kemp Gregory and Renewell Energy
- [2:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=137) Gregory's Career Path: From Automotive to Shell and Stanford
- [7:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=444) The Energy Storage Challenge and Idle Well Crisis
- [13:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=802) The Economics of Plugging and Abandoning Wells
- [17:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=1079) Gravity Well vs. Batteries: Cost, Efficiency, and Duration
- [26:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=1591) System Hardware: Weight, Winch, and Wire
- [27:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=1663) Engineering Challenges: Wire Rope Fatigue and Lifespan
- [31:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=1892) Scaling, Series A, and Regulatory Strategy (SB 1433)
- [36:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-09-12-turning-idle-wells-into-renewable-power-solutions-with-kemp-gregory-of-renewell#t=2167) Future Vision: 700,000 Wells and Grid Inertia

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Renewell Energy (company)
- Shell (company)
- Stanford (other)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (company)
- Sky Cool (company)
- SB 1433 (other)

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- [138. How Thermal Batteries Will Scale Sustainable Energy ☀️🔋](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Repurposing EV batteries for grid storage](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-07-24-repurposing-ev-batteries-for-grid-storage) (Catalyst)
- [How to Save a Planet: Spark Tank! How Do We Solve the Energy Storage Problem?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-07-01-how-to-save-a-planet-spark-tank-how-do-we-solve-the-energy-storage-problem) (Catalyst)
- [Unlocking the renewable energy revolution with Ramya Swaminathan of Malta Inc.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-12-unlocking-the-renewable-energy-revolution-with-ramya-swaminathan-of-malta-inc) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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