This program is a special panel discussion episode of, This Week in Energy (TWiE), where co-hosts Kirsten & Bob define the concept of Energy Democracy and hacking the traditional central-station monopoly electric utility business model.

There's an energy transition (or "energiewende" in German) underway in the energy space where the 19th and 20th century central-station monopoly utility business model is breaking down (or getting hacked) and ownership of electric generation capacity is transferring to individuals, co-ops, and so forth.

This is due in large part to an entropy effect because "the ubiquitous nature of renewable energy argues for a decentralist energy approach." But, also, public policy can either help the energy transition move faster, or it can slow it down.

Thus an emerging global battle is brewing and it's very similar to the disruptions that have been taking place in the telecom sector due to advancements in IT and the advent of the Internet over the past couple of decades.

Hosts: Kirsten Hasberg (Denmark & Germany) and Bob Tregilus (U.S.A.) <https://www.thisweekinenergy.tv/>.

Guest: Roger Willhite (South Korea), solar blogger at Second Silicon <https://secondsilicon.com/>.

Other resources about this global movement can be found at:

• The Institute for Local Self-Reliance <https://www.ilsr.org/>.
• Renewables International <https://www.renewablesinternational.net/>.
• Go 100% Renewable Energy <https://www.go100percent.org/>.
• World Future Council <https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/>.
• Paul Gipe's Wind-Works <https://www.wind-works.org/>.
• German Energy Transition <https://energytransition.de/>.
• North American experts on these topics can be found at <https://www.allianceforrenewableenergy.org/2008/10/are-steering-committee-advisory-board-and-staff.html>.