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Midterms, newsletters, and RE+: A conversation with the SolarWakeup guy

November 10, 2026 · 52 min

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If you’ve been around the renewable energy industry for any length of time, it’s likely you’ve stumbled across the SolarWakeup newsletter. Founded and written by industry veteran Yann Brandt, the daily digital digest features news, trends, and voices that inform executives and investors across the solar landscape.

Although Brandt admits he isn’t much for routines, he has kept SolarWakeup going for 14 years, even through his stint as president and CEO of a publicly traded solar tracker company, FTC Solar. These days, Brandt is working with former SEIA head Abby Hopper on a podcast called Boots on the Ground, billed as straight talk about the headlines shaping solar and storage.

Factor This content director Paul Gerke had a chance to catch up with Yann just after the US midterm elections, before both of them head to Las Vegas for the annual renewables bachhanalia of RE+. This episode of the Factor This podcast is the bulk of their conversation, ranging from data centers to distributed energy, from the founding of Solar Wakeup to the next president of the United States.

Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast

All episodes of Factor This

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