Mary Catherine O'Connor
Mary Catherine O’Connor is a producer for The Big Switch. She is an award-winning reporter whose beats include climate change, energy, material circularity, waste, technology, and recreation. She has reported for leading publications including Outside, The Guardian, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera America, Pacific Standard, and Wired.
How PG&E got creative in overcoming capacity limits
In 2023, the utility turned to batteries as an alternative to reconductoring, a move that saved money and time.
Why utilities were unprepared for the new wave of power demand
The forecast calls for an overtaxed grid.
What’s so hard about building a circular battery economy?
From design to disassembly, lithium-ion batteries pose unique challenges to setting up a successful battery recycling system.
Could utilities become the 'FedEx of electricity’?
Holy Cross CEO Bryan Hannegan says a contentious net metering plan in Colorado is paving the way for a new utility business model.
The mining conundrum for critical minerals
The battery economy is still an extraction economy. Can we build it differently?