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Superpower: One Man's Quest to Transform American Energy

Russell Gold (Goodreads Author)

4.29 · Rating details · 376 ratings · 47 reviews

In the ever more urgent quest for sources of renewable energy, meet the man boldly harnessing the natural forces that could power America’s future.

The United States is in the midst of an energy transition. We want to embrace renewable energy sources like wind and solar, and rely less on dirty fossil fuels. We don’t want to keep pumping so many heat-trapping gases into the ...more

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Hardcover, 336 pages

Published June 25th 2019 by Simon Schuster

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Aug 01, 2019 Julie Morton rated it liked it

PROUD NIMBY
I am the “Julie” in Chapter 12 of this book. I acquired electrical transmission line right-of-way for a major utility serving Arkansas and Oklahoma for 10 years. So, I have actual experience in this realm, unlike either Mr. Gold or Mr. Skelly. Mr. Gold paints Skelly, et al with a gilded brush. That is not what I saw. The hundreds of us who fought to kill this needless project saw haughty, condescending, Ivy League types who thought they were the smartest guys in the room. Clearly, the PROUD NIMBY
I am the “Julie” in Chapter 12 of this book. I acquired electrical transmission line right-of-way for a major utility serving Arkansas and Oklahoma for 10 years. So, I have actual experience in this realm, unlike either Mr. Gold or Mr. Skelly. Mr. Gold paints Skelly, et al with a gilded brush. That is not what I saw. The hundreds of us who fought to kill this needless project saw haughty, condescending, Ivy League types who thought they were the smartest guys in the room. Clearly, they weren’t. I watched them side-step simple questions at numerous landowner and state legislative meetings. Gold was not there. Instead, he believes the “Skelly spin” which we saw ad nauseam. I had no personal land affected. As I told Gold, repeatedly, my primary objection was environmental; the destruction of 8,000 acres of Arkansas’s fragile, unique environment. The 200-foot right-of-way (not 100 as Gold states) would have crossed multiple nationally recognized rivers, 2 historical trails, the extremely biodiverse, protected Crowley’s Ridge and the Mississippi Flyway, the largest migratory bird corridor in North America. The line would have wiped out hundreds of acres of trees. Scientists now tell us that trees are our best hope for combating climate change. If preserving those 8,000 acres and hundreds of trees makes me that hackneyed, cliché, NIMBY, then so be it. I am proud to be one.

Arkansans were being used as guinea pigs in the first-time use of a law that would allow Clean Line to exercise eminent domain. After thousands of comments from individuals, organizations and state agencies, the DOE set out pre-conditions before they would allow the use eminent domain. Skelly’s group never achieved any of those pre-conditions. The fact that Skelly thought his people were so exceptional that they could buy 90-95% of this line without condemnation shows how ridiculously overconfident they were and how little they knew about building transmission lines. Gold and Skelly try to compare this needless line to the interstate highway system. There is no comparison. There was much shared sacrifice by the states in building the interstate system, so that all could benefit. In this case, only a handful of people were being asked to sacrifice so that Skelly and his investors could pad their already bulging pockets. Skelly admitted to Gold that this line was not about being “green”, it was about filthy lucre. And yet, Skelly has wrapped himself in a “clean” box and tied a big “green” ribbon on top and most of the reviewers herein have bought it. That is exactly what Skelly counted on.

Each area of the country has access to its own renewable sources. Every coast has an ocean where, according to the DOE, the wind blows more consistently and harder than on land. Offshore wind is now being brought directly onshore to the exact areas where needed without long, dangerous transmission lines. The Southwest has abundant sunshine and hundreds of acres of desert could be used for solar farms to serve those customers, without long extension cords. Let the people who will benefit make the sacrifice. Don’t ask people who will see virtually no benefit to give up their ways of life for which they have saved, toiled and fought so that someone in some far away big city can pat themselves on the back about how environmentally correct they are.

I found it interesting that, after the publication of Mr. Gold’s book, he did a series of articles for the Wall Street Journal about PG&E and the California wildfires. Guess what he found to be the culprit? Large, outdated, steel tower lines. The very types of lines he lauded Skelly for trying to build. The fact is, this line was outdated technology before it ever started. There are far less destructive ways to upgrade our grid. Companies like SOO Green Renewable Rail are, right now, planning HVDC, underground lines in existing railroad rights-of-way. No environmentally devastating, unsightly lines to blight our beautiful vistas; no new rights-of-way required; no permitting issues and only one owner with whom to negotiate. Government lands where there are no houses can be used. But, when we asked Clean Line about this, they said it was “too hard”. Better, I guess, to spend eight years and millions of OPM with nothing to show for it. And yet, Gold and Skelly try to paint this debacle as a success instead of the abject failure it was.

Mr. Gold has crossed the country trying to say that we did not understand climate change. We live in tornado alley where the storms are increasing in frequency and ferocity. And, in the past few weeks, we have seen a record, devastating, 500 year flood on the Arkansas River. Of course we understand it; it is right in front of our eyes. Our objection was not to alternative energies. Arkansas has been using wind power from Oklahoma for years. New solar installations are announced nearly weekly and our largest one is being planned in eastern Arkansas. Our objection was to needless destruction for a line with no customers. The lines on which I worked were built out of need, not greed. There was a lot of greed on this line, but no need. Gold doesn’t bother to mention that, not only the TVA wasn’t interested, neither was the Southern Company, who knows a little about the grid as well. The only ones who saw the need were Skelly and his fellow profiteers. I fear Gold has drunk Skelly’s snake oil by the gallons. We in Arkansas didn’t drink one drop. Instead, we sent Skelly runnin’ back to Texas, dragging the carcass of his dead project behind him. A hero, I think not!
...more

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Jun 26, 2019 Trey Shipp rated it it was amazing

A fascinating, fast-paced and important story.

Gold has written the inside story of Michael Skelly, a driven entrepreneur with a huge goal: building thousands of miles of transmission lines to carry cheap, renewable energy across several states to where it’s needed. The project would require billions of dollars in spending before earning a dime, but raising money would be the easy part. Convincing landowners, state governments and utility commissions to approve the project would ultimately be Ske ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Pia rated it really liked it

I know a fair amount about the energy industry, having worked in and around it in the admin side of the house all of my career. That said- Great read. Interesting, informative, and honestly, a little surreal when your husband is quoted. 😄

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Jun 06, 2020 Nilesh rated it did not like it

Shelves: good-non-fiction

Every adult has one or more biographies in them, and so does every corporate, every project, every government decision, or every vested interest. Most of these narratives are of interest to only those involved or loosely connected to the subject matter. Superpower is one such, even if well told, narrative.

To some, this might read like a story of an unsung visionary. To some others, this could be a case study on hurdles facing the alternative power industry in the US or anyone trying to get work ...more

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Mar 31, 2020 Jacob rated it it was amazing

Mr. Gold’s account of one of the most inspiring stories of American energy entrepreneurship is as intricate and engaging a page-turner as non-fiction can be. The story of Michael Skelly’s path to being one of the few true heroes of renewable energy the world has yet to see is equal parts inspiring and heartbreaking, but also reassuring, as an affirmation that the American entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kicking. The writing is engaging, fun, detailed and personal. Can’t wait for the next act ...more

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May 17, 2020 Steve Walsh rated it it was ok

Less about the man than an in-depth dissection of the wind power debate and the fickle obstacles blocking development of the power grid in the U.S. Strangely a good examination of the extent of the byzantine politics that plague most political systems where reelection is a constant concern for the incumbent. Essentially the American energy system is a highly balkanized mess filled with self-serving pricks bent on stopping any competition from creating economically sound advancements.

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Jan 12, 2021 Ben rated it liked it

Shelves: history

> They decided to give landowners as much information as possible to calm fears and, hopefully, win over residents. It would soon become clear there was a large downside to this approach. Clean Line was basically giving opponents lots of information to fight the project if they wanted. And because they started community meetings early in the application process—instead of waiting as long as possible—they were giving communities more time to organize.

> federal aviation rules prohibited power line ...more

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Dec 27, 2019 Novak rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read

I read non-fiction, too, I just don't often review it.

Russell Gold's Superpower: One Man's Quest to Transform American Energy isn't broad enough to even be the full story of the last twenty years of progress in wind power, much less low-emissions power, and it's not quite focused enough to be a real biography of its semi-protagonist Michael Skelly, but it's interesting.

Michael Skelly is a guy who's been very active as a wind-power developer for some twenty, twenty-five years, and the book covers ...more

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Sep 15, 2020 Ryan Johnston rated it it was amazing

A fast-paced story that’s informative yet not too information-heavy. This book is definitely accessible to all readers and assumes no prior knowledge. Gold manages to break down complex development tasks into easy-to-understand descriptions of the problems faced when revolutionizing one of America’s biggest pieces of infrastructure. Furthermore, Superpower does a great job of focusing on the most captivating stories and keeping the book moving forward at a steady pace.

As the US and the rest of t A fast-paced story that’s informative yet not too information-heavy. This book is definitely accessible to all readers and assumes no prior knowledge. Gold manages to break down complex development tasks into easy-to-understand descriptions of the problems faced when revolutionizing one of America’s biggest pieces of infrastructure. Furthermore, Superpower does a great job of focusing on the most captivating stories and keeping the book moving forward at a steady pace.

As the US and the rest of the world begin to move towards more renewable sources of energy, entrepreneurs are scrambling to take their part in the revolution. Michael Skelly is one such person who is bent on updating the mess of loosely connected wires that is the American electrical grid. Superpower follows Skelly’s career as he takes on projects on the cutting edge of energy innovation including a wind farm and an interstate high-voltage transmission line.

In the US, the grid arose in a haphazard manner as the country rushed to electrify. What’s left behind is a collection of grid operators and utility companies who each operate in their own political and economical interests with no incentive to innovate or cooperate with each other. As the book explores, even companies with ample funding and solid development plans are faced with the struggles of local politics, NIMBYs, and the glacial pace of the federal government. Even with a seemingly win-win project, it becomes clear that the task of getting states to cooperate with each other and convincing people of progress is near impossible. Unlike the interstate highway system, the power grid is almost invisible and it’s incredibly difficult to get people to support something when they can’t see the tangible benefits.

Gold ends the book by highlighting a paper written by Christopher Clack detailing how, by 2030, the US could cut carbon dioxide emissions rates by 80% with only existing technology. There’s no need for us to wait for some sort of breakthrough in electrical storage; the technology is already here we just need to figure out how to get states to cooperate with each other. We need more stories like Michael Skully’s in which persistent and dedicated people slowly fix the broken system. Overall, I think Superpower contains a lot of interesting knowledge about renewable energy but also gives an interesting look into human nature and politics. ...more

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Feb 24, 2020 Amber rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An enjoyable book, a combination life story of entrepreneur Michael Skelly and a deep-dive on his failed transmission start up, Clean Line Energy Partners. It's detailed enough to be interesting to me, someone working in related industries but also definitely accessible to non-practitioners. For me, it was like being in a parallel universe--way back when, I turned down a job at Horizon Wind (itself a big player in this book, where Skelly made his name in renewables), working for David Berry, aft An enjoyable book, a combination life story of entrepreneur Michael Skelly and a deep-dive on his failed transmission start up, Clean Line Energy Partners. It's detailed enough to be interesting to me, someone working in related industries but also definitely accessible to non-practitioners. For me, it was like being in a parallel universe--way back when, I turned down a job at Horizon Wind (itself a big player in this book, where Skelly made his name in renewables), working for David Berry, after interviewing with Jayshree Desai (both big players in this book). It is surreal to imagine what my life would have been like had I taken that job instead (which, then and now, was less a fit for my particular skills than the one I ended up taking).

Anyway, not the point! This book does a good job explaining the economics of electricity and of transmission, and also the cumbersome regulatory process that is a serious headwind to modernizing our electricity system. One point I thought was really interesting was Desai's point of empathy with those opposed to the project because it would affect their land, or even their views: "We are asking people for a sacrifice. And what are we sacrificing in return? I don't have a great answer for that." The moral, I think, is to make sure that everyone along the right-of-way is well-compensated, indeed perhaps at the expense of equity owners. Given the need to build new infrastructure, it's the only way, I think (and that applies to highways, too).

My one quibble is with Gold's characterization that AEP "stole" Clean Line's idea of an Oklahoma power transmission line--project development isn't just about ideas, it's also about execution, and if Clean Line fell down on the latter, then that's a legitimate reason for a firm to die. Well, actually, two quibbles--this book also needed a copyeditor.

tl;dr NIMBYism not only makes housing affordable in increasingly many US cities, but it (along with our balkanized regulatory system) is making it extremely difficult to reduce carbon emissions. This is true for building power transmission to deliver renewable energy to consumers, and it's true for gas transmission to serve areas currently burning coal. A United States with increasingly many veto points is one that will eventually be crippled by the costs of aging, not-fit-for-purpose infrastructure. ...more

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Mar 27, 2020 Kyle Weil rated it liked it · review of another edition

Superpower is an extremely interesting and informative read for anyone looking to learn about renewable energy and the US power grid. While Superpower's main character, Martin Skelly, originally staked his fortune in the wind industry, the real gem of this book is in its exploration of the current need for a national transmission system. Current high-voltage transmission cables operate intrastate, leaving the US with a bunch of patchwork grids. This leaves low-cost energy, especially in renewabl ...more

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Jan 11, 2020 Teerth Brahmbhatt rated it it was amazing

Quote from Michael Skelly at the end:
"You only get one life, right? " "You might as well do something that is interesting, is challenging and is exciting. If it weren't all of those things, it wouldn't be worthwhile" ...more

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Jul 28, 2019 Debbie rated it it was amazing

Superpower is about wind power, political power and one man’s, Micheal Skelly, unwavering commitment to create a new superhighway by transforming the United State’s infrastructure for transporting energy mainly ‘clean’ energy. Who would have thought that wind energy could be so intriguing—Superpower reads like a thriller with rivalries and intrigues between politicians, utility executives, investors, farmers, landowners, with wind power at the fulcrum.

The book is approachable for non-experts (l Superpower is about wind power, political power and one man’s, Micheal Skelly, unwavering commitment to create a new superhighway by transforming the United State’s infrastructure for transporting energy mainly ‘clean’ energy. Who would have thought that wind energy could be so intriguing—Superpower reads like a thriller with rivalries and intrigues between politicians, utility executives, investors, farmers, landowners, with wind power at the fulcrum.

The book is approachable for non-experts (like me), but no doubt energy experts will also find it enlightening.

Mr. Skelly had a big vision for harnessing wind power—similar to building railways across the country in 1890s. His vision was to erect high capacity power lines across the country to transport wind power (and solar) via connected grids, by locating power lines in strategic locations. The level of planning and negotiating this project entailed, not to mention the field work that involved meeting farmers, landowners and dealing with utility companies and untangling the laws that protect them, is mind boggling. In a country that (appears to) strive for clean energy policies in the wake of global climate change, this seems like a no-brainer, yet wind farms and its delivery gets tangled up in layers of politics and red tape, along with the mindset—‘not-in-my-backyard’.

I wonder if the opposition that Skelly encountered in trying to connect people to clean energy was similar to what Theodore Judah, the key figure in establishing the transnational railway system experienced in the 1850s. One key difference between the two—the railway was funded by the federal government; Skelly’s proposal involved no investment by the government, it was all privately funded. Did this help or hinder the project? Not sure, but the excerpt below gives insight into what Skelly was dealing with:

"We’re following all of the steps required", Skelly told reporters, “and ultimately, the decision-makers will decide.” There was no sugarcoating it. If passed, the bill would kill Skelly’s plans and turn Clean Line into a husk. If that wasn’t bad enough, it felt downright tribal to Skelly. The United States power grid was hopelessly balkanized. Grid operators and utilities had their fiefdoms and had little to no incentive to cooperate with each other. There were all kinds of legacy institutional barriers to building transmission lines that crossed from one fiefdom to another. This bill would further etch that balkanization into law. Skelly was trying to build a transmission line that connected different grids, and tied them together, sharing power in a way that create stability and enable clean, inexpensive power to flow across state lines (pg. 208).

This book is important. I learned a great deal due to Gold’s accessible and sometimes humorous writing style. I think more Americans, those who know little about energy and its politics would benefit by learning more about what’s really going on with energy. It’s one thing to say you support clean energy, but another to determine what that means and learn what politicians and institutions (e.g utility companies) are doing about it.
...more

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Sep 19, 2019 Danbarnardjr rated it it was amazing

Throughout history there have been those thinkers ahead of their time. This is a fascinating story of Michael Skelly, an engineer with a vision for renewable, clean energy as a practical source to supply more than 70% of America's power needs. Nearly twenty years ago he not only imagined the possibilities but also moved to realize them. He built the second largest wind company in the United States which he sold for $2 billion. He carried his message to investors, utilities, municipalities and th ...more

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Jan 30, 2021 Thomas rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 11, 2021 Chris Dailey rated it liked it

Part biography and part chronicle of the electrical grid's history, Superpower shines a light on the rise and inherent limitations of renewable energy in the US. Written by an energy journalist, the accessible prose detail the life of Michael Skelly and his mission to incorporate wind power into the electric generation mix. Simultaneously, the history of electric power and utilities is detailed from Edison and Westinghouse to PURPA and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Filled with interesting tidb ...more

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Jul 25, 2019 Django rated it really liked it

This is a rare book about energy that is easily accessible to the average reader but also full of interesting inside baseball for energy experts. Superpower tells the story of one of the biggest challenges in renewable energy - transmission, or how to get electricity generated from the best places for it (usually remote) to the places where the people are. This is well researched and full of the fascinating yet maddening stories as to why we haven't been able to easily offer people electricity t ...more

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Oct 27, 2019 Fred Rose rated it really liked it

Shelves: course-books, non-fiction-other, policy

Read for possible inclusion into a survey grad class on science and tech policy course. Liked it, will use it. The author is a journalist so it is a readable narrative. I thought the beginning chapters telling the back story of Skelly, the main character, dragged but once the book got into the actual attempted development of the wind power strategy, it was good. Using this case study mechanism was a good way to tell the story of the balkanized grid and utility structure we have. I liked this boo ...more

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Jan 31, 2020 Sean Estelle rated it it was amazing

This is an excellent, compelling story about the failure of private investment and the need for democratically controlled state investment and planning in order to build the energy future we so desperately need (although unfortunately the author doesn’t actually make that point, the thrust of the narrative is more entrepreneurial).

“As the twenty-first century unfolds, the North American grid - once hailed as one of the greatest achievements of the twentieth century - is beginning to look and fee ...more

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Aug 05, 2019 Mel rated it it was amazing

I learned a great deal about wind power. I also learned how fossil fuel and big power companies are delaying cheaper renewable sources. This costs you and me in power bills. Coal, gas, and even nuclear will never totally be removed from the mix but this book tells how wind, and by extension solar, have a place to meet our needs at lower prices. It also show how Big infrastructure projects for it could offer many jobs while replacing aging limited systems.

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Dec 31, 2019 Deb Rudnick rated it really liked it

Incredibly well written, fascinating, and downright infuriating. This book shows us exactly how excellent people are at getting in their own way, to blockade an idea that makes huge economic and environmental sense in the name of petty politics and lack of vision and willingness to prioritize the steps we should damn well know by now we need to take on transforming from a carbon based economy. ARGH!

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Jan 10, 2021 Natalie rated it liked it

Shelves: for-work

Really informative book about wind energy policy in the United States, told through the story of Michael Skelly, an energy entrepreneur. He's enthusiastic about renewable energy, but also realizes it needs to make business sense to make it possible. Gold does an excellent job of weaving in energy and location history, with political context, and I learned so much about how renewable energy works with our current outdated and fractional grid. ...more

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Jan 23, 2021 Bert rated it liked it

For the energy transition and renewable energy it is vital that the grid is well connected to collect all sun and wind where it is generated and transport it to demand centers. Regulatory and political hurdles have delayed this interconnection with DC lines and without them it will become impossible to reduce GHG sufficiently. This book shares the frustration of not getting there, despite the best efforts of those trying.

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Jul 06, 2019 Bob Manning rated it it was amazing

An interesting book about power - both electrical and political. Russel Gold makes the relative mundane topic of electric utilities and wind power interesting by looking at it through the eyes of an innovative entrepreneur in the solar power industry. I learned a lot about the power industry and specifically about wind power.

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Aug 06, 2019 Gabriel rated it it was amazing

Russell Gold does a stellar job following the ambitions of Michael Skelly, who set out to change the renewable energy game with his transmission company. Super cool read and I actually found it more entertaining than his first book, "The Boom." I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in why our renewable energy landscape hasn't flourished the way it should!! ...more

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Oct 19, 2019 Sam Zito rated it really liked it

Picked up this book since I work in wind energy. It was a great background on the subject. If you want to know how wind power came about, this is a great historical piece. Sort of boring, but I assume you'd only read the book if you were truly passionate about the subject. I wish there was more commentary from the main pioneers of wind power, I think the book is lacking their words. ...more

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Dec 19, 2019 Becky L Long rated it really liked it

Great overview and introduction to what's been happening on the renewable power front lines. I look forward to progress that can be built on the brand new precedent that Skelly worked so hard for. Renewables will start coming online quickly as soon as "power" is decentralized and entrepreneurs have a chance. ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Geoff rated it really liked it

Shelves: energy-environment-urban

I'm not particularly interested in the tale of Michael Skelly as an individual, but his experience as a green energy businessman serves to highlight the many, many potential pitfalls faced by the expansion of renewable energy in the United States. This is a fast-enough read that will enhance your understanding of the energy politics happening underneath our noses. ...more

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May 20, 2020 Sugandha Talwelkar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 10, 2020 Dominique Roux added it

Shelves: environment-ecology

It's a very interesting story. The conclusion is hard to believe and / or understand (I think at least for a non-US person). It somehow felt like watching House of Cards.
The middle part was a bit dry with all the diplomacy and politics but afterwards it made completely sense to mention all the politics ...more

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About Russell Gold

Russell Gold

22 followers

Born: In Philly.
Married: Yes.
Kids: Yup.
Facial hair: Changes with the season.
Reads: Modern fiction (generally 1970+) and lots of nonfiction.
Other: Long-suffering Philadelphia sports fan.