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

Hardware to Save a Planet

Energy storage is a vital cog in building a sustainable grid. It helps us manage the intermittent supply of renewable energy from wind and solar energy sources. Our guest today brings a unique solution to energy storage by repurposing idle gas and oil wells for gravity energy storage.

Welcome to this special episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Joining us today is Gregory Kemp, Co-founder and CEO of Renewell Energy. Dylan and Kemp discuss Renewell's innovative approach to repurposing idle oil and gas wells for gravity-based energy storage. Kemp explains how this solution addresses renewable energy's intermittent supply, repurposes existing infrastructure, and offers economic incentives for oil companies.

They explore challenges like wire rope durability, costs, and regulatory hurdles. Kemp also highlights the future potential of converting thousands of wells into storage systems, which could contribute significantly to clean energy. He emphasizes focusing on specific problems to combat climate change effectively.

"Our approach is really about repurposing existing infrastructure. This existing infrastructure has already been built and paid for, but it's just sitting idle. So, our idea is to use that infrastructure for something that's more useful, like energy storage." Kemp Gregory

Kemp Gregory is the CEO and co-founder of Renewell Energy. His career foreshadows the more significant energy transition required to decarbonize the electrical grid. Before Renewell Energy, Kemp worked for Shell for five years, installing cutting-edge downhole technology, managing capital-intensive projects, and coordinating large operations teams across North and South America.

Kemp earned his MS in sustainable engineering from Stanford University and his BS in mechanical engineering from UT Austin. He is an avid ping pong player who even went to the Olympics in 2018…just to watch others play the game.

Episode Resource

• Kemp Gregory on LinkedIn
• Renewell Energy Website
• Yard Stick Project Images
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

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Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• A Sustainable Approach to Direct Air Capture with Noah McQueen, Head of Research & Co-Founder of Heirloom
• Innovative Waste Recycling: AI and Robotics with Areeb Malik, Co-founder of Glacier
• Developing an Environmentally-Friendly and Fish-Saving Hydropower Turbine with Abe Schneider, Co-founder and CTO of Natel Energy

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