Flat load growth is dead, and AI just flipped the whole power sector on its head. Gabe Cuadra of Powerhouse Ventures gets into what that means for founders chasing capital in climate and energy, why algorithms alone never make a real moat, and how to actually pitch an early stage VC without wasting the room. Plus the messy truth about selling into utilities, spotting founder market fit, and why Houston is quietly turning into a place worth building.

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Click here to view the episode transcript.

00:00  Intro
00:45  What keeps a climate investor up at night
01:55  How Powerhouse Ventures invests
05:20  AI, load growth, and a changing grid
08:30  What traction looks like at early stage
10:25  Finding founder market fit
12:00  Houston vs the coasts
18:13  How to pitch early stage VCs
19:18  Why algorithms are never the moat
25:04  The reality of selling into utilities
28:17  Gabe's winding road into energy VC
34:40  Inside the investment process
37:02  Founder red flags
42:21  Standing out when you pitch
43:30  What has him excited next
46:27  The case for Houston
48:50  How to reach out

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