Energy Gang (Wood Mackenzie)

California has seen a million and a half acres of forest burned this year. As the state recovers from the devastating Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire, residents are looking for someone to blame.

Now attention turns to utilities. Both Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric are under investigation and facing class-action lawsuits for potentially starting the blazes.

What happens to utilities if they are found at fault? And how do you protect a vulnerable electric grid as these fire get worse and worse? We'll discuss.

Then, we’ll mark the Thanksgiving week in the second half of the show. We’ll each share our picks for the top turkey of 2018. Who made the biggest blunders this year?

Recommended reading:

• GTM: If Wildfires​ Drive PG&E Into Bankruptcy, What Happens to Renewable Energy Contracts?
• SF Chronicle: California Regulator Lays Groundwork for PG&E Bailout
• National Geographic: See How a Warmer World Primed California for Large Fires

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We’re giving listeners major discounts this fall. Use the promo code PODCAST to get a $50 discount for a GTM Squared membership and 20% off our final GTM conferences of the season.

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It’s a historic moment in energy, with a leap forward in AI technology coming as the Trump administration sets a new direction for the US. The Energy Gang break down what it all means.

When they make The Energy Transition – The Movie, the week of 27th January 2025 will be a pivotal scene. The Chinese AI company DeepSeek sent shockwaves through stock markets, as it revealed its model that apparently is capable of better performance than its competitors at a fraction of the cost. 

Host Ed Crooks talks through the implications for energy with regulars Amy Myers Jaffe of New York University and Melissa Lott of Microsoft. Together they discuss the market reactions to the launch of DeepSeek, shifting forecasts for AI demand, and the implications for the industry and for government.

President Donald Trump has come into office putting emphasis on the importance of energy supplies for AI as a matter of national security. His administration wants more “baseload” power. But there is a debate on what that word means for a modern electricity system, and whether it even has any relevance. Do modern solutions for grid stability make talk of baseload power obsolete in 2025?

Finally the gang review the flurry of executive orders signed by President Trump. Climate change is off the agenda as a priority for the US administration. What does that mean for energy, in the US and around the world?

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A special COP29 episode exploring the power of states, regions, and cities to advance the energy transition amid uncertain national policies

In this special episode of The Energy Gang from COP29, Ed Crooks brings together a panel of expert guests in Baku, Azerbaijan, to discuss the global implications of the US election and the growing importance of state-level leadership in climate action. He is joined by Wade Crowfoot, California's Secretary for Natural Resources; Travis Kellerman, Senior Climate Policy Advisor to New Mexico's Governor, and Jessica Trancik, a professor at the Institute for Data, Systems and Society at MIT. Ed and his guests explore the evolving dynamics between US states and federal policy in the face of a second Trump administration’s likely withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.

The panel discuss the role of US states as climate pioneers, especially as federal support wanes. California and New Mexico, along with other climate-active states, are championing clean energy policies, pushing for renewables and other low-carbon infrastructure, and setting emissions standards that other states and countries will follow. Wade and Travis talk about the differences and similarities between the challenges they face, and their individual and collective responses. Some of their ideas, including permitting reform, may be aligned with the priorities of the Trump administration. Others such as stricter vehicle emissions standards, will not.

One area that could offer scope for co-operation between the federal government and climate-forward states is the need to boost electricity supplies for artificial intelligence, which is a priority for national security as well as economic growth. Jessica Trancik explains the potential innovative approaches to power data centers from clean energy sources.

Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, also joins the show to share insights from her work, highlighting how states, cities, and regions around the world are forming coalitions that share knowledge and drive ambitious climate commitments.

The gang also provide their thoughts on COP29 as a platform for international dialogue and collaboration, and discuss the importance of these gatherings for holding governments accountable and inspiring innovation in climate action.

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This week on Watt It Takes: How David Crane worked his way up in the power business to become CEO of NRG Energy — only to get tossed out of the job for his bold stance on climate.

In this episode, Emily Kirsch talks with Crane about taking risks in the conservative power industry. 

We’re going to hear from Crane about why being a CEO is so lonely, how his open exit letter to NRG employees went viral, the best investment he ever made, and his early career.

Watt It Takes is a collaboration between Powerhouse and Greentech Media. The series is recorded in front of a live audience at Powerhouse headquarters in Oakland, California. Buy tickets for upcoming events.

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“Electrify everything” isn’t just a good slogan. It’s the fastest way to decarbonize and create tens of millions of jobs -- and it can be done using off-the-shelf technology. 

A respected squad of researchers did the math on a swap-out of every aging boiler, truck and power plant -- and replacing it with equipment that won’t burn fossil fuels ever again. We’ll dig into a new analysis from Rewiring America. 

Then, BP has more details around its plan to become the first oil major to transition away from the hydrocarbon-drilling business. What do they amount to? Can the company actually do it this time?

Last, PSEG promised to do right by its customers after failing them during Hurricane Sandy. So why were Long Islanders left sweltering for days after a few high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Isaias? And what does it portend in a future of stronger storms?   

Note: we have a “live” show on August 25th. We’re wrapping up this crazy summer with another live conversation from our homes to yours. Sign up here.

Our guest co-host this week is Melissa Lott of the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy.

Recommended reading:

• Griffith, Calisch, Laskey, Rewiring America: Report 
• VOX: How to Drive Fossil Fuel out of the Economy, Quickly
• Bloomberg Green: BP Walks Away From the Oil Supermajor Model It Helped Create
• GTM: BP Aims to Build 50GW of Renewables by 2030, Cut Fossil Fuel Output by 40%
• GTM: New Jersey PSEG Seeks to Sell Merchant Fossil, Solar Fleet
• Long Island Herald: Glen Cove Residents, Officials Frustrated with PSEG LI Leadership

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Fluence, a global leader in battery-based energy storage technology and services. From commercializing the first grid-connected battery systems in 2008 to the multi-gigawatt fleet being deployed for customers globally today, the Fluence team is ensuring that storage is the cornerstone of the electric future. Learn more.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Nor-Cal Control. As a total controls and monitoring solution provider, Nor-Cal supports every phase of your project, from turnkey design solutions to post-OEM enhancements, troubleshooting and training. As the only system integrator in solar PV that comes from a traditional power generation background, Nor-Cal has earned a reputation as the “strongest in controls.” Learn more.

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China, the country currently pouring the most carbon into the atmosphere, is making a promise to get to zero emissions – 40 years from now. Is it a breakthrough? Or is it a plan to keep burning coal? Is it both? We’ll hash it out. 

Then, the Governor of California wants to stop selling any new cars that run on gasoline – in 15 years. It’s ambitious, can it be done? Is it legal? What will that take?

And last, a flurry of serious commitments from top American brands – Walmart, Google, Apple.  Each of them is super challenging for a different reason. But also groundbreaking. We’ll dig in.

Resources:

• The Guardian: China Pledges to Become Carbon Neutral Before 2060 
• Bloomberg: China’s Top Climate Scientists Map Out Path to 2060 Goal
• L.A. Times: Newsom Orders 2035 Phaseout of Gas-Powered Vehicles
• Axios: Walmart Aims for Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2040
• GTM: Google Pledges 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy by 2030

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.

The Energy Gang is also brought to you by KORE Power. Based in the U.S., KORE Power is situated to meet the growing global demand of the energy storage market. KORE Power is building the first large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility in the U.S. owned by an American company. Once it’s operational, the 1-million-square-foot facility will have 12 gigawatt-hours of scalable manufacturing capacity. Learn more. 

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The political insanity in Washington can feel disconnected from reality. But two years into the Trump presidency, Americans all over the country are feeling it in the form of higher pollution.

In this week's episode, we're starting off with a look at how the government shutdown and Trump's regulatory rollback are impacting energy-related agencies, and encouraging the discharge of more chemicals, heavy metals and air pollutants.

Then Bill Gates is once again talking about the limits of renewables and the importance of nukes. Where does Gates’ message and investment thesis stack up with the reality of the global emissions picture?

Finally, we revisit the media and climate change. 60 Minutes is talking about the New Green Deal; Meet the Press devoted an hour to climate; and the New York Times called climate change the most important story of 2018. A sign of things of change in the media environment?

Read along with us:

• New York Times: 'This Is Our Reality Now'
• The Guardian: Americans' Health at Risk as Shutdown Slashes EPA
• New York Times: The Most Important Story of 2018
• Bill Gates: What I Learned at Work This Year
• 60 Minutes: A Profile of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Jigar Shah: Give Trump Money for a Wall by Funding the Green New Deal

Support for this podcast comes from Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.

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The gang is back, and it's been a huge week in energy. For the first time ever, the US government might be requiring major companies to report their climate risks and emissions. This is a really big change. Governments, regulators, and investors have been pushing for quite a few years now for companies to do more to disclose their climate risks. But this would be the first time in US companies would be required to report risks in a standardized way, including greenhouse gas emissions.

On the show this week, Ed is joined by regular Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of the climate policy lab at Tufts University. We're also honoured to welcome first-time guest Andrew Leach. Andrew is an energy and environmental economist who is currently a professor at the University of Alberta. Andrew is a native Canadian who has decades of experience in Canadian climate policy, that's why he leads the discussion on Canada announcing an emissions reduction plan and what that entails. What impact is it going to have on Canada's economy? What can the US learn from Canada's climate policies?

In addition, the team will be covering the new updated IPCC report. What information in the report has been updated? What new research is being used? The report covers Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. What does this actually mean?

The Energy Gang is brought to you by EPC Power.

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Hydrogen has been called the Swiss Army knife of energy, because it has so many potential applications, from home heating to heavy industry. But so far, deployment around the world has been slow. And in recent months there has been a series of setbacks for plans to use clean hydrogen to decarbonise energy systems. So what’s the problem?

Is it unsuitable infrastructure, policy uncertainty, or fundamental challenges of physics and economics? Does hydrogen really have a role to play in the low-carbon energy system of the future? And if it does, what does the industry need to get there?

To find out, host Ed Crooks is joined by Dr Melissa Lott, Partner General Manager in Energy Technologies at Microsoft, and Austin Knight, Vice President for hydrogen at Chevron New Energies. 

Hydrogen is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it could help us tackle some of the toughest challenges in decarbonisation. It may be expensive, but in some sectors it looks like a more cost-effective solution for achieving net zero than any other option.

For some proposed applications, it looks pretty clear that hydrogen is going to be a non-starter. But Austin says there are some sectors where it still has a viable future. Chevron is investing in hydrogen fuel suppliers and fuelling stations for heavy trucks across California, for example. As Melissa says, the infrastructure just isn’t there yet to make hydrogen a viable option today. But is it a case of “if” hydrogen becomes a commercial reality, or “when”? Find out here.

We want to hear your thoughts and comments, so get in touch.

We’re on X, at @theenergygang

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These are hard times for investment in low-carbon energy. The lack of progress in international climate negotiations, threats to policy support, and an increased awareness of the challenges of decarbonization, have created some strong headwinds. Everyone agrees that more breakthroughs in innovative emissions-reducing technologies are essential for tackling climate change. So how can innovative energy companies raise the capital they need to scale?

Catalytic capital can provide long-term investment in clean energy and accelerate early-stage climate technologies. To find out how it can make a difference, host Ed Crooks welcomes back to the show Amy Duffuor. Amy is the co-founder and general partner at Azolla Ventures, a $300 million VC firm dedicated to having an impact on emissions. They do it through catalytic capital, which is still looking for a return, but can be more patient and flexible than conventional investment.

In challenging times for investment in decarbonization, cleantech startups need to be able to explain their broader significance for the energy system and the economy, as well as their impact on emissions. “For climate tech to succeed it's not just about the innovation itself, but about understanding the narrative that surrounds it," Amy says.

Also joining the show is Melissa Lott, partner general manager at Microsoft.* Together they look at the geopolitical tensions and US policy frameworks that are influencing investor confidence and support for innovation. And they ask the question: with the world clearly not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, how can we get investment to flow into adaptation strategies to build long-term resilience. Can it be done? Listen to find out.

*Melissa’s opinions in this episode are her own and do not reflect the opinions of Microsoft.

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The Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office has a grandstand view of the energy transition. Where is it going next?

Jigar Shah, one of the originators of the Energy Gang, now runs the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, playing a key role in advancing clean energy projects. By helping to bridge the gap between R&D and large-scale deployment, it encourages private sector investment and supports the administration’s work to achieve its net zero goals.

Jigar was appointed Director of the LPO in March 2021 with a brief to “to rev those engines back up” after a quiet period under the Trump administration. He returns to the Energy Gang to discuss the progress he has made so far, and the goals he is working towards in the future. In particular, he talks about the hot topic of the moment in energy: how to meet increased demand for electricity driven by data centers for AI, new factories, and electric vehicles.

Much of the new load being added to the electricity system will not be flexible. Data centers mostly need to be available 24/7. So how is the grid going to manage these growing demands? Host Ed Crooks is also joined by Amy Myers-Jaffe, Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice & Sustainability Lab, to discuss Jigar’s views on the solutions to these challenges.

Topics covered include Virtual Power Plants, enhanced geothermal and advanced nuclear. Those latter two are among the handful of sources of energy that we usually think about when we are discussing “clean firm power”. Geothermal in particular is generating a lot of buzz lately. What will it take to get it deployed at scale? Is it pulling ahead of advanced nuclear in the race to commerciality and large-scale deployment?

The Energy Gang will be recording live from the Global Energy Transition event in June in New York. To secure a discounted ticket, use the ENERGYGANG500 discount code. Visit https://events.reutersevents.com/energy-transition/global-energy-transition-new-york to book.

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Elon Musk announced Monday that Tesla is laying off 9 percent of salaried employees at the company. This is not the first round of sweeping layoffs at Tesla — the most recent came after the SolarCity acquisition. But this appears to be the biggest so far.

We'll discuss Elon's new quest for profitability.

Then, we'll cover the never-ending saga in Washington over saving coal plants. The Trump Administration is now trying to invoke national security to prop up closing coal and nuke plants – and the nation’s top energy regulators are giving it the cold shoulder.

Finally, The Energy Gang is celebrating its fifth anniversary this week. To mark the occasion, we'll each pick a single moment from the last five years caused an unstoppable ripple in the world of energy.

This podcast is brought to you by Sense. Sense installs in your home's electrical panel and provides insight into your energy use and home activity through iOS, Android and web apps. Find out more.

Recommended reading/listening:

• GTM: Tesla to Cut Workforce by 9%; Musk Says It Won’t Affect Model 3 Production
• Bloomberg: Musk’s Model 3 Miscalculation Culminates in Major Tesla Job Cuts
• Harvard Law podcast with Ari Peskoe on DOE's coal bailout
• Bloomberg: Trump Prepares Lifeline for Money-Losing Coal Plants

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

And while you're there, subscribe to our other podcasts, The Interchange and Political Climate.

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Will permitting reforms make it easier to build infrastructure projects?

A group called the REPEAT Project at Princeton University calculated last year that to unlock the full emissions reduction potential of the Inflation Reduction Act, the US needed to increase its total high-voltage transmission capacity by about 2.3% a year. That is more than double the pace achieved over the past decade. In Washington, reforms that could make it easier to build all kinds of energy infrastructure, including the grid connections vitally needed for wind, solar and storage, are back on the agenda. Attempts to build bipartisan support for reform in the last Congress failed, but with Republicans, who have control of the House of Representatives, now launching a plan of their own, a window for bipartisan agreement on permitting reform may be opening. Are these the steps needed that will unlock all the investment in renewable energy projects that the US needs?   

Also on the show: the impact on energy markets from the war in Ukraine seems to be dissipating, but the concerns around energy security remain as strong as ever. Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of NATO, said this recently: “Not so long ago, many argued that importing Russian gas was purely an economic issue. It is not. It is a political issue. It is about our security. Because Europe’s dependency on Russian gas made us vulnerable. So, we should not make the same mistakes with China and other authoritarian regimes.” What lessons have we learned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? How concerned should we be about excessive reliance on China for low-carbon technologies?  

Ed Crooks is joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and Emily Grubert, Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy, at Notre Dame University, to unpack these topics. They also assess the latest innovations in battery chemistry. The availability of critical minerals including lithium, nickel and cobalt for batteries has long been an area for concern. But technological breakthroughs mean that batteries without nickel or cobalt are now a highly competitive option for electric vehicles. And meanwhile batteries without lithium are starting to emerge as viable possibilities. The gang discuss what these breakthroughs mean for the energy transition. 

As always, please get in touch and let us know your thoughts. Check out our Twitter to suggest any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang.  

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There are tens of thousands large-scale wind turbines scattered across America. That means over a million and a half households are located five miles from a turbine. And they’re actually inching closer to homes on average, according to government researchers. So how do those machines impact our property values, our soundscapes, and our quality of life?

The Lawrence Berkeley National Lab has a slew of new data on the impact of wind turbines on our lives. In this week's podcast, we’re going to dive into it. (Spoiler: the majority of people like them. We'll explain why.)

Then we’re going to talk about the president’s State of the Union Address. Why did Trump duck away from the coal renaissance narrative?

And finally, we'll explore the controversy around Massachusetts' deal with Northern Pass to supply 17 percent of its electricity with Canadian hydro.

Recommended reading:

• LBNL: National Survey of Attitudes of Wind Power Project Neighbors
• GTM: Trump Touts the End of the ‘War on American Energy’
• GTM: The Controversy Surrounding Massachusetts’ $1.6B Hydropower Transmission Line
• Vox: Reckoning With Climate Change Will Demand Ugly Tradeoffs

The Energy Gang is brought to you by CPower Energy Management. Find out more about CPower's demand-side energy management solutions.

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If storage is the Swiss Army Knife of the electric grid, then U.S. energy regulators are breaking out their tool belts.

Last week brought a historic ruling at FERC. Commissioners told regional grid operators to create rules valuing the grid services of energy storage. Will it screw natural gas peakers – or maybe cut, saw, file, prune, hook, or crimp them?

Later in the podcast, an infrastructure redux. The White House’s infrastructure plan is out. When it comes to energy, the Trump Administration is making pipelines a priority, and largely bypassing clean energy.

We’re heading down to Mexico for our final segment. GTM was there for our solar summit last week, and we’ll share a bit of insight into the forces behind one of the hottest -- and cheapest -- solar markets in the world.

This podcast is brought to you by CPower Energy Management. Find out more about CPower's demand-side energy management solutions.

Recommended reading:

• GTM: FERC Allows Energy Storage to Play in Nationwide Wholesale Markets
• FERC: Final Rule on Electric Storage Participation in Regional Markets
• GTM: The Trump Infrastructure Plan Is ‘a Big Nothing Burger’ for Clean Energy
• WaPo: Trump's Infrastructure Plan Would Make It Harder to Challenge Pipelines
• GTM: Mexico’s Solar Market Is Booming, but Still Has Key Hurdles to Clear

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What is energy efficiency? That sounds like a pretty simple question. But it’s not.

Defining efficiency used to be pretty straightforward: weatherize, upgrade equipment and lighting, use a bit of social science to cut consumption. But now efficiency is becoming just as much about shaping demand in real-time to support distributed energy. And that’s shaping how it gets defined, implemented and tracked.

A confluence of factors — the rise of new consumer tech in the home, bundled distributed energy offerings, a shifting demand curve due to PV, improvements to data collection, and the “electrify everything movement — are changing efficiency's role on the grid. We'll discuss this changing paradigm in our first segment.

Then, we'll move to electrification. Why are heat pumps suddenly getting so much attention? And how can they help meet efficiency and decarbonization goals?

Finally, we'll end with an update on how global power brokers are thinking about energy at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Katherine comes to us from the event.

Don't forget to rate and review us on Apple podcasts. We're giving away a free subscription to GTM Squared to the person who writes the most interesting review before the end of January.

Read along with us:

• Twitter thread of efficiency resources suggested by listeners
• ACEEE: Snapshot of Energy Efficiency Performance Incentives for Electric Utilities
• Nexant: The Need for a Holistic Electrification Strategy
• GTM: Electric Heating Accelerates the Push for Deep Decarbonization, but Cost Remains an Issue
• GTM: Electric Heat Pumps Can Slash Heating Emissions by More Than Half in California Homes
• Strategen Consulting: Is the "Duck Curve" Eroding the Value of Energy Efficiency?

Support for this podcast comes from Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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A group of House lawmakers recently released a 547-page report on climate change. Reporters at E&E News call it “arguably the most comprehensive climate policy plan in American politics.”

The report spells out in great detail how to use Congressional policy to decarbonize the economy. It was the result of nearly a year of input from hundreds of experts, 17 hearings, and thousands of meetings.

This week, we’ll discuss why this report is so significant. We’ll also look at a companion infrastructure bill from House Democrats that makes clean energy a centerpiece. Can it become a reality after the election?

Then, drama for pipelines and batteries. We’ll look at a slew of legal decisions for pipelines in just two weeks, and what they mean for the future of fossil fuel infrastructure. 

Last, storage, unleashed. A court affirms FERC’s decision to treat energy storage just like any other power source in wholesale markets, opening the door to massive investment.

Resources: 

• E&ENews: Democrats: 'We will turn this report into law'
• WaPo: House Dems unveil ambitious climate package, steer toward a net-0 by 2050
• Select Committee: Report
• Bloomberg: Dakota Access Oil Line to Be Shut by Court in Blow for Trump
• Bloomberg: State Court Judge Shuts Down Michigan’s Controversial Line 5
• GTM: ‘Enormous Step’ for Energy Storage as Court Upholds FERC Order 841

The Interchange is brought to you by Fluence, a global leader in battery-based energy storage technology and services. From commercializing the first grid-connected battery systems in 2008 to the multi-gigawatt fleet being deployed for customers globally today, the Fluence team is ensuring that storage is the cornerstone of the electric future. Learn more.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Nor-Cal Control. As a total controls and monitoring solution provider, Nor-Cal supports every phase of your project, from turnkey design solutions to post OEM enhancements, troubleshooting and training. As the only system integrator in solar PV that comes from a traditional power generation background, Nor-Cal has earned a reputation at the “strongest in controls.” Learn more.

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This year’s climate talks have already drawn widespread criticism. Can they make progress?

COP28, this year’s Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is still five months away, but the discussion around it is already intense. The conference is being held in Dubai, a choice that has drawn criticism because the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s leading oil-producing countries. Last year’s COP27, held in Egypt, was widely considered a failure. There was a lack of new commitments to cut emissions, and many analysts have concluded that the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees C is now slipping out of reach. Environmental groups have warned that the influence of fossil fuel producers could mean that COP28 marks another year without real progress.

On the other hand, there is an argument that the effort to tackle climate change has to be global, involving every country in the world, even if not every country makes the same contribution. Oil-producing countries, and the countries that use that oil, have to be included in the negotiations. If they are not, the effort to cut global emissions will fail.

Joining host Ed Crooks to explore the issues around COP28 is Emily Grubert, Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. They are joined by Joseph Majkut, Director of the Energy, Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. 

 The gang also discuss battery technologies for long duration energy storage. As wind and solar now, there’s a greatly increased need for more solutions to help manage the stability of the grid, and companies are now coming forward with commercially viable long duration batteries to meet that need.

What are the new technologies beyond the lithium ion batteries used in everything from phones to EVs? How can our electricity systems be made more resilient with the help of batteries that can deliver power not just for a few hours, but for several days? As grids across North America are challenged by heatwaves and wildfires, it is an increasingly urgent question.

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Author of ‘The Price Is Wrong’, Brett Christophers, joins the show to discuss the theories in his book.

On a recent episode of the show, host Ed Crooks was joined by Melissa Lott and Joseph Majkut to discuss two books that were generating a lot of interest in energy circles. One of those, The Price Is Wrong, argues that inadequate profitability is the key reason why the transition to low-carbon energy is not moving fast enough to address the threat of global warming.

There are plenty of interesting and provocative points raised in the book, so it made sense to hear them direct from the source. Ed and Melissa are joined by author and academic Brett Christophers to dissect the main points: the challenges and obstacles faced by renewable energy projects in terms of profitability and investment, and the true impact of these on progressing the energy transition.

Christophers says that low returns in renewables are a result of competition, volatility in wholesale power markets, and the design of energy markets – ‘returns are lower in renewables because there’s too much money chasing too few projects.’ Ed and Melissa weigh in with their thoughts on this. Plus, they discuss the importance of market design, the role of power purchase agreements, and the need for stability in renewable energy projects. There’s a definite need for more stability-providing sources to make renewable energy projects bankable on a larger scale. Are PPAs the answer?

Listen back to the review of The Price Is Wrong with Ed, Melissa and Joseph here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/can-capitalism-save-the-planet/id663379413?i=1000658599656

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Lyft is set for an IPO on Friday; Uber is driving up to the IPO window soon. Investors seem enthusiastic, but skeptics see a lot of risks and a bumpy path to profitability.

In 2018, transportation network companies — pretty much Lyft and Uber — gave 2.6 billion rides. Lyft gave a billion of those rides, doubling its revenue over 2017 to $2.2 billion.

We know the consumer appetite is there. But as Lyft hits the public markets, many wonder if that volume can be turned into profits. Autonomous cars, competition from other shared mobility companies, and regulations are all a potential risk.

So what does Lyft’s IPO — and soon Uber’s — tell us about where mobility is headed? We're discussing on this week's Energy Gang podcast.

Then, one of America’s biggest utilities said recently it will offer only carbon-free energy by 2050. In the second half of the show, we’re going to dig into Xcel’s plan. How will they do it? And will it encourage other big power companies to do the same?

Finally, Midwestern floods have caused $3 billion in damages and devastated rural communities. We’ll look at our poor infrastructure management, and where the floods fit into climate trends.

Recommended reading:

• Seattle Times: As It Gets Set for IPO, Lyft Outlines All the Reasons Ride-Sharing Could Fail
• NPR: Ride-Hailing Services Add To Traffic Congestion, Study Says
• CityLab: If Your Car Is Stuck in Traffic, It's Not Uber and Lyft's Fault
• Vox: For the First Time, a Major US Utility Has Committed to 100% Clean Energy
• Xcel Energy: Building a Carbon-Free Future
• Atlantic: Midwestern Flooding Isn’t a Natural Disaster
• Report: Climate Change in the Midwest

Support for this podcast comes from Dandelion Energy, the leading home geothermal company. Dandelion is making it easier for homeowners to get geothermal. Customers who switch to geothermal heating save on average $2,250 per year. See if your home qualifies.

We're also brought to you by Wunder Capital. Listen to our careers episode produced with Wunder Capital. We talked with Wunder CTO Dave Riess about the framework he used to completely change his career path into solar — eventually co-founding a successful company. Listen to that episode in The Interchange feed or find it here.

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This week, it’s our year-ender episode. And you know what that means: we’re going round the horn with our assessment of 2018.

First, we’ll discuss the top trends of the year. 

Then, a roundup of the best energy journalism of 2018. 

And finally, some predictions for 2019 — with a twist.

Here some links to our top journalism choices:

• “The Coal Bailout Nobody is Talking About,” by Joseph Daniel
• “Drilled” podcast, by Amy Westervelt
• An interview with Ken Ward, jr. about his MacArthur Genius grant for investigative reporting on the coal industry.
• And Stephen’s other picks for top podcasts of the year.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by GE's Reservoir, a modular lithium-ion energy storage system that can slash construction costs by 50 percent. Find out more about what Reservoir can do for your electric grid, solar plant, wind farm, microgrid or thermal power plant.

Use the promo code PODCAST to get a $50 discount for a GTM Squared membership this holiday season. Get your GTM Squared discounted membership here.

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In this episode of The Energy Gang, we revisit the surprise of the summer: the Great American Climate Bill. Now that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has officially been signed into law, what’s next?

Regular Energy Gang member Dr. Melissa Lott steps in as host this week while Ed Crooks takes a well-earned holiday. Joining Melissa is Robbie Orvis from Energy Innovation and Dr. Linus Mofor from the UN Economic Commission for Africa. 

A press release from the white house estimates the IRA will result in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by about one billion metric tons in 2030. 

For many, the bill is a high point of decades of work to pull together a piece of major energy and climate legislation in the US that helps mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect public health. Not just for the hundreds of millions living in the country but for the health of people around the globe. 

The gang highlights the impact the IRA will have on air pollution – according to some initial analysis of the bill, we are looking at avoiding nearly 4,000 premature deaths and up to 100,000 asthma attacks annually by 2030. 

The bill also extends and expands the existing electric vehicle subsidiary, requiring that at least 40% of critical metals must come from the US or a Free Trade Agreement partner.

As we head into COP27, we look at the response from other countries. Do policies like the IRA help in the energy transition around the world? We turn to Linus to walk us through the effects the bill may have on African countries and the opportunities for development and financing in the climate and energy sector. 

As always, please do let us know what you think. Send us a note, or a free electron, on Twitter – we’re @TheEnergyGang.

This episode of the Energy Gang is brought to you by Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader advancing a sustainable energy future for all.

Learn more by listening to the Power Pulse podcast, where the Hitachi Energy team discusses the latest in the ongoing transformation of the world’s energy systems. The Power Pulse podcast is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or any other podcast app.

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Carbon capture has long been criticized as too nascent, too expensive, and too distracting. Is that changing?

This month, the Swiss company Climeworks officially launched a direct-air capture plant in Iceland, called Orca. 

The company has already signed deals with SwissRe, Bill Gates, Stripe, and Shopify to sell them credits from the plant. But the tech is still pretty expensive and relatively small scale. 

Climeworks wants to build megaton-scale plants by the end of the decade. Lots of other plants are in the works. So what does this commercial launch signal for the carbon-capture industry? 

Plus, new research shows just how drastically we need to slash fossil fuels to limit dangerous warming. 

And, California tries to fix the busted recycling system with a “truth in advertising” law aimed at plastics companies.

The Energy Gang is a Wood Mackenzie podcast.

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This week on Watt It Takes: Wunder Capital CEO Bryan Birsic on why he wants to solve the commercial solar financing challenge, when so many others couldn't.

"That is what a startup is to me. It's 50 or 100 people who can move a multi-billion-dollar industry in a way that an incumbent with thousands of people and multitudes of resources cannot," says Birsic.

Since its launch in 2014, Wunder has exploded onto the solar scene. In this edition of Watt It Takes, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch talks with Birsic about applying the lessons from fintech to cleantech.

Watt It Takes is a collaboration between Powerhouse and Greentech Media. The series is recorded in front of a live audience at Powerhouse headquarters in Oakland, California. Buy tickets for upcoming events.

This podcast is brought to you by GE's Reservoir, a modular lithium-ion energy storage system that can slash construction costs by 50 percent. Find out more about what Reservoir can do for your electric grid, solar plant, wind farm, microgrid, or thermal power plant.

We’re giving listeners major discounts this fall. Use the promo code PODCAST to get a $50 discount for a GTM Squared membership and 20% off our final GTM conferences of the season. Get your GTM conference discount here. Get your GTM Squared discounted membership here.

Listen to our other episodes of Watt It Takes: 

• Nancy Pfund’s Pro Tips for Getting Started in Cleantech
• SunPower Founder Dick Swanson’s Guide to Launching a Cleantech Startup
• Lessons From the Fall of Sungevity
• Dan Shugar, the K​ing Midas of Solar
• A History of Greentech Media With Scott Clavenna
• Sungage's Sara Ross on Starting a Solar Loan Company
• Jigar Shah on the Origin Story of SunEdison
• The Origin Story of Mosaic With Billy Parish
• How Roboticist Leila Madrone Built the Air-Based Solar Tracker Firm Sunfolding
• The Death-Defying Reinvention of Advanced Microgrid Solutions
• Assessing the Promise of Electric Buses With Proterra CEO Ryan Popple
• How Sunnova’s John Berger Convinced Oil & Gas Investors to Believe in Solar
• Bertra​nd Piccard: ‘If You Can Fly Around the World in a Solar Airplane, You Can Do Everything’
• The Origin​ Story of Sunrun With Lynn Jurich

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First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then they transform?

This week: a look at some positive trends guiding the utility sector. What are power providers that are leading the energy transition doing right?

We’re joined by Julia Hamm, the president and CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance.

We’re talking about SEPA’s 2021 utility transformation profile -- a survey and ranking system of over 130 electric utilities in the US.

There are thousands of power companies. That means different flavors of corporate goals, management styles, and approaches to building clean energy. Julia’s going to help us understand what they are.

Why is utility progress more like “change management” than traditional Silicon Valley-style disruption? 

Then: how utilities will benefit from Biden’s big infrastructure push.

Plus, the solar census: what will job growth look like in a post-pandemic world?

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Aurora Solar. Join Aurora on June 8th and 9th for the second annual virtual summit. Hear from, and interact with, industry leaders, policy makers, sales experts, and more. Get your questions ready, and save your spot by registering now.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Enel X, a leader in energy storage, DER management software, and smart electric vehicle charging stations to increase project value. Learn what Enel X can do for your business. 

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On day 9 of the climate talks, what do the experts think?

As Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCC, said today, it’s go-time for governments at COP28 this week. To examine the latest stories Ed Crooks has assembled a panel of energy experts: regular Energy Gang guest Melissa Lott, who is Director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, Morgan Bazilion, Director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy and professor of public policy at the Colorado School of Mines, and Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct.

Together they debate the efficacy of an annual climate summit, the potential impacts of next year’s US and UK elections on global climate and energy policy and the latest key takeaways from the talks.

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We’re doing a free live show from our homes! Sign up here to join us on Wednesday April 22nd. You can watch a behind-the-scenes recording with The Energy Gang and The Interchange.

This week: The many ways that dirty energy has controlled the politics of clean energy.

Dr. Leah Stokes, an expert on interest groups and their influence over policy, joins the gang. Her new book, Short Circuiting Policy, is the focus of our episode.

Who are the truly bad actor utilities? How have they held back climate policy, and where would we be without their resistance?

Suddenly, utilities are embracing much more ambitious carbon-free energy targets. How optimistic should we be about their intentions?

We’ll talk about the history of clean energy politics detailed in Leah’s book, which she researched over a seven-year period.

Then: the election. With Bernie Sanders out, what will his climate voters do? How long will they hold out, what influence do they have, and how will they wield it? 

Recommended reading:

• Leah Stokes: Short Circuiting Policy
• Washington Post: Elizabeth Warren says ‘government has been bought and paid for’ by big business. Political scientists say she’s got a point.
• Guardian: Trump Administration Declines to Strengthen U.S. Clean Air Standards
• L.A. Times: Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Higher Coronavirus Death Rates
• The Atlantic: Trump’s New Auto Rollback is an Economic Disaster
• The Atlantic: “We Knew They Had Cooked the Books”
• NYT: Coronavirus Does Not Slow Trump’s Regulatory Rollbacks
• NYT: Trump’s Environmental Rollbacks Find Opposition Within: Staff Scientists
• The Hill: Democrat questions WH transparency in rollback of bedrock env law
• Inside Climate News: Joe Biden Must Convince Climate Voters He’s a True Believer
• The Hill: State of the Race: Green groups press Biden after Sanders exits
• Common Dreams: After Sanders Exits Race, Climate Campaigners Thank Him for 'Raising the Bar' and Urge Biden to 'Step Up'
• Guardian Opinion: Dear Joe Biden, Here is how you can earn our support

This podcast is brought to you by CPower. CPower is offering a market-by-market analysis of the issues, trends, and regulations that organizations should understand in 2020 to make better decisions about energy. Get your copy today of the “2020 State of Demand-Side Energy Management in North America” here.

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Direct air capture and carbon sequestration – is it viable, and scalable?

The U.S. Department of Energy announced in late August that it would be investing $1.2 billion in two direct air capture or DAC facilities. Direct air capture technology, which uses either chemical media (such as a liquid solvent or solid sorbents) or physical processes involving filters to remove C02 directly from the atmosphere. Carbon capture technologies - that capture CO2 at emissions point sources, like power plants or steel making - is also an area the DOE will be supporting for demonstration projects.

Some environmentalists have sharply criticized the Biden administration for providing financial support for DAC and CCS technologies, arguing not only is the technology expensive and unproven, but that it serves as a false flag mechanism by the oil and gas industry to sanction them to continue emitting greenhouse gases.

So should the government be investing billions in these technologies? Can CCS and DAC play a role in decarbonizing hard to abate sectors? To answer these questions and more, guest host Amy Myers-Jaffe steps in for regular host Ed Crooks to anchor the show this week. Amy is Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab. She’s enlisted two Energy Gang regulars and climate modelling experts to explore the world of carbon capture: Emily Grubert, Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, and Robbie Orvis, Senior Director of Modelling and Analysis at the climate thinktank Energy Innovation.

Emily explains the challenges and viability of direct air capture as a technology, while Robbie outlines the modelling that implicates the oil industry in pushing for carbon capture; is it to prolong the lifespan of fossil fuel technologies?

It’s an episode packed with science and analysis, as well as an in-depth look the socio-political implications of initiatives such as DAC and CCS. There’s discussion around NIMBYism, and concern of local communities around the environmental impact of the projects proposed by the DOE.

How currently available incentives are structured raises another issue — they incentivize the capture of maximum CO2 for sequestration but neglect to account for how much greenhouse gas is invested in the capture process. This invites operations that can produce large amounts of CO2 to do so as they can more easily remove it from flue gas streams due to higher concentrations resulting from the use of fossil fuels.

The team wrap up the show by discussing the point that energy sectors we're dealing with – including cement, steel, and various chemical productions – are mostly old, often outdated. So, is it more feasible to create a billion-dollar investment to build CCS plants on the backends of these facilities, or to invest in newer, greener technologies and start afresh? As more sustainable methods become available, the relevance and usefulness of CCS must continually be re-evaluated. It’s all here on this week’s episode.

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The U.S. Department of Energy is crucial for funding, researching, and testing emerging energy tech.

Now, in the Biden era, the agency is orienting itself toward deployment. How difficult is that transition?

Our former co-host Jigar Shah joins Stephen, Katherine, and Ed to discuss his experience running the Energy Department’s loan programs office.

In March, Jigar left his position at Generate Capital (and this podcast) to head into government service and run the loan programs office. Jigar has $40 billion in authority to back a wide range of climate technologies -- and he’s been working on the first round of investments with those dollars.

In the second half of the show: a surprising twist in the global clean-energy transition. How much trouble will energy price inflation cause around the world?

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom’s onsite energy platform provides unparalleled control for those looking to secure clean, reliable 24/7 power that scales to meet critical business needs. It eliminates outage and price risk while accelerating us towards a zero carbon future. Visit Bloom Energy to learn how to take charge today.

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It has been a turbulent month in the financial sector, which could have big implications for the world of energy. Mobilising capital is vital for achieving international goals to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of global warming. As the global banking system shudders from the blow of Silicon Valley Bank collapsing, is long-term climate investment being pushed further to the fringes of the agenda? 

The latest Assessment Report from the IPCC has delivered what’s been called a “final warning” on limiting global warming to 1 .5 degrees C, saying we are on course for about 3.2 degrees C of warming by the end of the century. The report, which aims to bring together and summarise the state of the world’s scientific knowledge on climate change, warns that flows of investment, especially to developing countries, “fall short of the levels needed for adaptation and to achieve mitigation goals across all sectors and regions.” 

As we learn more about the climate crisis, are we heading for another financial crisis, too? Clean energy share prices have been falling on concerns that the sector will be hit by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Meanwhile, President Biden has used his first veto to protect a government regulation that seeks to encourage the use of ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors in investment decision. The Republicans are leading the charge against ESG investing, arguing that “woke Wall Street” is putting investors’ money at risk. 

On the show today: Ed Crooks is joined by Dr Melissa Lott from Columbia University, and Shanu Mathew of Lazard Asset Management, to analyse the financial storm we’ve seen brewing in the past few weeks. What exactly has been going on in the banking system? What are the implications for clean energy as the economic clouds are gathering? Rising interest rates are a big contributor to pressure on the banking system, and also have implications for renewables. 

The gang then get on to the ESG backlash: is it real, and what does it mean for investors and for clean energy companies that need capital? Finally, they review the IPCC report: although the problems it sets out look dire, there are solutions, and Melissa and Shanu have some ideas for how to make them happen.

Follow us on Twitter – we’re @theenergygang

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This week: while the country is distracted by infection rates, deaths and protests, what else have we been missing?

We peek out from behind the quarantine curtain to see what the Trump administration has been up to on the energy front. 

The Trump administration has declared a national emergency over cyber threats to the power grid. Equipment vendors “where a foreign adversary has an interest” will be banned. Most transformers are built in China. Will this create uncertainty or slow grid work?

The executive branch has been busy with environmental rollbacks. The Trump administration wants to loosen as much environmental regulation as possible in the six months before the election. We look at the list.

Then, we answer your questions. We sourced nearly 200 questions from our recent live show. And we’re going to tackle some of them.

They include: Michael Moore’s bad-faith trashing of clean energy and the environmental movement; one group’s attempt to kill solar net metering nationwide; and how the current economic mess is impacting cities and corporates.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.

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In this week's episode, the gang discuss nuclear power: is it a solution for providing energy security, or could it make the problem worse? Given that many consuming countries need to import most of their uranium, does relying on nuclear power create new sources of fragility? The US imported 86% of its uranium in 2020, from a range of countries, including Russia. What does that mean for hopes that a new generation of reactors could provide affordable and reliable low-carbon power? 

Next up, it’s California’s quick peek into the future. The state’s power grid ran last weekend on – very nearly – 100% renewable energy, even if it was for less than 15 minutes. How can California, and everywhere else, get to grids that are 100% carbon-free around the clock, 365 days a year?

And then it’s a topic that is at the top of the agenda right now for everyone working in energy: the current state of the global supply chain. Renewable energy products and components from little solar cells to giant wind turbines are being affected, driving up prices and restricting availability. The gang reflects on the worries of people in the industry, and discuss some solutions that might work, and some that might make the problem worse.

Joining Ed today are Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, and Amy Harder, returning to the show. Amy is the Executive Editor of the Cipher newsletter published by Breakthrough Energy, the network backed by Bill Gates and other investors to support investment in emissions-reducing technologies.

Welcome to this week's episode of the Energy Gang, and make sure to follow us on Twitter to stay up to date. 

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This is a special crossover episode between The Energy Gang and Climate 2020.

Coronavirus brought the 2020 election to a screeching halt. Climate was once a top issue in the Democratic primary, but it’s been overtaken by a virus and a looming economic apocalypse. 

Primaries are delayed. Traditional campaigning has stopped. Biden is hiding out, preparing for the general election. Bernie Sanders is hanging on. And the way we think about all kinds of issues has totally flipped.

So how will climate, cleantech and the environment fit into this new political world?

The climate community is struggling with how to message. What are the appropriate ways to keep the focus on climate change, while we face public health and economic crises? 

What about the intersection of extreme weather and coronavirus? Many state officials fear the next season’s floods, hurricanes and fires – events that can require evacuation while people are supposed to stay homebound. How will climate change compound the problem?

The Gang includes Stephen Lacey, Katherine Hamilton and Jigar Shah.

Jeff Nesbit, the executive director of Climate Nexus and co-host of the podcast Climate 2020, joins the gang for this special joint episode on politics. Jeff is also an author, former journalist, a senior public affairs official at the FDA, and Dan Quayle’s director of comms.

Mentioned on the show: 

• Twitter: Rachel Bitecofer’s Feed
• Twitter: Leak Stokes’ Feed
• Priorities USA: Political Ad 

Recommended:

• Scientific American: U.N. Shifts from Climate Change to Coronavirus
• The New Yorker: The Coronavirus and the Climate Movement by Bill McKibben
• Inside Climate News: In the Face of a Pandemic, Climate Activists Reevaluate Their Tactics

This podcast is brought to you by CPower. CPower is helping organizations chart a path to the energy future. Visit thecpowerway.com/future to learn how CPower can guide your decisions on distributed generation, demand response and your energy spend.

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This week: we make sense of America’s midterm elections.

Will Democrats do anything on energy in the House? Why did so many ballot initiatives fail? What does the score tell us about the value of running as a climate hawk?

First, we’ll look at what happened in states with major ballot questions on carbon pricing, market design and renewables. 

Then, what happens over the next two years under Democratic leadership in the House.

Finally, some specific races we were watching and why.

We’re giving listeners major discounts this fall. Use the promo code PODCAST to get a $50 discount for a GTM Squared membership and 20% off our final GTM conferences of the season. 

Get your GTM conference discount here. 

Get your GTM Squared discounted membership here.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by GE's Reservoir, a modular lithium-ion energy storage system that can slash construction costs by 50 percent. Find out more about what Reservoir can do for your electric grid, solar plant, wind farm, microgrid or thermal power plant.

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Electric vehicle chargers now outnumber gas stations in some countries. They’re getting easier to find. They’re easier to install in homes. And they’re getting way smarter.

So how can we harness all these chargers for the benefit of the grid and consumers?

In this special podcast episode, produced in partnership with Enel X, we’re exploring the vast potential of electric vehicle chargers. We’ll talk with Giovanni Bertolino, the head of e-mobility for North America at Enel-X about a concept called managed charging. It’s also known as intelligent charging.

Giovanni’s team deploys networks of chargers that can adapt to pricing and grid needs — providing demand response services, and potentially, real-time services to manage the frequency of the grid. 

We speak with Giovanni about the rise of managed charging. We started with the underlying market conditions: the grid is getting saturated with wind and solar. So how can chargers paired with demand response help support more renewables?

Large energy users partner with Enel X to manage risk on the energy markets, maximize payments through demand response, and finance upgrades to facilities to improve demand response earnings. They also increasingly work with Enel X to use chargers to manage the grid.

Find out more about how Enel X can help you capitalize on your biggest energy opportunities.

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The World Economic Forum held its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last week, bringing together leaders from business, finance, politics, academia and culture. Regular Energy Gang guest Dr Melissa Lott was there, talking about one of the meeting’s central themes: long-term strategies for the climate, nature and energy. On this week’s show, she shares with host Ed Crooks and guest Julio Friedmann – who’s chief scientist at the carbon management company Carbon Direct – what she learned there. 

The role of artificial intelligence was, inevitably, high on the agenda there, with some people arguing that it will turn out to be one of the most transformational innovations in human history. The world of energy is already being changed by AI, and the gang discuss how wide-reaching the effects could be.

Julio recently co-authored a report titled the “Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap”, looking at all the different ways that AI could change supply and demand for energy and so have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The gang discussed this issue last year, when Ed took the sceptical view. He suggested the latest iterations of AI such as ChatGPT, known as large language models, could have huge implications for knowledge industries such as journalism or law, but were unlikely to make much difference to energy, which requires working with large volumes of particles, whether molecules or electrons.

Julio disagrees, and he explains what he thinks are the important positive impacts that AI could have on energy and the climate, for example in managing complex systems such as road traffic and power grids, and in developing new materials.

The gang then discuss some of the other questions that came up at Davos, and ask what these gatherings mean for the rest of the world.

And finally, extreme weather in the US has again been in the headlines. Extreme cold gripped much of the country, and snow fell as far south as Mississippi and Louisiana. Has Texas learned the lessons from Winters Storm Uri in 2021, when blackouts lasted for days and hundreds died? How stable is the grid these days? And what are we learning about managing the risks created by climate change?

For more information head to woodmac.com/podcasts. 

You can read Julio Friedmann’s report on AI here: https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap/.

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Cathy Zoi has seen it all. She’s studied and worked in oil, gas and clean energy since the Reagan Era. Now as CEO of charging company EVgo, she knows the future of energy is coming fast. 

“Rideshare drivers are now starting to drive EVs, those folks need to charge once a day away from home, and they need to do it fast. When COVID hit, delivery drivers for food deliveries needed to charge on our network. Fleet companies like Amazon. So every month that goes by, there is a new opportunity, says Zoi.”

Cathy has a breadth of energy and cleantech experience working in leadership roles at non-profits, startups, venture capital, academia, and government agencies.

Cathy was on the team that developed the original Energy Star rating when she worked at the Environmental Protection Agency. She was chief of staff in the White House Office on Environmental Policy in the Clinton-Gore Administration. And she is co-founder and executive chairman of Odyssey Energy, a software start-up bringing distributed clean power to developing countries. 

In this episode, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch sits down with Cathy Zoi to discuss how that journey inevitably led her to electric transportation.

Listen to all our past episodes of Watt It Takes here. This series is normally recorded in front of a live audience. But we’re now recording the interviews remotely. See future events here.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wärtsilä Energy, leading the transition toward a 100% renewable energy future. Wärtsilä launched “The Path to 100%” to accelerate the transition to renewables. Become part of the discussion.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Honeywell, a leading supplier of IoT solutions to mission-critical industries around the world. Honeywell Smart Energy helps utilities transform their grid operations through advanced solutions and targeted services from edge to cloud. Learn more.

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Since the White House slapped penalties on solar panels made outside America, a handful of companies say they’re likely to ramp up production in the U.S.

In recent weeks, two Asian producers -- Jinko Solar and United Renewable Energy -- said they're planning to set up new module assembly plants. Other domestic producers are making plans to hire new employees.

How should we interpret this activity? Does this mean the tariffs are working? 

On this week's Energy Gang, we're joined by GTM Senior Editor Julia Pyper, who outlines the latest activity as the tariffs become law.

Then, it’s the news circuit. We’ll explore Puerto Rico’s utility privatization plans, Tesla’s virtual power plant in Australia, the Northern Pass transmission rejection, and Arizona’s conservative clean energy plan.

This podcast is brought to you by CPower Energy Management. Find out more about CPower's demand-side energy management solutions.

Stories referenced in this podcast:

• Did Trump’s Solar Tariffs Just Launch a US Manufacturing Renaissance?
• JinkoSolar Set to Build a US Factory, the First Planned in Response to Tariffs
• Puerto Rico’s Utility Moves Toward Privatization, With Strained Cooperation
• New Hampshire Rejects Northern Pass Transmission Line Permit
• Arizona Regulator Proposes Biggest Storage and Clean Energy Target Yet

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As we reckon with the dark side of Silicon Valley’s tech giants, there’s more scrutiny into how these companies are assisting climate denial and obfuscation.

We’ll look at a few different stories:

Climate and clean energy are getting disadvantaged by Facebook and Twitter’s different policies on political ads: how do we define issue ads and political speech?

Google, Facebook and others are getting called out for their support of groups that spread extreme climate denial: How much criticism do they deserve?

And Amazon, Microsoft and Google are building the digital backbone of industries that are wrecking the planet. How should we think about their role and culpability?

In the second half of the show, we’ll discuss America’s withdraws from the Paris climate treaty. With U.S. global leadership in shambles, who’s going to fill the gap? And how could elections change things?

Finally, how California’s wildfire crisis is stoking the state’s distributed generation market. We’ll look at the business impacts.

Recommended resources:

• Heated: Exxon Climate Ads Aren’t Political, According to Twitter
• Vox: Watch AOC Ask Mark Zuckerberg if She Can Run Fake Green New Deal Ads
• Guardian: Google Made Large Contributions to Climate Deniers
• Guardian: Facebook Video Spreads Climate Denial to 5 Million Users
• GTM: Power Shutoff Disruption ‘Resets’ California’s Residential Market
• Jigar Shah/Timothy Hade Op-Ed: It’s Time to Evolve California’s Electrical Grid

Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.

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The Chinese car company BYD, the world’s top-selling manufacturer of electric vehicles, is launching two models that can charge in five minutes; about the time it takes to fill a tank with gasoline. It’s news that looks like a landmark moment in the energy transition, the way that the release of the DeepSeek model was for AI. It’s another eye-opening breakthrough out of China that should have the US worried. Or is it?

To explain the significance of this latest leap forward in Chinese technology, Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at New York University, and Robbie Orvis, senior director for modelling and analysis at the think-tank Energy Innovation.

They debate the question: is the US being outpaced in the global race to innovate in clean energy technology? If the US has lost the automotive innovation race to China, what does that mean for US car companies? 

Robbie argues that the US auto industry needs solid policy support for domestic battery manufacturing to stay competitive. The Trump administration is relying heavily on tariffs: will that strategy be effective, or might it actually hinder progress in building a modern industrial base in the US?

Amy calls for a shift in how US policy approaches innovation in the EV sector, and energy generally. Can the recipe that created the spectacular success of Silicon Valley be recreated in the energy industry? 

The gang also discuss the problems at Tesla. In the face of challenges in China and Europe, how will the company respond?

Tune in for a lively discussion on these critical questions, and more. Join the conversation about the future of energy and innovation. 

Follow the show wherever you get your podcasts, and visit woodmac.com/podcasts for more information.

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On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks is joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Amy Duffuor, who is a General Partner at Azolla Ventures, a climate-focused investment firm.  

In this week’s episode, the gang start of by discussing the recent outcry over the possible impact of offshore wind development on whales. Although there is no evidence connecting the wind industry’s activities to the rise in whale deaths, people are worried that there could be a link. It’s an example of the broader issue in energy investment: there can often be tensions and conflicts between what we need to do to tackle the threat of climate change and the interests of local communities and eco-systems. The transition to a low-carbon energy system means building a huge amount of stuff, from wind farms to power lines to lithium mines to flood defenses. The industry is under intense scrutiny to show that it can develop the infrastructure we need in a responsible way. 

Also on this show: “electrify everything” has been a slogan in the clean energy movement for a long time. Now it is becoming a reality, and gathering momentum. Taking just a couple of recent examples: Poland is building new factories to produce heat pumps that will replace gas boilers for home heating; and the state of California has announced that it wants to move to zero emission vehicles not just for passenger cars and light trucks, but for heavy trucks as well, by the end of 2035. These shifts to use electricity for heating and transport and going to increase the load and strains on grids around the world. How can we make sure that electricity systems can keep up?

Finally, Amy’s firm Azolla is part of a new coalition called the Venture Climate Alliance, designed to accelerate progress towards net zero emissions. Why do we need yet another group in the financial sector working on climate and emissions? And what is the role of venture capital in the transition to a clean energy system?

Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang   

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati—the premier legal services provider to technology, life sciences, and clean energy enterprises. Wilson Sonsini has built a leading energy and climate solutions practice and its team is dedicated to a single goal: advancing what’s next in the energy industry.  

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This week, David Roberts, a staff writer at Vox, joins the gang to talk about a wide range of topics in the news.

How would a good carbon tax work? Are we fooling ourselves thinking Republicans will ever support one?

In the absence of a carbon price, is 100% renewable energy good politics? Is it good policy?

Should we bail out nuclear? Can renewables fill in the gap created by closing nuke plants?

What should we be hopeful about?

We’ll spend the second half of the show talking about electric buses. Jigar’s company, Generate Capital, is deploying $200 million for electric bus leases. Are we reaching a tipping point for transit?

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. Learn more about Mission's high-efficiency modules.

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The next sector ripe for electrification: aviation.

Electric airplanes could completely make over the regional airline sector -- fundamentally changing the way we move around the country and creating new economic opportunities.

On this week's Energy Gang, we'll talk with Ashish Kumar, the CEO of Zunum Aero, about the company's electric propulsion system and hybrid-electric airplane model. We'll discuss design challenges, battery requirements, immediate market opportunities, and the long-term economic consequences of electrified aviation.

Then, a look at the latest global figures on renewables investment. China had another explosive year in 2017, while America had an anemic one. We'll tease out the latest global numbers that broke over the last week.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by CPower Energy Management. Find out more about CPower's demand-side energy management solutions.

Recommended reading:

• Zunum Aero technology and design
• GTM: Zunum Aero, an Electric Airplane Startup Backed by Boeing and JetBlue Ventures, Unstealths
• GTM: Global Renewable Energy Prices Will Be Competitive With Fossil Fuels by 2020
• GTM: China More Than Doubles America’s 2017 Investments in Clean Energy, in a ‘Runaway’ Year

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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"Don’t let government pick winners and losers."

That was Rick Perry’s mantra as Texas governor and a presidential candidate. But it didn’t take him long to abandon it as energy secretary. This week, we’ll revisit the rare, bizarre request from Perry asking federal regulators to restructure electricity markets and prop up struggling coal and nuclear plants.

Then, the latest on the post-Hurricane energy crisis in Puerto Rico. We'll talk about the rebuilding effort, a controversial grid-rebuilding contract with an unknown company, and the strained Washington-Puerto relationship.

Finally, an Alaskan sovereign wealth fund is betting big on distributed energy through Generate Capital. We'll talk about what the fund says about new investment approaches in emerging tech.

Recommended reading and listening:

The Interchange: An interview With Ari Peskoe About the Legal Holes in Perry's NOPR

Vox: What Rick Perry Would Have Recommended If He Listened to His Own Grid Study

Martin Heinrich op-ed: Coal Bailout Is a Crude Attempt to Pay for Campaign Promises

Washington Post: FEMA Cites 'Significant Concerns' Over Whitefish Energy Deal in Puerto Rico

GTM: Generate Capital Raises $200 Million Fund

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It may be a couple election cycles late, but we’re finally getting a wave of climate plans from presidential candidates. The issue is now front and center in the Democratic primaries.

We’ve spent the last week collecting the plans from leading candidates, surveying the stances of the rest of the field, and monitoring the reactions. We’ll sort through them in this week’s Energy Gang episode. 

In the first half of the show, we’ll compare and contrast the unique plans from Elizabeth Warren, Jay Inslee, Beto O’Rourke, Michael Bennet and John Delaney. What is unique about each candidate’s proposal?

Then, we’ll tackle the rest of the field in the second half of the episode. Most of them are either using the Green New Deal as a fallback, or using it as a foil. We will take an account of how that short-but-influential congressional resolution — and the activism behind it — is having an impact on the presidential campaign.

Recommended reading:

• Buzzfeed: Democrats Want To Make 2020 The Climate Change Election
• Beto O’Rourke’s climate plan
• Jay Inslee’s “Evergreen Economy” plan
• Elizabeth Warren’s plan to make the military climate-ready
• Michael Bennet’s climate plan
• John Delaney’s climate plan

Support for this podcast comes from PG&E. Did you know that 20 percent of EV drivers in the U.S. are in PG&E’s service area in Northern California? PG&E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&E’s EV specialists to find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric.

We're also sponsored by Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.

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As we close out 2020, we are diving into the top stories that defined this frenzied and heavy year. 

This week, we’ll start the show with a look back at how Covid re-shaped the energy transition. We’re going to revisit some predictions that did -- and didn’t -- come true. Next episode, we’ll look at a wider range of (non-pandemic) 2020 stories.

Then later in the show, advertising and PR professionals are suddenly being pressured to reveal how much of their income is from fossil fuel clients. Are firms in this industry the next to lose their social license?

And last: what could a Youth Climate Corps accomplish? And how should it be set up? We look to a Depression-era program to rally the passions of America’s climate generation. 

Resources:

• New Yorker: When “Creatives” Turn Destructive: Image-Makers and the Climate Crisis
• Yale 360: How a Climate Corps Could Put Youth to Work in Greening America
• “Where the Internet Lives” podcast from Google

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wärtsilä Energy, leading the transition toward a 100% renewable energy future. Wärtsilä launched “The Path to 100%” to accelerate the transition to renewables. Become part of the discussion.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Honeywell, a leading supplier of IOT solutions to mission-critical industries around the world. Honeywell Smart Energy helps utilities transform their grid operations through advanced solutions and targeted services from edge to cloud. Learn more.

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What’s the optimal way to spend money raised by a carbon tax?

How should climate play in Florida’s big toss-up Congressional race?

What’s the best energy platform for gubernatorial candidates?

This week: your questions answered. We got a bunch of queries from listeners about politics — so that’s the direction we’re headed. We'll discuss what these individual stories tell us about nationwide elections in 2018.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sense. Sense installs in your home's electrical panel and provides insight into your energy use and home activity through iOS, Android and web apps. Find out more.

Recommended reading:

• PERI report on NY carbon tax: An Economic Framework for Promoting Climate Stabilization and Expanding Good Job Opportunities
• Miami Herald: Republicans Can’t Generate Buzz for Ros-Lehtinen’s Seat, and Some Say It’s Unwinnable
• Mother Jones: The Illinois Governor’s Race Is Poised to Become the Most Expensive in History

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

And while you're there, subscribe to our other podcasts, The Interchange and Political Climate. 

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This week, we're using an entire episode to discuss an ambitious piece of reporting on climate change. Earlier this month, the New York Times Magazine devoted an entire issue to a specific period of time in modern history: 1979 and 1989.

It was a time when we first reckoned with the impact of climate change — a period of great awakening in science, politics and industry to the threat of greenhouse gases.

As we’re painfully aware, that awakening didn’t turn into action. The 31,000-word piece weaves together a narrative to help explain why — when everyone seemed to be on the same page about the threat — we failed.

We talk with Author Nathaniel Rich about the reason he wrote the piece, detail some of the most important moments during the decade, and address criticisms.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. Learn more about Mission's high-efficiency modules.

Recommended reading:

• New York Times: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change
• Atlantic: The Problem With The New York Times’ Big Story on Climate Change
• Guardian: 30 Years on, World Is Failing 'Miserably’ to Address Climate Change

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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Last June, comedian John Oliver devoted a long segment to the struggling coal industry on his HBO show Last Week Tonight. 

He turned his attention to Robert Murray, the CEO of Murray Energy, one of the most bombastic advocates of coal. And then Murray sued Oliver for defamation.

That defamation lawsuit was thrown out by a judge last week. But the saga tells us a lot about Robert Murray, one of the most influential figures behind the Trump Administration's coal policies.

In this week's episode, we'll discuss Murray's approach to promoting coal and silencing critics.

Then, a look at some new documents from the Seminar Network, a group created by Charles and David Koch, claiming big wins on killing climate policy. The group is planning to spend up to $400 million on mid-term elections. We'll talk about how the Kochs killed America's climate conversation over the last decade.

Finally, Trump is now claiming he saved the solar industry with tariffs. We discuss the truth. 

This podcast is brought to you by CPower Energy Management. Find out more about CPower's demand-side energy management solutions.

Recommended reading:

• The Times-Picayune: How John Oliver and a Giant Squirrel Had Their Day in Court -- and Won
• New York Times: How a Coal Baron’s Wish List Became President Trump’s To-Do List
• The Intercept: Koch Document Reveals Laundry List of Policy Victories
• GTM: Trump Claims Solar Tariffs Are ‘Reopening Plants.’ They’re Not

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In this episode of The Energy Gang, we draw our attention away from the US and the Inflation Reduction Act, and switch focus to the ongoing energy crisis in Europe. Host Ed Crooks is joined by regular guest Melissa Lott, Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Amy Harder from Cipher.  

The race to stay warm is on as Russia cuts off more gas supplies to Europe. The continent is facing a potentially very bleak winter, but how bleak depends on the weather. If it’s a mild winter, then Europe will probably have enough gas. If it’s a cold winter, then things are going to get rough. There will probably need to be demand for curtailment, rationing and blackouts. Already, leaders are urging people to take action, by having cold showers and switching off the air-conditioning to save money and lighten the load on the grid.

What do these extreme measures tell us about the sacrifices people are being asked to make to serve a humanitarian cause? Is there a parallel to draw between that and changing our habits to curtail catastrophic climate change? If Europe does not have enough gas to keep people warm without having to introduce rationing, what does this say about the lack of tools in our belt when these crises occur?  

Also on the show: oil prices have risen sharply, giving a big boost to the demand for electric cars. Last month, regulators in California approved a ban on the sale of most new gasoline- powered vehicles by 2035, as the state takes dramatic steps to reduce emissions and combat the climate emergency. Under the new regulations, by 2026 35% of new cars and light trucks sold in California must be either fully electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen-powered. It is certainly an ambitious goal. But is it achievable? And what will it mean for the electric vehicle industry in the US and around the world?

As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang

This episode of the Energy Gang is brought to you by Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader advancing a sustainable energy future for all.

Learn more by listening to the Power Pulse podcast, where the Hitachi Energy team discusses the latest in the ongoing transformation of the world’s energy systems. The Power Pulse podcast is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or any other podcast app.

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This week, a look at the bushfires in Australia — their impact to the country, to the grid, and to politics of climate.

Then, a big change could be coming to a foundational federal policy in America. Are the proposed changes to PURPA a thoughtful response to market conditions and cheap renewables, or a political play?

Finally, we learn to code. Joe Biden is the latest democrat to push the idea that laid-off miners should learn to code. Why did it spark so much derision?

Recommended reading:

• The Atlantic: Australia Will Lose to Climate Change
• GTM: FERC Proposal Brings New Threat to Already-Suffering PURPA Solar Markets
• Gizmodo: Biden Tells Miners to Learn to Code

This podcast is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is a leading manufacturer of high density, high voltage energy storage solutions for utility, industrial, microgrids, and mission-critical markets. Find out more. 

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We’re back with another live show from quarantine. 

Europe is crafting a €750 billion recovery package in response to the economic impact of coronavirus. It will devote more than €200 billion directly to low-carbon infrastructure projects. That could enable hundreds of billions more for renewables, efficiency, clean public transport, and hydrogen.

Meanwhile, here in the U.S., our recent stimulus sent billions of dollars to debt-laden oil producers. With potentially one shot left to pass another recovery package, everyone is afraid to utter the word “climate.”

Coronavirus highlights yet another political and economic divide. How badly is America squandering this historic moment?

Plus, we address listener questions about offshore wind, undercovered climate solutions, career advice, and the mysterious ‘MOPR‘ that could override states’ clean energy preferences. 

Thanks to all our listeners who tuned in live!

Mentioned on the the show: 

• Freestyle Rapper for Pexapark: Chris Turner
• Rap Artist Who Rhymes on Science: Baba Brinkman 
• Heavy Metal Elon Musk Tribute Band: Raptor Command

Recommended reading: 

• DeutcheWelle: Germany pushes electric cars in $145B stimulus. 
• Bloomberg: The world’s greenest stimulus plan from Germany
• BBC: Could the “Green stimulus” go global? 
• Climate Change News: Spain unveils climate law to cut emissions to net zero by 2050
• Bloomberg: Europe’s Recovery Plan Has Green Strings Attached

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.

The Energy Gang is also brought to you by KORE Power. Based in the U.S., KORE Power is situated to meet the growing global demand of the energy storage market. KORE Power is building the first large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility in the U.S. owned by an American company. Once it’s operational, the 1-million-square-foot facility will have 10 gigawatt-hours of scalable manufacturing capacity. Learn more. 

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With just a few days until world leaders and policy makers meet in Egypt for COP27, two returning Energy Gang members join host Ed Crooks to discuss what is expected from the latest round of international climate talks.

As the UN warns that there is “no credible pathway” in place to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, arguments about climate justice are rising up the agenda for international negotiations. Amy Duffuor of Azolla Ventures, and Shanu Mathew of Lazard Asset Management, kick off the discussion by explaining the idea of climate justice, and then go on to explore what it means for the future of energy. Although it might seem like quite an abstract concept, considerations of climate justice can in fact have direct practical significance for decisions by businesses, investors, governments and NGOs. The gang discusses some of those implications, and looks at how they could shape the effort to tackle climate change in the future.

Next, we shift our focus to the shipping industry, a large and growing contributor to global warming. Marine fuel represents about 6 percent of the world’s oil demand, and that number continues to rise. The gang discusses the pros and cons of some of the main options proposed for decarbonizing ships, including low-carbon ammonia, methanol and hydrogen.

As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang. 

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This week marks 50 years, almost to the day, since the 1973 OPEC oil embargo on the US, which led to global oil prices soaring. Oil’s potential role as a political weapon was thrown into sharp relief, and the world woke up to a new awareness of the vital importance of energy security. 

On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks hosts Robbie Orvis and Amy Myers Jaffe, to explore the parallels between that first great oil shock and the economic and political issues arising from the conflict in the Middle East today. Robbie is Senior Director of Modeling and Analysis at the think-tank Energy Innovation, and Amy is Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab. Together they discuss the implications for energy security in the US, and around the world, of the fighting that began with the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

This month US oil production has hit a new all-time record high, at 13.2 million barrels a day. This surge in production means the US will be a net exporter of crude and oil products this year, to the tune of almost 2 million barrels a day. That sounds like it should help US energy security, but does it really? Despite surging production, US consumers remain vulnerable to fluctuations in fuel prices. Reducing oil consumption, as the gang discuss, could be the best way to strengthen energy security.

Electric vehicles play a critical role in helping to break our addiction to oil. There have been some big changes in that industry this year, with most leading auto-makers, including Hyundai, Kia, Ford, GM, and others, adopting the North American Charging Standard developed by Tesla. That is a big win for Elon Musk, but more importantly it’s a big win for customers, who won’t have to worry about getting an EV with the right connection ports to find public chargers. It’s like Lightning cables versus USB-C, but with much more at stake.

Finally, we look once again at the ever-evolving hydrogen sector. The Biden administration last week announced the seven Hydrogen Hubs selected to share $7 billion in government funding to accelerate the domestic market for clean hydrogen. The hubs are spread around the country, from the Pacific Northwest to south Texas, and are intended to catalyse more than $40 billion of private sector investment. 

The idea behind the hubs is that developing the industry in a few locations will make it easier to share infrastructure and a skilled workforce, helping to bring costs down faster. But questions still remain about how big a role hydrogen can play in the energy transition.

It’s a packed show, and as usual we are keen to hear thoughts and comments. You can find us on most platforms – we’re @theenergygang. Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss the next one, out every second Friday at 7am ET. 

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What are the barriers to cheap green hydrogen?

As COP28 debates the future of fossil fuels, many people think low-carbon hydrogen could replace them for some uses. But, hydrogen has plenty of problems of its own: water use, public resistance to building infrastructure and above all, its cost. 

Ed Crooks talks to three leaders from politics and business, who are trying to find ways to cure these headaches. 

Michelle Lujan-Grisham, Governor of New Mexico has launched an initiative to provide a strategic water supply for the industry. Mark Newman is CEO of Chemours, a company that produces a crucial technology for the electrolyzers that can split water into hydrogen and oxygen. John Hartley is CEO of Levidian, a UK-based company that can use methane to make both hydrogen, and graphene – a valuable carbon product.

They’ve all been at COP28, talking about how their solutions could help the world get off fossil fuels.

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The International Energy Agency last month held its first ever summit to discuss Critical Minerals and Clean Energy. It was attended by more than 50 countries, which came together to discuss ways to secure the critical minerals that are needed to make the transition to low-carbon energy.

Whether it’s copper wiring in electricity systems, steel in a wind turbine, or lithium in an EV battery, metals are vital for low-carbon technologies, and demand is only going to increase over the next decade. New mines for these metals can take a long time to bring into production, raising fears about whether supplies can keep up. One solution to this problem that’s been getting a lot of attention recently is sea-bed mining.

It is a potentially significant new source of supply for some of these critical metals, but it’s also highly controversial because of the damage it could do to deep water ocean ecosystems.

On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks is back in the host’s chair, and joined by regular Amy Harder, Executive Editor of Cipher, a news outlet supported by Breakthrough Energy.

Amy recently interviewed the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, in New York, and she details the main takeaways from that conversation on the show today. Some Norwegian lawmakers have called for a 10-year delay to the country’s plans to allow deep sea mining so that the environmental impacts can be studied.

Dr Melissa Lott, Director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, is also on the show and she outlines some of those environmental impacts.

The demand for critical minerals could necessitate offshore mining, but it is not the only possible option.

Recycling can be another source of increased supply. A study from the International Council on Clean Transportation said that at the end of last year, US plants had the capacity to produce about 100,000 tons a year of recycled battery materials. Total capacity for proposed new plants that have been announced is about 650,000 tons a year.

Even that is still only enough for about 1.3 million EVs a year, which might be roughly the number that will be sold in the US this year. So as the market grows, we are going to need more.

Plus, the IEA published a report last week called the ‘Net Zero Roadmap’, which said the road was still open to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. But is it really feasible? Is it time to call it, admit that that goal is out of reach, and concentrate on a more achievable target? Could carbon capture now be our only hope of reaching that goal?

Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode, out every second Friday, and follow the conversation on X – we’re @theenergygang.

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China’s booming EV industry, AI and clean energy, questions over hydrogen, and the other big stories from 2024.

To round off a momentous year for clean energy, Ed Crooks is joined by regulars Melissa Lott and Amy Myers Jaffe to reflect on the highs and lows of 2024. The gang revisit the predictions they made in January, share their highs and lows for the year, and talk about their favourite episodes of 2024. And, as is fast becoming a tradition on the show, we finish the year with some relevant holiday gifts.

Some of our predictions for 2024 were spot on, but others were slightly off. The team discuss the continued rise and rise of China’s largest electric vehicle company BYD, and look ahead to what 2025 holds for the EV industry. Amy predicted big things for hydrogen this year, as did Melissa for geothermal. Did these fast-moving sectors hit the heights that they expected? And where do they go from here?

There were some real lows in 2024, mostly related to international politics and conflict. But there were also some much more positive trends related to the energy transition, including the spread of low-cost solar panels and battery storage around the world. 

As for The Energy Gang: we had plenty of high points through the year. Amy, Melissa and Ed choose the episodes that they most enjoyed taking part in – and listening to – in 2024. 

Subscribe to The Energy Gang so you don’t miss the first show of 2025, where Ed, Amy and Melissa will look ahead to what promises to be another massive year for clean energy.   

Listen back to the shows mentioned in the episode:

•             Is There an Energy Transition? (April)

•             Cleantech Entrepreneurs at NYU (Climate Week, September)

•             The Future of AI and the Grid (November)

The articles Melissa mentioned: 

https://www.power-eng.com/renewables/fervo-energy-claims-70-reduction-in-geothermal-drilling-time-2/

https://www.eenews.net/articles/blm-approves-massive-geothermal-project-moves-to-ease-permitting/

This episode is brought to you by Enbridge. Listen to Enbridge and GZERO’s podcast Energized: The Future of Energy at GZEROmedia.com/theenergygang

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The gang assess the outcome of the climate talks in Dubai.

This year’s COP went to overtime, as countries argued over the wording of the concluding statement. They had to carry on the negotiations all through the night to do it, but finally they emerged with what was described as a “historic” agreement. For the first time, the need to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels has been put on the record in a concluding statement from a COP.

In our final show on COP28, the Energy Gang look back on the last two weeks of negotiations and debates, and as the dust starts to clear, they assess what it all means. Ed Crooks was present at the talks in Dubai, as were regular guests Dr Melissa Lott of Columbia University and Amy Harder of Cipher, and together they tackle one key question: can we call the conference a success? Some people have been hailing it as a triumph, others say it’s a disaster. Does the truth perhaps lie somewhere in the middle? Or is it not that simple?

The Global Stocktake of climate action, agreed at COP28, calls for a “just, orderly and equitable” transition, “accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050”. Amy and Melissa explain what that means, and how it could change the world.

Find all of our coverage of COP28 at http://www.woodmac.com/podcasts/the-energy-gang

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Amazon's analytical approach to understanding the customer allowed it to move beyond books and dominate the retail space. Entire industries are getting upended and transformed as a result.

This story about disruption is a familiar one. We’ve seen how it plays time and time again – and it’s not pretty for the incumbents who fail to catch up with technology. 

It's a compelling narrative in the utility space, where we are smack in the middle of an Amazon moment. Electricity consumers want choice. They respond to personalization. And there’s a new generation of technology providers who think they can give consumers what they want – better than traditional brick and mortar utilities.

And that’s why Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck sees the importance of talking about Amazon as a model.

“How did they go from one thing to this broad level of disruption? They massively focused on the customer and what the customer wants. They looked at every piece of the chain and they tried to make everything easier for the customer. They’re really looking at all those pieces and innovated rapidly to make the buying experience compelling and simple to use," said Tuck.

In this podcast, we'll talk with Tuck about the future of data acquisition, personalization, demand-side management and utility business models. Recommended reading:

• Tendril e-book: The Amazon Effect: Energy in the On Demand Era and What It Means for Utilities
• GTM: Utilities Have the Tools to Unleash the Power of Customers

This podcast is brought to you by Tendril, the industry’s leading DSM data analytics software provider. 

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BlocPower CEO Donnel Baird is on a mission to clean up old, inefficient buildings in America’s cities -- and help people who are exposed to the worst pollution. 

BlocPower was founded in 2012. It’s raised venture capital from Kapor Capital and Andreesen Horowitz. But that process was not easy for a company with a mostly non-white leadership team. As a black founder, Donnel was turned down 200 times before any venture firms were willing to back his vision.

“It was really difficult for us raising capital. One of our investors when I talked to him two or three years ago and said I was struggling to raise capital, he was like ‘yeah man, just hire some white people and send them into the fundraising meetings and it’ll clear things up,’” explains Donnel.

BlocPower is a Brooklyn, New York startup electrifying and weatherizing buildings in underserved communities -- slashing pollution and saving money. This includes housing units, churches, community centers. 

And the mission for Donnel isn’t about just about hitting milestones for investors. It’s about changing the fabric of underserved communities that are plagued by pollution and energy poverty. That’s because Donnel has lived it himself.

In this episode, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch talks with Donnel about how he channeled his frustration and anger around racial unfairness into a business model for the energy transition.

Listen to all our past episodes of Watt It Takes here. This series is normally recorded in front of a live audience, but we’re now recording the interviews remotely. See future events from Powerhouse here.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow, a leading provider of PV inverter solutions across the world. Sungrow has delivered more than 10 gigawatts of inverters to the Americas alone -- and 120 gigawatts in total across the globe. Learn more about Sungrow’s cutting-edge solar projects.

The Energy Gang is also brought to you by CPower. CPower and its team of energy experts are back with a webinar series aimed to help organizations make sense of the chaos and optimize their energy use and spend in 2021. This hour-long webinar series features market-by-market breakdowns to help energy planners make the right decisions. Register today.

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The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, is suddenly putting sustainability and climate risk at the center of its investment strategy. 

“Investors are increasingly...recognizing that climate risk is investment risk. These questions are driving a profound reassessment of risk and asset values. And because capital markets pull future risk forward, we will see changes in capital allocation more quickly than we see changes to the climate itself,” wrote BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in his yearly investment letter.

BlackRock manages over $7 trillion in assets. This new strategy could have a wide impact on the world of finance -- and put climate risk at the top of investor considerations.

Plus, activists are targeting banks like Chase and Citibank by hitting them on the consumer finance side. We check in on the divestment movement as it gains momentum.

Then, a look at some lesser-known, but formidable greenhouse gases: refrigerants. How much a problem are they?

Finally, California looks beyond lithium-ion batteries. The state is looking to fund the next ideas in energy storage. What are those technologies and how will they be deployed?

Resources:

• New York Times: BlackRock C.E.O. Larry Fink: Climate Crisis Will Reshape Finance
• Listen to the Climate 2020 podcast interview with Bill McKibben
• Bill McKibben in NYT: Want to Do Something About Climate? Follow the Money
• E&E News: Senators Float HFC Phase-Down Bill
• GreenBiz: Why Supermarkets are Key to a Cooler Climate
• Utility Dive: California Is Looking for Better Storage

This podcast is brought to you by Energetic Insurance. Energetic’s EneRate Credit Cover policy is an easy button for commercial solar – similar to a FICO score in residential solar. This enables savvy developers and investors to quickly finance commercial solar projects and turn around portfolio refinancings faster. Find out more.

This podcast is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is a leading manufacturer of high-density, high-voltage energy storage solutions for utility, industrial, microgrids and mission-critical markets. Find out more. 

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Further conversations from this year’s summit.

COP28 was the largest climate talks to date, with global industry leaders, governments,

analysts, journalists and climate activists converging on Dubai for the summit.

The Energy Gang's schedule was packed, and host Ed Crooks was joined by many

interesting and influential people from the world of energy across 6 full days. In this episode, we bring you three new conversations that we couldn’t fit into the regular schedule.

Kevin Kariuki is the Vice President for power, energy, climate and green growth at the African Development Bank. Laetitia De Marez is the Senior Program Director of the Climate Finance Access Network run by the thinktank RMI. Together they discuss ways to increase

investment in cutting emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Also, Ed explores a technology for reducing emissions with Mark Davis, the Chief Executive

of Capterio, which works on solutions to stop gas being wasted by being burned off in flares.

For our full COP28 coverage check out our other episodes and find out more at

woodmac.com/podcasts

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This week: a conversation with Andrew Birch, the co-founder and CEO of Sungevity.

For those who’ve been following the wild ride in solar, you’re going to want to listen to this conversation.

Sungevity was once one of the biggest residential solar installers in the U.S. – until it filed for bankruptcy protection at the beginning of the year. In this interview, Andrew Birch talks candidly about how Sungevity was founded, what killed an acquisition deal to save the installer, how market forces and the political landscape hurt the business, and where he thinks global solar trends are headed.

This interview was conducted on-stage at Powerhouse, an incubator based in San Francisco. It’s part of the “Watt It Takes” series on how top cleantech entrepreneurs built their companies. The series is produced by Powerhouse, in partnership with Greentech Media.

This podcast is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. To find out more about Mission’s high-power, American quality modules visit missionsolar.com.

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We often talk about “the energy transition”. In this episode, we discuss what it means to be in the middle of that transition. Earlier this month, California was able to avoid blackouts as people came together to cut their electricity use. In Europe, leaders struggling to balance the urgent need for oil and gas with their goals for cutting emissions. 

In this episode of The Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks is joined by regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and new voice to the show, Emily Grubert, Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy at Notre Dame.

The gang starts the discussion with California’s recent grid struggles. Electricity demand in the state broke records during a severe heat wave, raising fears that the grid might not be able to cope, but alerts warning customers to cut their power use helped avoid blackouts. Amy gives us a first-hand account of what it was like being in California during this time and receiving Flex Alerts asking all residents to voluntarily reduce their electricity use from 4pm to 10pm. Demand response looks like a promising part of the solution for averting an energy crisis, but will it be effective in the long haul? What lessons can we learn from this success story? How can other states and other countries facing similar challenges respond to surging demand and keep the lights on?  

Next up, we take a step back and think about how the world of energy in general stands right now. Everyone – well, almost everyone – agrees we are on a transition from a high-carbon to a lower-carbon energy system. But while on this bumpy journey to clean energy, how can countries manage the transition so they can meet their current needs for heat, power and mobility, while staying on course for their climate goals? That is the challenge of being mid-transition. As we head into the cold winter months, Europe is feeling these issues very sharply. European consumers need more supplies of fossil fuels, but European leaders continue to commit to their net-zero goals.  

Finally, we touch on carbon capture as the ultimate emergency brake if we haven’t managed to change the energy system and cut emissions. Emily discusses her time at the US Department of Energy, working on carbon management. She introduces us to the technologies used to mitigate emissions and remove carbon dioxide from the air. Are these technologies going to be the ultimate saving grace from catastrophic climate change? Listen now to find out.

As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang.

This episode of the Energy Gang is brought to you by Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader advancing a sustainable energy future for all.

Learn more by listening to the Power Pulse podcast, where the Hitachi Energy team discusses the latest in the ongoing transformation of the world’s energy systems. The Power Pulse podcast is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or any other podcast app.

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Dan Shugar lives, breathes and bleeds solar. 

"If you cut my wrist, pure silicon comes out," he exclaimed in an interview with Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch, as part of the Watt It Takes interview series. 

This week, Shugar steps behind the microphone to talk about turning his passion for PV into deals and acquisitions worth over $1 billion.

Shugar has a storied career. Some call him the "King Midas" of solar, because he's turned so many ventures into gold. He's the former president of Powerlight, the pioneering developer acquired by SunPower in 2006. He's now CEO of the tracker company NEXTracker, which was sold to Flextronics for $330 million last year. 

In this edition of Watt It Takes, Shugar describes the moment he realized solar's potential while working for PG&E; how Powerlight was founded and funded; the risks he took when getting into solar; his passion for the environment; and why everyone is underestimating the growth of PV.

This conversation was recorded live in Oakland, California at Powerhouse. In the next episode, GTM Co-Founder Scott Clavenna takes the stage.

This podcast is brought to you by Mission Solar. Find out more about Mission's high-quality, American-made solar modules.

Listen to earlier episodes of Watt It Takes:

• SunPower Founder Dick Swanson’s Guide to Launching a Cleantech Startup
• Lessons From the Fall of Sungevity

Like our shows? Make sure to give The Interchange and The Energy Gang a rating and review on Apple podcasts. And make sure to subscribe to both shows on Apple podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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Jigar Shah has been our co-host since 2013. But now he's moving on to new pastures.

Starting this this week, Jigar will be leading the Department of Energy's loan programs office -- running the government's strategy to finance the deployment of up-and-coming clean energy technologies.

In this episode, we reflect on Jigar's career and his role on the show. Plus, we'll learn more about his mission in the Biden Administration.

Read the announcement.

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Leila Madrone was constantly looking for creative ways to use robots. In the mid 2000's, she co-founded a music group called Ensemble Robot, which featured robots that played music. 

"I had this great passion to use robotics to have meaning in the world," said Madrone. Later, Madrone worked for NASA's intelligent robotics group. 

Then she caught the solar bug: "Solar seemed like where the most possibility was for the future."

She teamed up with Saul Griffith, an expert in self-replicating machines, to start Sunfolding. It started with a seemingly simple idea: Solar trackers move solar panels over the day to create the most energy. But they’re made of heavy, expensive components. What if you could develop a cheaper, more efficient tracker using premium plastic materials and the power of air to maximize energy production?

With that idea, Leila built Sunfolding’s AirDrive technology that combines the functionality of motors, gears, dampers and batteries into a single component primarily composed of air.

In this edition of Watt It Takes, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch interviews Leila Madrone about her path from music-making NASA roboticist to solar-tracker CEO.

This podcast is brought to you by Sense. Sense installs in your home's electrical panel and provides insight into your energy use and home activity through iOS, Android and web apps. Find out more.

Watt It Takes is a live interview series produced by Powerhouse in partnership with GTM. The conversation was recorded live in Oakland, California.

Listen to our other episodes of Watt It Takes:

• Nancy Pfund’s Pro Tips for Getting Started in Cleantech
• SunPower Founder Dick Swanson’s Guide to Launching a Cleantech Startup
• Lessons From the Fall of Sungevity
• Dan Shugar, the K​ing Midas of Solar
• A History of Greentech Media With Scott Clavenna
• Sungage's Sara Ross on Starting a Solar Loan Company
• Jigar Shah on the Origin Story of SunEdison
• The Origin Story of Mosaic With Billy Parish

Like our shows? Make sure to give The Interchange, The Energy Gang and Political Climate a rating and review on Apple podcasts. And make sure to subscribe to our shows on Apple podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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The Gang is on summer vacation this week. We'll be back soon with our regular analysis and debate on the stories in energy.

Meanwhile, we'd like to introduce you to Political Climate, GTM's newest podcast hosted by Senior Editor Julia Pyper.

The show features healthy debates from Republicans and Democrats over the politics of energy and climate. Enjoy this bonus episode and share your feedback with The Energy Gang and Political Climate on Twitter.

Subscribe to Political Climate via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, TuneIn, Overcast, Stitcher and Spotify.

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Zero-emission, low-cost electricity, delivered to the grid from natural-gas fuelled technology. A wright-brothers first flight kind of breakthrough in energy?

The gang discuss the possibilities and scalability of NET Powers Technology, a Texas-based energy company who’ve made this exact claim.

Ed is joined as usual by Melissa Lott from Columbia University, and Emily Chasan from Generate Capital.

The other big story of the week was the collapse of British energy provider Bulb, the 6th largest provider in the country and an issue that has impacted some 2 million customers. Could the same thing happen in the US? Within those talks, the pros and cons of carbon capture technology are explored, and if the Biden administration made the right decision to release 50 million barrels of petroleum from the SPR to help ease the heightened holiday energy demand.

The gang leaves you with some holiday-season free electrons, including a cracking joke from Ed, and find out why climate change is affecting Canada’s maple syrup production.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom’s onsite energy platform provides unparalleled control for those looking to secure clean, reliable 24/7 power that scales to meet critical business needs. It eliminates outage and price risk while accelerating us towards a zero carbon future. Visit Bloom Energy to learn how to take charge today.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Hitachi Energy. What does your energy future look like? Look to Hitachi Energy for the advanced energy technologies needed to deliver real outcomes — unlocking new revenue streams, maximizing renewable integration, and lowering carbon emissions. Learn more.

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Achieving net zero emissions requires collaboration from a multitude of government organizations and businesses.

For a country the size of Australia, 24% of electricity coming from renewables is a huge accomplishment. But it does not come easy. Australia has two large interconnected energy networks, the National Electricity Market along the East Coast, with demand of 30-35 GW, and the Western Australia Electricity Market, with demand between 2-3 GW. Both networks are receiving a huge update of distributed solar which means the amount of energy generated by renewables is constantly increasing.

Hitachi Energy, a longtime partner of The Energy Gang has played an integral role in helping Australia to achieve this, and on today’s episode, Ed Crooks is joined by two key representatives from Hitachi Energy, to discuss their work in Australia and examine some of the lessons that other countries can learn from Australia’s experience.

Juergen Zimmerman is Business Development and Technology Manager for Hitachi Energy, based in Darwin, Australia.

John Glassmire is Senior Advisor for Grid Edge Solutions, also at Hitachi Energy and based in Seattle.

This episode was produced in collaboration with Hitachi Energy. Hitachi is helping to accelerate the energy transition by developing digital and energy platforms, helping customers to overcome the complexity and capacity challenges required to transition towards a carbon-neutral energy system.

Get access to the on-demand webinars on Grid Edge Solutions here: https://bit.ly/3zPBh8a

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Of all the stages of a solar project, the operations and management stage is arguably the most crucial. When you’re thinking about project efficiency and financial returns in solar, you need to have a concise plan for the O&M stage.

Greg Shambo is Vice President of Business Development at Borrego Energy. He says that ‘when you get into the operations stage, this is where you make the money. If you can’t operate profitably from day one, you end up losing money. We call these walking dead sites, because they were doomed to start with.’

For the last forty years, Borrego have established themselves as one of the nation’s most reliable names in the Solar and Energy Storage industry. From their early days as solar pioneers, to today - as leaders on the national energy storage stage – Borrego have delivered timely and secure management to solar projects. In 2014, Borrego launched a stand-alone O&M business for both EPC and non-EPC customers to help optimise and maintain system performance and help their clients achieve their financial goals.

Jay Smith also joins us, he's the Director of Asset Management at Standard Solar, a client of Borrego.

On the show, Greg and Jay take us through the management of large-scale solar projects, and how clients can ensure they pick the best O&M provider for the job.

This episode was produced in collaboration with Borrego, a leading developer, EPC and O&M provider for large-scale renewable energy projects throughout the United States. With over 1.4 GW and more than 1,000 sites under its management nationwide, Borrego O&M is comprised of technical experts that have been helping customers maximise their asset performance and value for the last decade.

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The Energy Gang wraps up Climate Week in New York, after six days of debates, discussions, initiatives and pledges. Scheduled alongside the UN General Assembly, Climate Week brought together leaders from business, policy, finance, academia and activism to share ideas and push forward real solutions for climate change. 

Host Ed Crooks sits down with Helen Clarkson, CEO of the Climate Group which organizes Climate Week, to talk about the big stories that emerged from the week. Climate Week has evolved from a small business-focused event to a larger platform, engaging diverse sectors in climate action. This year it included about 900 separate events, attended by an estimated 100,000 people.

Helen explains the evolution of the event, and its shift of focus from the question of why companies should act on climate, to ideas for implementing solutions. Regulations that obstruct investment in low-carbon energy are emerging as one of the biggest challenges in the transition, and Helen and Ed discuss how to break down these barriers and facilitate the growth of renewables. Support from tech companies and other businesses for the development of clean energy was a key theme through the week. The launch of the 24/7 carbon-free coalition of energy buyers, backed by the Climate Group, was one of the big announcements of the week.

Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, also joins the show to discuss the Biden administration’s role in supporting Ukraine's energy security amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, and the importance of building a resilient energy infrastructure. He says one of the key issues at his meetings at Climate Week has been the importance of the supply chain for critical minerals, and the need to reduce dependence on China by creating new capabilities for mineral extraction and processing. Plus, Ed and Ambassador Pyatt debate the role of the U.S. in leading the energy transition globally. 

Find all our Climate Week reporting on The Energy Gang, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Like fantasy sports? Listen to our deep decarbonization draft. 

The Energy Gang is break this week for the July 4 holiday. We'll be back next week.

In the meantime, we're offering up a re-run from The Interchange. 

In this episode, Shayle and Stephen choose their rosters of nine technologies to decarbonize the global economy. The goal: find the best resource mix to keep global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius. 

• The draft has nine rounds. The “team” resulting from each person’s picks will need to stand on its own.
• Each pick must be a unique technology. For example, “energy efficiency” is not a pick, but “LED lighting” is.
• Technologies with major subsets must be picked separately. For example, rooftop solar and centralized solar are two different picks.
• The existing technology mix will stand. (We don’t need to pick “transmission & distribution" in order to have electricity.)
• The time horizon will be through 2050.
• The winner will be chosen by listeners.

If you like what you hear, subscribe to The Interchange anywhere you get your podcasts!

The Energy Gang will be back next week.

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This week, we cover some hopeful signs amidst the economic destruction. 

First, we’ll look at the record-breaking activity in battery storage.

A coal plant in North Dakota will be replaced in part with a one-acre battery array from Form Energy that uses a new technology capable of discharging for 150 hours – that’s more than 30 times longer than lithium batteries. 

Hawaii’s electric utility just awarded contracts for 16 projects that add up to more than 3 gigawatt-hours of storage, in order to replace an oil-fired and a coal-fired power plant. 

And in California, Southern California Edison signed contracts for 770 megawatts of batteries, many paired with solar projects, to replace gas plants. That’s 200 megawatts more than the entire battery capacity installed in 2019.

Plus, in China, more hybrid wind/solar and battery plants are starting to emerge. 

This led Dan Finn-Foley, Wood Mackenzie’s head of energy storage, to declare: “The utility energy storage market is blowing through milestones faster than we can report them.”

Then, renewables are surging and coal is declining. A new IEA report says that renewable generation will increase in 2020 -- pushing higher-cost fossil resources out of the market. "In all regions that implemented lockdown measures," the IEA report said, "the electricity supply underwent a notable shift towards low-carbon energy sources." We’ll look at why.

Finally: presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden just unveiled a new climate task force. From the Sunrise Movement to a former EPA chief, we’ll talk about who’s on it, and look at their roles. What will this task force accomplish in terms of agenda-setting and setting the political tone?

Recommended reading:

• GTM: ‘Blowing Through Milestones’: Hawaiian Electric Picks Winners in Solar-Storage Bonanza
• GTM: Long Duration Breakthrough? Form Energy’s First Project Tries Pushing Storage to 150 Hours
• Bloomberg: China’s Great Energy Shift Sets Mega Hybrid Plants in Motion
• Inside Climate News: With Planned Closing of North Dakota Coal Plant, Energy Transition Comes Home to Rural America
• E&ENews: How Lockdowns Boost Renewables and Harm Coal
• GTM: WoodMac: Global Solar Market Set to Resume Growth in 2021 as Coronavirus Impact Fades
• Carbon Brief: Will China Build Hundreds of New Coal Power Plants in the 2020s?
• Inside Climate News: Biden Names Ocasio-Cortez, Kerry to Lead His Climate Task Force, Bridging Democrats’ Divide
• The Verge: How the Left is Trying to Fix Biden

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.

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For all our East Coast fans of The Energy Gang: make sure to get your tickets for our live show on October 4 in New York City! Find them here.

This week on Watt It Takes: Why one man spent 15 years of his life obsessed with flying a solar airplane around the world.

We’re going to hear from Bertrand Piccard, a Swiss-balloonist-turned-futurist who co-piloted Solar Impulse, the first solar-electric airplane to navigate the globe.

Piccard is a very inspiring person. His entire mission was to do the impossible so that he could prove what is possible with renewable energy.

“We gave a new understanding of the level of complexity that renewable energies can solve. If you can fly around the world in a solar airplane, you can do everything,” says Piccard.

Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch sat down with Piccard to hear more about the 15 years of work that went into his historic flight – and about the deep family history that influenced him.

Buy tickets to future Watt It Takes events here. 

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America is a place where if you can dream something — no matter how big or ambitious — you can do it. 

Unless you’re trying to string 700 miles of high-voltage transmission lines to bring wind power from Oklahoma to Tennessee. 

Our guest this week is Russell Gold, author of a new book about the saga that unfolded when wind energy pioneer Michael Skelly tried just that. 

The book, “Superpower,” is all about Skelly’s attempt to build one of the most ambitious energy infrastructure projects in recent history — and how he faced nearly every obstacle imaginable. What does Skelly’s journey tell us about America’s diminishing ability to do great things?

Russell Gold is a veteran newspaper reporter who was a pulitzer prize finalist for his reporting on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He wrote a book in 2014 on the rise of fracking, called “The Boom.” He’ll join us to talk about the reasons why Skelly’s transmission plan failed.

Then, two top presidential candidates are calling for a ban on fracking and promising to phase out nuclear power. What would be the consequences if a democrat actually put those promises into action?

Finally: we’re digging into a piece from Jonathan Franzen in the New Yorker that got a lot of angry criticism. Should we just give up and stop pretending we can do anything about climate change?

Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.

Subscribe to GTM podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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This is a branded podcast made in collaboration between CohnReznick Capital and GTM Creative Strategies. 

Sheslie Royster is the person that big companies turn to when making an acquisition, investing in real estate, or finding a creative way to use tax credits. She’s a tax expert, focused mostly in wind and solar.

Those deals include a lot of numbers and math, of course. But Sheslie says the math isn’t as important as it seems. It’s the interpretation of the math that matters.

“I'd say a minimal amount is math. I'd say in the deals that we have where we're discussing tax issues, the numbers play a part but it's a smaller part. It's more the theory behind what's going on behind the numbers. What does this mean? What was the intent of the law? What is the intent of the deal?”

Sheslie is a tax partner at CohnReznick. She works on some very complicated projects that require a deep level of trust and intimacy.

“It's a personal relationship. People are telling you things about themselves that sometimes their spouses don't even know. Intimate details that people just don't tell when you meet them at a cocktail party,” she says.

So how does Sheslie get people to tell her things their spouses don’t know? 

In this episode, we’ll uncover the the secrets of one of the best tax experts in the business. 

This episode was produced by GTM Creative Strategies in collaboration with CohnReznick. 

CohnReznick serves a wide range of industries, from tech to government to entertainment. It’s a leader in cutting-edge fields like renewable energy and cannabis. To learn more about how people like Sheslie can help you get the most out of your deals, visit CohnReznick. 

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The electric grid is a central pillar of a zero-carbon economy. But in an era of unrelenting weather extremes, it’s also one of the most fragile.

This week: what does power after carbon look like?

Katherine and Stephen are joined by Dr. Peter Fox-Penner, author of a new book called, “Power After Carbon.”

Peter is the founder of the Boston University Institute of Sustainable Energy. And he’s a partner and chief strategy officer at the VC firm Energy Impact Partners. 

At the turn of the last decade, Peter wrote a book called “Smart Power” that looked at the new pressures that utilities were facing around climate policy, emerging distributed energy, and digitization. We’ll look at what’s changed the most over the last decade.

Plus, we’ll talk about why Entergy’s resistance to distributed energy in Louisiana created vulnerabilities after Hurricane Ida.

The Energy Gang is a Wood Mackenzie podcast.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow. As a leading provider of PV inverter solutions across the world, Sungrow has delivered more than 10 gigawatts of inverters to the Americas alone and 154 gigawatts in total across the globe. Email them to learn more.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by S&C Electric Company. Today, non-wires alternatives such as microgrids can provide more sustainable, resilient and economical ways to deliver reliable power. S&C helps utilities and commercial customers find the best solutions to meet their energy needs. Learn more.

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This is a special episode of Wood Mackenzie's The Energy Gang, recorded at the Reuters Global Energy Transition 2024 conference in New York. It has a great lineup of speakers from the worlds of business, finance, and government, giving us an opportunity to talk to some of the key people who are driving the energy transition. 

One of the panellists on the first day was Kristina Skierka, CEO of Power for All, a campaign group working on energy access in low-income countries. Host Ed Crooks talked with her about how decentralized renewables can reduce energy poverty, and how partnerships between business, philanthropy and government can help countries make progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Power for All is working on what it calls its “Utilities 2.0” initiative, looking for ways to combine centralized and decentralized energy to create robust, integrated systems that will improve service delivery and stimulate increased demand.

Another session at the event was a technology showcase, where we heard from companies developing innovative ways to cut emissions. One of them was Cella, which has a new method for permanent carbon removal. Its approach accelerates the natural geologic process that turns carbon dioxide into a mineral: it injects captured carbon dioxide into volcanic rocks, where mineralization permanently locks it underground.

Ed talked with Corey Pattison, Cella’s co-founder and CEO, and they discussed the different methods of carbon mineralization, the geology needed for the process to work, and the potential advantages for this method over conventional carbon dioxide storage.  

There was also a Town Hall session for attendees, allowing open discussion on any topics the participants wanted to bring up. Ed raised a question suggested on LinkedIn, about the potential trade-off in the transition between speed and scale in the deployment of low carbon technologies, and energy equity. We report back on some of the responses to that question.

Look out for the next special episode from day two of the conference, available on Thursday June 27.

You can find Ed and the show on most social media platforms: we’re @theenergygang on X. Subscribe to the Energy Gang on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss the next show.

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Joe Biden just released a plan to address climate change on a trillion-dollar scale. Along with focusing on rapid deployment of renewables, it also devotes resources to environmental justice, sustainable housing, clean transportation, and networking.

What would it mean? And who's informing the ideas? We’ll dig in.

Then Facebook's disinformation problem. We look at why Facebook is rejecting the conclusions of its fact-checkers on some articles about climate change. We’re joined by Emily Atkin, climate journalist and founder of the newsletter Heated, who dug up some of the documents showing who’s making these decisions at Facebook. 

Then, U.S. attorneys in Ohio and Illinois have been busy investigating racketeering and bribery by high-ranking public officials who are doing the bidding of utility companies. In Ohio, the speaker of the House is arrested and in Illinois a utility is put on probation. There’s a common thread, and we tease it out. 

Recommended reading:

• Biden Campaign: Climate Plan
• Biden Campaign: Environmental Justice Commitments
• GTM: Biden Pledges $2T in Clean Energy and Infrastructure Spending
• Heated: Facebook Creates Fact-Checking Exemption for Climate Deniers
• NYT: How Facebook Handles Climate Disinformation
• WaPo: GOP Ohio House speaker Arrested in Connection to $60 million Bribery Scheme
• Axios: Ohio House speaker charged in $60 million bribery investigation
• GTM: ComEd Agrees to $200M Fine on Federal Bribery Charge

The Interchange is brought to you by Fluence, a global leader in battery-based energy storage technology and services. From commercializing the first grid-connected battery systems in 2008 to the multi-gigawatt fleet being deployed for customers globally today, the Fluence team is ensuring that storage is the cornerstone of the electric future. Learn more.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Nor-Cal Control. As a total controls and monitoring solution provider, Nor-Cal supports every phase of your project, from turnkey design solutions to post-OEM enhancements, troubleshooting and training. As the only system integrator in solar PV that comes from a traditional power generation background, Nor-Cal has earned a reputation at the “strongest in controls.” Learn more.

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At a time when much of Europe has been sweltering in record temperatures, it feels like a stark contrast to be worrying about winter.

These are very worrying times for Europeans, because of deep uncertainty over what will happen to the import of Russian gas, which is critical for keeping the lights on and keeping people warm in their homes. Meanwhile, the US appears to have reached a defining moment in the evolution of climate policy.

In this episode, host Ed Crooks is joined by regular contributor Amy Myers Jaffe from the Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University, and a new voice on the Energy Gang, Vicky Bailey, founder of Anderson Stratton Enterprises. 

Things are heating up on the energy front, which begs the question, does the crisis we are seeing now represent a failure of energy policy in Europe? 

We invite our listeners to comment and join the debate. This week Ed and the gang respond to a question about nuclear power and its future in the energy transition.

 The future of U.S. climate and energy policy is again in peril, after West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin kills the Biden Administration’s “Build Back Better” plan. 

As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss.

Also don’t forget to send us your free electrons! Tweet us @TheEnergyGang or use the hashtag #EGFreeElectrons. We can’t wait to hear your stories.

NOTE: This episode was recorded earlier in the week, before the news that Senator Joe Manchin had agreed to back a bill that would deliver a substantial increase in support for low-carbon energy in the US, including extended tax credits for renewables, hydrogen, and advanced nuclear power.

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Solar and wind sent European utilities into financial disarray, and U.S. utilities are facing a similar fate. Are global oil companies next?

A new report from one of the world’s biggest banks, BNP Paribas, says that solar and wind paired with electric cars provide up to 7 times more useful energy for mobility than gasoline dollar for dollar. And that economic reality could hit oil companies sooner than they think.

“The oil industry has never before in its history faced the kind of threat that renewable electricity in tandem with EVs poses to its business model,” concludes the report.

This week, we’ll dig into the findings. How does it square with current projections for EV growth and oil demand? 

Then, a regulatory surprise from the Trump Administration is delaying an 800-megawatt offshore wind project. It could also hurt other projects planned for the East Coast. Is this a careful step, or a cynical political move from a hostile White House?

Finally, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg is on her way to the U.S. — and she’s come under fire from the conservative media. We’ll look at the strange reaction to her rise and influence.

Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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The COP26 circus has left town. Across 2 weeks of talks in Glasgow, what were the successes, and what were the failures? With current commitments putting the world on track to 2.4°C of warming, the cost of inaction on climate and health will vastly outweigh the costs of acting now, so which countries are snapping into action?

Host Ed Crooks is joined by regular Melissa Lott, Director of Research at the Centre on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Amy Myers-Jaffe, Managing Director of the Climate Policy Lab, at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, to give the final verdict.

Also in the show, the gang looks at innovations in technology in carbon capture and storage; President Biden’s infrastructure bill proposes big commitments on CCS, what do these look like? Plus, nuclear and hydrogen technologies, which could play a huge role in the energy transition, go under the microscope.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Bloom Energy. Bloom’s onsite energy platform provides unparalleled control for those looking to secure clean, reliable 24/7 power that scales to meet critical business needs. It eliminates outage and price risk while accelerating us towards a zero carbon future. Visit Bloom Energy to learn how to take charge today.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Hitachi Energy. What does your energy future look like? Look to Hitachi Energy for the advanced energy technologies needed to deliver real outcomes — unlocking new revenue streams, maximizing renewable integration, and lowering carbon emissions. Learn more.

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Some news for this podcast: Ed Crooks, VP of the Americas for Wood Mackenzie, will be taking over the show as our new host.

Co-hosts Katherine Hamilton and Stephen Lacey will be moving on. 

Wood Mackenzie will be producing the podcast from now on, bringing on a range of new voices to join the gang.

We discuss the transition in the first half of the episode. 

Later in the show, Katherine, Stephen and Ed explore the range of expectations for global climate talks in Glasgow. 

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This podcast episode sponsored by West Monroe Partners, and brought to you by creative strategies.

How do we think about change in the electric utility industry caused by distributed resources? Is it like telecom? Internet-based retail?

Sam Uyeno, senior manager in West Monroe Partners’ energy and utilities practice, says that it may be more like ride sharing. As distributed resources flourish, he argues that utilities will have to think about how to leverage new customers within its network — just as Uber came into the taxi market and allowed anyone to become operators. 

When you consider distributed resource management software, “maybe that’s the Uber.”

Utilities are making large investments to keep up with the quickening pace of technological innovation. But it may not be enough to keep up with distributed energy resources. Utilities should also be looking for a new regulatory compact all together, argues Tom Hulsebosch, senior managing director for West Monroe Partner’s Energy & Utilities and sustainability practice. 

In this podcast, we talk with Hulsebosch and Uyeno about the technology investments and business practices that utilities need to adopt in order to get ahead of the wave of distributed assets connecting to the grid.

Recommended reading:

• Addressing the Challenge of Distributed Energy Resource Growth
• Positioning Utilities to Win the Battle for Customers
• New Role for Utilities Leads to Business Opportunities

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A rivalry is emerging between two companies trying to clean up the trucking industry: Nikola Motor versus Tesla Motors.

Tesla thinks battery-electric semi models are superior. Nikola thinks hydrogen is the best choice.

Neither company actually has a semi model on the road. But Elon Musk and Trevor Milton are talking up their visions for the future of heavy-duty trucks, with the hope of getting vehicles to customers in the next couple of years.

This week on The Energy Gang: Which company is best positioned to win? Which technology is superior? And who’s the bigger showman, Musk or Milton?

Then: are we finally entering the era of the electric pick-up truck? Lots of new models are hitting the internet. But when will they hit the roads? 

And last, Lyft wants every car in its fleet to be electric -- in 10 years. Most of the cars don’t belong to Lyft, so how are they going to make that happen? 

Co-hosts Katherine Hamilton, Jigar Shah and Stephen Lacey discuss. 

Resources:

• Fast Company: 7 Things to Know About the Rising Tesla Competitor
• Bloomberg/India Times: In the battle of electric-trucks, it is Nikola vs Tesla
• HiConsumption: The 8 Electric Pickup Trucks Worth Waiting For
• Elektrek: The year of the electric truck, finally?
• Lyft: Path to Zero Emissions
• Bloomberg: Lyft Says All Rides Will Be in Electric Cars by the End of 2030

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.

The Energy Gang is also brought to you by KORE Power. Based in the U.S., KORE Power is situated to meet the growing global demand of the energy storage market. KORE Power is building the first large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility in the U.S. owned by an American company. Once it’s operational, the 1-million-square-foot facility will have 10 gigawatt-hours of scalable manufacturing capacity. Learn more. 

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The Energy Gang is back. We’re only a couple of weeks into the new year but already so much has happened.

A mild winter so far in Europe has sent wholesale gas prices falling, but there’s still a long way to go. Natural gas is expected to trade at 77.11 Euros per MWh by the end of the quarter, down to pre-Ukraine war levels. With prices down 50% since the December peak, what is that going to do for the rest of the world? It’s just one question we have as the gang looks ahead to 2023 and discuss the opportunities or challenges that may await the energy industry. 

Melissa Lott, Director of the Centre on Global Energy Policy, is joined by Amy Myers-Jaffe – Director of the Energy, Climate Justice & Sustainability Lab, and research professor at NYU. Together they look forward to the next 12 months: we’re approaching a year of war in Ukraine but how much longer will it continue? What will that do for energy prices and investment this year? 

Environmental action in 2023 will also be put under the microscope – who is investing, and where? Will we see a doubling-down on alternative energy or a shift back to legacy fuel production to mitigate recession?

Finally, a Conference of the Parties in the Middle East approaches at the end of the year. It’s a massive test of the credibility of the Gulf region’s net zero ambitions and pledges. Will it push them to decarbonise, or have previous COPs shown us that it’s all talk, no action?

As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang. 

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This week: we examine the Trump alternative to the Clean Power Plan, look at the gap between red and blue states on climate change, and review the presidential debates.

Up first: how Trump's EPA is replacing Obama's major climate rule.

Then, the red-blue climate divide. States are putting ambitious new climate plans in place. But they’re almost all in states dominated by democrats -- and the new EPA power plant rule only makes that gap bigger. What are the long-term economic consequences for the red states failing to change?

Finally, we got 15 minutes of climate talk in the first two Democratic presidential debates. Does this yet again prove why we need a climate-only debate?

Recommended reading:

• Yale Climate Connections: The Trump EPA Strategy to Undo the Clean Power Plan
• New York Times: Blue States Roll Out Aggressive Climate Strategies. Red States Keep to the Sidelines
• The Guardian: A Climate-Themed Debate? The Democrats Owe It to Voters

Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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We recorded this episode on Halloween morning. We woke up and felt like celebrating the theme of the holiday.

If you’re listening after Halloween, don’t fret. There’s still plenty of newsworthy stuff in here.

First up, we’re choosing the story from 2019 that is most worthy of its own horror movie. As a bonus, we are also choosing the genre of horror.

Then, we pick the zombie story or trend of the year that just won’t die.

And finally, the company or person that deserves a treat.

We’ll end with some bone-chilling Free Electrons.

Could you do us a favor? Take our listener survey so we can give you more relevant content: bit.ly/gtmpodcast

Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.

Subscribe to GTM podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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The International Energy Agency last week published its World Energy Outlook, which is its big annual review of everything that is going on in the world of energy.

One of the headlines that has been attracting a lot of attention is the forecast that, on current trends, demand for all three fossil fuels – that is, oil, gas and goal – will peak before 2030. The IEA’s report states that the pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C, the objective the world set in the Paris Agreement, is still open. Although if we carry on as we are, by 2030 it won’t be.

Joining Ed Crooks to discuss the IEA’s views and progress in the transition away from fossil fuels are Dr Melissa Lott and Amy Myers-Jaffe. Regular Energy Gang guests, Melissa is Director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. Amy heads up NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab. 

They debate whether this decade might witness the arrival of peak fossil fuel demand. What are the forecasts saying, and are they believable? The gang weigh up the recent tide of bad news about electric vehicles. Should we be preparing for an abrupt turn away from EVs? What could it mean for oil demand if it happened? And how should we interpret the two recent mega-deals in the US oil industry?

Plus: offshore wind is in trouble. Rising interest rates and supply chain issues are driving up costs, and big projects in the US are being cancelled. Can the industry find a way out of its predicament?

And finally, China’s share of global production of spherical graphite, used in battery anodes, is over 99%, putting it in a strong position in global supply chains. Now China has announced new export restrictions on several forms of graphite, raising questions about whether a new vulnerability has been exposed for US and European battery and EV manufacturers.

It’s a packed show, and as always we are keen to hear your thoughts and comments. You can find us on most platforms as @theenergygang. Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss the next one, out every second Friday at 7am ET.

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There’s a new phrase bouncing around energy circles: Electrify Everything.

This week, we talk to Nate Adams, a home performance expert whose personal mission is to rip gas meters out of homes and move us closer toward full electrification. As he’s learned from experience, it’s not easy.

The electrification of homes may be getting easier in California, however.

In the second half of the show, we’re going to tackle California’s new building codes. Starting in 2020, most new homes will have to come with solar panels on the roof. And there are new incentives for electric space heating and water heating – a very big step toward electrification of everything.

The codes have created a very strong reaction, both positive and negative – and we’ll look at both sides.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sense. Sense installs in your home's electrical panel and provides insight into your energy use and home activity through iOS, Android and web apps. Find out more.

Recommended reading:

• GTM: Electrify Everything! A Practical Guide to Ditching Your Gas Meter
• GTM: What Does It Take to Electrify Everything in Your Home?
• Vox: The Key to Tackling Climate Change: Electrify Everything
• GTM: California Rooftop Solar Mandate to Boost Sales 14% Over 4 Years
• Bloomberg: California Puts Solar on the Roof and Up For Grabs
• Vox: California Will Require Solar Panels on All New Homes. That’s Not Necessarily a Good Thing

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

And while you're there, subscribe to our other podcasts, The Interchange and Political Climate. 

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The energy industry influences climate change, and climate change also influences the energy industry. Understanding the consequences of a warming world is essential for making the right decisions as trillions of dollars are invested in energy production around the world. While we work to mitigate climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, we also need to adapt to the changes that we cannot prevent.

On the Energy Gang today, Ed Crooks and Melissa Lott are joined by Dr Sarah Kapnick from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA collects data from a fleet of satellites, buoys, weather stations and balloons, and uses the information to try to understand our changing world. Its data and modelling on global warming and its impacts is increasingly being used to inform decisions on renewable investment, emergency planning, technology and more. Melissa also works on these issues in her role as Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.

How do we collect climate data? What impacts of climate change have we seen already, and what can we expect to see in the future? How can we use the information we have to make the best decisions when it comes to curtailing carbon emissions?

Climate change was a significant factor in the huge wildfires that hit the US West Coast in recent years, because of two decades of abnormally low precipitation. Dr Kapnick explains how that should influence companies’ and regulators’ decisions about investment and risk management. Wind power generation in Europe was hit by unexpectedly low wind strength in 2021. Climate data and models can inform companies facing these kinds of problems, and should help them plan their investments and operations more effectively, so they can keep the lights on while holding costs down.

All this and more on a special climate-focused edition of the Energy Gang. As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang. 

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In a year when clean energy and clean vehicle jobs were supposed to increase by some 175,000, we are down by half a million jobs. 

We will tell you why, and explain the numbers. What will reverse the decline?

Then: Did New Jersey just pass the most sweeping environmental justice law in the country? The new law will mean big changes for industrial sites -- and the neighborhoods that often feel their worst impacts. 

And last: What about all that nice, flat water in hydropower reservoirs? Could we float solar panels on it? The Department of Energy says we could. And it would actually produce massive amounts of electricity. 

• E2: Clean Energy Sector Enters Final Months of 2020 Down 478,000 Jobs
• Bloomberg: Most U.S. Oil Job Losses in Pandemic Are Lasting
• Fortune: The Oil and Gas Industry Has Lost More Than 100,000 Jobs This Year
• NJ.com: Landmark Law to Protect N.J.'s Poorest Communities From Pollution
• DOE: U.S. Hydropower Potential from Existing Non-powered Dams

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.

The Energy Gang is also brought to you by KORE Power. Based in the U.S., KORE Power is situated to meet the growing global demand of the energy storage market. KORE Power is building the first large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility in the U.S. owned by an American company. Once it’s operational, the 1-million-square-foot facility will have 12 gigawatt-hours of scalable manufacturing capacity. Learn more. 

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For two years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been working on a new analysis about global emissions pathways. The report was released this week — and the conclusion is pretty dire.

Or is it actually more hopeful than it appears? 

This week, we’ll discuss the IPCC’s findings, debate the tone, and dissect media coverage of the report. 

Then, Orsted, the Danish mega-energy producer, is buying a leading American offshore wind developer. What does it say about the coming rush of offshore activity?

And finally, over to biofuels. President Trump is asking the EPA to lift restrictions on higher ethanol-gasoline blends in the summer. Farmers love it. The oil industry hates it. What was the political calculus?

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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Truck buyers are historically some of the most brand-loyal auto consumers But recent surveys suggest that loyalty is loosening.

Into the picture steps Elon Musk, who dropped the Tesla Cybertruck last month. This space-age truck concept is truly putting the shift in consumer preferences to the test. It’s also tearing a lot of opinionated people apart.

In this episode: what is the Cybertruck and where might it fit into the emerging electric truck market? And can it sway truck buyers who don't care about Tesla?

Then, there’s a major tax bill in Congress right now that would be a boon to renewables — what are its chances?

Finally, what would we do with a million dollars? We answer a listener question about how to invest with impact.

Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.

Subscribe to GTM podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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In 2018, President Donald Trump said “I’m a tariff man”, declaring they were the way to make America rich again. Six years on and just weeks into his second term, he is putting that philosophy into practice. President Trump has announced a barrage of new and increased tariffs on imports into the US, including a 10% levy on all goods from China. He has threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Canda and Mexico, although those were put on hold for a month. And he has announced a strategy of reciprocal tariffs, promising to match other countries’ barriers to imports from the US with equivalent levies on their exports. It is a time of turbulence. What does it mean for the energy transition?  

To analyse what all these actual and threatened tariffs mean for energy security, the economy and the climate, host Ed Crooks – Vice-Chair for the Americas at Wood Mackenzie - is joined by three policy experts from the US and Canada. Samantha Gross is the director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. Joseph Majkut is director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. And Andrew Leach is an energy and environmental economist at the University of Alberta. 

Together they discuss the Trump administration’s strategy, and where it might lead. How do the tariff plans align with President Trump’s goals for boosting energy production and driving down prices for consumers? What happens to complex international supply chains as tariffs rise? And where does this leave the global effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions? Samantha Gross says the situation is ‘”rotten for the climate”. Does she have a point?

Let us know what you think. We’re on X, at @theenergygang. Make sure you’re following the show so you don’t miss an episode – we’ll be back in two weeks, Tuesday morning at 7am eastern time.

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America is a place where if you can dream something — no matter how big or ambitious — you can do it. 

Unless you’re trying to string 700 miles of high-voltage transmission lines to bring wind power from Oklahoma to Tennessee. 

Our guest this week is Russell Gold, author of a new book about the saga that unfolded when wind energy pioneer Michael Skelly tried just that. 

The book, Superpower, is all about Skelly’s attempt to build one of the most ambitious energy infrastructure projects in recent history — and how he faced nearly every obstacle imaginable. What does Skelly’s journey tell us about America’s diminishing ability to do great things?

Russell Gold is a veteran newspaper reporter who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his reporting on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He wrote a book in 2014 on the rise of fracking, called The Boom. He’ll join us to talk about the reasons why Skelly’s transmission plan failed.

This is a rebroadcast of a 2019 episode.

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Billy Parish dropped out of college to pursue a career in climate activism. Today, he's the CEO of America's biggest rooftop solar loan company, Mosaic.

In this edition of Watt It Takes, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch interviews Parish about his transition from activist to executive. They'll talk about the many iterations of Mosaic, difficulties in raising money from VCs, and Parish's philosophy on building a successful team.

Watt It Takes is a live interview series produced by Powerhouse in partnership with GTM. The conversation was recorded live in Oakland, California.

This podcast is brought to you by Sense. Sense installs in your home's electrical panel and provides insight into your energy use and home activity through iOS, Android and web apps. Find out more.

Listen to our other episodes of Watt It Takes:

• Nancy Pfund’s Pro Tips for Getting Started in Cleantech
• SunPower Founder Dick Swanson’s Guide to Launching a Cleantech Startup
• Lessons From the Fall of Sungevity
• Dan Shugar, the K​ing Midas of Solar
• A History of Greentech Media With Scott Clavenna
• Sungage's Sara Ross on Starting a Solar Loan Company
• Jigar Shah on the Origin Story of SunEdison

Like our shows? Make sure to give The Interchange, The Energy Gang and Political Climate a rating and review on Apple podcasts. And make sure to subscribe to both shows on Apple podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week: The cutting-edge business of bringing power to the last billion people on Earth without it. 

We’ll follow the money, the markets, the business models and ask whether distributed renewables are providing a real alternative to slow grid connections. 

Investments in off-grid power in Africa and Asia have skyrocketed in the last five years. Thirty times more money went into the sector in 2018 compared with 2013. More than $500 million dollars was invested in electrification in 2018, for the first time, an analysis by Wood Mackenzie found.

The money is finally bringing lights, cell phone charging and electric stoves to millions of people who had to rely on kerosene and wood. But is the money getting funneled to the right projects? Can they scale to meet a high-energy society? And what are the bottlenecks in international finance preventing these solutions from expanding faster?

Ben Attia joins us for a dive into the state of the market. Ben has spent years immersed in the world of solar home systems and off grid renewables in the Middle East and Africa. He leads emerging coverage of off-grid power markets for Wood MacKenzie. 

  Resources:

• Wood MacKenzie: Strategic Investments in Energy Access (by Ben)
• GTM: Report: Investment in Off-Grid Energy Access Totals $1.7B Through 2018
• MIT–Rockefeller Commission Report:
• Financial Times: Mobisol, A Cautionary Tale for Impact Investors
• Kahawatungu: M-Kopa Unveils Solar Refrigerators for Off-Grid Customers
• Forbes Tata Power Aims to Boost Electricity for Rural India
• Bloomberg Tata, Rockefeller Foundation Plan 10,000 India Microgrids
• South Africa Business Day: Digital tech in solar will be big help to emerging countries

This podcast is brought to you by Energetic Insurance. Energetic’s EneRate Credit Cover policy is an easy button for commercial solar — similar to a FICO score in residential solar. This enables savvy developers and investors to quickly finance commercial solar projects and turn around portfolio refinancings more rapidly. Find out more.

This podcast is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is a leading manufacturer of high-density, high-voltage energy storage solutions for utility, industrial, microgrids and mission-critical markets. Find out more. 

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Southern New England is hungry for more clean energy, and states like Connecticut and Massachusetts are turning to Hydro-Quebec for its excess hydropower.

There's one sticking point: they need a new transmission line to get all that power from Northern Quebec. And citizens in the states that could host new transmission projects -- New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine -- are resisting construction plans.

A lot of attention has focused on controversial transmission projects like Northern Pass. But what about the source of the electrons feeding the line? 

In this week's podcast, we talk with Sam Evans-Brown, a journalist who's been exploring the history of Canadian hydro. It's a decades-long story filled with conflict, controversy, racism, and billions of dollars at stake.

Sam is host of the Outside/In podcast. He and his colleague Hannah McCarthy just published a 4-part audio series, called Powerline, about the hydropower working its way down to the Northeastern U.S. We'll talk about the stories they uncovered.

Then, Cape Wind is dead. We’ll have a eulogy.

And finally, we'll discuss that tax bill again. It’s messier than anyone thought possible.

This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at missionsolar.com.

Are you coming to GTM's Storage Summit on December 12-13? Podcast listeners get 20 percent off their registration with the promo code PODCASTS.

Recommended reading and listening:

• Outside/In: The 4-part Powerline series
• GTM: Cape Wind’s Demise Comes Amidst a Resurgence for US Offshore Wind
• GTM: Senate Doubles Down on Tax Provisions That Would Harm Renewable Energy

Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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