
Energy Gang
583 episodes — Page 4 of 12

What Could 2023 Deliver For Energy?
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2022 - The Year In Energy
2022 has been a very eventful year in the world of energy. From January to December there has been an ongoing war, a European energy crisis, billions of dollars in funding for clean energy in the US and a Twitter takeover. It’s the last episode of the year so we’re bringing you a special edition of the Energy Gang. Join host Ed Crooks and recurring Energy Gang guests, Amy Harder of Cipher, and Melissa Lott of Columbia University, as they wrap up the year by highlighting important moments in the energy transition, month-by-month. As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang. Today's episode of the Energy Gang is brought to you by BlockEnergy autonomous community energy systems.Renewable, reliable residential energy at scale is not a thing of the future. BlockEnergy is providing resilient energy to communities NOW. Much more than solar-plus-storage, the modular and scalable BlockEnergy residential microgrid system is the first-of-its-kind.Visit BlockEnergy.com to learn more about the layers of reliable, clean, local power coming soon to a neighborhood block near you.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What Does a Split US Congress Mean for the Energy Transition?
The year is quickly coming to a close and there’s a lot going on in the world of energy. On this episode of the Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks is joined for the first time by Jackie Forrest of the ARC Energy Research Institute and returning guest Robbie Orvis of Energy Innovation. The gang starts off the discussion by answering the question, what does a split US Congress mean for the energy transition. Under the current administration, a lot of progress has been made in the advancement of meeting our clean energy goals with the implementation of The Inflation Reduction Act. Now that the Republicans have taken control of the House what does this mean for US energy policy over the next couple of years? Will it now fall on individual states to implement reform, like California passing their ZEV mandate?The Inflation Reduction Act includes significant incentives for companies to establish clean energy manufacturing, which has motivated companies in other countries to pressure their government to make similar advancements. The Canadian government has introduced tax incentives for clean energy projects for the first time as companies threaten to move their manufacturing to the US. Lastly, the gang discusses the role of natural gas in the energy transition. Can natural gas be a bridge fuel that will help us meet our energy needs? The release of the International Energy Agency report shows that there is need for significant investment in new gas wells to meet net-zero goals. With peak demand for heat in Northern climates, the gang explores why fully replacing gas might be hard and why we should consider low-carbon gas as an option.As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can We Call COP27 a Success?
The COP27 climate talks have been held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. It’s a popular tourist destination, but the negotiators discussing ways to limit global warming and to address the harm done by climate change have not been able to relax. The talks have been pretty hard going.Recurring Energy Gang guests Melissa Lott of Columbia University, and Amy Myers-Jaffe, who has just got a new job at New York University, join host Ed Crooks to discuss the progress that has been made, and where there is still more left to do. Both Melissa and Amy have had colleagues attending the summit, and we hear what they have been working on. The gang discusses the prospect of meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5˚C, the steps taken since COP26 in Glasgow a year ago, and the issue of how to compensate poorer countries for the loss and damage caused by climate change. We discuss how this is where the rubber really hits the road in climate talks: when negotiators tackle the critical questions of who pays. Many countries say they back the idea of a new facility to assist the countries that have been hit by climate-related disasters. But many also say they believe they should not have to pay themselves. The gang then transitions over to claims of another comeback for nuclear power. COP27 has had a pro-nuclear tilt, as energy security becomes a larger issue. But where does nuclear fit in the energy transition? As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGang. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why Climate Justice is on the Agenda at COP27
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Current State of Investment in the Energy Transition
The world is facing a great financial strain - what does this mean for the investment in the energy transition?On this episode of the Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks is joined by Nneka Kibuule from Aligned Climate Capital, and Sam Scroggins from Lazard. The gang starts the discussion by looking at the state of the economy. There is a surge of inflation being felt around the world. In the US, the current rate of consumer inflation is at 8.2%. As a direct result, 30-year mortgage interest rates are at their highest levels in two decades. In Europe, they brace for a rise in energy costs as winter looms near. We explore what this means for investment in low carbon energy and the cost of renewables. Back in August, the Biden Administration signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, with tax credits that they hope will help stimulate more investment into wind, solar, storage, hydrogen and nuclear power. The bill is projected to have a huge positive impact over the next ten years, but is it already changing decisions on investments being made now? And what happens when the political landscape changes?Next, we shift our focus from the discussion of climate mitigation — cutting greenhouse gas emissions — and turn it towards climate adaptation and resilience. Recent events like the category 4 hurricane that destroyed parts of the Southeastern US and parts of Cuba, have highlighted the need for resiliency in local communities. Governments are committing money to strengthening the resilience of communities and infrastructures, but is there more the private sector can do to assist in climate adaptation? Can they generate a return from these hard-to-monetize spaces?Listen in as the gang takes a deep dive into where investors are putting their money. 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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Energy Gang looks ahead to COP27: are we still heading in the right direction?
On this episode of the Energy Gang, it’s a think-tank showdown. Host and referee for the day Ed Crooks is joined in the ring by Samantha Gross from the Brookings Institution, making her Energy Gang debut, and Joseph Majkut from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, returning to the show after joining us back in June. We start the discussion off with a deep dive into COP27, the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. In the year since COP26 in Glasgow, a lot has changed. Russia has invaded Ukraine, accelerating the surge in energy prices, and demand for coal has been making a comeback as countries look for alternatives to gas. What is on the agenda for COP27? Have the events of this past year set us back? And does the gang expect this year’s summit to be a success or a failure? Also on the show: some good news for climate action as the United States Senate ratifies the Kigali Amendment, which aims for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) - potent greenhouse gases - by cutting their production and consumption. Listen in as the gang breaks down what is in this amendment, the progress that is being made, and what it means for the future of the energy transition. Finally, we wrap up the show with a look at the latest on European leaders calling for a price cap on Russian oil. This is an idea that has the backing of the G7 countries, including the US. The US says it could save consuming countries $160 billion a year. Meanwhile, the Financial Times is describing the idea as “one of the most novel international economic policymaking experiments ever attempted.” 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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Winter is Coming: What Does it Mean for Europe?
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 @TheEnergyGangThis 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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What Does The IRA Mean For The World?
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Exploring The Great American Climate Bill
Congress is passing the largest-ever US climate bill. What does it mean for the world? It was the shock heard around the world this week: Senators Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer’s joint reconciliation bill, The Inflation Reduction Act. It’s passed the Senate, but the House remains. Will it pass, and what’s in it? On the Energy Gang podcast this week: Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Myers-Jaffe from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and Paula Gant from GTI Energy. GTI Energy is a leading research and training organization focused on developing, scaling, and deploying energy transition solutions. The Inflation Reduction Act is a nearly $700 billion bill, which includes roughly 370 billion dollars in energy and climate spending. Is the bill an indication that the energy transition is finally gaining the momentum it desperately needs, and what new technologies will benefit from it? Next up the gang’s attention turns to a specific focus of the legislation: the proposed investment in fuels and how electricity costs will be lowered by changes to the energy supply chain. There’s also discussion on biofuels: what is IH2 technology and what companies are betting on transitions to hydrogen? As always, please do let us know what you think. Send us a note, or a free electron, on Twitter – we’re @The Energy Gang. This episode of the Energy Gang is sponsored by Hitachi Energy. If you are enjoying this conversation you should check out our podcast Power Pulse, where we explore the transformation of the world’s energy systems. Visit us at Hitachi Energy.com\Power Pulse See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The European Energy Crisis: A Failure of Policy?
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Supreme Court vs The EPA
There is never a dull moment in the world of energy. Despite the summer holidays in the northern hemisphere, this week was full of announcements and big news stories.Regular Energy Gang member Melissa Lott steps in as host this week while Ed Crooks takes a well-earned holiday. Joining Melissa is Emily Chasan from Generate Capital and Robbie Orvis from Energy Innovation.The discussion starts with the US Supreme Court’s decision to impose new limits on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The limits send a message about the reluctance to have the EPA make regulatory decisions on carbon emissions. Next up, the gang focuses on the Russia-Ukraine war and inflation and their impact on the price of renewables. The cost of new-build onshore wind has risen seven percent year-on-year, and solar by 14%. Shockwaves in energy prices are still reverberating around the globe. High gas prices have led President Biden to propose a suspension of federal gas taxes, but will this work?Finally, we examine the news from California: state governor Gavin Newsom asked the federal government to ensure the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant qualifies for funds to help it remain in service. Why? And is this indicative of changing attitudes toward nuclear?As always, check out our Twitter to let us know your thoughts and any future topics you want us to discuss. We’re @TheEnergyGangSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Future Of Cleantech [Special Content]
The clean tech sector is a critical part of making the energy transition possible. With more and more capital flooding from outside investors into cleantech than ever before, the sector is set to become one of the critical keys in aiding and accelerating the energy transition.Today on the Energy Gang: a very special episode – a fireside chat with Tom Deitrich from Itron, and Tom Rand from Arctern Ventures.Itron is one of the largest providers of energy water and smart city management solutions in North America. With decades worth of experience, Itron provides sustainable solutions to cities all over the world, aimed at creating safer and more efficient energy and water systems. Perhaps best known for smart-metering, Itron is committed to advancing the ability to save electricity and integrate renewables into the system.On today’s episode of The Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks is joined by Tom Deitrich, the Chief Executive Officer of Itron, and Tom Rand, the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ArcTern Ventures, a global cleantech venture fund. Tom has years of experience in cleantech investment, and has written a book called Climate Capitalism. Frustrated by a lack of tangible ambition on behalf of the business community, and the deep suspicion from the environmental movement of markets and capitalism, Tom’s book examines these two challenges, and offers solutions to form a coherent plan to further the energy transition.Ed sits down with Tom D and Tom R, to discuss the current state of the energy system, the reality of climate disruption and how climate change is affecting both the cleantech sector and the energy industry as a whole.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Present and Future of California’s Electricity Grid
California is one of the world’s largest economies in its own right, with a population of 40 million generating $3.4 trillion in GDP. It is also a pioneer in the development of clean energy, generating about 23% of its electricity from renewables in 2020, a long way ahead of the US average. On today’s episode, the Energy Gang welcomes a special guest: Elliot Mainzer, the President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). CAISO is the non-profit responsible for managing the flow of electricity that serves over 80% of California. Regular team member Melissa Lott, from the Center on Global Energy Policy, joins host Ed Crooks to examine the current state of the power grid in California and how it’s faring in the energy transition. They talk about how the grid can keep up with changing technologies and manage the challenges created by a rising reliance on solar and wind power. And they discuss the significance of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, California’s single largest source of electricity, which is scheduled for closure in 2025. There have been suggestions that the life of the plant should be extended. What are the implications of this? And what needs to happen for the plant to be closed for good while maintaining reliability and preventing a rise in carbon dioxide emissions? Finally, Elliot Mainzer looks ahead to the long term. California has a commitment to running its electricity grid on 100 zero-carbon energy by 2045. Is that realistic? And what needs to happen to achieve it? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Changing Future of ESG Investing
Today, we’re following the money. Where does investment go in order to build a zero-carbon future? Where does the money get used, and where does it not?This week Ed is joined by Emily Chasan, Director of Communications at Generate Capital, and Shanu Mathew, Vice-President of Sustainable Investing and Net Zero Research at Lazard Asset Management.There are now trillions of dollars of capital in the market, aligned with the goal of getting to net zero. But in the past few months we’ve seen a backlash from politicians, regulators and even in the investment industry itself. The idea of climate-focused investing has been under attack in a broader pushback against the concept of ESG investing. The gang examine why this is, how the landscape is changing and how we can solve the issue of short-term pressures competing with long-term climate goals.Next up, we switch our focus to the billionaire Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, and his bid to takeover legacy gas provider AGL in Australia. Is this the future of ESG investing?Finally the gang examine President Biden’s use of powers under the Defense Production Act to boost clean energy. What are the implications of the government stepping in to try to direct the private sector to support climate goals?Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @theenergygang and let us know what you thought of today's episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The EU's Plan For Energy Self-Sufficiency
The energy crisis is showing no signs of abating. There’s a shortage of energy, and the world’s efforts to transition to low-carbon energy are met with countless hurdles. Countries around the world are taking steps to mitigate the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine however. The EU announced a plan to stop using Russian oil, gas and coal – it’s called RepowerEU and would mean more renewable investment, more energy efficiency and a lot more hydrogen to cut demand for natural gas. Europe is heavily dependent on Russian supplies, particularly for natural gas, which creates problems for Europe’s foreign and security policy. If the EU wants to punish Russia economically, it really needs to hit its energy exports. And that is difficult to do while businesses and consumers in Europe are absolutely reliant on those imports.Next up it’s a look ahead to COP27 – what needs to be addressed in Egypt in November and what have we achieved since Glasgow last year? At COP26, a $500 billion investment was agreed to support green energy projects in developing countries, so how is that going?Finally the gang look at the impacts of certain renewable projects on the local ecosystem. We all agree that the world needs to keep investing in and building large-scale renewable energy infrastructure projects: we need more offshore wind, larger solar farms, more hydrogen plants. Drawing on the success of offshore wind in Europe, the rollout of wind farms is now accelerating along US coastlines, supported by the Biden administration, which has set a goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035. In 2020, some 27 miles from the mainland, the first two offshore wind turbines in the US were installed off the coast of Virginia Beach. Since starting to operate in October that year, the turbines have created an artificial reef, offering a habitat for ocean life. With this change in the ecology of the area however, comes the downside. Wind farms can have negative effects on other wildlife, such as fish and ocean birds.How do we build sustainably and avoid impacting the local ecology?To discuss all this and more Ed is joined by Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. Joining them for the first time is Joseph Majkut, host of the Energy 360 podcast - which is produced by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC. Joseph is also the Director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the CSIS.Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @theenergygang and let us know what you thought of today's episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Energy Policy: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The energy transition is currently supported by three main pillars: science & technology, economics, and policy. In 2022 these three pillars are unaligned, with a lack of cohesion impeding progress. In today’s episode of the Energy Gang, the team explores three current events that highlight and exemplify the current state of the energy transition in the US and beyond.The gang starts with the future of President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. The original bill included a lot of provisions that were hugely important for low-carbon energy in the US. It died in Congress late last year after Senator Joe Manchin declined to support it. The big question now is: can anything be salvaged from that agenda and where do we go from here?The US government’s investigation into the alleged dumping of imported solar panels has reportedly had a “devastating” impact on planned solar projects. Is now the time to create a domestic economy for solar panels or are we still too reliant on cheap imports? It’s an ongoing debate: the role of hydrogen in the energy transition. There is, of course, huge interest in the potential for low-carbon hydrogen in a zero-emissions energy system. But what role can hydrogen really play? And might other options be better for some uses?Today we’re delighted to welcome back both Melissa Lott and Robbie Orvis. Melissa is the Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, and Robbie Orvis is the Senior Director of Policy Design at Energy Innovation. As always, your host Ed Crooks is here to anchor and lead the discussion.Stick around for a thrilling conversation about policy, technology, and innovation. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @theenergygang and let us know what you thought of today's episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

California Gets To 100% Renewable Electricity. Almost.
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy Earth Day: Why a Low Carbon Life is Within Reach
On April 22nd, 2022 the world will be celebrating the 52nd annual “Earth Day”. Does Earth Day serve any useful purpose? How can we utilize the celebration of Earth Day for good? How is Earth day viewed by the world today, and how does this celebration push us closer to a low carbon life? In today's special episode of the Energy Gang, the conversation focuses on solutions and recent positive findings from the IPCC report. Making up the “Gang” this week is returning guest Emily Chasan, who is the Director of Communications at Generate Capital, the green investment firm. Also, another returning guest, Dr. Destenie Nock, an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Public Policy and Civil and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. As always, our host Ed Crooks, Vice-Chair of the Americas at Wood Mackenzie leads the conversation. Keeping the positive theme in observance of Earth Day, the gang discusses the recent IPCC report and some positive findings that were reported. Earlier this month, the 6th cycle working report gives a clear view to the current state of our knowledge of climate science. The good news, though, is that even the more demanding goal of the Paris agreement – limiting global warming to just 1.5 degrees – is not out of sight.The last talking point in the episode is the topic of Energy Poverty, and what it currently looks like in today's climate. The gang discusses how energy poverty is a massive problem today and explores the dangers of how addressing climate change, could make things worse. Destenie leads the conversation on this topic and shares some of her key findings from her research and describes to the gang what an Energy Equity Gap is. This week's episode is focused on solutions and has an optimistic tone. We hope you enjoy and don’t forget to reach out to us on Twitter with any inquiries.The Energy Gang is brought to you by EPC Power.EPC Power manufactures self-developed energy storage smart inverters made in their American factories with gigawatt level capacity.Visit epcpower.com/energygang to learn more about their utility scale and C & I product lines and schedule a call to learn how they can help you power your energy storage projects.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Energy Crisis
The energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the most serious since the oil shocks of the 1970s. Rising prices for oil, gas and coal are hitting living standards and putting people under financial strain around the world. We are facing some tough decisions about how to relieve hardship and energy poverty, while still cutting greenhouse gas emissions to limit the impact of climate change. In this edition of the Energy Gang, the gang discusses the war in Ukraine and the consequences for the rest of the world. How can we work through the short-term impacts whilst keeping the energy transition on track?Ed is joined on today's episode by two returning guests. We’re happy to welcome back again Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia. Our other guest has not been on the show for almost a year, and we are very glad she’s back. Amy Duffuor is Co-founder and General Partner at Azolla Ventures and leads our second topic on climate innovation investments. VC funds are heavily invested in some sectors and steer clear of others. What sectors get the most investment and why?One of the impacts of the current energy crisis is the surge in gas prices in America. The gang discusses the options open to American policy makers and what’s being done to ease the pain at the pump. And we talk about the innovations in energy that can help resolve these complex challenges. Stick around to the end for the free electrons to hear what the hosts are up to outside of the show.The Energy Gang is brought to you by EPC Power.EPC Power manufactures self-developed energy storage smart inverters made in their American factories with gigawatt level capacity.Visit epcpower.com/energygang to learn more about their utility scale and C & I product lines and schedule a call to learn how they can help you power your energy storage projects.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Managing Large-Scale Solar [Special Content]
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The IPCC Climate Report Uncovered
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.EPC Power manufactures self-developed energy storage smart inverters made in their American factories with gigawatt level capacity.Visit epcpower.com/energygang to learn more about their utility scale and C & I product lines and schedule a call to learn how they can help you power your energy storage projects.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Energy Gang - Live (Rebroadcast)
The Energy Gang – Live (Rebroadcast)The gang are taking a break this week. Instead of a new episode we’re rebroadcasting our special edition live episode where the team discusses the top 5 energy-related stories of 2021.This episode was originally live-streamed for Wood Mackenzie’s Grid Edge Innovation series at the end of December of 2021. This week on the show we have Ed Crooks, Emily Chasan from Generate Capital, and Amy Myers-Jaffe from Tufts University. The group discusses how “smart” devices are changing energy retailing, and the role of SPACs in financing clean energy deployment.The gang looks back on 2021 and ranks the top 5 stories in energy for the year, looking back on the success of investment company Engine No.1, developments in energy storage, green stimulus in Europe, and more.The Energy Gang is brought to you by EPC Power.EPC Power manufactures self-developed energy storage smart inverters made in their American factories with gigawatt level capacity. Visit www.epcpower.com/energygang to learn more about their utility scale and C&I product lines and schedule a call to learn how they can help you power your energy storage projects! EPC Power – Excellence in Power Conversion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lessons From The Texas Power Crisis
This episode of the Energy Gang was recorded before the Russian attack on Ukraine had begun.As you’ll hear, we were talking after Russia had recognised the independence of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, but before the full-scale invasion.We will have a lot to say about the implications for energy of the conflict in Ukraine in our next episode.But this time, we were talking before the full extent of the crisis had unfolded. The catastrophic blackouts that plagued Texas last year during the winter storm Eerie, were a result of a logistical domino effect. Many sustainability, energy, and political issues today are never as simple as cause and effect - there is always a network of decisions and actions that lead up to that initial fall of the domino. A more timely example is the current Russia and Ukraine conflict. The Energy Gang is not a show that usually focuses on geopolitics but it would be remiss to ignore the current situation in Ukraine, and the impact the conflict has had already on the world of energy.In this week’s episode, Ed Crooks is joined by returning guest Emily Chasan, of General Capital, and we welcome Joshua Rhodes for his Energy Gang debut. Joshua is a professor at the University of Texas, Austin. He joins the show to discuss the Texas Blackouts and explain what has been done since to avoid it happening again. He helps explain the initial fall of the domino and the subsequent chain reaction that took place. Emily and the rest of the gang then touch on the situation in Eastern Europe and how energy policies come into play. How does the current conflict affect the net-zero pledges just made only a few months ago at COP26? The episode then leads into a debate on a new hydropower pipeline that has been proposed in NY state. This pipeline would be 330 miles long and run from Canada's border directly to New York City. What are some of the environmental concerns of Hydropower? Is hydropower considered low carbon? The final topic discussed is the recent announcement of the Army’s climate action plan. This never-before-seen plan is a pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. This climate action plan follows the 2020 DOD report on climate change that publicly stated that “climate change is an existential threat to the US’s security”. How much does the US army emit every year? What does sustainability look like for a military? How will this strengthen our military?It’s a packed and thorough discussion this week on the Energy Gang.The Energy Gang is brought to you by EPC Power.EPC Power manufactures self-developed energy storage smart inverters made in their American factories with gigawatt level capacity. Visit www.epcpower.com/energygang to learn more about their utility scale and C&I product lines and schedule a call to learn how they can help you power your energy storage projects! EPC Power – Excellence in Power Conversion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bridging the Gap Between Finance and Climate Change
In recent years, news headlines are frequently filled with announcements of financial institutions, funds, and corporations making hefty pledges to transform their portfolios to ensure that they stay in line with net-zero targets. Is this new wave of support for the energy transition motivated by making a quick buck or has there really been a change of opinion on the opportunities in which going net-zero really has to offer? How is the changing climate affecting investments? How are investors driving the transition? These are some of the key questions we look to answer in this episode. The Energy Gang is delighted to be joined by two professionals who have spent the majority of their careers bridging the gap between finance and climate change. Our first guest, Shanu Mathew is the VP of Sustainable Investing and Net-Zero Research at Lazard Asset Management, one of the world's leading investment companies. Returning for another episode is Amy Myers Jaffe, the Managing Director of the Climate Policy Lab at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Ed Crooks and the rest of the gang discuss the importance of investors' positions in helping speed up the energy transition and how their work compares to recent government actions. Are organizations like the Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures (TCFD) making up for the lack of political progress? Moving our focus, What are consumer-facing companies doing to address climate risk and sustainability? Are companies like Unilever an industry leader in sustainability reporting positive impacts? Lastly, the gang takes a look at the story of Indonesia moving its capital through a financial risk lens. How does climate change affect sovereign risk and municipal bonds? What is the answer in terms of financing climate adaptation and what is the government's role in this situation?The Energy Gang is brought to you by EPC Power.EPC Power manufactures self-developed energy storage smart inverters made in their American factories with gigawatt level capacity. Visit www.epcpower.com/energygang to learn more about their utility scale and C&I product lines and schedule a call to learn how they can help you power your energy storage projects! EPC Power – Excellence in Power Conversion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Saving Build Back Better
President Bidens Climate agenda has been reformed, and with the Build Back Better Act in a stalemate, should Americans give up hope on expecting anything to come of it?To discuss this and more, Ed Crooks is joined on the show this week by returning guest Dr. Melissa Lott from Columbia University, and Robbie Orvis from Energy Innovation, who makes his Energy Gang debut. The Build Back Better Act is up first. There’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon for the climate policies within the climate package. How much of the package will be saved and is there anything in it that’s different from before? Next, the gang looks at EVs. With the lack of federal climate action, states have now taken it upon themselves to make some policy changes within their own borders. New York, New Jersey, and Oregon all have taken the initiative within the past few months by pushing for cleaner energy and policies that could help with EV demand. Is this the natural evolution of policymaking when the “trickle-down effect” halts progress? Also, the team discusses the growing problems that clean energy is currently facing. The cost of inputs, battery raw materials, and the waste created by clean energy equipment including solar panels, wind turbines, and electric cars when they come to the end of their useful lives are causing issues. Can recycling be the solution or part of the answer at least? What does lithium-ion battery recycling look like? Who is currently recycling old EV batteries? The free electrons are super charged this week. Ed wonders why festival owners are turning down a possible renewable energy project, Melissa wants to talk carbon-free beef, and Robbie’s been exploring the most overlooked parts when buying a hybrid car – chip shortages are throwing a spanner in the works.The Energy Gang is brought to you by EPC Power.EPC Power manufactures self-developed energy storage smart inverters made in their American factories with gigawatt level capacity. Visit www.epcpower.com/energygang to learn more about their utility scale and C&I product lines and schedule a call to learn how they can help you power your energy storage projects! EPC Power – Excellence in Power Conversion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can Aviation Be Made Sustainable?
It’s the first Energy Gang of the year. Ed Crooks is joined by Emily Chasan of Generate Capital and Amy Harder, formerly of the Wall Street Journal and Axios, now at Breakthrough Energy, which is the net-zero initiative founded by Bill Gates - find out more here: Cipher: Overview | LinkedIn - who joins the gang for the first time to kick off 2022 with a bang.With air travel over the holiday season bouncing back – despite the Omicron variant – what are the best prospects for taking the emissions out of aviation? In the US, in mid-December, more than two million people per day were passing through the TSA’s checkpoints. That is still significantly below pre-pandemic levels, but it is roughly double the numbers in the same period of 2020. Even with the pandemic still raging, people want to fly. That is a real problem for getting to net zero. Aviation emissions are small, accounting for a little under 2% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, but their share is rising. Sustainable aviation fuel and electric planes, are they are viable solution yet?Also, VC and private equity investment into clean tech is booming. About 60 billion dollars was invested in by venture capital and private equity into climate tech in the first half of 2021, according to a recent survey from professional services firm PwC. That’s almost triple the 28 billion that was invested in the first half of 2020.About 14% of all VC financing is now going to climate tech. Is investment going to the right technologies?And finally, one of the ideas that is being developed to make sure capital flows into the right activities is EU’s Green Taxonomy. It’s a list of environmentally sustainable economic activities, to give companies, investors and policymakers definitions for which economic activities can be treated as environmentally sustainable, and which can’t. The gang examine the plans; is it a sensible strategy? Is the EU setting a path others might follow?There has been a huge amount of discussion in the past couple of weeks about the Netflix film Don’t Look Up: a rare example of Hollywood giving a big-budget big-star treatment to a movie about climate change. It deserves some scrutiny, so to wrap up the show Ed, Emily and Amy give their opinions on the film and argue its effectiveness at raising awareness for climate change.The Energy Gang is brought to you by EPC Power.EPC Power manufactures self-developed energy storage smart inverters made in their American factories with gigawatt level capacity. Visit www.epcpower.com/energygang to learn more about their utility scale and C&I product lines and schedule a call to learn how they can help you power your energy storage projects! EPC Power – Excellence in Power Conversion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What the US can Learn from Australia with Renewables [Special Content]
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/3zPBh8aSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Gang Wraps Up 2021
It’s a special edition of the Energy Gang this week, with the last episode of 2021 recorded for Wood Mackenzie’s Grid Edge Innovation series. Ed is joined by Emily Chasan from Generate Capital and Amy Myers-Jaffe from Tufts University, to look at how smart devices are changing energy retailing, and the role of SPACs in financing clean energy deployment. The gang wraps up 2021 with their top 5 stories in energy for the year, looking back on the success of investment company Engine No.1, developments in energy storage, green stimulus in Europe and more.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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Breakthrough In The Energy Game
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

What Does The World Need From COP26?
COP26 is under way in Glasgow. It has been billed as the “last best hope for the world to get its act together” on climate change, but what is the real significance of the talks? Host Ed Crooks is joined by new regular co-host of the Energy Gang Melissa Lott, Director of Research at the Centre on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, to discuss the key issues and outcomes of the conference. Also joining for this episode is Emily Chasan, Director of Communications at Generate Capital, and former Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg journalist. What needs to happen at COP26 for it to be counted as a success? The UN Environment Program noted in its new Emissions Gap 2021 report last week: “As a group, G20 members are not on track to achieve either their original or new 2030 pledges. Ten G20 members are on track to achieve their previous NDCs, while seven are off track.” In this episode, the gang will explore the pledges made at previous conferences, as well as the new ones, and discuss whether they can lead to meaningful change in the global energy system. In the second half of the show: soaring prices for gas, coal and electricity since the summer have raised questions about energy access, poverty and international equity: how can the world address these issues at COP26 and beyond?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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Energy Gang's Next Chapter
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

No Peak in Sight for Emissions
EIA and IEA are out with projections for emissions and fossil fuel consumption. And they don’t look good. On our current policy trajectory, there is no peak in sight, according to EIA By 2050, we will likely see a 50% increase in energy consumption. And even though renewables will be the fastest-growing new source of energy, hydrocarbon liquid fuels will meet the majority of demand.That means emissions could rise through 2050, absent massive changes to policy.In July, the International Energy Agency issued a similar analysis showing that carbon emissions will hit record levels in the coming years. And that spending packages around the world — even at historic levels — are still not enough. How do we make sense of this sobering analysis?Plus, Wood Mackenzie is out with a new analysis of global energy storage trends, showing that storage deployments are set to triple this year. Most of that growth is coming from America and China, which account for 70% of installations. What are the applications, technologies and markets that will dominate this growth?Finally, Europe is in a crisis headed into winter. Natural gas is the second-most confused fuel in Europe — and prices are 6 times higher than they were in the spring.A confluence of factors — rapidly rising demand all at once, lower production than expected from Russia, low storage in Europe, lower-than-expected hydro and wind production — are contributing to the problem. What could alleviate the crisis? And does this put strain on Europe’s climate ambitions headed into COP26?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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Where Green Hydrogen Is Headed [Special Content]
Suddenly everyone is talking about green hydrogen. From South Africa to the United Arab Emirates. From China to Utah. Governments and developers are eyeing hydrogen as a decarbonization tool. But the rush is also raising lots of questions: Where will hydrogen be most useful? How do you create a supply chain to support it? And how can we ensure it has climate integrity?For answers, we turned to two experts who are obsessing over the future of hydrogen: Janice Lin and Stephen Lamm.Janice Lin is the founder and CEO of Strategen. And she’s president of the green hydrogen coalition. Stephen Lamm is the director of sustainability at Bloom Energy, a company deploying zero-carbon solutions like green hydrogen.With so much renewed attention on the resource, we brought Janice and Stephen together for a discussion about where green hydrogen tech, markets, and applications are headed. This episode was produced in collaboration with 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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What Do Transit Systems Look Like After Covid?
Ride sharing has swept transportation systems over the last decade -- bringing convenience, but also congestion, inequities, and political fights.Now a new category of transportation networking is emerging: TransitTech.It makes up a class of companies that are using tech to help maximize public transit systems. So what does TransitTech look like post-pandemic?Tiffany Chu joins Katherine and Stephen this week to discuss the path forward for transit. Tiffany is the co-founder and CEO of Remix, which was recently acquired by Via for $100 million.We’ll also dig into a new study from Carnegie Mellon University that shows Uber and Lyft are increasing external societal and environmental costs by up to 35% compared to personal car driving. We’ll wrap up with a discussion about how transportation will play into upcoming legislation on climate and infrastructure. 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 ABB Power Grids. What does your energy future look like? Look to Hitachi ABB Power Grids for the advanced energy technologies needed to deliver real outcomes — unlocking new revenue streams, maximizing renewable integration, and lowering carbon emissions. Learn more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Hidden Science Behind Decarbonizing Buildings
All around us, hidden inside our buildings, are a series of choices and tradeoffs -- choices with direct impacts on our health, our money, and our energy use. Our buildings are wasteful and are filled with a lot of “embodied” carbon. As a result, buildings directly and indirectly account for 40 percent of global emissions. How do we make those choices with better building science?And how do we use that science to design carbon out of our buildings?This week, Katherine and Stephen are joined by Christine Williamson, the creator of Building Science Fight Club. She is a building scientist who teaches architects how to think more intelligently about designing residential and commercial buildings to improve comfort and energy performance, while minimizing system failures.She also has an unconventional take on the green building space — arguing that many of the “feel good” approaches are not necessarily the most functional. Christy has spent her career inside homes and commercial buildings using “building forensics” to identify problems with design and operation. So what does an on-the-ground practitioner think about what’s most effective for improving the performance of buildings, and what’s not?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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will Direct-Air Carbon Capture Be Viable?
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.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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Why This IPCC Climate Report Is Different
The world’s most scrutinized and peer-reviewed document is out: the IPCC report on climate change. Thousands of scientists have spent decades pouring over every measurement and research report known. The findings are clearer than ever: It is “virtually certain” that the increases in extreme temperatures and droughts are caused by human activity. The economic and human toll from climate change is here. So how is this report different from previous IPCC reports?Plus, is the push for hydrogen a real pathway, or a clever way to lock in more emissions? We’ll look at the debate over “blue” hydrogen emissions.And, how far have the politics of climate really shifted in Washington? Will a change in tone mean a boost in action?Katherine Hamilton, Ed Crooks, and Stephen Lacey are this week’s co-hosts. 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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Form Energy's Iron-Air Battery for Multi-Day Storage
This episode originally aired on The Interchange.Back in 2016, Mateo Jaramillo left Tesla, where he was leading the stationary energy storage business, and started looking for a new challenge to tackle. He took on long-duration energy storage -- not long duration like 8 hours or 12 hours, but days or weeks or more. In 2017 he came on the show to talk about it. He formed a company, now Form Energy, that has been toiling on this problem in stealth mode. Apart from saying they were building a "metal air" battery, his team held the technology close to the vest.That is, until last week. The company announced a $200M Series D financing led by ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, and in the process finally made public the technology, which is an iron air chemistry. Full disclosure: Shayle led Energy Impact Partners’ investment in Form.Shayle and Mateo discuss the technology itself and the counterintuitive economics that Mateo believes will make it work. They also examine how it beat out the alternatives and how it might complement more efficient, but more expensive lithium-ion. It turns out financial modeling was far more important than spec sheets in understanding the tradeoffs.They tackle the critical question: Where exactly are the profitable applications of this technology before we hit very high 80% renewables? They also talk about the semantics of long-duration storage vs. multi-day storage, why Mateo hates holy grails, and potential partnerships with tofu companies.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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Profits Rise, Oil Majors Face New Pressures
We started the Covid pandemic at negative oil prices. Today, benchmark prices are above $70. And top oil companies are reporting billions of dollars in profits.And now there is more scrutiny than ever on how they’re going to spend that money.Activist shareholders are starting to get climate champions on oil major board seats -- most notably, climate tech investor and former wind executive Andy Karsner on Exxon Mobil’s board.A dutch court is now forcing Shell to reduce the emissions from its products by 45%, after a successful lawsuit from environmental groups. Oil executives now have their lawyers on speed dial.And big asset managers, like BlackRock, which lend to many of the world’s energy giants, are scrutinizing their climate plans. So what does it all amount to as oil markets rebound?Ed Crooks, the vice chair of Americas at Wood Mackenzie, joins us this week to discuss.Plus, we’ll talk about a new report card on America’s infrastructure. It’s a slight improvement, but the grade is still pretty awful. And, carbon offsets are going up in flames. Literally. What comes next for forestry offsets?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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A New Inflection Point for Clean Energy [Special Content]
We're at a new phase of the clean energy transition. Extreme heat, drought and floods are increasing in frequency. Public attention on clean energy is stronger than ever. The Biden Administration is putting zero-carbon energy at the core of its policies.And there's another powerful force: making sure the energy transition is as racially and economically just as possible.Anton Cohen is a partner at CohnReznick LLP, and national director of the firm’s Renewable Energy Industry Practice. He's been advising companies across a wide range of industries: tech, manufacturing, public tax credits, and energy. Today, he focuses exclusively on renewables: “All we do is renewables. Live, eat, sleep, breathe renewables.”The large investors and energy users that Anton advises are feeling the urgency.“I think it's the corporates who are pushing hard. People know what direction we're heading in. It's just a matter of how quickly we get there with the energy transition,” says Anton.Amidst all of this change in the corporate world, we have an ongoing pandemic, a lumpy economic recovery, massive cybersecurity breaches, and an infrastructure bill under consideration that could transform the clean energy economy.Anton is watching all of it. So we caught up with him for a take on how all these factors are influencing each other. This episode was produced in collaboration with the international advisory, tax and accounting firm CohnReznick LLP. Learn more about how clean energy experts and advisors like Anton, can help your organization grow.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What Emerging Climate Tech Sectors Are Ready for Growth?
After 30 years of R&D and commercial proof, hundreds of billions in institutional dollars are pouring into now-conventional tech like wind, solar and batteries. But there’s a whole class of technologies that are ready to scale. And investors who are increasingly ready to back them.As we heard in our previous show, there was a record $17 billion in venture capital going into climate tech in 2020. With all this money dropping into the space, where can it have the highest impact? What are the areas where we have commercial viability, but still need significant breakthroughs?Our guest co-host this week is Nneka Uzoh Kibuule, a senior vice president at Aligned Climate Capital. She joins Stephen and Katherine to talk about the sectors where she sees the most promise.She'll also talk about the launch of GreenTech Noir, an organization that helps black professionals grow their career connections across clean energy, smart cities, transportation, infrastructure, environmental justice, and more.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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A New Era for Climate-Focused Venture Capital
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, venture capital poured into climate technologies at record levels. It was a happy surprise amidst a collapsing economy and years of investment stagnation. Venture investments in climate tech topped $17 billion in 2020 across more than 1,000 deals. Five years ago, it had fallen to $5.2 billion — a 30 percent decrease from a previous peak in 2011.Our guest co-host this week is Emily Kirsch, the founder and CEO of Powerhouse. She’s also the host of Watt It Takes, the entrepreneurship series about founders tackling climate change.Suddenly, it’s cool to be putting your money into the sector again. And there’s something different about today’s rise in enthusiasm. The first wave was all about the “coolness” of cleantech — thin-film solar, electric sports cars, printable batteries. It was also about proving cost curves.Kara Swisher put it bluntly in the NYT last year: the world’s first trillionaire will be a greentech entrepreneur.”Today, there’s much more technological maturity — bigger scale, bigger and better data, and more resources to tap for startups.There is also a deeper moral responsibility infused with investments. If you are running a major VC firm or a corporate venture arm, you are out of the loop if you don’t have a climate component of your portfolio. Andrew Beebe of Obvious Ventures argues we’ve entered the “climate decade” in VC.This week: climate tech isn’t just having a moment. It’s having an age, a period, a generation. Why we are at the start of a climate tech era in venture capital.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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The M&A Turf Battle Over Wind, Solar and Storage Projects [Special Content]
In March of 2020, Covid shut down economies, closed off supply chains, and sent unemployment to historic levels. No one knew what would come next for energy.Oil prices went into negative territory. Industrial electricity use plummeted. Residential demand shot up. And there were big pipelines of renewable energy projects waiting to get built.“I think we were all a little bit nervous about how COVID was going to affect all of the deal flow in the market,” says Britta von Oesen, a managing director at CohnReznick Capital.Britta is the person at the table brokering tax structures and project sales that move money into renewable energy. So did Covid destroy her ability to get deals done?“Honestly, it's gone a lot better than I would have expected,” she says. M&A activity increased. And as 2021 kicked off, the M&A deals only accelerated. Most of the top independent wind and solar developers have been scooped up by utilities, private equity firms, oil majors, or bigger corporates. And the ones that haven't been acquired may be soon. There is an intense turf battle over wind, solar and storage platforms in the US. So what is driving all this activity? In this episode, brought to you by CohnReznick Capital, we speak with Britta Von Oesen about who's doing the acquiring, who's doing the selling, and what it all means for the growth of U.S. clean energy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Extreme Weather Keeps Maxing Out the Grid
It’s been a very intense year for America’s power grid. Across the country, the electricity system just faced another stress-test as extreme heat taxed power plants and grid operators in the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and New York.Since 2000, outages across the U.S. have increased by 67%. Is the power system ready for tomorrow’s extreme weather -- today?Stephen and Katherine are joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, a senior research scholar and the director of research at the Center on Global Energy Policy.Plus, we’ll discuss a secret recording of an Exxon lobbyist bragging about the company’s efforts to delay climate policy. What does it tell us about the oil industry’s grip in Washington?We’ll finish with a look at a new report from Columbia University: can we use natural gas pipelines to accelerate the low-carbon transition?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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

America's Transmission Challenge (Rebroadcast)
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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.