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Eugene Kirpichov is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Work on Climate, a global community helping professionals take action on climate across industries and disciplines. Originally created to help people transition into climate-related careers, the organization is now evolving toward a deeper goal: empowering individuals to become climate leaders—people who transform their companies, sectors, and communities from within.In this episode of Inevitable, Kirpichov shares why the “get a climate job” model is no longer enough, and why systemic change depends on how professionals use their power. The conversation explores the concept of regenerative economics, the breakdown of siloed climate thinking, and the need for new economic architectures that support resilience, not extraction. We also dive into what it means to build bottom-up leadership, how Work on Climate is shifting its model, and why now is a critical moment to invest in alternatives that go beyond federal policy.Episode recorded on Jan 22, 2026 (Published on Feb 3, 2026)In this episode, we cover:(0:00) Intro(2:40) Climate as one piece of a larger systemic crisis(7:19) An overview of Work on Climate(11:28) Why the climate job market isn't enough(17:08) The shift from jobs to leadership and power(24:49) What a regenerative economy actually means(32:00) Building new economic operating systems(37:00) The Work on Climate member experience (46:49) Final thoughts on reclaiming powerLinks:Eugene Kirpichov on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenekirpichovWork on Climate: https://workonclimate.org/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Electricity prices are rising across New York, and understanding what drives those costs has never been more important. In this Power Trends podcast, NYISO Vice President of Market Structures Shaun Johnson breaks down the factors shaping today's electricity supply charges and explains how wholesale markets produce the most cost-efficient solutions to meet consumer demand. Wholesale electricity supply costs have been climbing as natural gas prices — New York's primary fuel for electricity — have nearly doubled in the past year. Most of what customers pay goes toward utility delivery charges, taxes, and other non-supply components. Electricity bills can be confusing, but Johnson breaks down the two primary charges: The supply cost makes up approximately one third of your bill. The other two thirds are the retail rates your utility company charges plus taxes and fees.The physical composition of the gas pipeline infrastructure factors into retail delivery costs as well. Because New York and New England sit at the tail end of a pipeline network that originates in the Colorado Rockies and the Gulf Coast, delivery costs to northeastern states are among the highest in the nation.As the state moves toward greater electrification and new large loads emerge, demand is expected to keep growing. At the same time, aging generation and long lead times for new resources are tightening supply. These realities put upward pressure on prices too.“Our market philosophy has always been sort of simple,” Johnson notes, “how do we keep the lights on at the lowest cost via competition.”Check out the complete podcast to explore how wholesale markets function, what's driving today's costs, and how NYISO works to maintain grid reliability at the lowest cost — even when fuel prices surge.More resourcesPlease visit our new winter pricing resource page to explain what's behind rising costs.Learn More Follow us on X/Twitter @NewYorkISO, LinkedIn @NYISO, Bluesky @nyiso.com Read our blogs and watch our videos
Welcome to Exponential View, the show where I explore how exponential technologies such as AI are reshaping our future. I've been studying AI and exponential technologies at the frontier for over ten years.Each week, I share some of my analysis or speak with an expert guest to make light of a particular topic.To keep up with the Exponential transition, subscribe to this channel or to my newsletter: https://www.exponentialview.co/-----At Davos 2026, the mood was unlike any previous World Economic Forum gathering. With Donald Trump arriving amid escalating geopolitical tensions and European leaders sounding alarms about sovereignty, I recorded live dispatches from the ground. In this special episode, I bring together observations from four days at the annual meeting, tracking the seismic shifts in global order alongside the practical realities of AI adoption in the enterprise.Skip to the best bits:(00:38) Day one at Davos(02:10) Three recurring themes through the week(03:55) Day three at Davos(05:12) Mark Carney's stirring speech(05:52) Why European leaders are sounding the alarm(06:51) Why technological sovereignty just became urgent(09:31) Day four at Davos(12:59) What leaders really have to say on AI adoption(14:07) The case for only using open source modelsWhere to find me:Exponential View newsletter: https://www.exponentialview.co/Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azhar/Twitter/X: https://x.com/azeemProduction by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1. Production and research: Chantal Smith and Marija Gavrilov. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
There is a changing view of the environment among public sector clients in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has ambitious goals like generating 50% of electricity from renewables by 2030, the UAE has targets such as diverting 80 percent of its waste from landfill by by 2031, and Qatar is moving towards 100% treated wastewater reuse. With environmental considerations now at the core of new projects, rather than being a problem to be dealt with, each project must consider its impact on the environment. This means a shift from reacting to problems, to planning with goals being measured. Countries like UAE, Saudi and Qatar, are putting in place long-term plans for strategies that include waste diversion, emissions reductions and renewable energy. In benchmarking these strategies against international standards and best practices, the deployment of digital tools is critical. Guest Yassman AlKhatib, Regional Director for Water, Environment, and Energy Transition, Egis Partner Egis is a leading global architectural, consulting, construction engineering, operations and mobility services firm. Egis creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings that both respond to the climate emergency and contribute to balanced, sustainable and resilient development. Its 22,000 employees operate across over 100 countries, deploying their expertise to develop and deliver cutting-edge innovations and solutions for clients. Through the wide range of its activities, Egis plays a central role in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.The post #359b Water, Energy and the Environment in the Middle East first appeared on Engineering Matters.
Send me a messageEurope is drowning in cheap clean power, and still wasting it.The problem isn't renewables. It's what happens when the grid can't cope with abundance.In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I'm joined by Oonagh O'Grady, Vice President of International Origination at Hydrostor, a global leader in long-duration energy storage. We dig into one of the most under-discussed blockers of the energy transition: what happens after wind and solar scale, but before the grid is ready.Oonagh explains why short-duration batteries, while essential, aren't enough once renewables reach 40–50% of the system. We unpack why grids are hitting curtailment, negative pricing, and instability, and why eight to twenty-four hours of long-duration energy storage is fast becoming the backbone of a reliable, net-zero power system.You'll hear why advanced compressed air energy storage can deliver fossil-free, utility-scale flexibility for decades, how it compares with batteries and pumped hydro on cost and performance, and why inertia and grid stability are suddenly back in the spotlight after recent European outages. We also get into the policy side: what leading regions like California, Australia, and the UK are getting right, and what Europe must do now if it wants secure, affordable, decarbonised electricity in the 2030s.This is a grounded, evidence-led conversation about climate tech that actually works at scale - and a reminder that without long-duration storage, the energy transition stalls just when it should be accelerating.
The global energy transition isn't stalled because of lack of ambition, it's often slowed by bottlenecks that block progress. We brought together some of our experts to be able to unpack what's really blocking progress, what tactics are working, and how we can move energy transition projects forward. Host Angie Dickson, President of Inogen Alliance, is joined by Emmanuel De Nanteuil, Managing Director of HPC France, Sasikumar, Chief Marketing Officer with Chola Risk Services in India and Scott Thomas, Sector Lead for Solar with Tonkin + Taylor out of New Zealand.Guest Quotes“Everyone wants the energy transition, but transition has a cost.” - Emmanuel“Finance is not at all a problem in India…Land issues are major in India. Transmission and evacuation is another problem.” - Sasikumar“ Our base load [in New Zealand] is around 80 to 90 percent renewables. It is making sure that the mix that comes on board is still green.” - ScottTime Stamps00:00 Introduction to Energy Transition00:53 Expert Insights: Bottlenecks in Europe04:39 Challenges and Progress in India15:21 Financing and Investment Issues24:30 Energy Transition in New Zealand Sponsor CopyRethinking EHS is brought to you by the Inogen Alliance. Inogen Alliance is a global network of 70+ companies providing environment, health, safety, and sustainability services, working together to provide one point of contact to guide multinational organizations to meet their global commitments locally. Visit inogenalliance.com to learn more.LinksInogenalliance.com/resourcesInogenalliance.com/podcast] Angie on LinkedInEmmanuel on LinkedInScott on LinkedIn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Can we have guilt-free flying?David, Sara, and Ed chat with Sebastian Eastham, associate professor of sustainable aviation at Imperial College London, about the climate impacts of aviation and what we can actually do about it.The conversation covers immediate levers like contrail avoidance and operational changes that don't require waiting decades for new tech—plus the real potential (and limitations) of sustainable aviation fuels.It's a lively and at times blunt conversation, with sharp audience questions and limited patience for climate cosplay. You'll get the cosplay bit once you listen...
Send me a messageEurope doesn't have a clean energy problem. It has a grid problem.Solar is cheap. Batteries are scaling. Demand is exploding. The system in the middle is cracking.In this episode, I'm joined by Rob Stait, Managing Director of Alight's behind-the-meter business, to unpack why the energy transition is now being held back less by technology and more by infrastructure, regulation, and outdated thinking. Alight develops and owns onsite solar and battery systems for large energy users across Europe, using long-term PPAs to lock in savings, cut emissions, and build resilience.We dig into why waiting for cheaper solar or batteries is often the wrong call, and why businesses that move early gain a structural advantage. You'll hear how behind-the-meter solar and battery storage bypass grid bottlenecks entirely, why blaming renewables for blackouts misses the real issue, and how decentralised generation is reshaping energy security, affordability, and decarbonisation all at once.We also explore the uncomfortable reality facing Europe's grids, the growing role of data centres and electrification, and why microgrids are starting to look less like an edge case and more like the logical endgame of the energy transition. This is a grounded conversation about climate tech that works, emissions reduction that scales, and why net zero will be built through economics as much as policy.
Maria Elena Drew, Head of Global Sustainability at T. Rowe Price, discusses how different regions are navigating the “energy trilemma” of sustainability, security, and affordability.
In 2024, Tom Burton described the clean energy transition as entering its “third inning” — a phase defined by execution and scale. A year later, the game looks very different. In this episode, produced in partnership with Mintz, Stephen Lacey sits down with Burton to revisit that framework and assess the state of play for U.S. energy infrastructure heading into 2026. Burton, who chairs Mintz's sustainable energy and infrastructure practice, brings nearly 3 decades of experience advising developers, investors, and operators across clean energy and digital infrastructure. They begin with the immediate market picture: a surge of renewable projects racing to put steel in the ground under existing tax rules, followed by a thinning pipeline. Burton explains why 2027 and 2028 could mark a slowdown in new deployments, even as demand continues to rise. From there, the conversation turns to politics. Federal hostility toward clean energy, shifting tax credit structures, foreign sourcing rules, and the weaponization of permitting have introduced new layers of risk. Deals are harder to close, financing is more complex, and even strong projects are feeling the strain. Burton unpacks what this environment means for developers, including who's most exposed to the current shakeout, what separates resilient companies from struggling ones, and why permitting uncertainty may now be a bigger threat than tax policy itself. The episode also explores one of the defining forces reshaping the energy sector: the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure. Burton explains how power availability, interconnection, and long-term grid planning are now central to dealmaking. The energy transition hasn't stopped, says Burton. But it has entered a rain delay — and the companies that adapt during the pause will be the ones still standing when play resumes. These conversations were recorded at the Mintz Energy Transition Summit. Mintz has been at the frontlines of the energy and sustainability revolution since the start. For finance, policy, and market insights from the Mintz team, sign up for their newsletter.
Energy storage is not a green technology. It's grid infrastructure.That reframe from Shawn Shaw, CEO of Camelot Energy Group and author of "Energy Storage Systems," challenges how we talk about batteries in the energy transition. With 22 years in solar and storage and 1.2 GWh of projects commissioned in late 2025, Shaw brings practical insight into why storage matters for grid operators regardless of your views on renewables. China installed 65 GWh of storage in December 2025 alone. The US installed 40-50 GWh for the entire year. This conversation explains why that gap matters.Key Discussion PointsWhy energy storage is a grid resource like transformers and substations, not just a companion to renewables. Loads are more dynamic than ever, and batteries provide the controllability grid operators need.How storage transforms predictable renewables into dispatchable assets. A 100kW solar project might earn only 10kW capacity credit alone, but pairing it with batteries captures significantly more value.The real data on battery safety: Commercial and utility-scale systems catch fire at 0.3% per year, the same rate as residential homes. NFPA 855 2026 now requires active ventilation and separate fire and explosion testing.Hot storage markets in 2026: Massachusetts 83E procurement, New York's index storage credit, Illinois CRGA legislation, and why Texas requires nodal-level analysis to avoid 50% revenue swings.Why utility interconnection delays are pushing developers toward microgrids. Google acquired Intersect Power for $4.75 billion to self-develop solar and storage near data centers.FEOC compliance economics: Chinese DC blocks at $100-125/kWh vs Tesla at $300-500/kWh. Developers may want FEOC free but the economics of built in America may drive business as usual for BESS procurement. The devil is in the details! This episode offers a clear-eyed view of where the industry stands and what it takes to move faster.Connect with Shawn ShawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnshawpe/Website: https://www.camelotenergygroup.com/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com
Wen-Yu Weng, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Critical Minerals Lead, joins Lou to explain why critical minerals are currently taking centre stage in global political conversations. They explore:How we can create secure and resilient supply chains to close the gap on fast growing demandThe circular opportunities that currently lie in shaping supply chains to capture value right nowThe enabling factors that have opened windows of opportunity for immediate actionIf you enjoyed this episode, then please share with your colleagues, or leave us a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube.
Texas Leads the Energy Transition for High-Tech DemandsPREVIEW FOR LATER: GUEST BUD WEINSTEIN. Bud Weinstein explains how Texas has become number one in wind and solar energy to power massive data centers. Despite the growth of renewables and batteries in the western state, fossil fuels remain a permanent fixture of the energy mix to meet 21st-century electricity demands.1886 EL PASO
Predicting the Unpredictable: Energy and Geopolitics in 2026 This week, Peter and Jackie kick off the year with their 2026 outlook. They begin by asking a fundamental question: How relevant are predictions in an increasingly unpredictable world? While acknowledging the limits of forecasting, they outline key themes and directional expectations for 2026—and remind leaders that, in times like these, scenario development, continuous monitoring, and course correction are far more valuable than rigid forecasts. The discussion focuses on four major areas shaping the outlook for Canadian energy, spanning oil and gas and clean energy technologies: Global geopolitics and energy markets: examining how unfolding events in Venezuela and Iran—and ongoing tensions involving the United States, China, Russia, and Ukraine—could influence global energy markets. Oil and gas fundamentals: assessing the direction of oil prices and North American natural gas in 2026. Technology and disruption: exploring whether electric vehicles will regain momentum, how rapidly solar deployment will continue to scale, and whether projections for AI-driven energy demand will keep accelerating. Canada's unique circumstances: politics, policy, and infrastructure—from climate policy and the Ottawa–Alberta memorandum of understanding (MOU) on an oil pipeline, to elections (and potential elections) to watch. While predicting the future may be difficult, one thing Jackie and Peter are confident about is that the ARC Energy Ideas podcast will be here throughout the year—helping you navigate what is shaping up to be a consequential and eventful year for energy markets and geopolitics. Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/ Check us out on social media: X (Twitter): @arcenergyinstLinkedIn: @ARC Energy Research Institute Subscribe to ARC Energy Ideas PodcastApple PodcastsAmazon MusicSpotify
New York's electric grid is at an inflection point. In the latest Power Trends podcast, Senior Vice President of System and Resource Planning Zach Smith unpacks two critical reliability reports recently issued by the NYISO: the Comprehensive Reliability Plan (CRP) and the 2025 Third Quarter Short-Term Assessment of Reliability (STAR).These studies reveal the grid's mounting challenges—from aging generation and accelerating power plant retirements to surging demand driven by electrification and large-scale industrial projects. Extreme weather and supply chain constraints add complexity in planning for the future, Smith says.He notes that assumptions over the next 10 years must also consider a reduced ability to depend on electricity imports from neighboring grids in the future.“We are part of the Eastern Interconnection and it's one of the most amazing machines in the world—it's the entire eastern half of North America,” says Smith, explaining that it has long been a key factor in supporting reliability. “However, our neighbors are experiencing these same strained conditions that we are.” To address these uncertainties, the NYISO is proposing to shift from a single forecast approach to one that considers multiple plausible futures to examine reliability under a range of scenarios. He highlights the urgent need for dispatchable resources to complement the build-out of renewables and energy storage, and the importance of projects like the Champlain Hudson Power Express for New York City and Long Island.Check out the full episode to learn how NYISO is adapting its planning process to maintain reliability during this pivotal moment. The current energy landscape requires an “all of the above” approach to generation, transmission, and demand-side solutions.Additional Resources:· 2025-2034 Comprehensive Reliability Plan (CRP)· Short-Term Assessment of Reliability: 2025 Quarter 3 (STAR)Learn More Follow us on X/Twitter @NewYorkISO, LinkedIn @NYISO, Bluesky @nyiso.com Read our blogs and watch our videos Check out our Grid of the Future webpage
The post 7.1 – What 2026 Really Holds for Power Prices, Data Centers, and the Energy Transition with Energy Policy and Modeling Expert Robbie Orvis appeared first on Propane.
Send me a messageWhat if the biggest barrier to decarbonising buildings isn't technology, cost, or ambition - but sheer complexity?The built environment produces nearly 40% of global emissions, yet we still make low-carbon construction harder than it needs to be.In this episode, I'm joined by Tommy Linstroth, founder of Green Badger, to unpack why construction remains one of the most overlooked climate battlegrounds, and why that's a mistake. We dig into LEED v5, embodied carbon, and the growing gap between climate ambition and what actually happens on building sites. The stakes are huge: buildings lock in emissions for decades, sometimes centuries.You'll hear why builders aren't resisting sustainability, they're drowning in shifting standards, paperwork, and fragmented data. We explore how LEED has evolved, why carbon now sits at the centre of green building standards, and how decisions made at the design stage quietly determine emissions for the next 100 years. Tommy also explains why third-party verification matters, how “build to code” often means “barely legal”, and why retrofitting existing buildings may be the hardest climate challenge nobody likes talking about.We also dig into where genuine momentum is emerging - from falling renewable costs to better data and smarter software, and how climate tech, including AI, could finally make the low-carbon choice the easy choice. If net zero, emissions reduction, and the energy transition are serious goals, then construction can't stay a side quest.
Send me a messageIndustrial heat powers half of manufacturing - and almost no one is talking about it.What if one of the biggest supply chain emissions problems has been hiding in the boiler room all along?In this episode, I'm joined by Addison Stark, CEO and co-founder of AtmosZero, to tackle one of the most overlooked risks in industrial sustainability: steam. A 160-year-old technology that still delivers roughly half of all industrial heat, quietly underpinning food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, brewing, and more.We explore why industrial heat is routinely labelled “hard to abate” and why that label may be more habit than reality. You'll hear how electrified, drop-in steam boilers can replace combustion without forcing factories to redesign their operations, and why productised solutions matter more than bespoke decarbonisation projects if we want scale.We break down why heat pumps can outperform resistive electric boilers by a factor of two, how ignoring waste heat can actually accelerate deployment, and why engineers and plant managers, not press releases, ultimately decide what technologies make it into supply chains. You might be surprised to learn how Europe's energy volatility and policy certainty are reshaping the economics of industrial heat, and why steam decarbonisation could follow a very different curve from solar or EVs.This is a conversation about resilience, risk, and the unglamorous infrastructure that keeps global supply chains moving. Hidden systems. Real impact. No hype.
With the Kentucky Legislature going back into session this week, we reconnect with our friends at the Kentucky Resources Council (KRC) on Sustainability Now! Your host, Justin Mog, is in conversation this week with KRC's Program Attorney, Byron Gary, about their new study released on December 11th, which evaluates Kentucky's electricity needs, and demonstrates how new state laws are hindering a transition to a cheaper, cleaner, and more dependable energy portfolio — at a time when many Kentuckians are struggling to afford their utility bills. The independent report, commissioned by KRC, Mountain Association, Metropolitan Housing Coalition, and Earthjustice, compares multiple energy pathways through 2050 and concludes that replacing aging coal-fired power plants with a mix of renewable energy, battery storage, and efficiency investments could save Kentuckians billions while maintaining reliability. Read the report at https://kyrc.org/energy-report/ The report investigates whether continued reliance on fossil-fuels is necessary to assure affordable and reliable electricity service in Kentucky. The report found that Kentucky Senate Bills 4 (2023) and 349 (2024) hinder the development of cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable alternatives to serve Kentucky's electricity needs. The most affordable and reliable option to serve Kentuckians' electricity needs is a modern and diverse energy supply that includes much more renewable energy, battery storage, and demand-side resources than are currently planned by Kentucky's regulated utilities. Kentucky Senate Bills 4 (2023) and 349 (2024) put up hurdles to retiring aging, uneconomic coal-fired power plants. The independent report explains that continued reliance on coal is not necessary, and it's more expensive. There are cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable alternatives for Kentucky's ratepayers. Kentucky could save upwards of 4 billion dollars by 2050 with a more diverse portfolio that includes less fossil fuels and more renewables – but these laws must be amended now. This report highlights costs and risks to ratepayers across the nation as other states, including Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Utah and Wyoming, have also considered or passed legislation that would slow closures of an aging fleet of coal-fired power plants. As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com
Send me a messageMost companies say they're tackling Scope 3. Then they rely on averages and hope for the best. That's not decarbonisation. That's denial with spreadsheets.In this episode, I'm joined by Paul Byrnes, CEO of Mavarick AI, to dig into one of the most stubborn blockers to real emissions reduction: bad data across global supply chains. Paul brings a rare mix to the table. Deep manufacturing roots, serious machine learning expertise, and a refreshingly low tolerance for AI theatre. We focus squarely on the climate challenge that keeps executives awake at night. How to cut Scope 3 emissions when suppliers are overloaded, data is unreliable, and margins are thin.You'll hear why most Scope 3 programmes stall before they deliver a single tonne of abatement. We dig into how spend-based accounting can introduce error rates of up to 40%, masking risk instead of revealing it. And why primary supplier data is fast becoming table stakes for any credible net zero strategy.We also unpack where AI genuinely helps emissions reduction, and where it doesn't. From cleaning contaminated data sets, to identifying real decarbonisation levers with financial and environmental ROI, this conversation is about using technology to move from reporting to action.You might be surprised to learn why supplier engagement only works when there's a clear win for suppliers themselves, and why emissions reduction scales fastest when it also improves cost, efficiency, or resilience. No greenwash. No magic bullets. Just physics, data, and incentives aligned.
You asked — David, Sara, and Ed answered.We're wrapping up the year with our annual Ask EvC Anything episode, touching on topics that pair well with New Year's bubbly: We talk about whether Canada's climate targets are quietly slipping out of reach, the practicalities and prospects of direct air capture, what a net zero electricity grid in Alberta might actually look like by 2050, whether shiny new materials like metal organic frameworks are breakthrough solutions or just the latest carbon hype cycle, and why we call the show Energy vs Climate. References & Show Notes available on episode page.About Your Co-Hosts:David Keith is Professor and Founding Faculty Director, Climate Systems Engineering Initiative at the University of Chicago. He is the founder of Carbon Engineering and was formerly a professor at Harvard University and the University of Calgary. He splits his time between Canmore and Chicago.Sara Hastings-Simon studies energy transitions at the intersection of policy, business, and technology. She's a policy wonk, a physicist turned management consultant, and a professor at the University of Calgary where she teaches in the Energy Science program, and co-leads the Net Zero Electricity Research Initiative. She has a particular interest in the mid-transition.Ed Whittingham isn't a physicist but is a passionate environmental professional. He is the founder of Advance Carbon Removal, a coalition advancing demand side solutions for carbon removal in Canada. He is also the former CEO of the Pembina Institute, Canada's widely respected energy/environment NGO. His op-eds have been published in newspapers and magazines across Canada and internationally.Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
Growing up in New Zealand somehow turned into mud logging the Aussie desert, rigging up deepwater tech in the Gulf of Mexico, geosteering off Scotland, helping figure out nuclear waste storage in Swiss clay, and finally landing in subsurface risk and insurance where “nothing moves without coverage” starts to make way more sense. Jacob asks the dumb questions, Rodney Garrard from Arch Insurance International answers with real world stories, and the conversation ends on a pretty grounded idea: energy realism beats wishful thinking.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.io0:00 Zurich check in + quick disclaimer01:10 Rodney's origin story in New Zealand geology03:55 Mud logging in the Cooper Basin desert days08:00 Houston and early deepwater Gulf of Mexico work10:30 UK offshore, Rosebank, and geosteering life14:20 Rotations, family life, and Norway years17:00 Switzerland nuclear waste storage in clay, granite, salt24:00 Pivot into insurance and subsurface risk work27:00 What “energy insurance” actually does, CCS examples37:10 Europe's energy realism and the grid wake up call40:50 Writing, energy density, and “Energy Transition 2.0”https://twitter.com/collide_iohttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters
Send me a messageWhat if the biggest lever for food-system decarbonisation isn't factories or fleets, but soil you'll never see on a corporate balance sheet?In this episode, I'm joined by Rhyannon Galea and Kristjan Luha from eAgronom to unpack one of the hardest climate problems to solve: Scope 3 emissions in food and agriculture.This conversation was originally recorded for my Resilient Supply Chain podcast and I'm republishing it here because it cuts straight to the heart of real-world climate action. Most food companies have 70–95% of their emissions sitting on farms they don't own or control, while those same farms are increasingly exposed to climate shocks. The stakes couldn't be higher.You'll hear why regenerative agriculture is less about ideology and more about resilience, profitability, and physics. We dig into how practices like reduced tillage and cover cropping can rebuild soil carbon, improve water retention, and cut emissions without wrecking yields.We also get into the messy reality of data. Why averages and estimates won't get companies to net zero, and how credible primary farm data changes everything. From satellite verification to machine-level data capture, this episode explores what trustworthy emissions data actually looks like on the ground.You might be surprised by the incentive structures that work best with farmers, and why carbon credits alone are often the wrong starting point. We talk knowledge transfer, practice-based payments, and why 2030 is only “five harvests away” if you're serious about emissions reduction in food systems.
This episode of the Pipeliners Podcast features a thoughtful conversation with Scott Tinker on the realities of the global energy landscape and the often-misunderstood narrative surrounding the energy transition. The discussion explores energy demand, economic development, and the continued role of both traditional and emerging energy sources, offering a fact-based perspective on what the future may realistically hold. Listeners are also introduced to Scott's education-focused initiatives aimed at improving global energy literacy and addressing energy poverty. Visit PipelinePodcastNetwork.com for a full episode transcript, as well as detailed show notes with relevant links and insider term definitions.
Can the city known for oil & gas become the center of clean energy?In this powerhouse episode, we meet Jane Stricker, SVP of Energy Transition at the Greater Houston Partnership and Executive Director of HETI (Houston Energy Transition Initiative). Jane shares a front-row view of Houston's bold strategy to stay the energy capital of the world – not just in oil, but in all forms of energy.Jane breaks down how Houston is scaling clean tech faster than ever before, attracting startups and corporate giants alike, and why over $95 billion has already been invested by local companies into low-carbon technologies.You'll hear how the city's industrial infrastructure, diverse workforce, and “speed-to-market” culture are giving it an edge in a global race for clean energy dominance.Expect to learn:
In this episode we interview Mark Aldrich about his new book, The Rise and Fall of King Coal: American Energy Transitions in an Age of Markets, 1800-1940. From the publisher: “A history of the dynamic role of coal in the energy landscape of the United States during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In The Rise and Fall of King Coal, Mark Aldrich explores the pivotal role of coal in the historical energy landscape of the United States. Meticulously researched and clearly written, this analysis of the rise, dominance, and eventual decline of coal as a primary fuel source traces its evolution from the late eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Aldrich explains the factors that contributed to coal's ascendancy and decline, including efficiency, marketing, and the technological advancements that facilitated both its widespread adoption and later languishing. A complex interplay among market forces, government policies, and societal attitudes profoundly shaped the coal industry's trajectory. Challenges and controversies have surrounded the production of coal since its inception, including labor issues, environmental concerns, and resource scarcity. Aldrich's comprehensive approach—which combines historical analysis, economic perspectives, and a deep appreciation for the technological and scientific advancements that transformed the energy landscape—also emphasizes the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in driving energy transitions. By providing a bottom-up history that underscores the pivotal role of individual choices and market dynamics, The Rise and Fall of King Coal offers valuable insights into the dynamic nature of energy transitions. In lively discussions of domestic cooking and heating, Aldrich emphasizes the importance of women in shaping households' energy choices, and he gives voice to individual women and men as they describe how these decisions raised their standard of living. This book represents a seminal contribution to the field of energy history and highlights the complex interplay of factors that have shaped the evolution of energy use in the United States.” To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator.
In this episode of Inside the Rope, host David Clark sits down with Sam Reynolds, CEO of Octopus Investments Australia, to unpack one of the most critical and investable themes of our time: the global energy transition. As energy costs rise and the pathway to net zero becomes increasingly complex, Sam offers a grounded, data-driven perspective on how capital can be deployed responsibly without compromising on returns. We explore how institutional-grade renewable and energy-transition assets are delivering attractive double-digit returns, why the sector has historically been dominated by large institutions, and what's now changing for wholesale investors. The conversation spans global energy supply dynamics, political and regulatory uncertainty, and the real-world implications for investors seeking long-term, sustainable outcomes. Sam also shares how Octopus approaches asset selection, risk management, and portfolio construction in a space where sustainability and infrastructure intersect. For investors interested in future-proofing portfolios, aligning capital with decarbonisation, and understanding where genuine opportunity exists, this is a timely discussion with one of the leading minds in energy-transition investing.
In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook podcast, Marc Van Huet, CFO of Calor Ireland joins host, Dearbhail McDonald, to talk about building a modern finance engine, why a private, family-owned structure creates space to innovate, and the role LPG and BioLPG can play for rural homes, hotels and industry on the journey to net zero. He also shares the cultural lessons he's learned in Ireland, the value of a diverse team, and why a good culture is built in small daily choices.Marc Van Huet's road to CFO began behind the glass walls of an iconic Louis Vuitton store in Singapore, where a particular project taught him about relationship between customer experience and process discipline. That experience sparked an early interest in how strong brands connect with people, something that continues to guide his work today. Marc's career has taken him across several industries and leadership roles, from working with entrepreneurs to managing financial and project teams within SHV and beyond. Now, as the youngest CFO featured on the EY CFO Outlook podcast, Marc brings that same focus on people, growth, and innovation to Calor Ireland.They also discuss: Marc's early career and the importance of customer service.Key lessons learned from working with entrepreneurs and across multiple industries.The modern CFO: freeing the month-end “engine” to focus on value; AI and process mining in financeCalor's ambition to grow while leading Ireland's energy transition.How being part of a global family business supports innovation and investment.Why culture and teamwork matter in modern leadership.
How could our Christmas leftovers, such as rejected potatoes and 'pottail' from whisky distilleries, fuel the energy transition? In our final episode for 2025, Richard sits down with a company in Scotland to discuss how they produce bio-based green chemicals from food and drink byproducts, and how these greener alternatives are already helping pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries wean off fossil fuel chemicals. Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel NewsContributor: Gabriel Power - UK Reporter, Montel NewsGuest: Mark Simmers - CEO, Celtic RenewablesEditor: Oscar BirkProducer: Sarah KnowlesSubscribe to the podcast on our website, via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
As 2025 draws to a close, Andy Critchlow is joined by co-hosts Molly Mintz and Aries Poon to reflect on the Look Forward Podcast's 2025 conversations. From the persistence of inflation and the evolving role of central banks, to the rise of private credit and the profound impact of AI-driven data center investment, we dive into the macroeconomic, geopolitical, and sectoral shifts transforming global markets. Packed with expert insights, global perspectives, and forward-looking analysis, this episode is your essential guide to this past year of S&P Global's essential intelligence. Happy Holidays from the Look Forward Council. Episodes Featured (In Order of Appearance) Navigating Uncertainty: Insights into the Global Economy (7/31/2025) Understanding Global Tensions: Geopolitics, Trade, and the Energy Transition (8/4/2025) Powering the Future: Data Centers at the Crossroads of AI and Sustainability (11/20/2025) Building Tomorrow: The Critical Role of Cement (9/5/2025)
Send me a messageWhat if the fastest way to decarbonise shipping isn't a shiny new fuel, but the waste it's already throwing away?Shipping moves 90% of global trade, yet it's still one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. In this episode, I'm joined by Nicholas Ball, CEO and founder of XFuel, to unpack why cost, physics, and adoption matter more than climate theatre when cutting emissions at scale.Nicholas leads a company turning difficult waste streams, including oily residues from ships themselves, into fully compliant drop-in fuels for shipping and aviation. These fuels work in existing engines, use existing infrastructure, and can deliver up to 85% lifecycle emissions reductions without charging shipowners three to five times more than fossil fuels. That last point matters. A lot.We dig into why shipping is so price-sensitive, why infrastructure uncertainty is paralysing fuel decisions, and why waiting for perfect solutions risks locking in higher emissions for decades. You'll hear why XFuel focuses on waste-based and recycled carbon fuels, how lifecycle emissions are verified under EU rules, and why “drop-in” isn't a marketing term, it's the difference between pilots and adoption.We also tackle hydrogen head-on. Why it's massively inefficient as a fuel. Why scarce renewable electricity should be used to decarbonise grids and industry first. And why electrification should happen everywhere it can, with fuels reserved for sectors that genuinely have no alternative.If you care about climate tech that actually scales, real-world decarbonisation, and cutting emissions in sectors that don't have easy answers, this conversation matters.
In this episode, our guest is Stephanie Bashir, Founder and CEO of Nexa Advisory. With over two decades of experience in Australia's energy sector, Stephanie shares a compelling vision for a consumer-driven clean energy future. From rooftop solar and home batteries to commercial-scale renewables and regulatory reform, she unpacks the big shifts reshaping Australia's energy market. Stephanie discusses the phasing out of coal, barriers to transmission upgrades, the equity implications of fixed network charges, and how electric vehicles and household storage are redefining the role of utilities. She also calls for open, honest conversations on modernizing the grid and ensuring energy affordability for all. This is a dynamic conversation on policy, innovation, and people-powered change. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs Instagram @energypreneurs Tiktok @energypreneurs Spotify Video @energypreneurs
Will artificial intelligence reshape the power grid, or will the inertia and complexity of today's infrastructure slow progress—or even redefine how large language models, chips, and datacenters are designed and located? To meet the exponential rise in energy demand, parts of the industry have taken shortcuts—rapidly adding behind-the-meter capacity through open-cycle gas turbines - OCGT (such as the Titan 350 from Caterpillar) with little regard for environmental regulations. The mantra seems to be speed at any cost. Is the AI boom we are witnessing justified—or sustainable? From a technological standpoint, certainly yes: AI capability is roughly doubling every seven months. But from a financial perspective, it is harder to defend—given the sky-high valuations, credit fuelled growth and mounting losses at many of the sector's biggest players. The bigger question is what all this means for the energy system itself. How will AI be powered? What will it do to the cost of energy and the shape of our infrastructure? Will it accelerate—or hinder—the energy transition? Hope is powerful—but it can also be blind. Between AI's explosive growth and the traditional energy system's entrenched realities, who will bear the cost? These are the questions Laurent and Gerard pose to Andrew Perry, Director of the Energy Transition and Environment business unit at Faculty.ai, where he leads AI-driven innovation in the energy sector. We have a heated debate, trying to honestly lay out the dilemmas in front of the industry. More insights in this excellent research by the FThttps://ig.ft.com/ai-power/Today's show is supported by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. The BMW Foundation unites leaders from diverse sectors to develop solutions that foster an innovative economy and a future-proof society. A key focus is "Energy Transition & Climate Change," where the Foundation drives "International collaboration to accelerate the energy transition." With rising energy demands from AI and data centers, new partnerships, effective collaboration, and the exchange of science-based solutions and strategies are essential. That's why the BMW Foundation supports this podcast and brings these discussions to global stages by hosting the Energy Security Hub at the Munich Security Conference 2026, streaming live February 12–14. Learn more at www.bmw-foundation.org
As the world moves with increasing urgency to mitigate climate change and catalyze energy transitions to net zero, understanding the governance mechanisms that will unlock barriers to energy transitions is of critical importance. Governing Energy Transitions: A Study of Regime Complex Effectiveness on Geothermal Development in Indonesia and the Philippines (Cambridge UP, 2025) by Dr. Kathryn Chelminski examines how the clean energy regime complex-the fragmented, complex sphere of governance in the clean energy issue area characterized by proliferating and overlapping international institutions-can be effective in fostering energy transitions at the domestic level, particularly in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). Through comparative case studies of geothermal development in Indonesia and the Philippines, the chapters provide two different tales of energy transitions, demonstrating how domestic factors have hindered or facilitated progress. This book will be useful for students, researchers, and practitioners working in international relations, energy politics, political science, development studies, public policy, international law, and sociology. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
As the world moves with increasing urgency to mitigate climate change and catalyze energy transitions to net zero, understanding the governance mechanisms that will unlock barriers to energy transitions is of critical importance. Governing Energy Transitions: A Study of Regime Complex Effectiveness on Geothermal Development in Indonesia and the Philippines (Cambridge UP, 2025) by Dr. Kathryn Chelminski examines how the clean energy regime complex-the fragmented, complex sphere of governance in the clean energy issue area characterized by proliferating and overlapping international institutions-can be effective in fostering energy transitions at the domestic level, particularly in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). Through comparative case studies of geothermal development in Indonesia and the Philippines, the chapters provide two different tales of energy transitions, demonstrating how domestic factors have hindered or facilitated progress. This book will be useful for students, researchers, and practitioners working in international relations, energy politics, political science, development studies, public policy, international law, and sociology. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies
As the world moves with increasing urgency to mitigate climate change and catalyze energy transitions to net zero, understanding the governance mechanisms that will unlock barriers to energy transitions is of critical importance. Governing Energy Transitions: A Study of Regime Complex Effectiveness on Geothermal Development in Indonesia and the Philippines (Cambridge UP, 2025) by Dr. Kathryn Chelminski examines how the clean energy regime complex-the fragmented, complex sphere of governance in the clean energy issue area characterized by proliferating and overlapping international institutions-can be effective in fostering energy transitions at the domestic level, particularly in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). Through comparative case studies of geothermal development in Indonesia and the Philippines, the chapters provide two different tales of energy transitions, demonstrating how domestic factors have hindered or facilitated progress. This book will be useful for students, researchers, and practitioners working in international relations, energy politics, political science, development studies, public policy, international law, and sociology. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies
A look back at the biggest energy stories of 2025 and some crystal ball gazing about what to watch for in 2026.David, Sara and Ed chat with Robbie Orvis, Senior Director of Modeling & Analysis at Energy Innovation, an American Think Tank. The show was set up to do two things: First, to sort out what genuinely shifted in 2025 and what didn't. Second, to build a 2026 energy and climate watch list that helps separate real transition signals from the noise and the hype.It's a lively conversation with great audience questions - a sign that people are trying to make sense of a confusing year.References & notes available on episode page.About Our Guest:Robbie Orvis is Senior Director, Modeling & Analysis at Energy Innovation. As a specialist in energy and climate policy, Robbie routinely works with federal and state policymakers in the U.S. as well as international policymakers to analyze legislation and regulation and to provide insights on how to achieve climate goals. He has helped develop and deploy Energy Policy Simulator models in more than a dozen countries, including Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, and to analyze decarbonization pathways in each region.Robbie is the lead author of Designing Climate Solutions: A Policy Guide for Low-Carbon Energy and frequently provides insights to decision-makers on how to design policies to achieve deep decarbonization. His research is regularly cited in the nation's top news outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Politico, Bloomberg, and the Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
Send me a messageWhat if the clean energy transition depended on potato-sized rocks four miles under the Pacific, and we've barely started talking about it?In this episode I'm joined by Oliver Gunasekara, CEO and co-founder of Impossible Metals, to tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in climate tech: there is no net zero without mining. We dig into how deep sea polymetallic nodules, AI-driven underwater robots and smarter policy could reshape the energy transition, emissions reduction, and even the geopolitical balance with China.You'll hear why 84% of global mining today is still for fossil fuels – and what happens to decarbonisation when ore grades on land collapse to 0.2% while nodules sit at the 4% level. We get into how autonomous robots can hover above the seabed, detect and avoid life, and selectively collect nodules, and why the choice of mining technology matters as much as the decision to mine at all.We also explore the hard politics: critical minerals as a strategic vulnerability, the West's dependence on Chinese processing, and why delaying decisions on deep sea mining could mean more rainforest lost, higher battery prices, and a slower energy transition. Kismet: the market for nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese is on track to hit $1 trillion a year by 2035 – and we're still arguing about whether mining “counts” as climate tech.
As bonus episode of Climate Rising, we feature a conversation among Tata Power CEO Dr. Praveer Sinha, Harvard Business School Professor Vikram Gandhi, and HBS Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Brian Kenny that explores how India's largest private power company is navigating its net-zero commitment while supporting a rapidly growing economy. With energy demand projected to quadruple by 2047, Tata Power has committed to phasing down coal and expanding renewables, distributed generation, and smart grid investments. This conversation, based on the HBS case “Tata Power and India's Energy Transition” and originally recorded for the HBS Cold Call podcast, explores how Tata Power balances profitability and purpose, the role of technology and grid modernization, and how energy transition in the Global South differs from the Global North. Dr. Sinha also shares insights on employee reskilling, engaging customers as “prosumers,” and why long-term vision is critical to executing a climate-aligned business strategy. This episode is part of Climate Rising's Global South series, which features companies and organizations at the intersection of business and climate in India and Brazil. Explore more episodes at climaterising.org.
Welcome to the 2025 season finale of Aurecon’s Engineering Reimagined podcast. Let’s look back on some of our favourite episodes of the year that all have one thing in common – the evolving technologies that affect or impact three critical areas of interest, including decision-making in the age of distraction, the energy transition and data centres. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our Energy Transition Series continues to bring you leading global content to support your energy transition journey. In this webinar, focused on powering the digital future through data centre and energy strategies, explored how US and European data centre energy strategies are diverging and what this means for developers and operators. It also delved into utility and developer perspectives on navigating policy, regulation, and commercial pressures across regions, and examined emerging energy procurement models and market trends that are shaping data centre growth.
This episode features Valentina Mercati, the chief executive of FIVE-E Italy, who shares how private equity is reshaping early stage renewable development in one of Europes most complex markets. We explore how private equity accelerates solar, storage and biomethane projects, why permitting and grid issues continue to slow delivery in Italy, and how investors are navigating new rules, rising deadlines and shifting incentive schemes. Valentina also sets out where she sees the strongest opportunities for growth and how a platform approach can unlock value across the energy transition.This episode is hosted by Maya Chavvakula, Head of News at inspiratia. This episode was edited by Leonard Müller, Reporter at inspiratia. Reach out to us at: podcasts@inspiratia.comFind all of our latest news and analysis by subscribing to inspiratia Interested in tickets for one of our events? Email conferences@inspiratia.com or buy them directly on our website.Listen to all our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other providers. Music credit: NDA/Show You instrumental/Tribe of Noise©2025 inspiratia. All rights reserved.This content is protected by copyright. Please respect the author's rights and do not copy or reproduce it without permission.
There are many takes on the big Carney-Smith energy agreement – we thought you could use one more.The new Canada–Alberta MOU unveiled last Thursday is already generating more chatter than a pipeline hearing, and has set off a fresh round of debate about economy, emissions, and where the country is headed on energy. The hot takes have been flying. Naturally, we couldn't resist adding our own, so we grabbed the mics the next day to sort through what it all means.And because we weren't the only ones buzzing after the news dropped, we're also bringing you five on-the-ground reactions from attendees at EvC Calgary pop-up event the day the announcement landed. You'll hear those right after ours — a kind of post-MOU tasting flight, if you will.Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
Geopower, Energy Realpolitik with Todd Royal – Todd shows how political fantasies about 100% renewables collide with materials limits, cost structures, and physical constraints. This leads into a breakdown of U.S. power-demand forecasts, referencing new research from Grid Strategies, EPRI, and DOE scenario modeling. All three converge on the same conclusion: the US is entering an era of...
Send me a messageWhat if the real disruption in solar isn't the technology — but the business model behind it?This week I'm joined by Scott Therien, Director of Strategic Partnerships at REC Solar, to unpack one of the most important, and least discussed, shifts in the energy transition: the move from one-off construction projects to long-term, risk-bearing power-purchase agreements. It's a change that's quietly reshaping who owns energy infrastructure, who carries the financial risk, and how quickly commercial sectors can decarbonise.In this episode, you'll hear why the old “buy a solar system and hope it performs” mindset is being replaced by something far more aligned - developers putting up the capital, carrying the downside, and only winning when the customer wins. We dig into how solar-plus-storage now beats diesel on cost and resilience in many markets, why procurement processes often sabotage their own climate goals, and what separates successful projects from expensive disappointments. You might be surprised to learn how much hinges not on panels or batteries, but on load profiles, tariff structures, and whether an organisation actually knows what it wants.We also explore the future: a post-ITC world, the rise of data centres as demand engines, and unexpected benefits like agrivoltaics, including sheep producing better wool under solar arrays. It's a vivid reminder that decarbonisation isn't just an engineering exercise; it's a systems shift.
In this episode of Climate Positive, Gil Jenkins speaks with Bill McKibben: author, educator, and one of the most acclaimed environmental voices of our time. His latest book, Here Comes the Sun, traces the rise of abundant, inexpensive solar power and argues that if we keep accelerating, we have a real chance not only to limit climate damage, but also to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. We dig into the data, the politics, and the people driving the global shift to solar, and Bill also opens up about the role of faith in his work and how he views the environmental movement's trajectory today.Links:Bill McKibben WebsitePurchase Bill's Book - Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for CivilizationBook Excerpt: 4.6 Billion Years On, the Sun Is Having a Moment – The New Yorker, July 9, 2025Substack: The Crucial Years - Bill's ongoing essays on climate, energy, and activismSun Day WebsiteThird Act WebsiteArticle: Sunday Was Also Sun Day - The New York Times, Sept. 20, 2025Episode recorded on October 20, 2025 About Bill:Bill McKibben is founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 for action on climate and justice. His 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change, and has appeared in 24 languages. He's gone on to write 20 books, and his work appears regularly in periodicals from the New Yorker to Rolling Stone. He serves as the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he has won the Gandhi Peace Prize as well as honorary degrees from 20 colleges and universities. He was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes called the alternative Nobel, in the Swedish Parliament. Foreign Policy named him to its inaugural list of the world's 100 most important global thinkers. McKibben helped found 350.org, the first global grassroots climate campaign, which has organized protests on every continent, including Antarctica, for climate action. He played a leading role in launching the opposition to big oil pipeline projects like Keystone XL, and the fossil fuel divestment campaign, which has become the biggest anti-corporate campaign in history, with endowments worth more than $40 trillion stepping back from oil, gas and coal. He stepped down as board chair of 350 in 2015, and left the board and stepped down from his volunteer role as senior adviser in 2020, accepting emeritus status. He lives in the mountains above Lake Champlain with his wife, the writer Sue Halpern, where he spends as much time as possible outdoors. In 2014, biologists credited his career by naming a new species of woodland gnat—Megophthalmidia mckibbeni–in his honor.Book Blurb:From the acclaimed environmentalist, a call to harness the power of the sun and rewrite our scientific, economic, and political future. Our climate, and our democracy, are melting down. But Bill McKibben, one of the first to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, insists the moment is also full of possibility. Energy from the sun and wind is suddenly the cheapest power on the planet and growing faster than any energy source in history—if we can keep accelerating the pace, we have a chance. Here Comes the Sun tells the story of the sudden spike in power from the sun and wind—and the desperate fight of the fossil fuel industry and their politicians to hold this new power at bay. From the everyday citizens who installed solar panels equal to a third of Pakistan's electric grid in a year to the world's sixth-largest economy—California—nearly halving its use of natural gas in the last two years, Bill McKibben traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy. And he shows how solar power is more than just a path out of the climate crisis: it is a chance to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. You can't hoard solar energy or hold it in reserves—it's available to all.There's no guarantee we can make this change in time, but there is a hope—in McKibben's eyes, our best hope for a new civilization: one that looks up to the sun, every day, as the star that fuels our world. Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.
Boris Sofman is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bedrock Robotics, a company turning existing construction equipment into fully autonomous fleets through same-day hardware upfits. With over $80 million in funding from Eclipse, 8VC, NVIDIA Ventures, and former Waymo CEO John Krafcik, Bedrock is tackling a major bottleneck in the global economy: a massive construction labor shortage just as demand for data centers, clean energy projects, housing, and manufacturing is skyrocketing. In this episode, Boris shares how his experience building autonomous vehicles at Waymo inspired him to apply similar AI and machine learning approaches to heavy equipment. He explains why full autonomy matters in construction, what it unlocks for efficiency and safety, and how Bedrock plans to accelerate infrastructure and industrial development through robotic automation.Episode recorded on Sept 30, 2025 (Published on Nov 13, 2025)In this episode, we cover: [02:45] Boris's background in robotics and autonomous vehicles[04:50] Learnings from Waymo applied to construction[10:09] Boris's predictions for autonomous vehicles in the future[18:44] Why he left Waymo to start Bedrock Robotics[22:59] Choosing construction as the first market for autonomy[25:26] How Bedrock upfits machines without permanent modifications[26:25] Why excavators are the first target use case[28:20] Training AI to navigate changing job site environments[30:54] Skipping teleoperation and going straight to autonomy[35:52] Bedrock's GTM focus on heavy industrial sectors[40:46] How to work with traditional industries effectively[43:55] How autonomy solves labor shortages and safety challenges Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
As world leaders, businesses and NGOs start their journeys to Brazil for the COP30 climate talks, more than 200,000 people attended ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi, the world's biggest energy event. Energy Gang was there to bring you the highlights from the week's discussions. One of the key talking points was the theme of energy addition, rather than transition. In other words, the idea that new renewables and other low-carbon sources are adding to global energy supplies, rather than replacing fossil fuels. With forecasts showing an acceleration in power demand growth driven by AI, and the continuing need for increased energy supply to raise living standards in low and middle-income countries, calls for a rapid transition away from oil, gas and coal seem to many to be unrealistic. At ADIPEC, the conversation centred around the vision of new low-carbon supplies stacking on top of hydrocarbons, to reduce costs, increase access and cut emissions intensity. But there was confidence in the prospect of robust global demand for oil and gas, in particular, for decades to come. To debate that vision and assess what it means for the world, host Ed Crooks is joined by energy executives and analysts who have been part of the conversation. Dr Carole Nakhle is the founder and CEO of Crystol Energy, an independent advisory firm. She was first up to discuss whether decarbonisation targets are being pushed further into the future, and how they can be met if clean energy is complementing fossil fuels rather than replacing them. “Complementarity beats substitution,” Carole says. What does that mean for energy security, access and emissions? Next, Ed spoke with John Gilley, CEO of Kent, which designs and engineers assets for the energy industry, including both oil and gas and low-carbon technologies. John isn't worried about a slowdown in clean energy deployment. When energy is cheaper, it gets used, he says, and solar and wind keep winning on cost. He believes climate change is the greatest challenge of our times, and his purpose at Kent is to support ways to tackle it, while meeting the world's demand for energy. John and Ed talk it all through.Sascha Sissiou is sales director for the Middle East and Africa at Aerzen, a German manufacturer of equipment for oil and gas and other industries. Sascha argues that, far from the momentum towards decarbonisation slowing, it is actually speeding up, as reflected in demand from Aerzen's customers. Demand for flare-gas recovery and other emissions reduction technologies has grown, and Aerzen is rolling out new large compressors for the hydrogen industry. Sustainability standards now influence sourcing, logistics and manufacturing across industries from wastewater to petrochemicals. Next, Clay Seigle, senior fellow at the thinktank CSIS, talks about the implications of sustained oil demand for energy security. On climate, he highlights the importance of industry-led investments in methane controls and carbon capture. Looking ahead, permitting reform could emerge as the next big US energy story; Clay explains why. Finally, as the Energy Gang prepares to switch focus to COP30, Ed sat down with Bjorn Otto Sverdrup, who's the head of the secretariat for the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter. They bring together more than 50 leading oil and gas companies from around the world to work together to cut their emissions. Bjorn says the industry's top CEOs are staying the course on near-term decarbonisation goals with high impact - cutting methane and eliminating routine flaring by 2030 – because they make operational and reputational sense. There will be more to come on this issue at COP30. We will be bringing you all the big stories and exclusive commentary and analysis on COP30 from our energy expert friends, as well as some new voices. So don't forget to follow the show wherever you get your podcasts, to keep up with all our coverage of the climate talks over the next two weeks. This episode was recorded live at ADIPEC 2025, the world's largest energy event, held in Abu Dhabi from 3–6 November. With more than 205,000 attendees and 1,800 speakers, this year's theme - Energy Intelligence Impact - sparked vital conversations about the future of energy. Learn more about the event at adipec.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.