On the last Energy Gang we looked at the impact of record temperatures on the energy sector. This week, we discuss another impact of climate change: its effect on human psychology. We discuss how the way we talk about global warming affects how we respond to it.A recent study in the journal Global Environmental Change argued that scientists and media organizations need to rethink the way they talk about climate change. The study’s authors called on the media to emphasise potential solutions to rising temperatures, rather than focusing solely on the dire consequences. This shift towards solutions-oriented thinking could help prevent a pervasive sense of fatalism: the idea that humans can do nothing useful to mitigate climate change. Doomerism, as it is sometimes known, seems to be creeping more and more into the conversation. Is it an inevitable consequence of the way we talk about climate change? One point that researchers have found is that using the term “climate emergency” reduced the perceived credibility of news reports, and the likelihood that people would take action, compared to using “climate change.” News about climate impacts leads to increased fear and decreased hope, relative to the impact of news about climate action. Are the media inadvertently encouraging people to believe that our civilization is fated to end in disaster, and we are all going to burn if we live long enough, so we might as well just live for the moment and enjoy the ride any way we can?To discuss the impact of climate doomerism on our mental health, and more, host Ed Crooks is joined by Dr Melissa Lott, Director of the Centre on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Melissa argues that the evidence shows there are in fact workable solutions to climate change, and that “everything we do to try to reduce emissions to any degree, already protects health.” So doomerism is not based on reality.Also on this episode is Amy Harder, who is the Executive Editor of Cipher, a news outlet supported by Breakthrough Energy, the climate investing and policy organization backed by Bill Gates. She has some new polling data on public attitudes to climate change, published by Pew Research.Looking for solutions led us to one answer to emissions that has made the news in recent weeks: carbon utilization. Amy’s outlet Cipher recently published a story looking at the debate in the US over tax breaks for carbon capture, and what happens to the carbon dioxide after it is captured. Amy explores with Ed and Melissa what this means for energy and the potential for carbon utilization as a whole.As always, please subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.You can find the report from Pew Research on US attitudes to climate change here: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/08/09/why-some-americans-do-not-see-urgency-on-climate-change/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the last Energy Gang we looked at the impact of record temperatures on the energy sector. This week, we discuss another impact of climate change: its effect on human psychology. We discuss how the way we talk about global warming affects how we respond to it.A recent study in the journal Global Environmental Change argued that scientists and media organizations need to rethink the way they talk about climate change. The study’s authors called on the media to emphasise potential solutions to rising temperatures, rather than focusing solely on the dire consequences. This shift towards solutions-oriented thinking could help prevent a pervasive sense of fatalism: the idea that humans can do nothing useful to mitigate climate change. Doomerism, as it is sometimes known, seems to be creeping more and more into the conversation. Is it an inevitable consequence of the way we talk about climate change? One point that researchers have found is that using the term “climate emergency” reduced the perceived credibility of news reports, and the likelihood that people would take action, compared to using “climate change.” News about climate impacts leads to increased fear and decreased hope, relative to the impact of news about climate action. Are the media inadvertently encouraging people to believe that our civilization is fated to end in disaster, and we are all going to burn if we live long enough, so we might as well just live for the moment and enjoy the ride any way we can?To discuss the impact of climate doomerism on our mental health, and more, host Ed Crooks is joined by Dr Melissa Lott, Director of the Centre on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Melissa argues that the evidence shows there are in fact workable solutions to climate change, and that “everything we do to try to reduce emissions to any degree, already protects health.” So doomerism is not based on reality.Also on this episode is Amy Harder, who is the Executive Editor of Cipher, a news outlet supported by Breakthrough Energy, the climate investing and policy organization backed by Bill Gates. She has some new polling data on public attitudes to climate change, published by Pew Research.Looking for solutions led us to one answer to emissions that has made the news in recent weeks: carbon utilization. Amy’s outlet Cipher recently published a story looking at the debate in the US over tax breaks for carbon capture, and what happens to the carbon dioxide after it is captured. Amy explores with Ed and Melissa what this means for energy and the potential for carbon utilization as a whole.As always, please subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.You can find the report from Pew Research on US attitudes to climate change here: <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/08/09/why-some-americans-do-not-see-urgency-on-climate-change/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/08/09/why-some-americans-do-not-see-urgency-on-climate-change/</a>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Defeating Doomerism: The Search For A New Climate Narrative

New challenges for our power supplies in a warming world.Global temperatures have been breaking records this summer. On some estimates, the earth is the hottest that it has been for about 125,000 years. In Phoenix, Arizona, temperatures have consistently reached over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and people are being hospitalized with severe burns after falling on the ground. The heat is bringing other threats, including the wildfires that have been burning out of control in parts of southern Europe and Canada.  Extreme heat inflates the demand for energy, particularly power for cooling and air conditioning, putting new strains on the power grid. In the US, electricity demand has been shattering records in Texas and Phoenix, and it's on a similar trend in other arts of the world, too. India's power demand, for instance, has been hitting new record highs due to the scorching temperatures and a steadily expanding economy.To explore the impacts of the extreme weather we’ve been seeing, host Ed Crooks is joined by Energy Gang regulars Dr Melissa Lott of Columbia University’s Centre on Global Energy Policy, and Amy Myers Jaffe, from NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab. The gang discusses the ramifications of a warming world, and the stresses that it creates. To take just one example, to cope with extreme temperatures more people use air-conditioning, which often means increasing the use of fossil fuels, adding to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In China, coal-fired power output in June was up 14% from the same month in 2022.The gang discuss the huge global disparities in energy usage around the world. In the US, about 90% of households have air-conditioning, while in the lower-income economies of Asia and Africa, it is 10% or less. Melissa and Amy discuss how the transition to a lower-carbon world will be viable only if it acknowledges the rest of the world’s demand for the comforts enjoyed in rich countries today.Climate change also causes problems for energy production. In Africa, hydropower plays a large role in electricity generation. As weather patterns shift, regions that rely on particular patterns of rainfall can struggle. Parts of China have been suffering blackouts this summer because of low hydro power generation, while California has been helped by relatively high snow and rainfall over the past winter. Picking up a theme from a previous episode of the show, when Dr Sarah Kapnick of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration was a guest, the gang discuss the need for more advanced climate modelling to understand the factors shaping energy demand and supply. Finally, there is news of a potentially exciting breakthrough in what could be an important source of dispatchable power with zero emissions: geothermal energy. A company called Fervo Energy, led and staffed by people with backgrounds in both low-carbon energy and oil and gas, has reported a successful test of its first pair of geothermal wells drilled horizontally for more than 3,000 feet, using techniques pioneered in the shale industry. Could this technology eventually be a big piece of the energy transition puzzle? It’s all examined on this week’s show. Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and follow the discussion on Twitter – 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.

New challenges for our power supplies in a warming world. Global temperatures have been breaking records this summer. On some estimates, the earth is the hottest that it has been for about 125,000 years. In Phoenix, Arizona, temperatures have consistently reached over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and people are being hospitalized with severe burns after falling on the ground. The heat is bringing other threats, including the wildfires that have been burning out of control in parts of southern Europe and Canada.  Extreme heat inflates the demand for energy, particularly power for cooling and air conditioning, putting new strains on the power grid. In the US, electricity demand has been shattering records in Texas and Phoenix, and it's on a similar trend in other arts of the world, too. India's power demand, for instance, has been hitting new record highs due to the scorching temperatures and a steadily expanding economy.To explore the impacts of the extreme weather we’ve been seeing, host Ed Crooks is joined by Energy Gang regulars Dr Melissa Lott of Columbia University’s Centre on Global Energy Policy, and Amy Myers Jaffe, from NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab. The gang discusses the ramifications of a warming world, and the stresses that it creates. To take just one example, to cope with extreme temperatures more people use air-conditioning, which often means increasing the use of fossil fuels, adding to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In China, coal-fired power output in June was up 14% from the same month in 2022.The gang discuss the huge global disparities in energy usage around the world. In the US, about 90% of households have air-conditioning, while in the lower-income economies of Asia and Africa, it is 10% or less. Melissa and Amy discuss how the transition to a lower-carbon world will be viable only if it acknowledges the rest of the world’s demand for the comforts enjoyed in rich countries today.Climate change also causes problems for energy production. In Africa, hydropower plays a large role in electricity generation. As weather patterns shift, regions that rely on particular patterns of rainfall can struggle. Parts of China have been suffering blackouts this summer because of low hydro power generation, while California has been helped by relatively high snow and rainfall over the past winter. Picking up a theme from a previous episode of the show, when Dr Sarah Kapnick of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration was a guest, the gang discuss the need for more advanced climate modelling to understand the factors shaping energy demand and supply. Finally, there is news of a potentially exciting breakthrough in what could be an important source of dispatchable power with zero emissions: geothermal energy. A company called Fervo Energy, led and staffed by people with backgrounds in both low-carbon energy and oil and gas, has reported a successful test of its first pair of geothermal wells drilled horizontally for more than 3,000 feet, using techniques pioneered in the shale industry. Could this technology eventually be a big piece of the energy transition puzzle? It’s all examined on this week’s show. Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and follow the discussion on Twitter – we’re @theenergygang.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Heating Up: What Record Temperatures Mean For Energy

Bidenomics’ is the new buzzword that the US administration is using to brand its industrial strategy. What does it mean for energy in the US, and around the world?Last week, President Joe Biden spoke in South Carolina about his economic vision: a strategy that he is calling “Bidenomics”, with the energy transition is right at the heart of it. By “turning the climate crisis into an opportunity”, the White House says, the US can create good-paying jobs in clean energy while also bringing down consumers’ energy costs. When the president and his administration talk about their energy policies, the focus is generally on jobs, investment, and the international race to lead in the technologies of the future, not the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.The Inflation Reduction Act was the legislative core of this plan, with its array of incentives for low-carbon-energy, and for US-produced equipment in particular. As we approach a year since it was passed, there is plenty of evidence that it is contributing to upturn in US manufacturing. Spending on new factories has been tracking at a rate of about $190 billion a year, triple the average rate of the 2010s. But are there dangers in the administration’s drive to create new domestic industries in low-carbon technologies?To discuss that question and more, host Ed Crooks is joined by regulars Melissa Lott and Amy Myers-Jaffe. Melissa is Director of Research at Columbia University’s Centre on Global Energy Policy, and Amy is Director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at New York University.One of the biggest issues in terms of international tensions around renewable energy manufacturing is China, which is currently the dominant producer for products and components such as batteries and solar panels. At the same time as it is trying to wrest global leadership from China in some of those key sectors, the US is also arguing that the two countries need to work together to tackle the threat of climate change. Melissa was in China last week – as was US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen – and shares her insights on the implications of two countries’ energy strategies.One new development is that China is restricting exports of gallium and germanium, which are used in semiconductors, fibre-optic cables, and some electrical equipment. Amy discusses what these restrictions might mean for energy producers. And the gang discuss the question: what does this new trade flare-up teach us about how much countries need to work together to make the progress we need in developing clean energy? If our world’s greatest challenges, including climate change, can only be solved through co-operation, does competition between countries risk pushing us off course?Join the discussion on Twitter – we’re @theenergygang, or visit woodmac.com/podcasts for more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bidenomics’ is the new buzzword that the US administration is using to brand its industrial strategy. What does it mean for energy in the US, and around the world? Last week, President Joe Biden spoke in South Carolina about his economic vision: a strategy that he is calling “Bidenomics”, with the energy transition is right at the heart of it. By “turning the climate crisis into an opportunity”, the White House says, the US can create good-paying jobs in clean energy while also bringing down consumers’ energy costs. When the president and his administration talk about their energy policies, the focus is generally on jobs, investment, and the international race to lead in the technologies of the future, not the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.The Inflation Reduction Act was the legislative core of this plan, with its array of incentives for low-carbon-energy, and for US-produced equipment in particular. As we approach a year since it was passed, there is plenty of evidence that it is contributing to upturn in US manufacturing. Spending on new factories has been tracking at a rate of about $190 billion a year, triple the average rate of the 2010s. But are there dangers in the administration’s drive to create new domestic industries in low-carbon technologies?To discuss that question and more, host Ed Crooks is joined by regulars Melissa Lott and Amy Myers-Jaffe. Melissa is Director of Research at Columbia University’s Centre on Global Energy Policy, and Amy is Director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at New York University.One of the biggest issues in terms of international tensions around renewable energy manufacturing is China, which is currently the dominant producer for products and components such as batteries and solar panels. At the same time as it is trying to wrest global leadership from China in some of those key sectors, the US is also arguing that the two countries need to work together to tackle the threat of climate change. Melissa was in China last week – as was US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen – and shares her insights on the implications of two countries’ energy strategies.One new development is that China is restricting exports of gallium and germanium, which are used in semiconductors, fibre-optic cables, and some electrical equipment. Amy discusses what these restrictions might mean for energy producers. And the gang discuss the question: what does this new trade flare-up teach us about how much countries need to work together to make the progress we need in developing clean energy? If our world’s greatest challenges, including climate change, can only be solved through co-operation, does competition between countries risk pushing us off course?Join the discussion on Twitter – we’re @theenergygang, or visit <a href="http://woodmac.com/podcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">woodmac.com/podcasts</a> for more.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

The Race To Lead The World In Clean Energy

This year’s climate talks have already drawn widespread criticism. Can they make progress?COP28, this year’s Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is still five months away, but the discussion around it is already intense. The conference is being held in Dubai, a choice that has drawn criticism because the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s leading oil-producing countries. Last year’s COP27, held in Egypt, was widely considered a failure. There was a lack of new commitments to cut emissions, and many analysts have concluded that the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees C is now slipping out of reach. Environmental groups have warned that the influence of fossil fuel producers could mean that COP28 marks another year without real progress.On the other hand, there is an argument that the effort to tackle climate change has to be global, involving every country in the world, even if not every country makes the same contribution. Oil-producing countries, and the countries that use that oil, have to be included in the negotiations. If they are not, the effort to cut global emissions will fail.Joining host Ed Crooks to explore the issues around COP28 is Emily Grubert, Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. They are joined by Joseph Majkut, Director of the Energy, Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.  The gang also discuss battery technologies for long duration energy storage. As wind and solar now, there’s a greatly increased need for more solutions to help manage the stability of the grid, and companies are now coming forward with commercially viable long duration batteries to meet that need.What are the new technologies beyond the lithium ion batteries used in everything from phones to EVs? How can our electricity systems be made more resilient with the help of batteries that can deliver power not just for a few hours, but for several days? As grids across North America are challenged by heatwaves and wildfires, it is an increasingly urgent question.Follow the show on Twitter – we’re @theenergygang and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This year’s climate talks have already drawn widespread criticism. Can they make progress?COP28, this year’s Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is still five months away, but the discussion around it is already intense. The conference is being held in Dubai, a choice that has drawn criticism because the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s leading oil-producing countries. Last year’s COP27, held in Egypt, was widely considered a failure. There was a lack of new commitments to cut emissions, and many analysts have concluded that the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees C is now slipping out of reach. Environmental groups have warned that the influence of fossil fuel producers could mean that COP28 marks another year without real progress.On the other hand, there is an argument that the effort to tackle climate change has to be global, involving every country in the world, even if not every country makes the same contribution. Oil-producing countries, and the countries that use that oil, have to be included in the negotiations. If they are not, the effort to cut global emissions will fail.Joining host Ed Crooks to explore the issues around COP28 is Emily Grubert, Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. They are joined by Joseph Majkut, Director of the Energy, Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.  The gang also discuss battery technologies for long duration energy storage. As wind and solar now, there’s a greatly increased need for more solutions to help manage the stability of the grid, and companies are now coming forward with commercially viable long duration batteries to meet that need.What are the new technologies beyond the lithium ion batteries used in everything from phones to EVs? How can our electricity systems be made more resilient with the help of batteries that can deliver power not just for a few hours, but for several days? As grids across North America are challenged by heatwaves and wildfires, it is an increasingly urgent question.Follow the show on Twitter – we’re @theenergygang and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Controversy Over COP28 

The north-eastern US has taken on a post-apocalyptic appearance recently, blanketed by smoke from wildfires in Canada. Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Melissa Lott, Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, are both based in New York and saw first-hand the extent of the fires that have been burning in Quebec. In recent years we have seen huge fires up and down the west coast of North America, in Siberia, in central Greece, to name just a few regions that have been affected. The gang discuss the implications of the fires for human health, for the energy system, and for our understanding of climate change.The big news from Washington has been that the US has averted a global financial crisis, thanks to Congress and President Joe Biden coming together to make a deal over the ceiling on the country’s national debt. The agreement suspends the debt ceiling to January 2025, meaning the US can avoid defaulting on its debts, at least for a while. The legislation also had some important implications for energy. The generous tax credits for low-carbon energy included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act had been in danger, as Republicans in the House of Representatives moved to repeal them, but in the final deal they were saved.One initiative with plenty of support from both Republicans and Democrats did make progress: the legislation included moves to streamline permitting for infrastructure projects, which could help clear a path for low-carbon energy investments. To make sense of it all the Energy Gang enlisted Robbie Orvis, Senior Director for Modelling and Analysis at the Washington-based think-tank Energy Innovation. Is the legislation that’s just been passed going to make a significant difference to the speed at which we can build put low-carbon infrastructure? Robbie’s initial reaction is that it’s a small step on the way, but it’s incremental. Meanwhile, there is a raft of new regulations coming from the Environmental Protection Agency, intended to cut emissions from light and heavy road vehicles, and from power generation. Together the gang examine the proposed rules. What impact will they have? And are new regulations basically an irrelevance in industries that are changing dramatically anyway? Plus: the inauguration of the first ever Energy Gang Book Group. We are picking a book to read together, and the gang will discuss it at the end of the summer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The north-eastern US has taken on a post-apocalyptic appearance recently, blanketed by smoke from wildfires in Canada. Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Melissa Lott, Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, are both based in New York and saw first-hand the extent of the fires that have been burning in Quebec. In recent years we have seen huge fires up and down the west coast of North America, in Siberia, in central Greece, to name just a few regions that have been affected. The gang discuss the implications of the fires for human health, for the energy system, and for our understanding of climate change.The big news from Washington has been that the US has averted a global financial crisis, thanks to Congress and President Joe Biden coming together to make a deal over the ceiling on the country’s national debt. The agreement suspends the debt ceiling to January 2025, meaning the US can avoid defaulting on its debts, at least for a while. The legislation also had some important implications for energy. The generous tax credits for low-carbon energy included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act had been in danger, as Republicans in the House of Representatives moved to repeal them, but in the final deal they were saved.One initiative with plenty of support from both Republicans and Democrats did make progress: the legislation included moves to streamline permitting for infrastructure projects, which could help clear a path for low-carbon energy investments. To make sense of it all the Energy Gang enlisted Robbie Orvis, Senior Director for Modelling and Analysis at the Washington-based think-tank Energy Innovation. Is the legislation that’s just been passed going to make a significant difference to the speed at which we can build put low-carbon infrastructure? Robbie’s initial reaction is that it’s a small step on the way, but it’s incremental. Meanwhile, there is a raft of new regulations coming from the Environmental Protection Agency, intended to cut emissions from light and heavy road vehicles, and from power generation. Together the gang examine the proposed rules. What impact will they have? And are new regulations basically an irrelevance in industries that are changing dramatically anyway? Plus: the inauguration of the first ever Energy Gang Book Group. We are picking a book to read together, and the gang will discuss it at the end of the summer. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

What Does The US Debt Ceiling Deal Mean For Clean Energy?

More money will be invested this year in the solar industry than in oil production. So said Faith Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, last week. Amy Harder, executive editor of Cipher, attended the Cleanpower 2023 event in New Orleans and experienced at first-hand what it means for the Big Green energy industry to be rivalling the scale of Big Oil. The event has been dubbed the ‘Coachella of clean energy’ and as Amy recounts walking the half-mile long hall, full of clean energy businesses looking to capitalise on the booming industry, that comparison certainly seems appropriate. Amy Myers Jaffe, director of NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, is also on the show this week. She says that what was once seen as a huge divide between the high-carbon and low-carbon energy industries is now being bridged. But she argues there is still an important role for governments in supporting the growth of newer energy technologies that would otherwise find it too difficult to break into markets dominated by old energy incumbents.After discussing how the emergence of the Big Green industry relates to US permitting reforms that could affect all energy infrastructure projects, the gang turn their attention to the G7. The recent summit in Hiroshima included some important discussions of the climate and energy, with world leaders repeating their commitments to accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels, but also acknowledging the case for increased gas production to replace Russian supplies.Finally, whatever happened to alternative protein? Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat and some of the other companies in the sector have been cutting jobs. Beyond Meat’s share price, which peaked at about $235 in the summer of 2019, is about $10 this week. Impossible Foods has been talking about an IPO, but now says it is not going to happen this year. It’s clear that if you can cut the emissions from food production, and from beef in particular, the climate benefits could be huge. Should changing diets play a bigger role in climate strategy?Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang   Wood Mackenzie’s Solar &amp; Energy Storage Summit is back,taking place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 21 and 22. Joinexpert solar and storage analysts for discussions with leading grid-scaleutilities, solar and energy storage developers and federal policy makers.  How is the IRA catapulting the development of solar and storagein North America? How can we continue to build a productive environment forsolar and energy storage as we move forward with the energy transition? What isrequired to nurture the development of a thriving localized storage componentsupply chain?  Expect two days of panel discussions, presentations andworkshops, as we explore the opportunities for solar and storage in the comingdecades.  If you are interested in sponsoring or attending find out moreon woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More money will be invested this year in the solar industry than in oil production.  So said Faith Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, last week. Amy Harder, executive editor of Cipher, attended the Cleanpower 2023 event in New Orleans and experienced at first-hand what it means for the Big Green energy industry to be rivalling the scale of Big Oil. The event has been dubbed the ‘Coachella of clean energy’ and as Amy recounts walking the half-mile long hall, full of clean energy businesses looking to capitalise on the booming industry, that comparison certainly seems appropriate.  Amy Myers Jaffe, director of NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, is also on the show this week. She says that what was once seen as a huge divide between the high-carbon and low-carbon energy industries is now being bridged. But she argues there is still an important role for governments in supporting the growth of newer energy technologies that would otherwise find it too difficult to break into markets dominated by old energy incumbents. After discussing how the emergence of the Big Green industry relates to US permitting reforms that could affect all energy infrastructure projects, the gang turn their attention to the G7. The recent summit in Hiroshima included some important discussions of the climate and energy, with world leaders repeating their commitments to accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels, but also acknowledging the case for increased gas production to replace Russian supplies.Finally, whatever happened to alternative protein? Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat and some of the other companies in the sector have been cutting jobs. Beyond Meat’s share price, which peaked at about $235 in the summer of 2019, is about $10 this week. Impossible Foods has been talking about an IPO, but now says it is not going to happen this year. It’s clear that if you can cut the emissions from food production, and from beef in particular, the climate benefits could be huge. Should changing diets play a bigger role in climate strategy? Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang   Wood Mackenzie’s Solar &amp; Energy Storage Summit is back,taking place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 21 and 22. Joinexpert solar and storage analysts for discussions with leading grid-scaleutilities, solar and energy storage developers and federal policy makers.  How is the IRA catapulting the development of solar and storagein North America? How can we continue to build a productive environment forsolar and energy storage as we move forward with the energy transition? What isrequired to nurture the development of a thriving localized storage componentsupply chain?  Expect two days of panel discussions, presentations andworkshops, as we explore the opportunities for solar and storage in the comingdecades.  If you are interested in sponsoring or attending find out moreon <a href="http://woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit</a> See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Big Green Is Under Attack - As Clean Energy Scales Up, Criticism Grows

The excitement around ChatGPT and other large language models has put AI firmly in the spotlight in recent months. Public perception is that we’re entering a new age of AI; it is a brand-new technology that promises to change our lives. In the world of energy, though, AI is not a new concept. GE was developing its AI capabilities more than a decade ago. BP invested in an AI company in 2017 to support oil exploration and production. And so far, although you can see the impact of AI in many parts of the world of energy, it has not exactly transformed the fundamentals of the industry. So when people get excited about AI in energy today, and expecting revolutionary change, are they just buying into some well-orchestrated hype? Amy Myers-Jaffe is Director of the Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab at New York University. She joins Ed and explains the real-world benefits of automation and AI for electricity networks. Automating home energy use and business operations in conjunction with power supplies could have huge implications for energy. The gang is also joined this week by Michael Webber. Michael is the Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources, in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas. He’s also CTO of Energy Impact Partners, a cleantech venture fund. Together, the team examine whether AI will transform energy and our lives in the same way the internet did. And they assess the question: is AI the tool that will ultimately open the door to a net zero energy system?   Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang    Wood Mackenzie’s Solar &amp; Energy Storage Summit is back, taking place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 21 and 22. Join expert solar and storage analysts for discussions with leading grid-scale utilities, solar and energy storage developers and federal policy makers.    How is the IRA catapulting the development of solar and storage in North America? How can we continue to build a productive environment for solar and energy storage as we move forward with the energy transition? What is required to nurture the development of a thriving localized storage component supply chain?    Expect two days of panel discussions, presentations and workshops, as we explore the opportunities for solar and storage in the coming decades.     If you are interested in sponsoring or attending find out more on woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The excitement around ChatGPT and other large language models has put AI firmly in the spotlight in recent months. Public perception is that we’re entering a new age of AI; it is a brand-new technology that promises to change our lives. In the world of energy, though, AI is not a new concept. GE was developing its AI capabilities more than a decade ago. BP invested in an AI company in 2017 to support oil exploration and production. And so far, although you can see the impact of AI in many parts of the world of energy, it has not exactly transformed the fundamentals of the industry. So when people get excited about AI in energy today, and expecting revolutionary change, are they just buying into some well-orchestrated hype? Amy Myers-Jaffe is Director of the Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab at New York University. She joins Ed and explains the real-world benefits of automation and AI for electricity networks. Automating home energy use and business operations in conjunction with power supplies could have huge implications for energy. The gang is also joined this week by Michael Webber. Michael is the Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources, in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas. He’s also CTO of Energy Impact Partners, a cleantech venture fund. Together, the team examine whether AI will transform energy and our lives in the same way the internet did. And they assess the question: is AI the tool that will ultimately open the door to a net zero energy system? Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/twitter.com/theenergygang?lang=en__;!!CAFLEWIB!HjA2FqfRR-deLVmyMDhOgJrYQygGzf-g0GOPOl98P13vGDJfmub3YSSgkovKnJF1GWvfeMch2ogS_LmXQ2ZKc77glfE$" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@theenergygang </a> Wood Mackenzie’s Solar &amp; Energy Storage Summit is back, taking place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 21 and 22. Join expert solar and storage analysts for discussions with leading grid-scale utilities, solar and energy storage developers and federal policy makers.  How is the IRA catapulting the development of solar and storage in North America? How can we continue to build a productive environment for solar and energy storage as we move forward with the energy transition? What is required to nurture the development of a thriving localized storage component supply chain?  Expect two days of panel discussions, presentations and workshops, as we explore the opportunities for solar and storage in the coming decades.   If you are interested in sponsoring or attending find out more on <a href="http://woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit</a> See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

AI in Energy; Evolution or Revolution?

On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks is joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Amy Duffuor, who is a General Partner at Azolla Ventures, a climate-focused investment firm.   In this week’s episode, the gang start of by discussing the recent outcry over the possible impact of offshore wind development on whales. Although there is no evidence connecting the wind industry’s activities to the rise in whale deaths, people are worried that there could be a link. It’s an example of the broader issue in energy investment: there can often be tensions and conflicts between what we need to do to tackle the threat of climate change and the interests of local communities and eco-systems. The transition to a low-carbon energy system means building a huge amount of stuff, from wind farms to power lines to lithium mines to flood defenses. The industry is under intense scrutiny to show that it can develop the infrastructure we need in a responsible way.  Also on this show: “electrify everything” has been a slogan in the clean energy movement for a long time. Now it is becoming a reality, and gathering momentum. Taking just a couple of recent examples: Poland is building new factories to produce heat pumps that will replace gas boilers for home heating; and the state of California has announced that it wants to move to zero emission vehicles not just for passenger cars and light trucks, but for heavy trucks as well, by the end of 2035. These shifts to use electricity for heating and transport and going to increase the load and strains on grids around the world. How can we make sure that electricity systems can keep up? Finally, Amy’s firm Azolla is part of a new coalition called the Venture Climate Alliance, designed to accelerate progress towards net zero emissions. Why do we need yet another group in the financial sector working on climate and emissions? And what is the role of venture capital in the transition to a clean energy system? Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang      The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati—the premier legal services provider to technology, life sciences, and clean energy enterprises. Wilson Sonsini has built a leading energy and climate solutions practice and its team is dedicated to a single goal: advancing what’s next in the energy industry.   For more information about Wilson Sonsini’s energy and climate change team, visit wsgr.com  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks is joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Amy Duffuor, who is a General Partner at Azolla Ventures, a climate-focused investment firm.   In this week’s episode, the gang start of by discussing the recent outcry over the possible impact of offshore wind development on whales. Although there is no evidence connecting the wind industry’s activities to the rise in whale deaths, people are worried that there could be a link. It’s an example of the broader issue in energy investment: there can often be tensions and conflicts between what we need to do to tackle the threat of climate change and the interests of local communities and eco-systems. The transition to a low-carbon energy system means building a huge amount of stuff, from wind farms to power lines to lithium mines to flood defenses. The industry is under intense scrutiny to show that it can develop the infrastructure we need in a responsible way.  Also on this show: “electrify everything” has been a slogan in the clean energy movement for a long time. Now it is becoming a reality, and gathering momentum. Taking just a couple of recent examples: Poland is building new factories to produce heat pumps that will replace gas boilers for home heating; and the state of California has announced that it wants to move to zero emission vehicles not just for passenger cars and light trucks, but for heavy trucks as well, by the end of 2035. These shifts to use electricity for heating and transport and going to increase the load and strains on grids around the world. How can we make sure that electricity systems can keep up? Finally, Amy’s firm Azolla is part of a new coalition called the Venture Climate Alliance, designed to accelerate progress towards net zero emissions. Why do we need yet another group in the financial sector working on climate and emissions? And what is the role of venture capital in the transition to a clean energy system? Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang    The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati—the premier legal services provider to technology, life sciences, and clean energy enterprises. Wilson Sonsini has built a leading energy and climate solutions practice and its team is dedicated to a single goal: advancing what’s next in the energy industry.  For more information about Wilson Sonsini’s energy and climate change team, visit <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.wsgr.com/en/__;!!CAFLEWIB!GnMeFXb8rFvzOjNDLhCksUySjQg7W0p4VXvBeV9q8BU751gzFsNJ3HtV5bu2uPtx6h0scSVdemXU7u-dpvPx68d1Sw$" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">wsgr.com</a> See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Wind and Whales: How Can We Manage The Conflicts When Energy Investment Affects Local Communities And Eco-systems?  

It’s a special edition of the Energy Gang this week. New York University’s 2040 Now event is an initiative focused on addressing the challenges posed by climate change, and this week the Energy Gang joined in. As part of the week of exercises, talks, exhibitions and discussions, regular Energy Gang member Amy Myers-Jaffe led a workshop on building energy transition scenarios, looking for ways to deepen our understanding of the present and strengthen our predictions about the future. The Energy Gang was there to record live in the Kimmel Center for University Life at NYU. Scenario analysis is particularly useful for analyzing the energy transition, because its trajectory is still uncertain, and a large number of variables can influence outcomes. Some of the most important of those variables are qualitative rather than quantitative, making them hard to analyze in a computer simulation such as an energy systems model. Thinking about a wide range of scenarios is a vital tool for testing assumptions and highlighting alternative possibilities. Amy and host Ed Crooks were joined by Energy Gang regular Robbie Orvis, Senior Director of Modelling and Analysis at the think-tank Energy Innovation, and by Erin Coughlan de Perez, Dignitas Associate Professor at Tufts University. With contributions from NYU professors, students and invited guests, they discussed the aspects of climate, policy, technology and finance that will shape our energy system and climate over the decades to come. And they ask the question: when we try to predict the future of energy, what are we missing?Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang  The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati—the premier legal services provider to technology, life sciences, and clean energy enterprises. Wilson Sonsini has built a leading energy and climate solutions practice and its team is dedicated to a single goal: advancing what’s next in the energy industry.  For more information about Wilson Sonsini’s energy and climate change team, visit wsgr.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s a special edition of the Energy Gang this week. New York University’s 2040 Now event is an initiative focused on addressing the challenges posed by climate change, and this week the Energy Gang joined in. As part of the week of exercises, talks, exhibitions and discussions, regular Energy Gang member Amy Myers-Jaffe led a workshop on building energy transition scenarios, looking for ways to deepen our understanding of the present and strengthen our predictions about the future. The Energy Gang was there to record live in the Kimmel Center for University Life at NYU. Scenario analysis is particularly useful for analyzing the energy transition, because its trajectory is still uncertain, and a large number of variables can influence outcomes. Some of the most important of those variables are qualitative rather than quantitative, making them hard to analyze in a computer simulation such as an energy systems model. Thinking about a wide range of scenarios is a vital tool for testing assumptions and highlighting alternative possibilities. Amy and host Ed Crooks were joined by Energy Gang regular Robbie Orvis, Senior Director of Modelling and Analysis at the think-tank Energy Innovation, and by Erin Coughlan de Perez, Dignitas Associate Professor at Tufts University. With contributions from NYU professors, students and invited guests, they discussed the aspects of climate, policy, technology and finance that will shape our energy system and climate over the decades to come. And they ask the question: when we try to predict the future of energy, what are we missing? Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re <a href="https://twitter.com/theenergygang?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@theenergygang </a> The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati—the premier legal services provider to technology, life sciences, and clean energy enterprises. Wilson Sonsini has built a leading energy and climate solutions practice and its team is dedicated to a single goal: advancing what’s next in the energy industry.  For more information about Wilson Sonsini’s energy and climate change team, visit <a href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">wsgr.com</a> See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

The Energy Gang Live from NYU’s '2040 Now' Event

Alternative sources of power are moving into the spotlight.As the share of dispatchable power in our electricity system declines, with coal-fired plants giving way to variable wind and solar, maintaining reliable supplies to keep the lights on becomes more complex. Investment in wind and solar is still vital for making progress towards net zero emissions, but other sources of low-carbon power are also moving into the spotlight. Those can include nuclear and hydrogen generation, as well as wave and tidal power, but there’s another source of renewable energy that’s been attracting a lot of attention recently: geothermal.   Today geothermal accounts for just 0.5% of renewables-based capacity for electricity generation globally, but some think it could play a much bigger role in the future. In the past few years there has been growing interest in geothermal energy, driven by some exciting innovations. Quaise Energy, for example, is developing a millimeter wave drill that they say could enable them to deliver energy at $40 per MWh. Fervo is a startup working on horizontal drilling for geothermal, enabling them to reach more areas and lowering surface footprints.   On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks is joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and by Nneka Kibuule, who is a Principal at Aligned Climate Capital and co-founder of GreenTech Noir. They discuss the potential of geothermal as an energy source, and the important questions over its environmental impact. What are the trade-offs when we develop new sources of low-carbon energy that could help tackle climate change, but create local impacts on sensitive ecosystems?There’s a $100 million plan to turn apartments in New York City into Virtual Power Plants, or VPPs. There are now hundreds of VPP projects across the US and Canada, with New York and California being the biggest states. But what exactly are they, and how do they work? In New York City, the plan is to control air-conditioning units in real-time to reduce electricity demand, relieving stress on the grid and helping to cut emissions. Nneka Kibuule explains how Aligned Climate Capital has invested in several businesses developing technologies for VPPs, making it possible to turn homes and businesses into a collective energy resource for utilities and the grid.   Finally, the focus on ESG investing continues. When investors and companies look at ESG scores and ratings, are they getting too hung up on the numbers and not paying enough attention to all the other important factors that are more difficult to measure?Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang   The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati—the premier legal services provider to technology, life sciences, and clean energy enterprises. Wilson Sonsini has built a leading energy and climate solutions practice and its team is dedicated to a single goal: advancing what’s next in the energy industry.    For more information about Wilson Sonsini’s energy and climate change team, visit wsgr.com  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alternative sources of power are moving into the spotlight.As the share of dispatchable power in our electricity system declines, with coal-fired plants giving way to variable wind and solar, maintaining reliable supplies to keep the lights on becomes more complex. Investment in wind and solar is still vital for making progress towards net zero emissions, but other sources of low-carbon power are also moving into the spotlight. Those can include nuclear and hydrogen generation, as well as wave and tidal power, but there’s another source of renewable energy that’s been attracting a lot of attention recently: geothermal.   Today geothermal accounts for just 0.5% of renewables-based capacity for electricity generation globally, but some think it could play a much bigger role in the future. In the past few years there has been growing interest in geothermal energy, driven by some exciting innovations. Quaise Energy, for example, is developing a millimeter wave drill that they say could enable them to deliver energy at $40 per MWh. Fervo is a startup working on horizontal drilling for geothermal, enabling them to reach more areas and lowering surface footprints.   On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks is joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and by Nneka Kibuule, who is a Principal at Aligned Climate Capital and co-founder of GreenTech Noir. They discuss the potential of geothermal as an energy source, and the important questions over its environmental impact. What are the trade-offs when we develop new sources of low-carbon energy that could help tackle climate change, but create local impacts on sensitive ecosystems?There’s a $100 million plan to turn apartments in New York City into Virtual Power Plants, or VPPs. There are now hundreds of VPP projects across the US and Canada, with New York and California being the biggest states. But what exactly are they, and how do they work? In New York City, the plan is to control air-conditioning units in real-time to reduce electricity demand, relieving stress on the grid and helping to cut emissions. Nneka Kibuule explains how Aligned Climate Capital has invested in several businesses developing technologies for VPPs, making it possible to turn homes and businesses into a collective energy resource for utilities and the grid.   Finally, the focus on ESG investing continues. When investors and companies look at ESG scores and ratings, are they getting too hung up on the numbers and not paying enough attention to all the other important factors that are more difficult to measure?Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re <a href="https://twitter.com/theenergygang?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@theenergygang </a> The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &amp; Rosati—the premier legal services provider to technology, life sciences, and clean energy enterprises. Wilson Sonsini has built a leading energy and climate solutions practice and its team is dedicated to a single goal: advancing what’s next in the energy industry.    For more information about Wilson Sonsini’s energy and climate change team, visit <a href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">wsgr.com</a> See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Is Geothermal Power The Key To Stabilizing The Grid?

Weekly discussions about the latest trends in energy, cleantech, renewables, and the environment from Wood Mackenzie.

Great podcast on energy. Presenters are knowledgable and fun to listen to.

Great

Thanks for this podcast guys! Love your informed perspectives and look forward to each one.

Informative and interesting

Weekly discussions about the latest trends in energy, cleantech, renewables, and the environment from Wood Mackenzie.

The Energy Gang

The International Energy Agency has once again revised its figures for renewable energy upward, showing that the industry continues to outperform previous projections. But is the industry truly ready to address climate change? This week, the Energy Gang will look at which sectors are leading and why.We'll also analyze the international clean energy trade dispute between China and the U.S. and take a look at the political reaction to Obama's recent climate speech.The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com.  The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The International Energy Agency has once again revised its figures for renewable energy upward, showing that the industry continues to outperform previous projections. But is the industry truly ready to address climate change? This week, the Energy Gang will look at which sectors are leading and why. We'll also analyze the international clean energy trade dispute between China and the U.S. and take a look at the political reaction to Obama's recent climate speech. The Energy Gang is produced by <a href="http://Greentechmedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greentechmedia.com</a>. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Are Renewables Ready to Address the Climate Threat?

John Berger

This week on Watt It Takes: How a Texas entrepreneur with fossil fuel roots came to see solar and storage as the future of energy. We feature a conversation with John Berger, the CEO of the residential solar-and-storage firm Sunnova, about his mission to convince traditional energy investors to put their money into solar. Sunnova has pulled in tens of millions of dollars from investors who once thought solar was laughable."I'm proud of getting a bunch of oil and gas money. I worked hard to get that money. And I want a lot more of it. The reason is that there's been a lot of success — whether you love it or not — there's been a lot of financial success in oil and gas and there's a lot of really talented companies that have built big companies. And we need them to start putting their money in this space," says Berger.Today, Sunnova is the fourth-biggest third-party solar provider in America, according to Wood Mackenzie's U.S. Distributed Solar Service.Berger’s path is different than a lot of others in residential solar, who’ve mostly come tech, finance, or the environmental world. In this edition of Watt It Takes, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch talks with Berger about his time at Enron, his belief in battery storage, his focus on resiliency in Puerto Rico, and his leadership strategy.Watt It Takes is a collaboration between Powerhouse and Greentech Media. The series is recorded in front of a live audience at Powerhouse headquarters in Oakland, California. Buy tickets for upcoming events.The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. Learn more about Mission's high-efficiency modules.Listen to our previous episode of Watt It Takes:Nancy Pfund’s Pro Tips for Getting Started in CleantechSunPower Founder Dick Swanson’s Guide to Launching a Cleantech StartupLessons From the Fall of SungevityDan Shugar, the K​ing Midas of SolarA History of Greentech Media With Scott ClavennaSungage's Sara Ross on Starting a Solar Loan CompanyJigar Shah on the Origin Story of SunEdisonThe Origin Story of Mosaic With Billy ParishHow Roboticist Leila Madrone Built the Air-Based Solar Tracker Firm SunfoldingThe Death-Defying Reinvention of Advanced Microgrid SolutionsAssessing the Promise of Electric Buses With Proterra CEO Ryan PoppleSubscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Watt It Takes: How a Texas entrepreneur with fossil fuel roots came to see solar and storage as the future of energy. We feature a conversation with John Berger, the CEO of the residential solar-and-storage firm Sunnova, about his mission to convince traditional energy investors to put their money into solar. Sunnova has pulled in tens of millions of dollars from investors who once thought solar was laughable."I'm proud of getting a bunch of oil and gas money. I worked hard to get that money. And I want a lot more of it. The reason is that there's been a lot of success — whether you love it or not — there's been a lot of financial success in oil and gas and there's a lot of really talented companies that have built big companies. And we need them to start putting their money in this space," says Berger.Today, Sunnova is the fourth-biggest third-party solar provider in America, according to Wood Mackenzie's <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/research/subscription/u-s-distributed-solar-service" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">U.S. Distributed Solar Service</a>.Berger’s path is different than a lot of others in residential solar, who’ve mostly come tech, finance, or the environmental world. In this edition of Watt It Takes, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch talks with Berger about his time at Enron, his belief in battery storage, his focus on resiliency in Puerto Rico, and his leadership strategy.Watt It Takes is a collaboration between Powerhouse and Greentech Media. The series is recorded in front of a live audience at Powerhouse headquarters in Oakland, California. <a href="http://powerhouse.fund/events/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy tickets</a> for upcoming events.The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. <a href="http://www.missionsolar.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about Mission's high-efficiency modules.Listen to our previous episode of Watt It Takes:<ul><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nancy-pfunds-pro-tips-for-getting-started-in-cleantech#gs.GFQoEho" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nancy Pfund’s Pro Tips for Getting Started in Cleantech</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/sunpower-founder-dick-swansons-guide-to-launching-a-cleantech-startup#gs.mneRapg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SunPower Founder Dick Swanson’s Guide to Launching a Cleantech Startup</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/lessons-from-the-fall-of-sungevity#gs.1A=kmJg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lessons From the Fall of Sungevity</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/dan-shugar-the-king-midas-of-solar#gs.NLBYXdI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dan Shugar, the K​ing Midas of Solar</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-history-of-greentech-media#gs.DlstceE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A History of Greentech Media With Scott Clavenna</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/how-sara-ross-started-the-solar-loan-company-sungage-financial#gs.45Pqgp0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sungage's Sara Ross on Starting a Solar Loan Company</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-origin-story-of-sunedison#gs.OgB53no" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jigar Shah on the Origin Story of SunEdison</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/billy-parish-mosaic-interview#gs._nFBy64" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Origin Story of Mosaic With Billy Parish</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/watt-it-takes-leila-madrone-sunfolding#gs.mCH=ksw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Roboticist Leila Madrone Built the Air-Based Solar Tracker Firm Sunfolding</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-death-defying-reinvention-of-advanced-microgrid-solutions#gs.ZqSaxHY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Death-Defying Reinvention of Advanced Microgrid Solutions</a></li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/watt-it-takes-the-promise-of-electric-buses-with-proterra-ceo-ryan-popple#gs.nMKOQd4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Assessing the Promise of Electric Buses With Proterra CEO Ryan Popple</a></li></ul>Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ib4rxvbxzjtlvwhncbctz4uwdka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Watt It Takes: How Sunnova's John Berger Convinced Oil & Gas Investors to Believe in Solar

This week, we're using an entire episode to discuss an ambitious piece of reporting on climate change. Earlier this month, the New York Times Magazine devoted an entire issue to a specific period of time in modern history: 1979 and 1989.It was a time when we first reckoned with the impact of climate change — a period of great awakening in science, politics and industry to the threat of greenhouse gases.As we’re painfully aware, that awakening didn’t turn into action. The 31,000-word piece weaves together a narrative to help explain why — when everyone seemed to be on the same page about the threat — we failed.We talk with Author Nathaniel Rich about the reason he wrote the piece, detail some of the most important moments during the decade, and address criticisms.The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. Learn more about Mission's high-efficiency modules.Recommended reading:New York Times: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate ChangeAtlantic: The Problem With The New York Times’ Big Story on Climate ChangeGuardian: 30 Years on, World Is Failing 'Miserably’ to Address Climate ChangeSubscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we're using an entire episode to discuss an ambitious piece of reporting on climate change. Earlier this month, the New York Times Magazine devoted an entire issue to a specific period of time in modern history: 1979 and 1989.It was a time when we first reckoned with the impact of climate change — a period of great awakening in science, politics and industry to the threat of greenhouse gases.As we’re painfully aware, that awakening didn’t turn into action. The 31,000-word piece weaves together a narrative to help explain why — when everyone seemed to be on the same page about the threat — we failed.We talk with Author Nathaniel Rich about the reason he wrote the piece, detail some of the most important moments during the decade, and address criticisms.The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. <a href="http://www.missionsolar.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about Mission's high-efficiency modules.Recommended reading:<ul><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/01/magazine/climate-change-losing-earth.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New York Times</a>: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change</li><li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/08/nyt-mag-nathaniel-rich-climate-change/566525/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Atlantic</a>: The Problem With The New York Times’ Big Story on Climate Change</li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/19/james-hansen-nasa-scientist-climate-change-warning" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guardian</a>: 30 Years on, World Is Failing 'Miserably’ to Address Climate Change</li></ul>Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ib4rxvbxzjtlvwhncbctz4uwdka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

1979-1989: The Decade We Almost Saved the Planet

Truck buyers are historically some of the most brand-loyal auto consumers But recent surveys suggest that loyalty is loosening.Into the picture steps Elon Musk, who dropped the Tesla Cybertruck last month. This space-age truck concept is truly putting the shift in consumer preferences to the test. It’s also tearing a lot of opinionated people apart.In this episode: what is the Cybertruck and where might it fit into the emerging electric truck market? And can it sway truck buyers who don't care about Tesla?Then, there’s a major tax bill in Congress right now that would be a boon to renewables — what are its chances?Finally, what would we do with a million dollars? We answer a listener question about how to invest with impact.Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.Subscribe to GTM podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Truck buyers are historically some of the most brand-loyal auto consumers But recent surveys suggest that loyalty is loosening.Into the picture steps Elon Musk, who dropped the Tesla Cybertruck last month. This space-age truck concept is truly putting the shift in consumer preferences to the test. It’s also tearing a lot of opinionated people apart.In this episode: what is the Cybertruck and where might it fit into the emerging electric truck market? And can it sway truck buyers who don't care about Tesla?Then, there’s a major tax bill in Congress right now that would be a boon to renewables — what are its chances?Finally, what would we do with a million dollars? We answer a listener question about how to invest with impact.Support for this podcast is brought to you by <a href="https://en.sungrowpower.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sungrow</a>. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.Subscribe to GTM podcasts via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0GT5BuD33AiPnqOzQE7YAE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYXJ0MTkuY29tL3RoZS1lbmVyZ3ktZ2FuZw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Tesla's Cybertruck: Win or Fail?

The latest numbers for U.S. energy storage activity are out. They show a surge of activity coming over the next five years, leading to 6x market growth.By 2024, the storage market will be worth $4.7 billion dollars, driven evenly by utility-scale and behind-the-meter battery projects.On this week's episode, we'll unpack the numbers in the latest Energy Storage Monitor from Wood Mackenzie and the Energy Storage Association. They show a doubling and then a tripling of storage to come — making batteries an important part of utility planning in every region of the country.Where’s growth happening, and what does it mean for grid planning?Then, with many farmers in crisis, more of them are putting solar on their land. That’s providing new sources of income, but many fear it could take prime croplands out of commission. How do we site solar on agricultural lands properly?And finally, what is going on over at Tesla? We’ll make try to make sense of the confusing series of decisions at the company.Recommended reading:GTM: US Energy Storage Broke Records in 2018, but the Best Is Yet to ComeGTM: APS Plans to Add Nearly 1GW of New Battery Storage and Solar Resources by 2025Washington Post: The Next Money Crop for FarmersInterchange podcast: What's Up With Tesla Energy?New York Times: Tesla Says Never Mind, It Raises Prices and Keeps Most StoresBloomberg: Musk Pledges Belt-Tightening as Tesla Cuts Prices, Warns of LossSupport for this podcast comes from Dandelion Energy, the leading home geothermal company. Dandelion is making it easier for homeowners to get geothermal. Customers who switch to geothermal heating save on average $2,250 per year. See if your home qualifies.We're also brought to you by Wunder Capital. Listen to our careers episode produced with Wunder Capital. We talked with Wunder CTO Dave Riess about the framework he used to completely change his career path into solar — eventually co-founding a successful company. Listen to that episode in The Interchange feed or find it here.Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The latest numbers for U.S. energy storage activity are out. They show a surge of activity coming over the next five years, leading to 6x market growth.By 2024, the storage market will be worth $4.7 billion dollars, driven evenly by utility-scale and behind-the-meter battery projects.On this week's episode, we'll unpack the numbers in the latest <a href="https://www.woodmac.com/research/products/power-and-renewables/us-energy-storage-monitor/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Energy Storage Monitor</a> from Wood Mackenzie and the Energy Storage Association. They show a doubling and then a tripling of storage to come — making batteries an important part of utility planning in every region of the country.Where’s growth happening, and what does it mean for grid planning?Then, with many farmers in crisis, more of them are putting solar on their land. That’s providing new sources of income, but many fear it could take prime croplands out of commission. How do we site solar on agricultural lands properly?And finally, what is going on over at Tesla? We’ll make try to make sense of the confusing series of decisions at the company.Recommended reading:<ul><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/us-energy-storage-broke-records-in-2018-but-the-best-is-yet-to-come#gs.1eflnw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GTM</a>: US Energy Storage Broke Records in 2018, but the Best Is Yet to Come</li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/aps-battery-storage-solar-2025#gs.1efq0c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GTM</a>: APS Plans to Add Nearly 1GW of New Battery Storage and Solar Resources by 2025</li><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/the-next-money-crop-for-farmers-solar-panels/2019/02/22/2cf99e8c-3601-11e9-854a-7a14d7fec96a_story.html?utm_term=.917fab7b5e49" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>: The Next Money Crop for Farmers</li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/whats-up-with-tesla-energy#gs.1eg80u" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Interchange podcast</a>: What's Up With Tesla Energy?</li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/11/business/tesla-raising-prices.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New York Times</a>: Tesla Says Never Mind, It Raises Prices and Keeps Most Stores</li><li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-28/musk-puts-out-35-000-model-3-nearly-three-years-after-debut" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>: Musk Pledges Belt-Tightening as Tesla Cuts Prices, Warns of Loss</li></ul>Support for this podcast comes from Dandelion Energy, the leading home geothermal company. Dandelion is making it easier for homeowners to get geothermal. Customers who switch to geothermal heating save on average $2,250 per year. <a href="http://dandelionenergy.com/gtm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">See if your home qualifies</a>.We're also brought to you by Wunder Capital. Listen to our careers episode produced with Wunder Capital. We talked with Wunder CTO Dave Riess about the framework he used to completely change his career path into solar — eventually co-founding a successful company. Listen to that episode in <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-interchange/id1221460035?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Interchange</a> feed or <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/building-a-career-with-intention#gs.QgHTUs6l" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">find it here</a>.Subscribe to <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Energy Gang</a> podcast via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0GT5BuD33AiPnqOzQE7YAE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYXJ0MTkuY29tL3RoZS1lbmVyZ3ktZ2FuZw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

The Battery Storage Market Kicks Into High Gear

We’re closing out the decade this week with a retrospective. We have been doing this show since 2013. So we are going to share some of our top story lines in energy and cleantech of the last 10 years — many of which played out while we were doing this show.We’ll start with some personal retrospectives. What was consuming us back in 2009? How did that story shake out?Then we’ll choose the most important stories that defined the teens. Katherine will choose the top policy trend, Jigar will choose the top business trend, and Stephen will choose the top tech trend.Finally, we’ll look ahead to 2030 and beyond. What needs to happen in policy, business, technology to “win” the decade?=If you’re looking for more listening over the holidays, check out our year-end episode of The Interchange. Support for the Interchange comes from Schneider Electric, the leader of the digital transformation in energy management and automation. Support for this podcast comes from PG&amp;E. PG&amp;E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&amp;E’s EV specialists to find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re closing out the decade this week with a retrospective. We have been doing this show since 2013. So we are going to share some of our top story lines in energy and cleantech of the last 10 years — many of which played out while we were doing this show.We’ll start with some personal retrospectives. What was consuming us back in 2009? How did that story shake out?Then we’ll choose the most important stories that defined the teens. Katherine will choose the top policy trend, Jigar will choose the top business trend, and Stephen will choose the top tech trend.Finally, we’ll look ahead to 2030 and beyond. What needs to happen in policy, business, technology to “win” the decade?=If you’re looking for more listening over the holidays, check out <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-most-influential-stories-of-the-decade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our year-end episode</a> of The Interchange. Support for the Interchange comes from <a href="https://www.schneider-electric.us/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Schneider Electric</a>, the leader of the digital transformation in energy management and automation. Support for this podcast comes from PG&amp;E. PG&amp;E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&amp;E’s EV specialists to <a href="http://pge.com/gtm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric</a>.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Reflections on the Last 10 Years, Projections for the Next 10

After promising to deal with climate change in his second term, President Obama unveiled a comprehensive climate plan this week. But how comprehensive is it? We'll take a look at the details and debate its effectiveness.We'll also take a look at the importance of data privacy issues in the energy sector in the aftermath of revelations about the NSA data mining program, and ask whether the U.S. has hit "peak car."The Energy Gang is produced by GreentechMedia.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After promising to deal with climate change in his second term, President Obama unveiled a comprehensive climate plan this week. But how comprehensive is it? We'll take a look at the details and debate its effectiveness. We'll also take a look at the importance of data privacy issues in the energy sector in the aftermath of revelations about the NSA data mining program, and ask whether the U.S. has hit "peak car." The Energy Gang is produced by <a href="http://GreentechMedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GreentechMedia.com</a>. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Breaking Down President Obama's New Climate Plan

New York is taking a hard look at how to reform the distribution grid and encourage more distributed energy resources. But it’s not doing it through mandates.Instead, New York regulators are developing flexible market structures to encourage utilities to adopt a variety of new distributed technologies, while also empowering customers, creating new business competition and hardening the grid.So how exactly will the model work? In this special live podcast, recorded at WNYC’s performance space in New York City, we spoke with two architects of the plan.Audrey Zibelman, chair of the New York Public Service Commission and Sergej Mahnovski, director of Con Edison’s utility of the future team, joined the Energy Gang to discuss why the state is so unique.“I don’t want to create mediocre wires companies. I want to create excellent, innovative companies that have third parties wanting to come to New York and build businesses around DER because they see it’s a marketplace where they can be successful and then we can lead everywhere else,” explained Zibelman.The live show was organized in partnership with Clean Energy Connections.This podcast is brought to you by SMA, the world's leading solar inverter manufacturer. With more than 850 service experts, 90 service hubs, 30-plus gigawatts installed globally and thousands of commercial and utility projects completed worldwide, SMA is the partner of choice for your PV projects.The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New York is taking a hard look at how to reform the distribution grid and encourage more distributed energy resources. But it’s not doing it through mandates. Instead, New York regulators are developing flexible market structures to encourage utilities to adopt a variety of new distributed technologies, while also empowering customers, creating new business competition and hardening the grid. So how exactly will the model work? In this special live podcast, recorded at WNYC’s performance space in New York City, we spoke with two architects of the plan. Audrey Zibelman, chair of the New York Public Service Commission and Sergej Mahnovski, director of Con Edison’s utility of the future team, joined the Energy Gang to discuss why the state is so unique. “I don’t want to create mediocre wires companies. I want to create excellent, innovative companies that have third parties wanting to come to New York and build businesses around DER because they see it’s a marketplace where they can be successful and then we can lead everywhere else,” explained Zibelman. The live show was organized in partnership with Clean Energy Connections. This podcast is brought to you by SMA, the world's leading solar inverter manufacturer. With more than 850 service experts, 90 service hubs, 30-plus gigawatts installed globally and thousands of commercial and utility projects completed worldwide, SMA is the partner of choice for your PV projects. The Energy Gang is produced by <a href="http://Greentechmedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greentechmedia.com</a>. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Why New York Is Trying to Create the Most Innovative Grid in the World

In the first half of 2020, renewables beat out fossil fuels on the grid in Europe for the first time. They didn’t only beat out coal -- they beat out all fossil fuels put together. We’ll look at what the milestone means.Then, 30 major companies have come together in a new joint lobbying organization to flex united power for clean energy. Will it make renewables a bigger political force? And what will they be fighting for?Then, your view of Texas is probably out-of-date. We look at the dawn of Big Solar in Texas and peek at the ERCOT interconnection queue -- it’s almost all green.    Recommended reading:Danish Startup ‘Tomorrow’: Global Real Time Carbon Intensity Map of ElectricityClimate Home News: Renewables overtake fossil fuels in EU electricity generationForbes: European Renewables Just Crushed Fossil Fuels. Here’s How It HappenedJohannes vd Bosch: Twitter thread about Renewables in GermanyE&amp;ENews: AWEA, Clean Energy Companies Join Forces for Lobbying Greentech Media: AWEA Introduces New Trade GroupRecharge: AWEA and power giants plan new body 'to make renewables dominant'Texas Observer: Texas Solar Hits a Turning PointJigar Shah LinkedIn postThe Energy Gang is brought to you by KORE Power. Based in the U.S., KORE Power is situated to meet the growing global demand of the energy storage market. In fact, KORE Power is building a large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility here in the U.S. Once it’s operational, the 1 million square foot facility will have 12 gigawatt-hours of scalable manufacturing capacity. Learn more. The Energy Gang is also brought to you by Sungrow, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the first half of 2020, renewables beat out fossil fuels on the grid in Europe for the first time. They didn’t only beat out coal -- they beat out all fossil fuels put together. We’ll look at what the milestone means.Then, 30 major companies have come together in a new joint lobbying organization to flex united power for clean energy. Will it make renewables a bigger political force? And what will they be fighting for?Then, your view of Texas is probably out-of-date. We look at the dawn of Big Solar in Texas and peek at the ERCOT interconnection queue -- it’s almost all green.    Recommended reading:<ul><li><a href="https://www.electricitymap.org/map" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Danish Startup ‘Tomorrow’</a>: Global Real Time Carbon Intensity Map of Electricity</li><li><a href="https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/07/22/renewables-overtake-fossil-fuels-eu-electricity-generation/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Climate Home News</a>: Renewables overtake fossil fuels in EU electricity generation</li><li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2020/07/23/european-renewables-just-crushed-fossil-fuels-heres-how-it-happened/#3bcd3f6b15df" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Forbes</a>: European Renewables Just Crushed Fossil Fuels. Here’s How It Happened</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/johannesvdb/status/1294548795318063104?s=12" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Johannes vd Bosch</a>: Twitter thread about Renewables in Germany</li><li><a href="https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1063713017" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">E&amp;ENews</a>: AWEA, Clean Energy Companies Join Forces for Lobbying </li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/awea-introduces-new-trade-group-the-american-clean-power-association" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Greentech Media</a>: AWEA Introduces New Trade Group</li><li><a href="https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/winds-awea-and-us-power-giants-plan-new-industry-body-to-make-renewables-dominant/2-1-869381" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Recharge</a>: AWEA and power giants plan new body 'to make renewables dominant'</li><li><a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/solar-texas/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Texas Observer</a>: Texas Solar Hits a Turning Point</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6706897892017217536/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Jigar Shah LinkedIn post</a></li></ul> The Energy Gang is brought to you by KORE Power. Based in the U.S., KORE Power is situated to meet the growing global demand of the energy storage market. In fact, KORE Power is building a large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility here in the U.S. Once it’s operational, the 1 million square foot facility will have 12 gigawatt-hours of scalable manufacturing capacity. <a href="https://korepower.com/gtm" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Learn more</a>. The Energy Gang is also brought to you by <a href="https://www.sungrowpower.com/en/home" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Sungrow</a>, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Renewables Beat Fossils on Europe's Grid

What does the nation's top energy regulator, FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, think about the future of solar?"I think we're seeing the Moore's Law cost curve together with the entrepreneurial spirit coming into an industry in a way that is going to overtake a monopolistic, non-innovative structure."This week, we feature a live podcast from the MDV-SEIA Solar Focus 2013 conference in Washington, DC. The Gang took the stage and discussed the merits of East Coast solar policy, innovative business strategies, and chatted with Chairman Wellinghoff about the "creative destruction" caused by distributed generation.Many thanks to MDV-SEIA for inviting the Energy Gang for its first live show!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 nation's top energy regulator, FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, think about the future of solar? "I think we're seeing the Moore's Law cost curve together with the entrepreneurial spirit coming into an industry in a way that is going to overtake a monopolistic, non-innovative structure." This week, we feature a live podcast from the MDV-SEIA Solar Focus 2013 conference in Washington, DC. The Gang took the stage and discussed the merits of East Coast solar policy, innovative business strategies, and chatted with Chairman Wellinghoff about the "creative destruction" caused by distributed generation. Many thanks to MDV-SEIA for inviting the Energy Gang for its first live show! See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

How Distributed Generation Will Cause 'Creative Destruction' in Power Markets

Could you do us a favor? Take our listener survey so we can give you more relevant content: bit.ly/gtmpodcastThis week on Watt It Takes: how a computer nerd who loved assembling electronics became obsessed with designing a solar-storage system to light up Africa.In this episode, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch sits down with Xavier Helgesen, the co-founder and chief technology officer at ZOLA Electric.Zola is a provider of solar and storage systems in Africa. Since its founding in 2012, the company has served over a million people with clean power in five countries.Over the years, Zola has evolved from a small, scrappy startup that offered very basic energy packages into a hardware company that installs sleek, scalable power systems that function better than the grid. “[Our goal] was not to be worse than the grid, but available anywhere — but to just be better than the grid. For solar and batteries to fundamentally be cheaper and more reliable than the grid. And if we succeed in that in the developing world, then the market is almost limitless,” says Helgesen.In this interview, Helgesen talks about how he first got interested in energy access, the complexities of setting up a company as an outsider in Tanzania, and how Zola shifted into designing its own hybrid system.This conversation was recorded live at Powerhouse’s headquarters. To learn more about future speakers and attending a live event, go to Powerhouse.fund and click on the events tab. Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.Subscribe to GTM podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Could you do us a favor? Take our listener survey so we can give you more relevant content: <a href="http://bit.ly/gtmpodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bit.ly/gtmpodcast</a>This week on Watt It Takes: how a computer nerd who loved assembling electronics became obsessed with designing a solar-storage system to light up Africa.In this episode, Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch sits down with Xavier Helgesen, the co-founder and chief technology officer at ZOLA Electric.Zola is a provider of solar and storage systems in Africa. Since its founding in 2012, the company has served over a million people with clean power in five countries.Over the years, Zola has evolved from a small, scrappy startup that offered very basic energy packages into a hardware company that installs sleek, scalable power systems that function better than the grid. “[Our goal] was not to be worse than the grid, but available anywhere — but to just be better than the grid. For solar and batteries to fundamentally be cheaper and more reliable than the grid. And if we succeed in that in the developing world, then the market is almost limitless,” says Helgesen.In this interview, Helgesen talks about how he first got interested in energy access, the complexities of setting up a company as an outsider in Tanzania, and how Zola shifted into designing its own hybrid system.This conversation was recorded live at Powerhouse’s headquarters. To learn more about future speakers and attending a live event, go to Powerhouse.fund and click on the events tab. Support for this podcast is brought to you by <a href="https://en.sungrowpower.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sungrow</a>. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.Subscribe to GTM podcasts via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0GT5BuD33AiPnqOzQE7YAE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYXJ0MTkuY29tL3RoZS1lbmVyZ3ktZ2FuZw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Watt It Takes: The Startup Making Solar-Storage Better Than the African Grid

This week on Watt It Takes: Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch sits down with Michael Liebreich.You may know Liebreich as the brain behind New Energy Finance, which was sold to Bloomberg in 2009.But before that company, Leibreich started a ski-based travel startup and invested in a portfolio of companies that lost 90 percent of their value in the dot-com bust. After that, he was "unemployable." But he used a team of interns to begin compiling data on clean energy investment. in this episode, he tells the story of how that became a 140-employee business that Bloomberg eventually acquired.This conversation was recorded live (remotely) as part of an interview series in collaboration with Powerhouse and Greentech Media.To learn more about future speakers and attending a live event, go to Powerhouse.fund and click on the events tab. You can listen to all of the episodes of Watt It Takes here.The Energy Gang is brought to you by KORE Power. Based in the U.S., KORE Power is situated to meet the growing global demand of the energy storage market. In fact, KORE Power is building a large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility here in the U.S. Once it’s operational, the 1 million square foot facility will have 12 gigawatt-hours of scalable manufacturing capacity. Learn more. The Energy Gang is also brought to you by Sungrow, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Watt It Takes: Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch sits down with Michael Liebreich.You may know Liebreich as the brain behind New Energy Finance, which was sold to Bloomberg in 2009.But before that company, Leibreich started a ski-based travel startup and invested in a portfolio of companies that lost 90 percent of their value in the dot-com bust. After that, he was "unemployable." But he used a team of interns to begin compiling data on clean energy investment. in this episode, he tells the story of how that became a 140-employee business that Bloomberg eventually acquired.This conversation was recorded live (remotely) as part of an interview series in collaboration with Powerhouse and Greentech Media.To learn more about future speakers and attending a live event, go to <a href="https://powerhouse.fund/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Powerhouse.fund</a> and click on the events tab. You can listen to all of the episodes of <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/tag/watt-it-takes" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Watt It Takes here</a>.The Energy Gang is brought to you by KORE Power. Based in the U.S., KORE Power is situated to meet the growing global demand of the energy storage market. In fact, KORE Power is building a large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility here in the U.S. Once it’s operational, the 1 million square foot facility will have 12 gigawatt-hours of scalable manufacturing capacity. <a href="https://korepower.com/gtm" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Learn more</a>. The Energy Gang is also brought to you by <a href="https://www.sungrowpower.com/en/home" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Sungrow</a>, the leading global supplier of inverter solutions for renewables. During these uncertain times, Sungrow is committed to protecting its employees and continuing to reliably serve its customers around the world. Sungrow has also leveraged its extensive network across the United States to distribute face masks to communities in need.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Watt It Takes: Michael Liebreich

David Roberts

This week, David Roberts, a staff writer at Vox, joins the gang to talk about a wide range of topics in the news.How would a good carbon tax work? Are we fooling ourselves thinking Republicans will ever support one?In the absence of a carbon price, is 100% renewable energy good politics? Is it good policy?Should we bail out nuclear? Can renewables fill in the gap created by closing nuke plants?What should we be hopeful about?We’ll spend the second half of the show talking about electric buses. Jigar’s company, Generate Capital, is deploying $200 million for electric bus leases. Are we reaching a tipping point for transit?The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. Learn more about Mission's high-efficiency modules.Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, David Roberts, a staff writer at Vox, joins the gang to talk about a wide range of topics in the news.How would a good carbon tax work? Are we fooling ourselves thinking Republicans will ever support one?In the absence of a carbon price, is 100% renewable energy good politics? Is it good policy?Should we bail out nuclear? Can renewables fill in the gap created by closing nuke plants?What should we be hopeful about?We’ll spend the second half of the show talking about electric buses. Jigar’s company, Generate Capital, is deploying $200 million for electric bus leases. Are we reaching a tipping point for transit?The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. <a href="http://www.missionsolar.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about Mission's high-efficiency modules.Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ib4rxvbxzjtlvwhncbctz4uwdka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

A Grab Bag With Vox's David Roberts

For two years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been working on a new analysis about global emissions pathways. The report was released this week — and the conclusion is pretty dire.Or is it actually more hopeful than it appears? This week, we’ll discuss the IPCC’s findings, debate the tone, and dissect media coverage of the report. Then, Orsted, the Danish mega-energy producer, is buying a leading American offshore wind developer. What does it say about the coming rush of offshore activity?And finally, over to biofuels. President Trump is asking the EPA to lift restrictions on higher ethanol-gasoline blends in the summer. Farmers love it. The oil industry hates it. What was the political calculus?Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For two years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been working on a new analysis about global emissions pathways. The report was <a href="http://ipcc.ch/report/sr15/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">released this week</a> — and the conclusion is pretty dire.Or is it actually more hopeful than it appears? This week, we’ll discuss the IPCC’s findings, debate the tone, and dissect media coverage of the report. Then, Orsted, the Danish mega-energy producer, is buying a leading American offshore wind developer. What does it say about the coming rush of offshore activity?And finally, over to biofuels. President Trump is asking the EPA to lift restrictions on higher ethanol-gasoline blends in the summer. Farmers love it. The oil industry hates it. What was the political calculus?Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ib4rxvbxzjtlvwhncbctz4uwdka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Debating the New IPCC Report: Hellish or Hopeful?

This week, we have a taping of the Energy Gang from GTM’s Grid Edge Live conference in San Diego.We’ll talk with Tom Bialek, the chief engineer at San Diego Gas &amp; Electric, about the utility’s landmark microgrid project, its new distributed resource management system, and how to improve the utility-customer relationship.And we’ll wrap up with a look at how California’s pro-distributed energy policies are shaping utility procurements.This podcast is sponsored by ReneSola, a Tier 1 solar cell and module manufacturer with a decade of experience in the cleantech industry.The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we have a taping of the Energy Gang from GTM’s Grid Edge Live conference in San Diego. We’ll talk with Tom Bialek, the chief engineer at San Diego Gas &amp; Electric, about the utility’s landmark microgrid project, its new distributed resource management system, and how to improve the utility-customer relationship. And we’ll wrap up with a look at how California’s pro-distributed energy policies are shaping utility procurements. This podcast is sponsored by ReneSola, a Tier 1 solar cell and module manufacturer with a decade of experience in the cleantech industry. The Energy Gang is produced by <a href="http://Greentechmedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greentechmedia.com</a>. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

A Top Utility Engineer Talks Distributed Energy Integration

The Gang is on summer vacation this week. We'll be back soon with our regular analysis and debate on the stories in energy.Meanwhile, we'd like to introduce you to Political Climate, GTM's newest podcast hosted by Senior Editor Julia Pyper. The show features healthy debates from Republicans and Democrats over the politics of energy and climate. Enjoy this bonus episode and share your feedback with The Energy Gang and Political Climate on Twitter.Subscribe to Political Climate via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, TuneIn, Overcast, Stitcher and Spotify.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Gang is on summer vacation this week. We'll be back soon with our regular analysis and debate on the stories in energy.Meanwhile, we'd like to introduce you to Political Climate, GTM's newest podcast hosted by Senior Editor Julia Pyper. The show features healthy debates from Republicans and Democrats over the politics of energy and climate. Enjoy this bonus episode and share your feedback with <a href="https://twitter.com/theenergygang?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Energy Gang</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/poli_climate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Political Climate</a> on Twitter.Subscribe to Political Climate via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/political-climate/id1371456031?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://playmusic.app.goo.gl/?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&amp;isi=691797987&amp;ius=googleplaymusic&amp;apn=com.google.android.music&amp;link=https://play.google.com/music/m/Irllp33em443mtpgeqhrtv2ql2m?t%3DPolitical_Climate%26pcampaignid%3DMKT-na-all-co-pr-mu-pod-16" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Play</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/Political-Climate-p1120941/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1371456031/political-climate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang/political-climate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/66I35H7m6Sz826sBM7Pce9?si=Xo6roeEBSGePpMyEDKXK7g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Introducing Political Climate

America is kicking butt at energy efficiency. Well, sort of. It depends on which way you look at the issue. In this week's show, the Energy Gang will discuss the economic, technology and policy trends helping -- and hurting -- America's efficiency.Then, we'll ask if a new agreement between the U.S. and China represents a positive shift in stalled climate negotiations. Plus, we'll debate whether the fossil fuel divestment campaign is a worthy or lost cause.The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

America is kicking butt at energy efficiency. Well, sort of. It depends on which way you look at the issue. In this week's show, the Energy Gang will discuss the economic, technology and policy trends helping -- and hurting -- America's efficiency. Then, we'll ask if a new agreement between the U.S. and China represents a positive shift in stalled climate negotiations. Plus, we'll debate whether the fossil fuel divestment campaign is a worthy or lost cause. The Energy Gang is produced by <a href="http://Greentechmedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greentechmedia.com</a>. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Will America Get Its Act Together on Energy Efficiency?

When we first hit the record button four years ago, the energy landscape looked very different.Oil prices were above $90 per barrel. Utilities were only just starting to take distributed resources seriously as grid assets. Coal was still on the upswing globally. There was great uncertainty around a global climate deal. And Donald Trump was still two years away from announcing his presidential campaign.For our 200th episode of The Energy Gang, we'll reflect on the biggest changes we saw coming -- and didn't see coming -- since the podcast started.Before we reflect back, we'll start the show with a conversation about Puerto Rico. The U.S. territory is facing unspeakable devastation after Hurricanes Irma and Maria -- made worse by a bankrupt utility and an American government slow to send help. What do we know about the scope of the commonwealth’s energy problems post-hurricane?This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at missionsolar.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When we first hit the record button four years ago, the energy landscape looked very different. Oil prices were above $90 per barrel. Utilities were only just starting to take distributed resources seriously as grid assets. Coal was still on the upswing globally. There was great uncertainty around a global climate deal. And Donald Trump was still two years away from announcing his presidential campaign. For our 200th episode of The Energy Gang, we'll reflect on the biggest changes we saw coming -- and didn't see coming -- since the podcast started. Before we reflect back, we'll start the show with a conversation about Puerto Rico. The U.S. territory is facing unspeakable devastation after Hurricanes Irma and Maria -- made worse by a bankrupt utility and an American government slow to send help. What do we know about the scope of the commonwealth’s energy problems post-hurricane? This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at <a href="http://missionsolar.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">missionsolar.com</a>. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Episode 200: We Reflect on the Biggest Changes in Energy

The Green New Deal plan is out, and we’re suddenly having a national conversation about climate change again. It’s also injecting some early drama into the presidential primaries.This week, we’re digging into the plan. We’ll tell you what’s in it, assess the reactions, and look at whether it will amount to anything. Also: is the democratic-socialist agenda antithetical the “creating climate wealth” framing — or complimentary?Then, recycling is in crisis. You’re probably recycling wrong. China is cracking down. And your city is probably losing money. We’ll ask how to address it.Finally, lab-grown meat and meat alternatives are facing a backlash from the meat industry. Bills are getting introduced in states around the country to prevent companies from using the word "meat." Could it set the industry back just as these products are gaining traction?We’re doing a live show at the MIT Energy Conference on April 4 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Follow this link and use the promo code “energygang,” and we’ll give you a 10% discount on your ticket. Come join us for a fun live show on the energy picture in 2040.Recommended reading:Read the Green New Deal resolutionPolitico: The Impossible Green Dream of Alexandria Ocasio-CortezVox: The Green New Deal Is a 2020 Litmus TestFinancial Times: Why the World’s Recycling System Stopped WorkingNew York Times: You Call That Meat? Not So Fast, Cattle Ranchers SaySupport for this podcast comes from Dandelion Energy, the leading home geothermal company. Dandelion is making it easier for homeowners to get geothermal. Customers who switch to geothermal heating save on average $2,250 per year. See if your home qualifies.We're also brought to you by Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Green New Deal plan is out, and we’re suddenly having a national conversation about climate change again. It’s also injecting some early drama into the presidential primaries.This week, we’re digging into the plan. We’ll tell you what’s in it, assess the reactions, and look at whether it will amount to anything. Also: is the democratic-socialist agenda antithetical the “creating climate wealth” framing — or complimentary?Then, recycling is in crisis. You’re probably recycling wrong. China is cracking down. And your city is probably losing money. We’ll ask how to address it.Finally, lab-grown meat and meat alternatives are facing a backlash from the meat industry. Bills are getting introduced in states around the country to prevent companies from using the word "meat." Could it set the industry back just as these products are gaining traction?We’re doing a live show at the MIT Energy Conference on April 4 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. <a href="http://bit.ly/mitenergygang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Follow this link</a> and use the promo code “energygang,” and we’ll give you a 10% discount on your ticket. Come join us for a fun live show on the energy picture in 2040.Recommended reading:<ul><li><a href="http://https//ocasio-cortez.house.gov/sites/ocasio-cortez.house.gov/files/Resolution%20on%20a%20Green%20New%20Deal.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read the Green New Deal resolution</a></li><li><a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/02/07/green-new-deal-224928" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Politico</a>: The Impossible Green Dream of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</li><li><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/2/7/18203910/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-green-new-deal-2020" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vox</a>: The Green New Deal Is a 2020 Litmus Test</li><li><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/360e2524-d71a-11e8-a854-33d6f82e62f8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Financial Times</a>: Why the World’s Recycling System Stopped Working</li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/09/technology/meat-veggie-burgers-lab-produced.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New York Times</a>: You Call That Meat? Not So Fast, Cattle Ranchers Say</li></ul>Support for this podcast comes from Dandelion Energy, the leading home geothermal company. Dandelion is making it easier for homeowners to get geothermal. Customers who switch to geothermal heating save on average $2,250 per year. <a href="http://dandelionenergy.com/gtm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">See if your home qualifies</a>.We're also brought to you by Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. <a href="http://wundercapital.com/financing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here</a> to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0GT5BuD33AiPnqOzQE7YAE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYXJ0MTkuY29tL3RoZS1lbmVyZ3ktZ2FuZw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-energy-gang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Parsing the Green New Deal

Last year, 200,000 residential solar systems were installed in the U.S. More than two-thirds of those systems were third-party financed through leases or power purchase agreements.But third-party financing is peaking. As solar costs come down, more consumers demand direct ownership of their own systems and installers look for simpler options, a growing number of lenders are coming into the U.S. market with loan products.Will they rival leases and power purchase agreements? Not in the short term. But they are becoming much more popular – sparking debate around their value for customers.This week, we’ll talk with Sungage Financial CEO Sara Ross, who will provide background on the evolution of solar loans and talk about the democratization of solar finance.Later in the show, we’ll discuss the State of the Union address and look at the surge in solar jobs outlined in the Solar Foundation’s solar census.The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last year, 200,000 residential solar systems were installed in the U.S. More than two-thirds of those systems were third-party financed through leases or power purchase agreements. But third-party financing is peaking. As solar costs come down, more consumers demand direct ownership of their own systems and installers look for simpler options, a growing number of lenders are coming into the U.S. market with loan products. Will they rival leases and power purchase agreements? Not in the short term. But they are becoming much more popular – sparking debate around their value for customers. This week, we’ll talk with Sungage Financial CEO Sara Ross, who will provide background on the evolution of solar loans and talk about the democratization of solar finance. Later in the show, we’ll discuss the State of the Union address and look at the surge in solar jobs outlined in the Solar Foundation’s solar census. The Energy Gang is produced by <a href="http://Greentechmedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greentechmedia.com</a>. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Solar Loans: Should PV Be More Like Car Sales or Cable Television?

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