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A macro view on the state of climate tech
3 juni 2024 · 32 min
We need to invest many trillions of dollars every year to build a climate-positive economy. We know what those technologies are – but they're all at very different levels of readiness.
So what would it take to scale critical climate technologies? That was the simple-but-complicated question recently posed by a group of energy, industry, and high-tech experts at McKinsey.
The research offers a clear account of the state of a dozen types of climate technologies, which could collectively slash emissions by 90%. We sat down with co-authors Anna Orthofer and Mark Patel to walk through the adoption pathways for everything from renewables to hydrogen to lab-grown meat.
What's ready to scale, and what's behind schedule?
Utility rates could make or break the energy transition – so how do we do it right? On June 13th, Latitude Media and GridX are hosting a Frontier Forum to examine the imperative of good rate design, and the consequences of getting it wrong. Register here.
And make sure to listen to our new podcast, Political Climate – an insider’s view on the most pressing policy questions in energy and climate. Tune in every other Friday for the latest takes from hosts Julia Pyper, Emily Domenech, and Brandon Hurlbut. Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Lees meer -
Energy is now the ‘primary bottleneck’ for AI
22 mei 2024 · 56 min
Data centers are an impressive energy success story. Over the last 25 years, internet traffic has climbed more than 500x while data center electricity use has remained flat.
The servers and energy infrastructure have gotten wildly more efficient, and the biggest tech companies have focused on powering those warehouse-scale computers with renewables.
But a lot of people are suddenly alarmed about data centers again, as energy demand for AI surges.
Data centers are getting built so fast, many utilities are pushing for lots of new fossil gas plants to serve them. And while tech companies have made strong progress on building renewables to match data centers, grid constraints are making it harder. We have a very small window to fully decarbonize the grid – this may make it harder to squeeze through it.
So, are growing concerns over AI’s power demand justified? How are they contributing to America’s growing hunger for electricity? And what technologies and grid management techniques can address it?
This week, we’ve assembled a group of experts to answer those questions: Brian Janous, co-founder of Cloverleaf Infrastructure; Michelle Solomon, senior policy analyst at Energy Innovation; and John Belizaire, CEO of data center developer Soluna.
This conversation was part of Latitude Media’s Transition-AI series. Watch the full event here.
Utility rates could make or break the energy transition – so how do we do it right? On June 13th, Latitude Media and GridX are hosting a Frontier Forum to examine the imperative of good rate design, and the consequences of getting it wrong. Register here.
And make sure to listen to our new podcast, Political Climate – an insider’s view on the most pressing policy questions in energy and climate. Tune in every other Friday for the latest takes from hosts Julia Pyper, Emily Domenech, and Brandon Hurlbut. Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Lees meer -
Tesla’s extremely hardcore pivot
15 mei 2024 · 34 min
The origin of Tesla was rooted in two goals: electrify transportation to drive down emissions that are warming the planet; and do it by driving down the cost of EVs to make them accessible to the masses.
Is Musk now walking away from both?
“He's decided I'm not a car company. I’m an AI and robotics company. It's astonishing what's happening with Tesla,” said Steve LeVine, editor of The Electric, a publication on batteries and EVs from The Information.
Tesla has always been a tumultuous company. But the last few months have been particularly chaotic – and possibly more transformative than any other moment in its history.
This week, we talk with LeVine about the whirlwind inside Tesla. We'll hear about a series of decisions by Musk that threw the car teams into turmoil, and could radically change the course of the company.
Utility rates could make or break the energy transition – so how do we do it right? On June 13th, Latitude Media and GridX are hosting a Frontier Forum to examine the imperative of good rate design, and the consequences of getting it wrong. Register here.
And make sure to listen to our new podcast, Political Climate – an insider’s view on the most pressing policy questions in energy and climate. Tune in every other Friday for the latest takes from hosts Julia Pyper, Emily Domenech, and Brandon Hurlbut. Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Lees meer -
The news quiz episode!
8 mei 2024 · 46 min
This week, we have something a little different: a news quiz.
We recently took the stage with four investors at the Prelude Climate Summit — armed with a bell, a buzzer, and four different categories of questions. We tested two teams of venture investors on their knowledge of the most recent industry news.
Shayle Kann and Cassie Bowe, partners at venture firm Energy Impact Partners, are team "High Voltage." Shayle is also host of Latitude’s climate tech deep-dive podcast Catalyst.
Dr. Carley Anderson, principal at venture firm Prelude Ventures, and Matt Eggers, Prelude’s manager director, are team "Shayle Gassed."
Which team will come out on top?
Utility rates could make or break the energy transition – so how do we do it right? On June 13th, Latitude Media and GridX are hosting a Frontier Forum to examine the imperative of good rate design, and the consequences of getting it wrong. Register here.
And make sure to listen to our new podcast, Political Climate – an insider’s view on the most pressing policy questions in energy and climate. Tune in every other Friday for the latest takes from hosts Julia Pyper, Emily Domenech, and Brandon Hurlbut. Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Lees meer -
Political Climate: Is the IRA under political threat?
26 april 2024 · 43 min
This week, we have a drop-in episode from our new podcast at Latitude Media: Political Climate.
Since the Inflation Reduction Act became law in August 2022, we’ve asked ourselves a big question: could the government and the private sector actually get this sprawling set of climate programs up and running?
So far, many would answer “yes.” The IRA has already created over 170,000 jobs and supported $110 billion in new clean energy manufacturing – with a majority of that investment headed to conservative-leaning states.
Now, as we head toward November’s presidential election, many Americans are wondering whether a second Trump Administration could unravel much of the work that’s been done.
In the first episode of the new season of Political Climate, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Emily Domenech take stock of the IRA: they discuss how it’s been received politically, the roadblocks facing implementation, and look toward the different scenarios that could unfold after the election.
The show wraps up with our brand-new segment, “The Mark-up.”
Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, policy, and deals across clean energy and climate tech. Lees meer -
An influx of EVs. Surging peaks. Can AI help?
17 april 2024 · 41 min
AI is suddenly in use everywhere – and it’s headed for the power sector.
New research from Latitude Intelligence and Indigo Advisory Group shows a coming wave of AI integration, inside and outside of utilities.
Distributed energy companies are increasingly integrating AI into their products, and many power companies are building teams to take advantage of automation for operational efficiency and grid monitoring.
But adoption will be uneven – and an autonomous superbrain for the electric grid may never fully materialize.
In this episode, we’ll break down the pathways for AI on the electric grid, and test the market knowledge of a few leaders in this space.
We’re joined by David Groarke, who led the research for Latitude Intelligence on AI adoption; Sadia Raveendran, VP of industry solutions at Uplight; and Apoorv Bhargava, CEO and co-founder of WeaveGrid.
We’ll look at the influx of EVs, the rise of virtual power plants, and the growth in peak demand and ask: where is artificial intelligence and machine learning helping?
Are growing concerns over AI’s power demand justified? Join us for our upcoming Transition-AI event featuring three experts with a range of views on how to address the energy needs of hyperscale computing, driven by artificial intelligence. Don’t miss this live, virtual event on May 8. Lees meer -
The rise of heat batteries
9 april 2024 · 42 min
John O’Donnell co-founded and ran two solar thermal companies. He watched as the technology shifted from being the most promising utility-scale solar technology, to getting out-competed by photovoltaics everywhere.
But he stayed passionate about heat. Today, he’s CEO of Rondo Energy, which makes a “heat battery” for industrial applications using bricks, heating coils, and cheap, intermittent renewables.
And that cheap PV that made solar thermal so difficult is now a critical input for decarbonizing factories and processing plants.
John distills his decade and a half in the solar thermal business to a simple lesson: don't be too innovative.
In this episode, we talk with John O’Donnell about the different methods for decarbonizing industrial heat, the use cases for heat batteries, and lessons learned from his days in solar thermal.
Are growing concerns over AI’s power demand justified? Join us for our upcoming Transition-AI event featuring three experts with a range of views on how to address the energy needs of hyperscale computing, driven by artificial intelligence. Don’t miss this live, virtual event on May 8. Lees meer -
Inside Apple’s failed car program
28 maart 2024 · 32 min
Mark Gurman has been covering Apple since 2009. His reporting career is full of scoops about new products or strategic decisions from inside the company.
His latest scoop in February: Apple is finally shutting down its efforts to build an autonomous electric car.
Apple first started exploring an electric car in 2014. At that point, cars had already become computers on wheels, Tesla was scaling mass-market production, and vehicle autonomy was the hottest thing in the tech industry.
“It made sense that Apple, which has a massive prowess in manufacturing, an incredible design ethos and a high standard for safety…would try to take a crack at that market,” said Gurman, a chief correspondent at Bloomberg.
But after a decade of internal disputes, redesigns, and leadership changes, Apple is officially moving on from cars.
“This was a clear admission of failure and admission of a need to disperse some of the resources from that program to other projects at the company,” explained Gurman.
In March, Gurman co-authored a piece detailing exactly what happened over the last 10 years of secretive work. This week, we talk with him about the vision, the technological challenges, and ask: what if Apple had just acquired Tesla from the start?
This episode is brought to you by The Big Switch. In a new 5-episode season, we’re digging into the ways batteries are made and asking: what gets mined, traded, and consumed on the road to decarbonization? Listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. Lees meer -
The Latitude: Could government rules hinder green hydrogen?
22 maart 2024 · 23 min
The US green hydrogen industry is at a critical juncture.
After months of input and debate, the government put out draft rules for tax credits at the end of last year – setting strict requirements for matching new, local renewables to hydrogen production.
It was hailed by many as a really important step for ensuring that green hydrogen actually lives up to its name. But across the industry, the reaction has been mixed – even among those who want to make the industry as clean as possible.
Maeve Allsup, one of our reporters at Latitude Media, started asking around the industry: how are these rules impacting projects?
This week, we have a crossover episode with The Latitude, a podcast that brings you stories from our journalists and columnists reporting at the commercial edge of energy tech, markets, and deals. Editor Lisa Martine Jenkins presents two features from the pages of Latitude Media on how the US green hydrogen industry is responding to new rules and canceling some projects.
Like what you hear? For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter.
This episode is brought to you by The Big Switch. In a new 5-episode season, we’re digging into the ways batteries are made and asking: what gets mined, traded, and consumed on the road to decarbonization? Listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. Lees meer -
The achilles heel of AI in the power system: data
14 maart 2024 · 28 min
There are many forces that could hold back AI in the power system: computing infrastructure, power availability, regulation, and corporate inertia.
The biggest one? Good data.
Utilities and grid operators are awash in data. But getting access to it – or making sense of it – is very difficult.
For a better understanding of how to change that, we turn to someone who spends a lot of his time in the so-called data cloud: Tititaan Palazzi, the head of power and utilities at Snowflake.
“Data naturally ends up in different boxes, in different silos. And when you then want to ask questions of the data, it becomes really hard. You can't ask questions across the enterprise,” he explained.
In 2018, Palazzi co-founded Myst AI with Pieter Verhoeven, an engineer who built critical demand response applications for the Nest Thermostat. Myst was focused on AI-driven time-series forecasting for the grid.
“In the energy industry, there is a lot of time-series data coming from the grid. At the same time, using AI for forecasting is quite challenging because every time you need to create a new prediction, you need to have the latest data. And so from an engineering perspective, it was quite complicated to do,” said Palazzi.
Palazzi and Verhoeven arrived at Snowflake after Myst was acquired by the company last year.
This week, we feature a conversation with Snowflake's Titiaan Palazzi on busting data silos, some early wins for AI in the power sector, and what phase of the transition we're in.
This episode is brought to you by The Big Switch. In a new 5-episode season, we’re digging into the ways batteries are made and asking: what gets mined, traded, and consumed on the road to decarbonization? Listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. Lees meer -
The urgent need to simplify clean energy finance [partner content]
12 maart 2024 · 15 min
Early in her career, Amanda Li worked on many deals in solar and storage as part of a billion-dollar sustainable infrastructure fund. And she discovered a problem that often hinders deployment: the underwriting process is cumbersome and slow.
“All of it was in spreadsheets, word documents, emails. When you look at a solar deal, there's a lot of documentation, a lot of counterparties to deal with, and that information needs to be processed somehow. It felt like we were spending a lot of time just trying to process the information,” explained Li.
This problem has only grown over time as more distributed assets need financing, and policies like the Inflation Reduction Act support smaller clean energy projects at the community level. These small- to mid-sized projects often require as much diligence and paperwork as much larger deals.
So in 2018, Amanda co-founded Banyan Infrastructure, a software platform that simplifies transactions for a wide range of sustainable infrastructure projects – replacing spreadsheets, email, and PDFs with digitized loans and workflows.
The company has raised more than $42 million and works with green banks, Wall Street firms, and local lenders to make deals simpler.
“If at every single layer there aren't standards, there aren't connected processes, it's going to move really slowly,” said Li.
In this episode, produced in partnership with Banyan Infrastructure, we explore the shifting world of sustainable finance.
Stephen Lacey talks with Banyan COO Amanda Li about solving financial bottlenecks, how the IRA is bringing in new players to the market, and what it will take to unlock trillions of new dollars per year for the energy transition.
Banyan Infrastructure is simplifying and accelerating the financing of sustainable infrastructure. Read the company’s white paper on unlocking the full potential of sustainable finance, or request a demo to learn how the software works. Lees meer -
New demand is straining the grid. Here’s how to tackle it.
6 maart 2024 · 30 min
When Brian Janous took charge of Microsoft’s clean energy strategy in 2011, the company’s data center demand was modest. He was measuring new demand in the tens of megawatts.
Over the years, that grew to hundreds of megawatts of new demand as hyperscale computing expanded. And then everything changed in the spring of 2023, with the public launch of ChatGPT 3.5, which ran on Microsoft’s data centers.
“That was the moment that I realized we were going to need a bigger boat. This is a massive leap in a period of like six months – and the amount of time that it takes to actually build infrastructure was measured in years,” said Janous.
Projections show data center energy demand could double in the next couple of years, driven by artificial intelligence. Janous saw the hockey stick growth coming, and he realized the disconnect between how fast AI is moving and how the core input to data centers – electricity supply – is struggling to keep pace.
After decades of flat demand, load forecasts are doubling because of data centers, expanding ports, new manufacturing plants supported by the IRA, and electric cars.
Janous recently co-founded a company, Cloverleaf Infrastructure, to help utilities unlock grid capacity with grid-enhancing technologies, batteries, and other flexible resources to meet the onslaught of new demand. He also advises LineVision, a dynamic line rating company that is helping expand transmission capacity.
This week: we talk with Janous about why we don't need energy miracles – we need to think creatively about planning, and squeezing more out of the system.
This episode is brought to you by The Big Switch. In a new 5-episode season, we’re digging into the ways batteries are made and asking: what gets mined, traded, and consumed on the road to decarbonization? Listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. Lees meer -
The right way to recycle batteries [partner content]
5 maart 2024 · 22 min
In the early 2000s, Steve Cotton ran a company serving the fast-growing data center industry with backup battery systems.
And when those systems reached the end of their lives, the company monetized kilotons of lead-acid batteries by sending them to recycling facilities – industrial plants that break down and burn the components.
“It's very dangerous. You've got lead dust all over the floor. You've got a bunch of people wearing hot suits, literally chucking batteries into high temperature furnaces. And it is not a healthy environment,” said Cotton.
Two decades later, the technology has shifted – and lithium-ion batteries are now the dominant form of storage. But recycling hasn't changed a lot.
Today, there are two types of dominant battery recycling methods. One is using high heat, similar to the process that Steve witnessed at the lead-acid facilities. The other is giving batteries a chemical bath, in a process known as hydrometallurgy. Both create a lot of waste.
Steve saw how big the battery recycling waste problem could become. And in 2015, he invested in a company called Aqua Metals. And he became so convinced by Aqua Metals' novel approach to recycling, he became the CEO.
“We're using electricity to drive the process and the electricity itself comes from renewable resources. And that can produce this metal supply chain with a true opportunity to have a net zero environmental impact,” said Cotton.
The battery recycling industry is experiencing rapid growth, as companies and countries look to build secure, circular supply chains for critical minerals.
In this episode, produced in partnership with Aqua Metals, Steve Cotton sits down with Stephen Lacey to talk about the growing battery waste problem, and the urgency to invest in recycling techniques that don't lock in new sources of waste.
This is a partner episode, brought to you by AquaMetals. Aqua Metals is pioneering cleaner and safer battery metals recycling through innovation. The company is building the fi… Lees meer -
A view of the $1.8 trillion clean energy economy
22 februari 2024 · 48 min
Can a couple trillion dollars feel small?
Global investments in the energy transition – from the buildout of factories and power projects to project finance and government debt – hit nearly $1.8 trillion last year.
That’s almost as big as the GDP of South Korea. It’s nearly 20% more than the year before, and nearly eight times more than a decade ago. But even with those record levels of spending, we are astonishingly behind what’s needed to stay on a net-zero trajectory this decade.
This week, we’ll talk about what’s growing, what’s lagging, and what the trillion-dollar scale means at the ground level.
Then, geoengineering is nudging closer to the mainstream of scientific and environmental discourse. Are we giving up, or just being realistic?
Katherine Hamilton of 38 North and Shalini Ramanathan of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners join us this week to sift through these trends.
For more of Latitude Media’s coverage of the frontiers of clean energy, sign up for our newsletter. Lees meer -
Virtual power plants: the ‘sandwich’ for the grid
15 februari 2024 · 37 min
If we want any chance of affordably and reliably building a grid powered 100% by zero-carbon resources, we need to triple the capacity of virtual power plants.
That’s the conclusion of a report released last fall by the Department of Energy, which examined the different business models and integration approaches for tying solar, batteries, thermostats, electric cars, water heaters, and other distributed assets into dispatchable power plants.
The US already has tens of gigawatts of VPP capacity, mostly in the form of “bring your own device” programs that harness thermostats or water heaters for demand response services. But there are new models emerging that harness rooftop solar, batteries, and EV charging to enable bigger, longer-lasting load shifts.
“I like to say that the term VPP is kind of like the term sandwich. There are lots of different kinds, they're full of different ingredients, and they serve lots of different purposes,” said Jen Downing, an engagement officer at the DOE, who leads the agency’s work on the space.
The concept of VPPs has been around for nearly 30 years. But as the US faces a dramatic increase in peak demand by 2030 – and with distributed resource capacity set to double – the urgency for deploying them has increased.
“We're going to need clean, firm [power]. We're going to need more transmission capacity to transport that electricity. But one way to address that increase in peak is to use distributed energy resources to either serve that peak locally or to shift that peak outside of peak hours. And so that's where VPPs come in,” said Downing.
This week on The Carbon Copy, we spoke with DOE’s Jen Downing about the different ways that virtual power plants are getting built – and the need to build many more.
Read our show notes and all our industry coverage at Latitudemedia.com. Lees meer -
Pricing and tech trends shaping the global battery storage market
8 februari 2024 · 34 min
The storage market is full of surprises. Last year, global storage installations were a third higher than expected, driven mostly by Chinese policy to attach batteries to renewables.
Meanwhile, a ramp-up in manufacturing is causing oversupply – and a potential shakeout for smaller battery makers.
By 2030, the world could see 1.8 terawatt-hours of storage capacity installed, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Rapid manufacturing expansion, a shift in chemistries and designs, and increases in duration for grid-connected systems are making battery storage one of the most dynamic sectors of the clean energy economy.
“We do have to constantly be reconsidering our assumptions,” said Yayoi Sekine, head of energy storage at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “I think now we're currently in an environment where the industry is actually able to sustain itself in terms of its own battery manufacturing and supply chains. That's a pretty big shift and that's happened very recently.”
This week on The Carbon Copy, we feature a conversation with Yayoi Sekine pricing, tech, manufacturing, and deployment trends that are shaping battery storage.
Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, and deals across clean energy and climate tech. Lees meer -
US power demand is set to boom. How will we meet it?
1 februari 2024 · 56 min
As President Biden’s green industrial policies reignite the US manufacturing base, AI computing workloads soar, and machines across the economy turn electric, the power grid is facing an historic increase in demand.
After almost two decades of flat electricity consumption, suddenly America’s grid planners are doubling their forecasts for demand – raising the urgency for new infrastructure.
This week, we’ll ask: what’s needed, and what happens if we can’t build it?
Then, some major changes in the world of tax finance. We’ll look at how transferable tax credits are opening up new kinds of deals for clean energy – and take a deeper dive into the long-awaited and controversial details of hydrogen tax credits.
Katherine Hamilton of 38 North and Shalini Ramanathan of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners join us this week to sift through these trends.
Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, and deals across clean energy and climate tech. Lees meer -
How AI is rapidly advancing new materials for clean energy
23 januari 2024 · 33 min
Artificial intelligence is quickly accelerating drug discovery, healthcare services, product design, and manufacturing efficiency. Now it's here for materials development – and it could be one of the most influential uses of AI in energy.
A decade ago, Greg Mulholland started playing around with machine learning as a way to accelerate product development of materials inside LEDs. After seeing its potential – and witnessing the rapid evolution of AI – he co-founded Citrine Informatics. Citrine built an AI platform that helps researchers advance cutting-edge materials for use in solar cells, batteries, electric cars, and more.
“It allows us to move through generations of materials discovery so much faster that we're not just incrementally improving things, but we're actually driving forward the whole industry and raising the bar on ourselves in a pretty exciting way,” says Greg.
This week: Greg Mulholland, CEO of Citrine Informatics, describes the many ways that artificial intelligence is pushing the performance of clean energy and climate technologies – and helping clean up the materials that make up the world around us.
Subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter to get all our news coverage and podcasts on the industry straight to your inbox.
Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024. Lees meer -
Venture investors riff on headwinds, hype, and wildcards of 2023
17 januari 2024 · 45 min
Turbulent. Equilibrating. Those are the words that investors Gabriel Kra and Carly Anderson use to describe the last year for venture capital in climate tech.
We now have a full picture of the year for climate tech venture investing in 2023. Fresh data from Sightline Climate shows a decline in deal counts, round sizes, and a dropoff in repeat investors.
It was a year of rising interest rates, declining valuations, a bank collapse, and falling exits. But it was also when many companies started building factories, and forging a path toward a green industrial economy.
“If rates go up and IPO markets dry up, we all suffer from that just like everybody else does,” said Kra. “But when we look back, we're going to realize, that's when products started rolling off the lines.”
“I think it was a year of looking around and figuring out, ‘hey, what's real and we, where is, where is the ground?’ And I think we're at a pretty solid place now to go forward, “ said Anderson.
This week: we feature perspectives from two investors on the mixed environment for fundraising, the impact on different sectors, and why we may actually look back on 2023 in a positive light.
Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024. Lees meer -
The terawatt era of PV: ‘Solar will be the gas of today’
9 januari 2024 · 31 min
When the numbers for 2023 are finalized, there could be another 320 to 413 gigawatts of solar installed around the world – bringing global capacity to nearly 1.5 terawatts.
Solar is now on track to surpass coal and fossil gas capacity in the next few years, bringing generation to 10% of global electricity supply.
There's universal recognition that we're firmly in the solar era. But outlooks on how fast the technology will grow are mixed. And that's because a mix of constraints – market design, trade barriers, and grid capacity – could cap yearly growth.
This week on The Carbon Copy, we talk with Wood Mackenzie's Michelle Davis about the tech and deployment trends that will shape the next decade of solar PV expansion.
Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024. Lees meer -
The storylines of the energy transition in 2023
22 december 2023 · 57 min
The competing trends in the energy transition from 2023 were stark: a looming peak in demand for oil, gas, and coal; a global agreement to transition away from fossil fuels; and an increasingly realistic pathway to triple renewables development.
But we also experienced the hottest global temperatures in 125,000 years, record US oil & gas production, inflation headwinds that challenged large renewables projects, and a very tough year for clean energy stocks.
Every new investment in energy infrastructure matters in an increasingly consequential way. This is the decade to get it right, and we’re almost halfway through it.
So, as is tradition, we spend some time outlining our picks for storylines of the year – with that urgency in mind. And we’ll talk about what they signal about the path ahead here in the US and beyond.
Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more. Lees meer -
LNG exports: America’s hidden ‘climate bomb’
18 december 2023 · 52 min
In less than a decade, America has become the world’s biggest exporter of liquified natural gas.
In the mid-2000s, the US was building terminals to import more fossil gas. But that all changed after the fracking boom unlocked vast reserves of hydrocarbons.
The US became a net exporter in 2017. Then, Russia’s war on Ukraine forced a scramble for new supplies of gas in Europe – and American companies stepped in.
The consequence: a historic push for new terminals, a vast new source of heat-trapping gasses that could wipe out US climate gains, and a growing conflict over how the government approves new LNG infrastructure.
This week: we explore the latest climate flash point: liquified gas.
We’re joined by Bill McKibben, author, organizer and founder of Third Act; Nicole Pollack, a contributing writer at Canary Media; and Jeremy Symons, analyst, political strategist, and principal at Symons Public Affairs.
Resources mentioned in this episode: Lees meerCanary Media: Nicole Pollack’s deep dive into the controversies over FERC approval of LNG exports.
New Yorker: Bill McKibben’s article on Robert Howarth’s latest research on LNG emissions.
Jeremy Symons’ recent research on how LNG exports are causing US emissions to rise.
Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024.
It’s Canary Media’s listener drive through the end of the year. Make a tax-deductible donation today.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more. -
Making sense of advanced nuclear’s stumbles
12 december 2023 · 56 min
The nuclear industry is grappling with several issues: high interest rates, rising commodity prices, limited supply chains, fuel availability, and a regulatory environment that has been slow to adapt to new technologies.
In the west, nuclear knowhow has faded over the decades. Even with a surge in policy support and public interest, development is stagnant and capacity has fallen. Momentum has moved over to Asia, mostly China. But that’s not nearly enough.
While global renewables have tripled in just over a decade, net global nuclear capacity has barely budged upward. The reality is that we may need to see capacity double – or even triple – by 2050 to keep us on a net-zero path, on top of tripling wind and solar.
So this week, we’ll revisit the stories shaping nuclear power in 2023 and ask: are we getting anywhere closer to unlocking real growth? Or will the industry stay in a perpetual holding pattern? Lees meerBreakthrough Institute: Advanced nuclear is in trouble
Canary Media: Eric Wesoff's nuclear year-in-review
E&E News: What’s next after the NuScale cancellation
Canary Media: The future of small reactors at stake as NuScale deal flops
Bloomberg: US, UK lead pledge to triple nuclear power by 2050
It’s Canary Media’s listener drive through the end of the year. Make a tax-deductible donation today.
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The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more. -
How to triple renewables by 2030
30 november 2023 · 1 uur 3 min
It took 12 years to triple global renewables – and now we need to do it in eight years.
As the latest UN climate summit begins, there’s a proposal on the table to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. Countries may agree to it in theory, but can the market meet it in practice?
This week, we’ll look at why this tripling is necessary, how it could be done, and what technologies will dominate.
Then, we’ll address a confusing narrative that has emerged around electric cars. We’re seeing a historic ramp-up in domestic EV production, and record sales. But many are fretting that the market is weakening – and automakers are pulling back. What gives?
We’ll end with the forecast: our picks for stories that tell us something about the near or far future.
Resources mentioned in the show: Lees meerBNEF: Tripling global renewables by 2030 Is necessary to achieve net zero
Carbon Brief: Why deals at COP28 to triple renewables and double efficiency are crucial
Latitude Media: To triple renewables capacity, solar is a boon – and a potential problem
NYT: A new law supercharged EV manufacturing, but not sales
Business Insider: Automakers are scrambling over EVs
Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024.
This episode of Carbon Copy is brought to you by the Energy Show, hosted by Barry Cinnamon. Questioning if that cool new product or service really pencils out for customers? Curious about customer adoption of IRA policies? Wondering how the grid can keep up with home electrification? For the real-world scoop on clean energy technologies with a focus on the customer perspective, don’t miss the Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaning… -
AI in the real world: Solar forecasting, EVs, and virtual power plants
16 november 2023 · 1 uur 1 min
Weather forecasts for the grid depend on supercomputers to calculate the flow of heat, water, and radiation in the atmosphere, and then spit out predictions about what could happen next.
These supercomputers are powerful. But they are also expensive and slow, relative to how quickly the weather changes. A new class of AI-based weather forecasts could change the game for grid operators and renewable energy developers. Will they take hold?
This week, we explore a variety of emerging applications for artificial intelligence in energy.
First, we'll look at how machine learning can improve and democratize weather prediction with journalist Emma Woollacott, Dr. Jack Kelly of Open Climate Fix, and Dr. Noelia Otero Felipe of the University of Bern.
Then, we'll hear from a few companies that are using AI for demand response, virtual power plants, and EV charging. Latitude producer Erin Hardick explores AI trends at the grid edge with Apoorv Bhargava of WeaveGrid, Jae Beom Bae of Leap, Paul McDonald of Opower at Oracle Energy and Water, and Carlos Nouel of National Grid.
It’s Canary Media’s listener drive through the end of the year. Make a tax-deductible donation today!
This episode of Carbon Copy is brought to you by the Energy Show, hosted by Barry Cinnamon. Questioning if that cool new product or service really pencils out for customers? Curious about customer adoption of IRA policies? Wondering how the grid can keep up with home electrification? For the real-world scoop on clean energy technologies with a focus on the customer perspective, don’t miss the Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more. Lees meer -
The future of the ‘broken’ grid [partner content]
15 november 2023 · 19 min
This is a partner podcast episode, brought to you by Intersect Power.
The U.S. grid is in trouble. It's old; it's really hard to build new transmission lines; and that is limiting the amount of wind and solar we can add to the system.
Sheldon Kimber, Founder and CEO of the clean energy developer Intersect Power, says the grid is “broken.” But he has a plan to get around those constraints.
In this episode, produced in partnership with Intersect Power, Sheldon Kimber talks with Stephen Lacey about creative strategies for building renewables that don't rely on overhauling the grid.
If you want to read more about Sheldon's vision on how this strategy will play out, he has an op-ed published at Latitude Media.
Intersect Power is a clean energy company bringing innovative and scalable low-carbon solutions to its customers in global energy markets. The company develops, owns, and operates some of the world’s largest clean energy resources – providing low-carbon electricity, fuels, and related products to customers for U.S. consumption and international export. Learn more about Intersect's projects and business model. Lees meer -
For Microsoft, AI is an ‘unlock’ for decarbonization
7 november 2023 · 36 min
Microsoft was an early mover in integrating OpenAI’s LLM into its Azure cloud services. And now every part of Microsoft’s technology stack — from cloud infrastructure to data analytics to consumer apps — will be “reimagined” for the AI era, said Nadella. As a result, every industry will inevitably be impacted by AI.
Utilities will also find themselves at the center of this shift, even if most aren’t yet actively investing in AI for grid management. Generative AI will increasingly start to influence back-office operations and customer support inside utilities for “focus and efficiency,” explained Microsoft’s Hanna Grene, on stage at Latitude Media’s Transition-AI: New York conference.
This week, we feature a conversation from our Transition-AI conference with Hanna. We talk with her about how large language models and other forms of artificial intelligence are making their way inside utilities – and why AI isn't as intimidating as it seems.
If you want more news and analysis like this in your inbox, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter and Canary Media's newsletter.
This episode of Carbon Copy is brought to you by the Energy Show, hosted by Barry Cinnamon. Questioning if that cool new product or service really pencils out for customers? Curious about customer adoption of IRA policies? Wondering how the grid can keep up with home electrification? For the real-world scoop on clean energy technologies with a focus on the customer perspective, don’t miss the Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more. Lees meer -
Inflation plagues clean energy. How bad is it?
3 november 2023 · 54 min
Wind, solar and batteries have seen steady, fairly predictable cost drops over the last two decades. But a combination of pressures – supply chain turmoil, grid constraints, interest rates, labor costs – has raised costs for products and projects. And they’re challenging the commercial viability of emerging sectors like offshore wind and hydrogen.
So how will the market work through this inflationary blip? And are there other policy interventions to ease pressures? This week: we’ll explore the inflation problem for clean energy.
Then, the International Energy Agency says peak fossil fuel consumption is upon us. But what does that actually mean? We’ll put the “peak” into perspective.
Joining us this week are Katherine Hamilton of 38 North, Michael O’Boyle of Energy Innovation, and Maria Gallucci of Canary Media.
Stories we mention in this episode: Lees meerLatitude Media: The ripple effect of rising wind costs
WSJ: Green power gets pricier after years of declines
Canary Media: Offshore wind pushes ahead despite industry turmoil
NYT: IEA forecasts peak fossil fuel demand
Washington Post: “Peak” fossil fuels isn’t what it sounds like
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This episode of Carbon Copy is brought to you by the Energy Show, hosted by Barry Cinnamon. Questioning if that cool new product or service really pencils out for customers? Curious about customer adoption of IRA policies? Wondering how the grid can keep up with home electrification? For the real-world scoop on clean energy technologies with a focus on the customer perspective, don’t miss the Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more. -
Tackling the tough stuff: steel, cement, and chemicals
26 oktober 2023 · 48 min
The industrial sector is set to overtake power generation and transportation as the biggest source of planet warming emissions in the US by 2035, according to The Rhodium Group.
The sector’s impact is even greater on the global scale. Industry around the world accounts for more carbon dioxide emissions than all forms of transportation combined – largely driven by steel, cement, and chemicals.
There are a lot of ways to decarbonize industry, but the pathways are much less clear than for electricity or automobiles.
In this episode, we’re joined by Jeff St. John, Maria Galluci, and Julian Spector, who’ve been exploring the varied paths for cleaning up the products that are foundational to the world around us.
Stories we mention in this episode: Lees meerCanary Media: Cleaning up steel, cement and chemicals is tough — and entirely doable
Rhodium Group: Taking stock of US emissions
Canary Media: ‘Electrowinning’ could help win the race to clean up dirty steel
Latitude Media: The electrolyzer market is caught in limbo
Canary Media: To decarbonize cement, the industry needs a full transformation
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the only company that can deliver an integrated smart home and energy solution controlled via a single award-winning app at Savant.com. -
Investors riff on the new era for climate investing
16 oktober 2023 · 56 min
There are a lot of quarterly ups and downs in venture dollars deployed across climatetech. But the trend is generally up. Since 2021, more than 200 new climate investment funds have been created with $121 billion under management, according to CTVC.
Earlier this month, Canary Media Editorial Director Eric Wesoff explored the evolved state of climate investing at Canary Media's live event in Berkeley.
The panel included: Nancy Pfund, managing partner at DBL Investors; Mona EINaggar, a partner at Valo Ventures, and Elaine Hseih, a senior advisor at the US Department of Energy.
They discussed what sectors are most promising, the pathways to commercial success, and what America’s green industrial strategy means for investors.
This episode is brought to you by SPAN, a smart electrical panel that helps homeowners save on their energy bills. Interested in having a SPAN Panel installed in your home? Visit span.io to learn more.
This episode is brought to you by Nextracker, a leading provider of intelligent, integrated solar tracker and software solutions used in solar projects around the world. Learn more at Nextracker.com. Lees meer -
Can California pull off its clean energy ambitions?
6 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 6 min
California is at a crossroads. The state has already installed nearly 1.8 million rooftop solar systems, 5 gigawatts of batteries, and 1.6 million electric cars. But it is also facing some serious challenges.
The list is long: controversial policy changes, extreme weather threats, and backlogs – lots and lots of backlogs.
It is facing serious backlogs in interconnecting utility-scale solar and storage projects, keeping fossil gas-fired power plants open that were supposed to shut down years ago. And that’s not even counting the gigawatts of offshore wind, geothermal power, long-duration energy storage and other clean, firm resources called for in the state’s long-term plans — none of which we’ve built yet.
This week, Jeff St. John, Canary Media’s director of news, sits down with three prominent people who are trying to move the state forward: State Senator Josh Becker; GRID Alternatives Executive Director Arthur Bart-Williams; and California Solar and Storage Association Executive Director Bernadette Del Chiaro.
This conversation was recorded live at Canary Live: Bay Area.
We have a flash sale for Transition-AI: New York through October 9th. Use the code FLASH30 to get 30% off your ticket price to our event on AI + energy. Spots are limited, so don't miss out!
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
Why electric cars are driving the auto strikes
29 september 2023 · 48 min
Just as the auto industry resolves supply chain problems from the Covid pandemic, a new disruptive force has emerged: labor disputes.
Nearly 20,000 American auto workers are on strike as they ask for higher pay. At the heart of their concerns: will the shift to electric cars make them worse off?
We’ll look at a strike that is raising big questions about how to support the companies making electric vehicles for the masses – and support the workers who make them.
Then: the push for green steel. Are automakers critical for getting low- and zero-carbon steel into mass production?
Finally, as the presidential campaign gets noisier, we look at how Republicans are talking about climate and energy.
Joining us this week are Maria Gallucci of Canary Media and Katherine Hamilton of 38 North.
Stories we mention in this episode: Lees meerCanary Media: DOE offers $15.5 billion to retool existing auto plants for EVs
New York Times: Battle over electric vehicles is central to auto strike
Canary Media: Major steel users band together to place first big “green steel” order
Energy Monitor Op-ed: The road to clean steel runs through automakers
Bloomberg: Ron DeSantis pledges more fossil fuel production
New York Times: A roundup of what GOP candidates say about climate change
Don’t forget to grab your tickets for Transition-AI: New York and Canary Live: Bay Area, coming up in October.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the … -
New frontiers of clean energy emerge
21 september 2023 · 1 uur 5 min
Renewables and electric vehicles are on a tear, and they’ll soon likely attract $2 trillion in yearly investment. But global emissions have not peaked.
So what are the new frontiers of technology that will make renewables and storage more valuable – and draw down emissions at the speed needed?
This week, we’re going to reflect on that question coming out of RE+, a major American conference where our editors were covering emerging tech.
Then, the battery recycling boom is on. It’s attracting billions of dollars in investment. Will it address supply chain security and a looming waste problem?
Finally, Hawaii’s difficult transition away from coal. Why couldn’t it build renewables and batteries fast enough to fill the gap?
Joining us this week to talk through these stories are Jeff St. John, Julian Spector, and Lisa Martine Jenkins.
Resources mentioned in this episode: Lees meerA preview of Latitude Media
Financial Times: Peak fossil fuels will happen this decade.
Canary Media: Redwood Materials lands $1 billion
Canary Media: Another US battery recycler just raised a massive round
Canary Media: Hawaii quit coal a year ago – how’s it going?
Don’t forget your tickets to Transition-AI: New York on October 19th. Our listeners get a 10% discount with the code pspods10.
And make sure to get your seat at Canary Live: Bay Area on October 3rd.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the only company that can deliver an in… -
Inflation headwinds for offshore wind
7 september 2023 · 21 min
In the last few months, three major projects in Europe and America have been delayed or canceled, thanks to rapidly rising costs.
Those projects make up more than 10% of current offshore wind capacity in the EU and US, according to Bloomberg. Another 9.7 gigawatts are at risk in America, as developers look to renegotiate contracts.
The complexity of offshore wind magnifies the technical and financial risks. And the financial picture for some projects has worsened over the last two years as inflation has driven up the cost of materials and labor across the supply chain.
This week: offshore wind is taking a hit. We'll talk with Jan Matthiesen, director of offshore wind and maritime decarbonization at The Carbon Trust, about whether financial challenges in the industry will encourage more technical innovation to bring costs down.
Are you looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape the business of energy? Come network with utilities, top energy firms, startups, and AI experts at Transition-AI: New York on October 19. Our listeners get a 10% discount with the code pspods10.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the only company that can deliver an integrated smart home and energy solution controlled via a single award-winning app at Savant.com. Lees meer -
As debate over carbon removal swirls, America steps up funding
23 augustus 2023 · 26 min
As the carbon dioxide removal industry grows, engineered solutions like direct-air capture are getting more attention.
According to the IPCC, novel methods for carbon dioxide removal are necessary to meet the Paris climate targets.
But another UN body, the UNFCCC, recently sparked controversy by concluding in draft language that “engineering-based removal activities…pose unknown environmental and social risks.” That language could have ramifications for how carbon removal gets considered in upcoming international climate negotiations.
Amidst the debate over the role of carbon removal, the US government is stepping up with some large investments in direct-air capture hubs and R&D support for novel technologies, creating a positive signal for the market.
This week, Savvy Bowman, a program manager at ClearPath, joins us to explain what this all means for the future of carbon removal technologies and policies.
Are you looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape the business of energy? Come network with utilities, top energy firms, startups, and AI experts at Transition-AI: New York on October 19. Our listeners get a 10% discount with the code pspods10.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the only company that can deliver an integrated smart home and energy solution controlled via a single award-winning app at Savant.com. Lees meer -
America’s next-generation mining future [partner content]
23 augustus 2023 · 20 min
This is a partner podcast episode, brought to you by South32.
Pat Risner spent 25 years as an engineer, general manager, and executive at one of the largest mining companies in the world, BHP. Today, he's the president of the Hermosa Project, a mining development in Arizona run by the global mining firm, South32.
That mine is the only advanced project in America that could produce manganese and zinc – two critical minerals that are essential to batteries and renewables.
In this episode, produced in partnership with South32, Pat Risner talks with Stephen Lacey about the importance of the Hermosa project for America's clean energy supply chain – and what it means to run a next-generation mine.
To learn more about how Hermosa can help power the nation’s clean energy future and strengthen the domestic supply chain of critical minerals, go to south32hermosa.com. Lees meer -
America’s historic climate law, one year on
15 augustus 2023 · 56 min
A year after it was passed, the Inflation Reduction Act is already reshaping the energy and automotive industries in the U.S.
New factories for a wide array of clean energy components are being planned. Old factories are being reopened, retooled, or expanded. According to a Canary Media analysis, that is amounting to over $70 billion in new investments in the manufacturing sector for electric cars, EV parts, batteries, battery recycling, and wind and solar assembly.
Wind, solar, and battery developers are planning major increases in deal flow and projects, thanks to expanded tax credits.
Meanwhile, companies building an emerging set of technologies – like carbon removal, hydrogen, and novel long-duration storage – are also expanding.
But there are still plenty of debates and uncertainties around implementation, ranging from how to structure subsidies, who benefits from them, and whether they’ll be enough to keep supply chains in America for the long haul.
On this week’s episode of The Carbon Copy, we have a conversation with three journalists who are reporting on the lasting impacts of the IRA: Maria Gallucci, a clean energy reporter at Canary Media; Jeff St. John, director of news and special projects at Canary Media; and Julian Spector, a senior reporter at Canary Media.
Read all of Canary’s coverage of how the IRA is impacting America’s domestic energy industry.
Are you looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape the business of energy? Come network with utilities, top energy firms, startups, and AI experts at Transition-AI: New York on October 19. Our listeners get a 10% discount with the code pspods10.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR t… Lees meer -
The high stakes debate over green hydrogen
3 augustus 2023 · 23 min
In August, the US government is set to issue standards for hydrogen tax credits. Over the last year, a debate has been raging over how strict those standards should be for matching renewables with hydrogen production.
With rules set to be released in the coming weeks, ad campaigns have popped up from industry trying to persuade the feds to adopt looser standards, and green groups pushing for
Without clear standards for matching renewables to hydrogen production, emissions could double, says Adithya Bhashyam, an associate hydrogen analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Adi closely tracks the industry, and has been modeling the market impacts of different standards. This week, we’ll talk with him about how standards might unfold in the US, how Europe’s newly-passed rules might influence the outcome, and why we need green hydrogen in the first place.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the only company that can deliver an integrated smart home and energy solution controlled via a single award-winning app at Savant.com. Lees meer -
A surprise benefit of rooftop solar in New England
26 juli 2023 · 31 min
For years, rooftop solar was overlooked as a reliability solution in New England. But in a very sudden reversal, the region's grid operator says it’s critical to keeping the lights on across the region.
New England doesn't have its own fossil resources, so the region is dependent on oil and natural gas imported from other regions of the country. Over the last decade and a half, aging coal, nuclear, and oil-fired units have been retired there. Because of interconnection constraints and lots of NIMBYism, gas has mostly filled in the gap – not utility-scale renewables.
But distributed solar is suddenly providing a benefit for the New England system operator that will help it close an aging, expensive gas power plant remains open for reliability reasons.
This week, we'll talk with reporter Ben Storrow about his reporting on the value of solar. First, we'll look at what's changed in New England. Then we'll turn our attention to Texas, where renewables have been critical for managing the grid during a sweltering summer that has brought record-breaking power demand.
This podcast is brought to you by KORE Power, an American manufacturer of battery cells for electric vehicles and stationary storage. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a conversation with KORE CEO Lindsay Gorrill about how America can slash its dependence on imported critical minerals and batteries.
Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the only … Lees meer -
What’s the next big trend in clean energy?
20 juli 2023 · 53 min
For decades, we have wildly underestimated the growth of renewables. Now that cost curves and deployments have exceeded all expectations, what’s next for the clean energy industry?
This week, we feature a conversation between journalist David Roberts and futurist Ramez Naam about what's ahead for tech trends – from renewables and batteries, to grid management, to space-based solar power and geoengineering.
This conversation was recorded in Seattle at a recent Canary Media Live event. Be sure to get your tickets to the Bay Area event in October.
Thanks to our sponsors: Lees meerThis podcast is brought to you by KORE Power, an American manufacturer of battery cells for electric vehicles and stationary storage. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a conversation with KORE CEO Lindsay Gorrill about how America can slash its dependence on imported critical minerals and batteries.
Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the only company that can deliver an integrated smart home and energy solution controlled via a single award-winning app at Savant.com.
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A groundbreaking battery nears industrial scale
12 juli 2023 · 42 min
Mateo Jaramillo is the co-founder and CEO of the long-duration storage company Form Energy.
Mateo has spent the last two decades building battery storage companies, with home base being California. But he just moved from Silicon Valley to the Rust Belt, where Form is scaling production of its iron-air batteries at an old steel mill in West Virginia.
The location sits at the intersection of major highways, rail lines, and waterways. And Form’s batteries sit at the intersection of the old energy economy and the new energy economy.
“We are making a type of battery which is based on iron and air. It means that we're moving a lot of iron in and very heavy things out. And so you think about sort of the core infrastructure that's needed to do that – it maps very nicely over the steel infrastructure of the country.”
America is working to build back its industrial capacity with clean energy. Armed with lessons from the past and a lot more government support, companies are planning $70 billion in new factories for electric cars, solar and wind components, and batteries – including very large batteries like the ones that Form is making.
This week: we talked with Mateo Jaramillo about Form Energy's transition from an R&D and engineering company to a high-volume manufacturer. Is it a sign of what's to come for the US industrial base?
This podcast is brought to you by KORE Power, an American manufacturer of battery cells for electric vehicles and stationary storage. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a conversation with KORE CEO Lindsay Gorrill about how America can slash its dependence on imported critical minerals and batteries.
Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to lea… Lees meer -
A new narrative series on the origins of Europe's energy crisis
6 juli 2023 · 36 min
Putin’s assault on Ukraine triggered an energy crisis that sent Europe’s economies into a tailspin and put the European energy transition to the test. But how did the European Union, a leader in climate action, become so dependent on Russian oil and gas to begin with?
This week, we're posting the first episode in a new five-part series for The Big Switch. The show is a collaboration between Post Script Media and the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy.
The series looks at the energy systems of Germany and Poland. Both have very different energy economies, but both became dependent on Russian energy for heating homes, firing power plants, and fueling businesses.
In this episode, we look at the immediate impact of the Ukraine invasion and the historical influences behind the dependence – from Germany’s pursuit of natural gas to Poland’s centuries-long relationship with coal.
Then we ask whether Europe's initial response to the crisis will accelerate or slow down the region's push toward green energy.
You can subscribe to The Big Switch anywhere you get your podcasts. Lees meer -
Will poor data hold back the potential of AI on the grid?
29 juni 2023 · 55 min
Last week, we started the show with a simple question: what do we want from the artificial intelligence systems advancing so quickly?
Inevitably, when we start grappling with that question, we have to talk about ethics and data quality.
This week, we feature two conversations about the ethics and implementation of AI across the energy economy.
We'll talk with Pamela Isom, an AI ethicist and former director of the DOE’s artificial intelligence and technology office, about the “happy path” of implementation that avoids racial, gender, and economic bias.
Then we’ll feature a roundtable of experts about building AI systems on the grid. The participants include: David Groarke, managing partner at Indigo Advisory Group; Elizabeth Cook, the director of advanced grid systems at Duquesne Light Company; Titiaan Palazzi, head of power utilities at Snowflake; and Jess Melanson, the chief operating officer at Utilidata.
For all these experts, the deployment of effective and fair AI systems is all about the quality of the data.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
How AI is being used in energy, right now
22 juni 2023 · 1 uur 7 min
We are at the start of a commercial arms race in artificial intelligence that has thrilled some, and alarmed others. For many, it's both.
There's no shortage of heady proclamations about where the technology is headed. Google CEO Sundar Pachai calls AI “more profound than fire or electricity.”
We are in the middle of a period of exuberance in AI, which will inevitably lead to some kind of market correction. But the technology will be transformative. There are dozens of use cases for AI in energy already in operation today across the grid, mobility, and industry.
The emergence of AI will have an enormous impact on creativity, corporate structures, and economic productivity – and on the engine that drives our economy, energy. Will we use it in the right way?
This week, we feature two conversations from our recent Transition-AI conference in Boston.
Priya Donti, the executive director of Climate Change AI, describes the best-case and worst-case scenarios for an AI-infused energy sector.
And Savannah Goodman, a data and software climate solutions lead at Google, describes the role for machine learning in optimizing renewables and data centers.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
The fall of a battery maker still haunts America
14 juni 2023 · 27 min
As we evaluate the Biden team's approach to building back domestic manufacturing and climate-positive infrastructure, we keep coming back to the question: what makes the current push different from the Obama era one?
You can’t answer the question without exploring the factors behind the demise of some companies of the cleantech 1.0 era – in particular, the story of A123 Systems.
This week, we’re talking with Gabrielle Coppola, a Bloomberg auto journalist, about her new magazine feature about America’s tortured journey to build EV batteries.
A123 Systems was supposed to represent the next generation of domestic manufacturing. Instead, it showed how America excels at inventing new energy technologies, but not building them.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
Why Texas Republicans are trying to crush wind and solar
1 juni 2023 · 29 min
Republicans dominate every part of government in Texas. It's been that way for two decades.
It also happens to be a state with the most wind and utility-scale solar development in the country. Over their 20 years of dominance, Republicans in the state have mostly supported renewables, often in a very warm way. But lately, they've turned against them.
In a very short period of time, America's fastest-growing renewables state became the most hostile. What happened?
This week, we'll look at the history and political fads that are driving the Texas renewables backlash. We'll talk with the Houston Chronicle's Chris Tomlinson about much it could unravel the market.
Are you a utility or climate tech startup looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape your company? Come to our one-day event, Transition-AI: Boston on June 15. Our listeners get a 20% discount with the code PSPODS20.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
EVs are a catalyst for broader electrification [partner content]
1 juni 2023 · 22 min
We are at an inflection point for electric vehicles. The mass adoption phase is underway in many countries, including America. The US government is putting billions of dollars behind EV charging and battery production. And nearly every automaker is releasing or developing an EV model.
But the race to electrify cars and trucks is about so much more than transportation. For an executive like Annette Clayton, CEO of Schneider Electric North America, it's about developing an economy-wide electrification strategy – with EVs as a catalyst. And it’s why Schneider is getting deeper into the electric car market.
In this episode, produced in collaboration with Schneider Electric, Annette sits down with Stephen Lacey to talk about where the market is headed for EVs, technology trends in electrifying homes and industry, and how to tie them all together for the benefit of the grid.
For more information on Schneider's efforts to electrify and digitize the economy, including the microgrid and resilience hubs that Annette mentioned, go to se.com. Lees meer -
Degrees: The fastest electric vehicle fleet makeover in the West
30 mei 2023 · 33 min
This week, we’re running a bonus episode from our friends at Environmental Defense Fund and their podcast Degrees: Real talk about planet-saving careers. Transportation is the largest single source of carbon emissions in the U.S. People who can electrify vehicle fleets are in demand — especially in school districts, where diesel emissions are causing skyrocketing rates of childhood asthma.
In this episode, host Yesh Pavlik Slenk talks with the ebullient Gilbert Blue Feather Rosas, who raised millions of dollars to bring electric buses to one of America’s biggest school districts.
Make sure you check other Degrees episodes about how the green jobs transformation is shaping the future. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Are you a utility or climatetech startup looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape your company? Come to Post Script Media’s one-day event, Transition-AI: Boston, on June 15. Our listeners get a 20% discount with the code PSPODS20. Lees meer -
How will we power all those green factories?
22 mei 2023 · 24 min
In the nine months since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, $28 billion in new manufacturing investments have been unveiled. Credit Suisse expects the IRA to support $1.7 trillion in new US manufacturing in a decade.
Shalini Ramanathan of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners is watching the space, excited about that industrial growth. She’s also eager to see a whole new category of customers – because this green industrial strategy needs new green electrons and molecules to run it.
The wave of planned build-outs in US manufacturing is setting the stage for a new class of renewables designed to run those plants. And it could shift how and where projects get built.
“This could really reshape our landscape,” explains Shalini. “We're all asking the question: now that we have low-cost, green power, what other sectors can we decarbonize?
This week, a secondary impact of America's green manufacturing strategy: a coming boom in projects to meet that new industrial demand. We'll ask how renewables, batteries, and hydrogen could meet the moment.
Are you a utility or climate tech startup looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape your company? Come to our one-day event, Transition-AI: Boston on June 15. Our listeners get a 20% discount with the code PSPODS20.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
Live: Is advanced nuclear ready for liftoff?
17 mei 2023 · 1 uur 3 min
Are you a utility or climate tech startup looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape your company? Come to our one-day event, Transition-AI: Boston on June 15. Our listeners get a 20% discount with the code PSPODS20.
Our show this week was recorded live at the Nuclear Energy Assembly in Washington, DC. It comes in three parts.
First, we're asking: how do we prepare the US nuclear industry for liftoff? We'll dig into a new government strategy to bridge the gap to commercialization in nuclear, and a range of other deep decarbonization tech.
Then, what does a grid saturated with renewables, storage, and new nuclear look like? What are the ways these technologies can work together?
And finally, we'll look at some investment trends across clean energy: where the capital is flowing, where it's not flowing, and does ESG backlash even matter?
Jigar Shah, director of the DOE’s loan programs office, and Katherine Hamilton, chair of 38 North, join Stephen Lacey on stage for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of nuclear. Lees meerFull transcript here
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com.