Sponsored content from Shoals Technologies Group. EBOS – electrical balance of systems – includes everything that carries electricity from solar panels to the grid: wiring, switches, connector boxes and other components. It might not grab headlines, but it’s the backbone of every solar and storage project, and is essential to performance, reliability and project success. In this special episode of The Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks talks with Stephen LaFleur, Senior Director of Sales for Utility-Sc...
Jun 24, 2025•27 min
The world is experiencing a new reality : infrastructure, agriculture, and supply chains were built for a historical climate that no longer exists. Last year the average global surface temperature was about 1.47° C warmer than in the late 19th century, according to NASA. On current trends we are on course for perhaps 2.7° C of warming by the end of the current century: far in excess of the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5° C. As it becomes increasingly likely that the world is not going to cut greenh...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 6 min
In the third and final special episode recorded live from the ACORE Finance Forum, host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe talk to industry leaders to explore some key issues in renewable energy technology and finance. Amy starts the episode by speaking with David Ulrey, CFO of Fervo Energy, an innovative geothermal startup. David shares insights into Fervo’s projects, including their initial commercial pilot in Nevada and the ambitious 100-megawatt development in Utah. They discuss the...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 12 min
As the US races against China to develop the most advanced capabilities in AI, energy is critical. In this second episode from the ACORE finance forum, we speak to experts about how US energy policy, and in particular the reconciliation bill now being debated in Congress, might affect that race. Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe talk first to Joseph Webster, a Senior Fellow at the think-tank the Atlantic Council. They discuss the need for increased power supplies for data centers,...
Jun 06, 2025•1 hr 15 min
The Energy Gang are at The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Finance Forum in New York City, which brings together industry leaders, investors, and bankers to discuss the hottest issues in clean energy. Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe talk to ACORE Chief Executive and President Ray Long about the uncertainty hanging over the industry following the debate in Congress over repealing energy tax credits. He talks about the reasons why a Republican president and Congress s...
Jun 05, 2025•59 min
Legislation with massive implications for clean energy in the US has been making progress in Congress. The Republican party’s “big beautiful bill”, introducing sweeping changes to taxes and government spending, would phase out most of the tax credits for low-carbon energy that were created, expanded or extended in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. To unpack the proposals and examine what they might mean for the US and the world, host Ed Crooks is joined by some of the Energy Gang’s top ...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 15 min
It’s the most talked-about academic paper this year in the world of energy. Rethinking Load Growth , co-authored by Tyler Norris of Duke University has caused a stir in energy circles because it offers a new perspective on the hottest issue of the moment: how to provide power for new data centers and other large consumers. With new sources of electricity demand growing rapidly – from data centers for AI to battery factories to EV charging networks – grid planners are scrambling to understand how...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 3 min
They called the film Avengers: Infinity War the most ambitious crossover event in history. We can’t quite make the same claim, but at Wood Mackenzie’s 2025 Solar and Energy Storage Summit, we did record a crossover episode. Ed Crooks, host of Energy Gang , is joined by Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Wood Mackenz’s principal analyst for solar power and host of Interchange Recharged , to discuss the future of energy, and of the electricity grid in particular . They are joined by Rob Chapman, Senior Vice P...
Apr 29, 2025•39 min
“With great uncertainty comes great opportunity”, says Abby Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, in this special episode of the Energy Gang, recorded live at Wood Mackenzie’s Solar & Energy Storage Summit. Is she right? And what are those opportunities? To find out, host Ed Crooks welcomed Abby and Shyam Srinivasan, CEO and Co-Founder of Zitara Technologies, for a special discussion on the state of the solar and storage industries today. Uncertainty is t...
Apr 25, 2025•30 min
These are hard times for investment in low-carbon energy. The lack of progress in international climate negotiations, threats to policy support, and an increased awareness of the challenges of decarbonization, have created some strong headwinds. Everyone agrees that more breakthroughs in innovative emissions-reducing technologies are essential for tackling climate change. So how can innovative energy companies raise the capital they need to scale? Catalytic capital can provide long-term investme...
Apr 15, 2025•53 min
If President Trump’s tariff strategy succeeds in sparking a revival in US manufacturing, one consequence will be surging demand for power. We are already seeing electricity demand starting to pick up after 15 years of stagnation, driven by new data centers for AI and a wave of factory-building for semiconductors and batteries that is already under way. How can the electricity industry increase capacity to meet that growing demand and provide the power that the country needs? That’s the question ...
Apr 04, 2025•41 min
The Chinese car company BYD, the world’s top-selling manufacturer of electric vehicles, is launching two models that can charge in five minutes; about the time it takes to fill a tank with gasoline. It’s news that looks like a landmark moment in the energy transition, the way that the release of the DeepSeek model was for AI. It’s another eye-opening breakthrough out of China that should have the US worried. Or is it? To explain the significance of this latest leap forward in Chinese technology,...
Apr 01, 2025•58 min
Investors have gone sour on clean energy. In a troubled time for stock markets in general, where is the capital for energy flowing now? Host Ed Crooks is joined by Shanu Mathew, Senior VP and Portfolio Manager at Lazard Asset Management, and Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at NYU. Shanu returns to the show to break down how institutional investors, under pressure to deliver returns, are shifting strategies on energy. Amy shares insights on cleante...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 14 min
Charge when it’s cheap, when energy is abundant, and discharge when the energy is needed. The role of energy storage will be critical to the transition to low-carbon technologies. It’s an exciting time in the industry, with spectacular growth in battery storage markets in the US and around the world, and it’s predicted to continue. “We’re in the hockey stick growth phase,” says Swetha Sundaram, VP of solar and BESS (battery energy storage systems) at RWE, and a co-author of ‘The BESS Book’. She ...
Mar 04, 2025•57 min
In 2018, President Donald Trump said “I’m a tariff man”, declaring they were the way to make America rich again. Six years on and just weeks into his second term, he is putting that philosophy into practice. President Trump has announced a barrage of new and increased tariffs on imports into the US, including a 10% levy on all goods from China. He has threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Canda and Mexico, although those were put on hold for a month. And he has announced a strategy of reciproca...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr
It’s a historic moment in energy, with a leap forward in AI technology coming as the Trump administration sets a new direction for the US. The Energy Gang break down what it all means. When they make The Energy Transition – The Movie, the week of 27th January 2025 will be a pivotal scene. The Chinese AI company DeepSeek sent shockwaves through stock markets, as it revealed its model that apparently is capable of better performance than its competitors at a fraction of the cost. Host Ed Crooks ta...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Hydrogen has been called the Swiss Army knife of energy, because it has so many potential applications, from home heating to heavy industry. But so far, deployment around the world has been slow. And in recent months there has been a series of setbacks for plans to use clean hydrogen to decarbonise energy systems. So what’s the problem? Is it unsuitable infrastructure, policy uncertainty, or fundamental challenges of physics and economics? Does hydrogen really have a role to play in the low-carb...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Host Ed Crooks is joined by regulars Amy Myers Jaffe and Melissa Lott to share their predictions for energy in 2025. They discuss the policy changes expected from Washington under the Trump administration, the crucial role for California as a leader in clean energy, the exciting new technologies that may be launched or ramped up this year, and the political and business leaders who will be shaping our future. The team also discuss some of the threats and challenges the energy industry could face...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 4 min
China’s booming EV industry, AI and clean energy, questions over hydrogen, and the other big stories from 2024. To round off a momentous year for clean energy, Ed Crooks is joined by regulars Melissa Lott and Amy Myers Jaffe to reflect on the highs and lows of 2024. The gang revisit the predictions they made in January, share their highs and lows for the year, and talk about their favourite episodes of 2024. And, as is fast becoming a tradition on the show, we finish the year with some relevant ...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 2 min
More than 100 countries have pledged to cut methane emissions, with not much to show for it so far. What is being done to change that? Methane – the main component of natural gas – is the second most significant greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide. It accounts for about 30% of all the human-induced warming the world has experienced since the 19th century. At COP26 in 2021, many countries got together to launch the Global Methane Pledge, to drive action on reducing emissions. There are now 111 c...
Dec 10, 2024•37 min
The climate talks agreed a $300 billion finance deal. Not everyone is happy about it. The COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, finally ended around 5.30am on Sunday morning, almost 36 hours after they had been originally scheduled to close. The good news was that the negotiators representing about 200 countries agreed a deal on climate finance: flows of capital from developed countries to low and middle-income countries, to help them cut emissions and adapt to a warming world. The bad news w...
Nov 27, 2024•37 min
As policy changes course in the US, is energy efficiency the key that can unlock a sustainable future? In our latest episode from the COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, host Ed Crooks talks to our guests about the challenges facing the energy transition, including the far-reaching implications of a second Trump administration, as asks whether getting smarter about the ways we use energy can be part of the solution. In the first part of the show, Ed welcomes back Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Global...
Nov 21, 2024•55 min
How a deal at the climate talks could make a real difference to the energy transition In our latest episode from the COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ed Crooks explores the challenges and opportunities of mobilizing climate finance to support the energy transition in emerging markets. As the "Finance COP", COP29 is under pressure to deliver concrete outcomes on climate finance. The goal is an agreement that could mean $1 trillion a year or more flowing from rich countries to low and midd...
Nov 18, 2024•47 min
As many nations face challenges in meeting their Paris Agreement goals, some businesses are stepping up to fill the gap. Climate action is not just a responsibility but a lucrative opportunity In this latest episode of The Energy Gang from COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ed Crooks explores the critical role of businesses in addressing climate change. He talks to business leaders and experts about the challenges and opportunities facing companies at the forefront of climate action. Ed and his guests e...
Nov 15, 2024•58 min
A special COP29 episode exploring the power of states, regions, and cities to advance the energy transition amid uncertain national policies In this special episode of The Energy Gang from COP29, Ed Crooks brings together a panel of expert guests in Baku, Azerbaijan, to discuss the global implications of the US election and the growing importance of state-level leadership in climate action. He is joined by Wade Crowfoot, California's Secretary for Natural Resources; Travis Kellerman, Senior Clim...
Nov 14, 2024•53 min
The role of development banks in climate finance The COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, have climate finance at the top of the agenda. As global leaders and experts gather to deliberate on pathways to a sustainable future, the focus is on how funding from richer nations might facilitate decarbonization and resilience in poorer and middle-income countries. These discussions are not just about altruism, but recognize the economic interdependence and shared benefits of global climate action. ...
Nov 12, 2024•27 min
President Trump plans a sharp change of direction The US elections last week are set to transform the energy landscape, with the Republicans now in control of the presidency, the Senate, and likely the House of Representatives. They intend to set a new direction for energy policy, emphasising affordability and reliability over sustainability and climate. In this special episode of The Energy Gang, we explore what this shift means for the American energy sector and the potential implications for ...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Electricity grids rely on transformers. Shortages are slowing down the transition to clean energy. Transformers are such commonplace pieces of local infrastructure that most people barely notice them. In America, they include those dustbin-shaped objects on poles for power lines, and in the UK they are those rectangular boxes on the pavement. But transformers have a critical function in making the electricity grid work, and they also play a vital role in the energy transition, too. If you want t...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr 23 min
To make the leap from niche products to the mass market, electric vehicles need to reassure potential buyers that they have enough range and enough charging options that they won’t get stranded by the side of the road with a flat battery. Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at New York University, has been suffering repeated frustrations in her search for working charging points for her EV. If the charging companies can’t get this right, it will be a ...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min
The Energy Gang wraps up Climate Week in New York, after six days of debates, discussions, initiatives and pledges. Scheduled alongside the UN General Assembly, Climate Week brought together leaders from business, policy, finance, academia and activism to share ideas and push forward real solutions for climate change. Host Ed Crooks sits down with Helen Clarkson, CEO of the Climate Group which organizes Climate Week, to talk about the big stories that emerged from the week. Climate Week has evol...
Oct 01, 2024•42 min
