Alternative sources of power are moving into the spotlight. As the share of dispatchable power in our electricity system declines, with coal-fired plants giving way to variable wind and solar, maintaining reliable supplies to keep the lights on becomes more complex. Investment in wind and solar is still vital for making progress towards net zero emissions, but other sources of low-carbon power are also moving into the spotlight. Those can include nuclear and hydrogen generation, as well as wave ...
Apr 07, 2023•59 min
It has been a turbulent month in the financial sector, which could have big implications for the world of energy. Mobilising capital is vital for achieving international goals to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of global warming. As the global banking system shudders from the blow of Silicon Valley Bank collapsing, is long-term climate investment being pushed further to the fringes of the agenda? The latest Assessment Report from the IPCC has delivered what’s been calle...
Mar 24, 2023•57 min
Will permitting reforms make it easier to build infrastructure projects? A group called the REPEAT Project at Princeton University calculated last year that to unlock the full emissions reduction potential of the Inflation Reduction Act, the US needed to increase its total high-voltage transmission capacity by about 2.3% a year. That is more than double the pace achieved over the past decade. In Washington, reforms that could make it easier to build all kinds of energy infrastructure, including ...
Mar 10, 2023•54 min
The energy industry influences climate change, and climate change also influences the energy industry. Understanding the consequences of a warming world is essential for making the right decisions as trillions of dollars are invested in energy production around the world. While we work to mitigate climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, we also need to adapt to the changes that we cannot prevent. On the Energy Gang today, Ed Crooks and Melissa Lott are joined by Dr Sarah Kapnick from...
Feb 24, 2023•48 min
The US Clean Energy Boom: What Might Stop It? The US Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden last August, has transformed the outlook for low-carbon energy in the US, because of the array of tax credits and other policy support that has been put in place. Over at Wood Mackenzie we do regular forecasts for the outlook for renewable energy investment in the US and as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, we have raised our forecast of new solar capacity installations in ...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 2 min
What’s led the world to restart the stalled atomic engine? 2022 was a year of important milestones for nuclear power. The most significant piece of climate legislation in US history – the IRA – included tax incentives and investment for the nuclear industry. A $15 per megawatt-hour tax credit for production to keep existing plants competitive, as well as $700 million to build a domestic supply chain for modern reactors, was a statement of intent from a government seeking to increase energy secur...
Jan 27, 2023•54 min
The Energy Gang is back. We’re only a couple of weeks into the new year but already so much has happened. A mild winter so far in Europe has sent wholesale gas prices falling, but there’s still a long way to go. Natural gas is expected to trade at 77.11 Euros per MWh by the end of the quarter, down to pre-Ukraine war levels. With prices down 50% since the December peak, what is that going to do for the rest of the world? It’s just one question we have as the gang looks ahead to 2023 and discuss ...
Jan 13, 2023•47 min
2022 has been a very eventful year in the world of energy. From January to December there has been an ongoing war, a European energy crisis, billions of dollars in funding for clean energy in the US and a Twitter takeover. It’s the last episode of the year so we’re bringing you a special edition of the Energy Gang. Join host Ed Crooks and recurring Energy Gang guests, Amy Harder of Cipher, and Melissa Lott of Columbia University, as they wrap up the year by highlighting important moments in the ...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 8 min
The year is quickly coming to a close and there’s a lot going on in the world of energy. On this episode of the Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks is joined for the first time by Jackie Forrest of the ARC Energy Research Institute and returning guest Robbie Orvis of Energy Innovation. The gang starts off the discussion by answering the question, what does a split US Congress mean for the energy transition. Under the current administration, a lot of progress has been made in the advancement of meeting o...
Dec 02, 2022•1 hr 1 min
The COP27 climate talks have been held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. It’s a popular tourist destination, but the negotiators discussing ways to limit global warming and to address the harm done by climate change have not been able to relax. The talks have been pretty hard going. Recurring Energy Gang guests Melissa Lott of Columbia University, and Amy Myers-Jaffe, who has just got a new job at New York University, join host Ed Crooks to discuss the progress that has been made, and where there is st...
Nov 18, 2022•51 min
With just a few days until world leaders and policy makers meet in Egypt for COP27, two returning Energy Gang members join host Ed Crooks to discuss what is expected from the latest round of international climate talks. As the UN warns that there is “no credible pathway” in place to limit global warming to 1.5 ° C, arguments about climate justice are rising up the agenda for international negotiations. Amy Duffuor of Azolla Ventures, and Shanu Mathew of Lazard Asset Management, kick off the disc...
Nov 04, 2022•58 min
The world is facing a great financial strain - what does this mean for the investment in the energy transition? On this episode of the Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks is joined by Nneka Kibuule from Aligned Climate Capital, and Sam Scroggins from Lazard. The gang starts the discussion by looking at the state of the economy. There is a surge of inflation being felt around the world. In the US, the current rate of consumer inflation is at 8.2%. As a direct result, 30-year mortgage interest rates are a...
Oct 21, 2022•57 min
On this episode of the Energy Gang, it’s a think-tank showdown. Host and referee for the day Ed Crooks is joined in the ring by Samantha Gross from the Brookings Institution, making her Energy Gang debut, and Joseph Majkut from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, returning to the show after joining us back in June. We start the discussion off with a deep dive into COP27, the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. In the year since COP26 in Gla...
Oct 07, 2022•54 min
We often talk about “the energy transition”. In this episode, we discuss what it means to be in the middle of that transition. Earlier this month, California was able to avoid blackouts as people came together to cut their electricity use. In Europe, leaders struggling to balance the urgent need for oil and gas with their goals for cutting emissions. In this episode of The Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks is joined by regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and new...
Sep 23, 2022•56 min
In this episode of The Energy Gang, we draw our attention away from the US and the Inflation Reduction Act, and switch focus to the ongoing energy crisis in Europe. Host Ed Crooks is joined by regular guest Melissa Lott, Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Amy Harder from Cipher. The race to stay warm is on as Russia cuts off more gas supplies to Europe. The continent is facing a potentially very bleak winter, but how bleak depends on the weathe...
Sep 09, 2022•1 hr 3 min
In this episode of The Energy Gang, we revisit the surprise of the summer: the Great American Climate Bill. Now that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has officially been signed into law, what’s next? Regular Energy Gang member Dr. Melissa Lott steps in as host this week while Ed Crooks takes a well-earned holiday. Joining Melissa is Robbie Orvis from Energy Innovation and Dr. Linus Mofor from the UN Economic Commission for Africa. A press release from the white house estimates the IRA will resu...
Aug 26, 2022•51 min
Congress is passing the largest-ever US climate bill. What does it mean for the world? It was the shock heard around the world this week: Senators Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer’s joint reconciliation bill, The Inflation Reduction Act. It’s passed the Senate, but the House remains. Will it pass, and what’s in it? On the Energy Gang podcast this week: Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Myers-Jaffe from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and Paula Gant from GTI Energy. GTI Energy is a leading researc...
Aug 12, 2022•52 min
At a time when much of Europe has been sweltering in record temperatures, it feels like a stark contrast to be worrying about winter. These are very worrying times for Europeans, because of deep uncertainty over what will happen to the import of Russian gas, which is critical for keeping the lights on and keeping people warm in their homes. Meanwhile, the US appears to have reached a defining moment in the evolution of climate policy. In this episode, host Ed Crooks is joined by regular contribu...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr 1 min
There is never a dull moment in the world of energy. Despite the summer holidays in the northern hemisphere, this week was full of announcements and big news stories. Regular Energy Gang member Melissa Lott steps in as host this week while Ed Crooks takes a well-earned holiday. Joining Melissa is Emily Chasan from Generate Capital and Robbie Orvis from Energy Innovation. The discussion starts with the US Supreme Court’s decision to impose new limits on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ...
Jul 15, 2022•53 min
The clean tech sector is a critical part of making the energy transition possible. With more and more capital flooding from outside investors into cleantech than ever before, the sector is set to become one of the critical keys in aiding and accelerating the energy transition. Today on the Energy Gang: a very special episode – a fireside chat with Tom Deitrich from Itron, and Tom Rand from Arctern Ventures. Itron is one of the largest providers of energy water and smart city management solutions...
Jul 08, 2022•39 min
California is one of the world’s largest economies in its own right, with a population of 40 million generating $3.4 trillion in GDP. It is also a pioneer in the development of clean energy, generating about 23% of its electricity from renewables in 2020, a long way ahead of the US average. On today’s episode, the Energy Gang welcomes a special guest: Elliot Mainzer, the President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). CAISO is the non-profit responsible for managing the ...
Jul 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Today, we’re following the money. Where does investment go in order to build a zero-carbon future? Where does the money get used, and where does it not? This week Ed is joined by Emily Chasan, Director of Communications at Generate Capital, and Shanu Mathew, Vice-President of Sustainable Investing and Net Zero Research at Lazard Asset Management. There are now trillions of dollars of capital in the market, aligned with the goal of getting to net zero. But in the past few months we’ve seen a back...
Jun 17, 2022•55 min
The energy crisis is showing no signs of abating. There’s a shortage of energy, and the world’s efforts to transition to low-carbon energy are met with countless hurdles. Countries around the world are taking steps to mitigate the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine however. The EU announced a plan to stop using Russian oil, gas and coal – it’s called RepowerEU and would mean more renewable investment, more energy efficiency and a lot more hydrogen to cut demand for natural gas. Europe...
Jun 03, 2022•1 hr 3 min
The energy transition is currently supported by three main pillars: science & technology, economics, and policy. In 2022 these three pillars are unaligned, with a lack of cohesion impeding progress. In today’s episode of the Energy Gang, the team explores three current events that highlight and exemplify the current state of the energy transition in the US and beyond. The gang starts with the future of President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. The original bill included a lot of provisions...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min
In this week's episode, the gang discuss nuclear power: is it a solution for providing energy security, or could it make the problem worse? Given that many consuming countries need to import most of their uranium, does relying on nuclear power create new sources of fragility? The US imported 86% of its uranium in 2020, from a range of countries, including Russia. What does that mean for hopes that a new generation of reactors could provide affordable and reliable low-carbon power? Next up, it’s ...
May 06, 2022•53 min
On April 22nd, 2022 the world will be celebrating the 52nd annual “Earth Day”. Does Earth Day serve any useful purpose? How can we utilize the celebration of Earth Day for good? How is Earth day viewed by the world today, and how does this celebration push us closer to a low carbon life? In today's special episode of the Energy Gang, the conversation focuses on solutions and recent positive findings from the IPCC report. Making up the “Gang” this week is returning guest Emily Chasan , who is the...
Apr 22, 2022•1 hr 8 min
The energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the most serious since the oil shocks of the 1970s. Rising prices for oil, gas and coal are hitting living standards and putting people under financial strain around the world. We are facing some tough decisions about how to relieve hardship and energy poverty, while still cutting greenhouse gas emissions to limit the impact of climate change. In this edition of the Energy Gang, the gang discusses the war in Ukraine and the consequences...
Apr 08, 2022•59 min
Of all the stages of a solar project, the operations and management stage is arguably the most crucial. When you’re thinking about project efficiency and financial returns in solar, you need to have a concise plan for the O&M stage. Greg Shambo is Vice President of Business Development at Borrego Energy. He says that ‘when you get into the operations stage, this is where you make the money. If you can’t operate profitably from day one, you end up losing money. We call these walking dead site...
Mar 31, 2022•28 min
The gang is back, and it's been a huge week in energy. For the first time ever, the US government might be requiring major companies to report their climate risks and emissions. This is a really big change. Governments, regulators, and investors have been pushing for quite a few years now for companies to do more to disclose their climate risks. But this would be the first time in US companies would be required to report risks in a standardized way, including greenhouse gas emissions. On the sho...
Mar 25, 2022•58 min
The Energy Gang – Live (Rebroadcast) The gang are taking a break this week. Instead of a new episode we’re rebroadcasting our special edition live episode where the team discusses the top 5 energy-related stories of 2021. This episode was originally live-streamed for Wood Mackenzie’s Grid Edge Innovation series at the end of December of 2021. This week on the show we have Ed Crooks, Emily Chasan from Generate Capital, and Amy Myers-Jaffe from Tufts University. The group discusses how “smart” dev...
Mar 11, 2022•55 min
