Latest

[Episode #258] – Alaska’s Railbelt Utilities

Sep 10 2025

Mini Episode

Alaska is an energy superpower with more untapped renewable resources than most countries. Yet its largest population, in the Anchorage area, faces a real risk of blackouts beginning in 2027 due to declining gas supply from the nearby Cook Inlet gas field, which is likely to force this historical major supplier of oil and gas to import LNG to keep its residents warm and keep the lights on. A key part of getting ahead of the crisis is addressing transmission dysfunction so severe that it turns 6-cent renewable electricity into 20-cent retail power due to 'pancaking' tariffs.

In this episode, we explore Alaska's sole electricity transmission grid, which connects most of the major population centers along what is called the Railbelt. We learn about how Railbelt utilities are part of a system that's overbuilt, unoptimized, unnecessarily expensive, and slow to change. For example, four rural electric cooperatives built more than $1 billion in unnecessary gas generation between 2012-2016 while knowing gas supplies were declining. Despite sitting atop an estimated 18 gigawatts of tidal energy potential in Cook Inlet alone, the four Railbelt cooperatives lack economic dispatch coordination, wasting tens of million annually through inefficient scheduling of gas-fired generation. The Railbelt utilities could transition away from their dependence on gas and toward the vast renewable resources surrounding them, but it would take a kind of political leadership that is currently lacking in the state. We dive into how the regulatory agencies could help Alaska transition to renewables, as well as why they haven't done so thus far.

We also take a quick look at the future of Alaska's famous oil pipeline, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), and some of the expectations for nuclear power in the state.

This episode is the third and final part of our miniseries about the energy transition in Alaska.

Guest #1:

Chris Rose is the founder and Executive Director of Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP), a non-profit coalition of over 60 diverse energy stakeholder organizations working to increase the development of renewable energy and promote energy efficiency across Alaska. REAP has been instrumental in helping to establish and fund clean energy programs and projects across Alaska, including the creation of the state’s Renewable Energy Fund in 2008, the Emerging Energy Technology Fund in 2010, Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy legislation in 2017 and the formation of the Railbelt’s first regional Electric Reliability Organization in 2020 and state green bank in 2024. Before establishing REAP in 2004, Chris had a private law practice for over a decade that included work in remote Northwest Arctic villages and the mediation of a variety disputes around the state. He has written a monthly opinion column for Alaska’s only statewide newspaper, served on various statewide boards and committees, including the state’s Renewable Energy Fund Advisory Committee. Since 2008, that Fund has granted over $330 million to more than 100 renewable energy projects that today are displacing the equivalent of 30 million gallons of diesel fuel each year. Chris also served on the climate action advisory committees for both Governors Sarah Palin and Bill Walker. He lives 65 miles northeast of Anchorage, where he and his partner grow flowers and enjoy the mountains. In his free time, he loves to cook, walk in the Alaska wilderness and visit ancient cultures around the world. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Political Science and a Certificate in Global Studies and received his law degree from the University of Oregon, with a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law.

On the Web:  https://alaskarenewableenergy.org/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rose-69192251/

Guest #2:

Philip Wight is an Associate Professor of History and Arctic & Northern Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

He is an energy and environmental historian, with a focus on infrastructure, mobility, and climate. He teaches classes in Alaska history, the contemporary history of the circumpolar north as well as energy and climate history.

Wight wrote his doctoral dissertation on the history of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. He is currently finalizing a book manuscript, Arctic Artery: The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the World it Made, based on his doctoral research. Wight’s more recent research examines the historical electrification of Alaska, including studies which examine generation and transmission on the Railbelt, as well as technological and energy policy innovation throughout the state.

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-wight-9a90418b/

On Twitter: @PhilWight

On the Web:  Phil’s page at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Guest #3:

Saqib Javed is a Researcher of Mechanical Engineering working on Applied Research for Communities in Extreme Environments at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) in Alaska. He has over 18 years of experience in HVAC systems, Geothermal Energy, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Ground Heat Exchangers, Thermal Energy Storage, Environment and Sustainability Interactions, Building Energy Systems, and Engineering Management.

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saqib-javed-b10a4239/

On the Web:  Saqib’s page at NREL

On Google Scholar: Saqib Javed

Geek rating: 8

(more…)

[Episode #257] – Remote Microgrids in Alaska

Aug 27 2025

Mini Episode

Most people probably think of a "microgrid" as a campus or neighborhood that can "island" itself and run independently when needed, but otherwise stays connected to the main grid most of the time. But in Alaska's remote communities that aren't even accessible by road, residents depend on microgrids for their very survival in extreme conditions.

For this episode, Chris traveled to Kotzebue, Alaska, a community above the Arctic Circle that has become an international leader at integrating renewable energy by pioneering wind-diesel hybrids, innovative wind-to-heat technology, and Arctic solar systems that achieve remarkable performance. We explore how Kotzebue is using innovative approaches to energy transition solutions to lessen their dependence on diesel fuel while improving the health and welfare of their people.

This episode is part of our miniseries about the energy transition in Alaska.

Guest #1:

Dr. Brian Hirsch is the President and Founder of DeerStone Consulting LLC, a renewable energy consulting firm focused on microgrid, utility, and community development in remote locations, especially the Arctic and the Tropics.

Brian has focused on microgrid and renewable energy integration, multi-scalar energy storage, independent power producer formation, utility support, project finance, and community development in remote locations. He has directed and facilitated clean energy development and project management for a wide range of clients, including large Independent Power Producers, multinational engineering firms, Alaska Native corporations, Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, Federal Government agencies and National energy laboratories, municipalities, electric utilities, and non-governmental organizations.  He has also led grid-scale battery energy storage workshops in Alaska and abroad.

Previously, he was a Senior Project Leader for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where he received an NREL Achievement Award for his efforts in establishing the Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START), an Obama administration priority program under the US Department of Energy. He also served as Chairperson of the Alaska Emerging Energy Technology Fund Advisory Committee from 2010-2015, a position appointed by the Governor of Alaska.

He received a Master’s certification in Energy Analysis and Policy and a Doctorate in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on energy issues in northern regions of the world. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government and Political Science, with an additional focus on Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.

Recent and ongoing projects include developing solar photovoltaic-wind-battery-diesel hybrid systems across Alaska and providing technical support to Alaska Native regional organizations and other groups covering over 120 communities across Alaska. From 2009-2015 he was the Senior Project Leader for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Alaska Initiative and projects globally.

On the Web:  https://www.deerstoneconsulting.com/

Guest #2:

Katya Karankevich is a project manager in the Rural Energy Program at the Alaska Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) where she develops and manages the design and construction of energy projects in remote communities all over the state. She has a Master’s degree in Sustainability from Harvard University. She holds four world records in spearfishing and is originally from Magadan, Russia, not visible from her house in Anchorage.

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katya-a-karankevich-930492a9/

On email: ks2857@gmail.com

Guest #3:

Matt Bergan is a recently retired Project Engineer at Kotzebue Electric Association and is now a consultant. Previously, Matt was a Manager of Operations at WHPacific (now KUNA) and also positions at Maniilaq Association. Matt received a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in mechanical engineering from Norwich University.

On LinkedIn

On the Web: Kotzebue Electric Association

Geek rating: 6

(more…)

[Episode #256] – Electric Farming in New Zealand

Aug 13 2025

Full Episode

In October 2024, Chris visited the world's first all-electric farm while traveling across New Zealand.

In today's episode, we speak with the farm's owner and founder, Mike Casey. In addition to operating the farm, Mike is CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a sister organization to Rewiring America. Rewiring Aotearoa works to advance New Zealand's energy transition by encouraging residents to deploy renewables and export excess power to the grid, and to replace their fossil-fueled machines with electric ones. Mike travels extensively across Australia, New Zealand, and major cities across the globe as an evangelist for electrification, encouraging communities to electrify and go solar. His farm serves as a real-world demonstration of these principles in action.

Because Mike's work is so inspirational and universal, we're making this episode one of our occasional lagniappe shows, available in front of the paywall for all listeners to enjoy in full. We invite you to share this episode widely! And we hope Mike's inspiring message of electrification and transition will inspire you to support the show and explore more stories like this in our members-only back catalog.

Guest:

Mike Casey is the owner and founder of a cherry orchard called Forest Lodge Orchard located in Central Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. He is also the CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a philanthropically funded think-and-do tank working to replace fossil-fueled machines with electric ones as part of the energy transition in New Zealand.

In addition to that, Mike is a mentor, investor, and a multi-sport athlete.

Prior to the cherry farm, Mike was a Founder Director of GradConnection, a website dedicated to finding tertiary students the right graduate and internship programs in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. He was also the Founder and Director of Fishburners, a charity tech startup co-working space in Sydney that is home to over 100 companies.

On Twitter: @mikecasey

On the Web:  Forest Lodge Orchard | Rewiring Aotearoa

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesimoncasey/

Geek rating: 6

(more…)

[Episode #255] – Dwellings in Alaska

Jul 30 2025

Mini Episode

In the summer of 2025, Chris traveled to Alaska to explore the state's unique energy transition story by interviewing some of its energy experts.

Like every place, Alaska has a unique set of challenges and opportunities in the energy transition, and can offer insights drawn from its experience to the rest of the world. Alaska's extreme conditions and remoteness make it a proving ground for a wide array of energy transition solutions, as it grapples with a melting permafrost, supply chain constraints, dependence on federal support, and declining fossil fuel production in an age of climate change and climate action.

The state's greatest energy need is for heat during its long, very cold winters that typically last eight to nine months. In this conversation, Aaron Cooke, an architect and project manager at NREL's Alaska Campus in Fairbanks, joins us to discuss the lab's research on building techniques designed to retain warmth while ensuring healthy indoor environments. Their work tests designs to construct buildings that are comfortable, healthy, durable, and affordable in harsh climates, all while contending with logistical challenges, cultural needs, and climate adaptation.

Guest:

Aaron Cooke is a licensed Architect and Project Manager at NREL’s campus in Fairbanks, Alaska.  NREL’s center in Alaska is called the center for Applied Research with Communities in Extreme Environments, or ARCEE. Aaron has work experience across the circumpolar north, with projects in Alaska, Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Russia, testing new methods of building durable and energy-efficient homes in the circumpolar regions. He has 17 years of architectural, construction, and research experience in Alaska and the greater Arctic. Cooke’s work primarily focuses on durable, affordable, healthy, and sustainable building design in extreme climates and remote locations. He works with architects, builders, technicians, local leaders, and Tribes to design, build, and monitor innovative buildings across the circumpolar north. He has taught northern architecture and engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and the Danish Technical University of Greenland. He believes that northern environmental conditions and northern culture are inseparable factors that must both be equally reflected in architecture and design in order for it to be successful. He was born and raised in Alaska.

Geek rating: 2

(more…)

[Episode #254] – Global Electricity Review 2025

Jul 16 2025

Mini Episode

This episode cuts through the noise around energy transition progress with hard data from one of the year's most important reports.

Despite claims from both "fossil gradualists" who would like to see the energy transition fail, and "net-zero puritans" who deny that the energy transition is happening at all because emissions are still rising, the transition is very much under way and gathering momentum. Countries are switching to renewables, electrifying transportation and decarbonizing heating faster than even the most seasoned energy analysts thought was possible, while the fossil fuel holdouts still white-knuckling their strategies are quickly dwindling in number.

Ember, a clean energy think tank, published a report in April titled Global Electricity Review 2025 that plainly lays out these facts. One of its lead authors, Nic Fulghum, joins us to discuss the report's findings in a conversation absolutely packed with the data you can use to win any debate with a transition denier.

Nic outlines how solar is growing faster than any energy source in human history, electrification of transport and heating are advancing quickly enough to materially slash fossil fuel demand, and power generation from fossil fuels is headed into structural decline. Global power-sector emissions may finally be close to peaking, thanks to the accelerating energy transition.

Guest:

Nicolas Fulghum is a Senior Energy and Climate Data Analyst at the global energy think Ember, and one of the lead authors of Ember’s flagship report – the Global Electricity Review.

On Bluesky: @nicolasfulghum.bsky.social

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-fulghum/

On Twitter: @nicolasfulghum

Geek rating: 8

(more…)

[Episode #253] – Bioenergy Illusions

Jul 2 2025

Mini Episode

Various biofuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and wood for power plants are labeled as renewable and carbon-neutral. But are they really?

If a farmer converts food-producing land to grow corn for ethanol, does that acre actually reduce carbon emissions? When trees are cut down to fire power plants, can we have confidence they'll be replanted quickly enough to deserve the "renewable" label?

Our guest in today's conversation has spent the past six years traveling around the world to research these questions, and he finds that the answer is nearly always 'no.'

Mike Grunwald, a veteran reporter and author who was our guest on this show in Episode #1, nearly ten years ago, has published a new book sharing the results of his extensive research into the many approaches that have been tried to produce bioenergy, reduce agricultural carbon emissions, increase crop yields, and modify consumer diets. Titled We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate, it includes a comprehensive study of the bioenergy solutions that have been attempted and their unintended consequences.

This is a 'must-listen' episode for policymakers, investors, and anyone interested in bioenergy's true role in climate solutions.

Guest:

Michael Grunwald is a best-selling author and a widely acclaimed journalist. His latest book is We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate.

Mike has covered policy and politics as a staff writer for The Washington Post, Time Magazine, and Politico Magazine. He’s won the George Polk Award for national reporting, the Worth Bingham Prize for investigative reporting, the Society of Environment Journalists award for in-depth reporting, and many other honors. He’s written scores of magazine cover stories, about everything from Time’s Man of the Year to the marketing of Barack Obama, and thousands of newspaper stories, including the Post’s lead news story about the September 11 attacks. His work now appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Canary Media, and other publications.

Mike’s previous books are The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise (2006) and The New New Deal: The Hidden History of Change in the Obama Era (2012).

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-grunwald-70858313/

On Twitter: @MikeGrunwald

On Bluesky: @mikegrunwald.bsky.social

On the Web:  Mike’s speaker profile at Simon & Schuster

Geek rating: 3

(more…)

[Episode #252] – Steelmaking in the Mid-Transition

Jun 18 2025

Mini Episode

On April 12, the British government took control of British Steel under an emergency authorization in order to prevent its last blast furnace from shutting down. Blast furnaces produce primary steel from iron ore and account for about 93% of global primary iron production, but they also generate large amounts of CO2. Alternative, low-carbon technologies are expected to replace them as the energy transition proceeds.

But retiring a technology—especially one as critical to national security as steelmaking—and replacing it with another is a process that should be conducted carefully and deliberately…not on an emergency basis.

This kind of "mid-transition" problem is one our guests have studied in depth. Emily Grubert is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame who previously joined us in Episode #185 to discuss the mid-transition. Joshua Lappen is a historian and engineer working as a postdoctoral research associate with Emily at Notre Dame.

In this conversation, we review the facts of the British Steel takeover, including why letting the blast furnace shut down was deemed to be an unacceptable risk. We examine the options for decarbonizing steelmaking that will eventually displace blast furnace technology. And we consider what impact Trump's global tariff war may have on the transitioning of steelmaking, and what some of the geopolitical implications of that may be for the steel industry in Britain, and the world.

Guest #1:

Emily Grubert is a civil engineer and environmental sociologist who studies how we can make better decisions about large infrastructure systems, particularly related to decarbonization of the US energy system. Specifically, she studies socioenvironmental impacts associated with future policy and infrastructure and how community and societal priorities can be better incorporated into multicriteria policy and project decisions. Grubert is an Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy and, concurrently, of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame.

On Twitter: @emilygrubert

On the Web: emilygrubert.org

Guest #2:

Josh Lappen is a historian and engineer who studies the growth, collapse, and political economy of infrastructure. In particular, his research focuses on how energy networks shape and are shaped by local environments and political institutions – entanglements that can suggest ways to better manage those systems for just and rapid decarbonization. Josh completed his PhD at the University of Oxford, and is currently a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Notre Dame.

On Bluesky: @jlappen1.bsky.social

On the Web:  https://pulte.nd.edu/people/faculty-staff/josh-lappen/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-lappen-9a3a76112/

Geek rating: 7

(more…)

[Episode #251] – South Australia on Point

Jun 4 2025

Mini Episode

This episode is the final part in our miniseries about Australia's energy transition.

In late 2024, Chris traveled to Australia and recorded interviews with a wide range of experts who are intimately involved in the energy transition there. We featured some of them in the earlier episodes of this miniseries, namely, Episodes #234, #235, #246, #247, and #249.

In this episode, we take a close look at South Australia, where rooftop solar alone already powers the entire state grid at times. By 2027, South Australia plans to operate with 100% variable renewable energy, making it the first gigawatt-scale grid in the world to achieve this milestone.

The challenge? SA Power Networks, the distribution grid operator, doesn't control generation, transmission, or metering, and doesn't buy or sell electricity. This means South Australia must figure out how to maintain a stable, reliable grid consisting largely of customer-owned energy resources.

In this conversation, James Brown, Head of Network Strategy at SA Power Networks, explains how his team of engineers and stakeholders are finding innovative solutions to meet this challenge. Their approaches will offer valuable lessons for grids worldwide as they, too, transition to electricity systems almost entirely powered by variable renewables.

Guest:

James Brown is Head of Network Strategy for SA Power Networks. James is responsible for facilitation and oversight of long-term strategy to ensure that the network, and the services it delivers, adapt to changing environmental factors.

James has over 10 years’ experience delivering world-leading strategy and innovation in the energy sector. His current role is leading the Network Strategy team at SA Power Networks’ Network Innovation Centre, responsible for pilots, trials and major programs of work that are shaping the distributed energy future.

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-brown-a856a7114/

Geek rating: 9

(more…)

[Episode #250] – Russia Revisited

May 21 2025

Mini Episode

Three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting Western sanctions, the country remains an oil and gas powerhouse. Despite falling from the world's second-largest to third-largest global oil producer and seeing its export rankings decline, Russia continues to delay the global energy transition as a major fossil fuel supplier and geopolitical force.

Western observers often struggle to understand Russia's future role in energy geopolitics and the intentions of President Vladimir Putin. To shed light on these questions, we welcome back Thane Gustafson, Professor of Government at Georgetown University and a leading authority on Russian political economy. He is the author of many books, notably Klimat: Russia in the Age of Climate Change, which we covered at length in Episodes #162 and #163.

In this nearly two-hour conversation, we explore his newest book, Perfect Storm—Russia's Failed Economic Opening, the Hurricane of War and Sanctions, and the Uncertain Future. Gustafson carefully explains how Russia's post-Soviet reopening to the West failed, how the Crimea occupation precipitated that failure, and where Western sanctions have succeeded or failed in containing Putin's ambitions. We examine Russia's oil and gas resources, infrastructure, business capacity, and the evolving relationships between Russian oligarchs and Western governments. The discussion reveals how Russia has evaded energy export sanctions, unpacks Putin's motivations, and assesses Russia's fading fortunes as global energy transition efforts accelerate.

Guest:

Thane Gustafson is a Professor of Government at Georgetown University. A widely recognized authority on Russian political economy and formerly a professor at Harvard University, he is the author of many books, notably Klimat: Russia in the Age of Climate Change; The Bridge: Natural Gas in a Redivided Europe and Wheel of Fortune: The Battle for Oil and Power in Russia, as well as Russia 2010 and What it Means for the World.

On the Web:

Thane’s personal website

Thane’s Georgetown Faculty Profile

Geek rating: 5

(more…)

[Episode #249] – Solar Innovation in Australia

May 7 2025

Mini Episode

This episode continues our miniseries on Australia’s energy transition.

In late 2024, Chris traveled to Australia and recorded interviews with a wide range of experts who are intimately involved in the energy transition there. Previous episodes in this miniseries are Episode #234, Episode #235, Episode #246, and Episode #247.

In this episode, we feature three researchers and entrepreneurs in Australia who are advancing solar technology research and development:

  • Martin Green, Professor at University of New South Wales, Sydney and Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics.
  • Craig Wood, CEO of Vast Energy, a concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) company.
  • Richard Payne, CEO of RayGen, a concentrated solar PV and solar thermal company.

In the next and final episode in this miniseries, we’ll take a close look at how one Australian state is solving the challenges of knitting together customer-owned systems into a reliable power grid.

Guest #1:

Craig Wood is the CEO of Vast. Craig has led Vast since 2016, proving the internationally awarded solar thermal technology at a Pilot Plant in regional NSW and leading the development of Vast Solar’s first utility-scale plant in Mount Isa, Queensland.

Craig is an experienced leader with a background in corporate management, structured finance and the energy and technology sectors. Prior to joining Vast in 2015, he worked in London, NewYork, Sydney and Perth and has held leadership roles in diverse industrial and manufacturing organisations including Browne’s Dairy, Archer Capital, and Lehman Brothers.

Craig holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Australia and a MSc of Finance from the London Business School. He was also a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford.

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-wood-59bb3a111/

On the Web:  https://www.vast.energy/

Guest #2:

Dr. Martin Green is Scientia Professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney and Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, involving several other Australian Universities and research groups. His group’s contributions to photovoltaics are well known and include holding the record for silicon solar cell efficiency for 30 of the last 39 years, described as one of the “Top Ten” Milestones in the history of solar photovoltaics. The PERC solar cell that he invented in 1983 and his team developed to its full potential accounted for 91.2% of worldwide silicon solar module production in 2021 (CPIA).

Major international awards include the 1999 Australia Prize, the 2002 Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize, the 2007 SolarWorld Einstein Award, the 2016 Ian Wark Medal from the Australian Academy of Science, the prestigious Global Energy Prize in 2018, the 2021 Japan Prize, the 2022 Millenium Technology Prize and, with three former students, the 2023 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

On the Web:  Martin’s page at UNSW

Guest #3:

Richard Payne is the CEO of RayGen, where he has been since 2015. Previously at RayGen, he served as Chief Operating Officer responsible for the development of RayGen’s core technology. Prior to that, he worked at Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited, where he held the roles of Engineering Manager, General Manager of Operations, and Chief Operating Officer. Richard is a qualified Chemical Engineer and spent time in the steel industry as a process engineer prior to his role in developing and commercializing fuel cell technology. He’s committed to tackling climate change and protecting of the environment, and is passionate about birdwatching and native gardening.

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-payne-0a83871/

On the Web: https://raygen.com/

Geek rating: 8

(more…)