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Ivor Frischknecht, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
Jenny Riesz, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
Julian Leslie, National Energy System Operator (NESO)
Mackay Miller, National Grid
Paul Denholm, NREL
Rick Wallace Kenyon, University of Colorado Boulder
[Episode #286] – A Moving Target (October 28, 2026)

Is there really an upper limit on how much wind and solar a grid can handle and still stay stable?

Geek rating: 5
Aditya Lolla, Ember
Kingsmill Bond, Ember
Lauri Myllyvirta, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)
Muyi Yang, Ember
Nicolas Fulghum, Ember
Sam Butler-Sloss, Ember
Tim Gould, International Energy Agency (IEA)
Zeke Hausfather, Stripe
[Episode #285] – Covering Demand Growth (October 14, 2026)

Global electricity demand is set to grow faster this year. How close are we to covering all that growth with renewables, so fossil power emissions stop rising?

Geek rating: 5
Christophe McGlade, International Energy Agency (IEA)
Doyne Farmer, University of Oxford
Gregory Nemet, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Jeff St. John, Canary Media
Kingsmill Bond, Ember
Matthew Ives, Oxford University
Nicolas Fulghum, Ember
Ryan Wiser, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Tim Gould, International Energy Agency (IEA)
[Episode #284] – Faster Than Forecast (September 29, 2026)
Why has the energy transition kept outrunning the forecasts? Our new documentary series asks what that means for the road ahead.
Geek rating: 4
Valerie Trouet, University of Arizona
[Episode #281] – Revisiting the Jet Stream (August 10, 2026)
When the jet stream slows and meanders, summer weather stalls. Tree rings show its excursions increasing sharply since the 1960s as the planet warms.
Geek rating: 3
Joel Nana, Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA)
Josh Dippenaar, Mulilo
Kenneth Creamer, University of the Witwatersrand
Lebogang Mulaisi, South Africa Presidential Climate Commission (PCC)
Mark Swilling, Stellenbosch University
Megan Davies, Stellenbosch University
Megan Euston-Brown, Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA)
Wikus Kruger, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business
[Episode #277] – Just Transition in South Africa (June 3, 2026)
South Africa’s economic development now depends heavily on leaving behind its coal-fired legacy electricity system and making a “just transition” to renewables.
Geek rating: 7
Josh Dippenaar, Mulilo
Keith Bowen, National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA)
Kenneth Creamer, University of the Witwatersrand
Lebogang Mulaisi, South Africa Presidential Climate Commission (PCC)
Mark Swilling, Stellenbosch University
Megan Euston-Brown, Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA)
Wikus Kruger, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business
[Episode #276] – Electricity Reform in South Africa (May 20, 2026)
South Africa is embarking on a major reform of its electricity system to transition from a state-owned monopoly to a free market, and from coal to renewables.
Geek rating: 7
Clémence Dubois, 350.org
[Episode #275] – The Cost of Delay (May 6, 2026)
A 350.org report adds up the cost of delaying the energy transition and the benefits of pursuing it, especially for oil and gas importing countries.
Geek rating: 5
Nicolas Fulghum, Ember
[Episode #274] – Global Electricity Review 2026 (April 22, 2026)
In 2025, renewables generated more electricity globally than fossil fuels for the first time in the modern era, causing power sector emissions to fall.
Geek rating: 8
Rory Johnston, Commodity Context
[Episode #272] – Global Energy Crisis 2026 (March 25, 2026)
The damage to Persian Gulf oil and gas infrastructure and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has thrown the world into a global energy crisis.
Geek rating: 8
Lauri Myllyvirta, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)
[Episode #271] – China Update 2026 (March 11, 2026)
Why have China’s total CO2 emissions been slowly falling for two years even as it’s building more coal-fired power plants than ever?
Geek rating: 7
Carter Lavin, Transbay Coalition
[Episode #268] – Activism 101 (January 28, 2026)
What do aspiring energy transition advocates need to know to become effective changemakers in their communities?
Geek rating: 1
Tim Gould, International Energy Agency (IEA)
[Episode #265] – IEA World Energy Outlook 2025 (December 17, 2025)
Chris returns to Paris to interview co-lead Tim Gould about the new World Energy Outlook 2025 report, and to explore the futures it contemplates.
Geek rating: 8
Michael Jakob, Climate Transition Economics
[Episode #261] – The Case Against Climate Doom (October 22, 2025)
We review some examples of social, political, and technological approaches to climate change mitigation that should give us reason to be optimistic.
Geek rating: 2
Chris Rose, Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP)
Phil Wight, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Saqib Javed,
[Episode #258] – Alaska’s Railbelt Utilities (September 10, 2025)
Alaska is deeply entwined with the fossil fuel industry, but its major utilities could transition almost entirely to renewables if there was the political will.
Geek rating: 8
Brian Hirsch, DeerStone Consulting
Katya Karankevich, Alaska Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)
Matt Bergan, Kotzebue Electric Association
[Episode #257] – Remote Microgrids in Alaska (August 27, 2025)
In remote, off-road communities of Alaska, microgrids supplied by renewables aren’t just economic; they’re what keep people alive.
Geek rating: 6
Aaron Cooke, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
[Episode #255] – Dwellings in Alaska (July 30, 2025)
What architectural and construction techniques are best for creating comfortable, healthy, and affordable buildings in Alaska? Part 1 of a miniseries on Alaska.
Geek rating: 2
Emily Grubert, University of Notre Dame
Josh Lappen, University of Notre Dame
[Episode #252] – Steelmaking in the Mid-Transition (June 18, 2025)
How can a country replace a critical technology like blast furnaces with a low-carbon alternative while preserving national security and jobs?
Geek rating: 7
James Brown, SA Power Networks
[Episode #251] – South Australia on Point (June 4, 2025)
How will South Australia maintain stability and reliability as it becomes the world’s first gigawatt-scale grid to operate with a 100% renewable energy supply?
Geek rating: 9
Thane Gustafson, Georgetown University
[Episode #250] – Russia Revisited (May 21, 2025)
Will Russia finally get on board with the energy transition, or will it just white-knuckle its energy exports all the way down to zero?
Geek rating: 5
Craig Wood, Vast
Martin Green, University of New South Wales, Sydney
Richard Payne, RayGen
[Episode #249] – Solar Innovation in Australia (May 7, 2025)
Dr. Martin Green, the “father of solar cells,” recounts the evolution of modern solar PV cells, and we interview the CEOs of two CSP companies in Australia.
Geek rating: 8
Heymi Bahar, International Energy Agency (IEA)
[Episode #248] – The Future of Geothermal (April 23, 2025)
What will it take to make next-generation geothermal energy economically competitive and commercially available all over the world?
Geek rating: 4
Darren Miller, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
Gabrielle Kuiper, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)
John Boland, University of South Australia
Stephanie Unwin, Horizon Power
[Episode #247] – Energy Innovations in Australia (April 9, 2025)
Numerous energy innovations in Australia help to integrate DERs, VPPs, microgrids, advanced solar and grid technologies, efficient buildings, and more.
Geek rating: 6
Alex Wonhas, AMPYR Australia
Chris Bowen, Australian Labor Party
Matt Kean, Australia Climate Change Authority
Tristan Edis, Green Energy Markets
[Episode #246] – Meeting Australia’s 2030 Target (March 26, 2025)
How is the Australian government is working with the grid power sector to plan and execute its transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewables?
Geek rating: 5
Richard Lowes, Regulatory Assistance Project
[Episode #243] – Decarbonizing Heating (February 12, 2025)
Heat pumps are a low-cost way to decarbonize space heating. Dr. Richard Lowes explains how to design policies to encourage the adoption of heat pumps.
Geek rating: 7
Tim Gould, International Energy Agency (IEA)
[Episode #242] – IEA Outlook 2025 (January 29, 2025)
What are the implications of the IEA’s view that world demand for all fossil fuels will peak and begin a slow decline within the next five years?
Geek rating: 7
Doyne Farmer, University of Oxford
[Episode #239] – Making Sense of Chaos (December 18, 2024)
Why have most economic models consistently underestimated the actual speed of the energy transition?
Geek rating: 7
Jan Rosenow, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
[Episode #238] – Transition in Europe 2024 (December 4, 2024)
Europe’s energy transition is still gathering momentum and moving ahead according to European energy expert Jan Rosenow.
Geek rating: 7
M.V. Ramana, University of British Columbia
[Episode #237] – Why Nuclear? (November 20, 2024)
Why do governments continue to push nuclear power when it is the most expensive, risky, and slow way to decarbonize the power grid?
Geek rating: 3
Jeff Rissman, Energy Innovation
[Episode #236] – Zero Carbon Industry (November 6, 2024)
What are the specific industrial sectors and processes that produce greenhouse gas emissions, and how can we decarbonize them?
Geek rating: 9
Tim Buckley, Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)
[Episode #235] – China, India and Australia 2024 Update (October 16, 2024)
Is China relying on coal to power its growth, or renewables? Are their emissions on track to increase, decrease, or go flat? We review the facts!
Geek rating: 7
Giles Parkinson, Renew Economy
[Episode #234] – Transition in Australia 2024 (October 2, 2024)
Chris travels to Australia and interviews Giles Parkinson, a longtime journalist and observer of the energy transition Down Under.
Geek rating: 6
John Farrell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)
[Episode #233] – Ending the Monopoly Utility (September 18, 2024)
Is it time to break up the utility monopolies in the US and turn ownership and control of the grid over to the public?
Geek rating: 5
Simon Sharpe, UNFCCC Climate Champions Team
[Episode #231] – Five Times Faster (August 21, 2024)
Why haven’t our climate policies been more effective at stopping carbon emissions, and what kinds of policies would work better?
Geek rating: 6
Raj Diwan, EV Pathway
[Episode #230] – EV Charging Blues (August 7, 2024)
How is the public EV charging sector evolving, and what is needed to make it more usable and affordable for EV drivers?
Geek rating: 7
Jessica Lu, Potential Energy
[Episode #228] – Public Persuasion (July 10, 2024)
What kinds of messages resonate with people and get them interested in taking action on climate and participating in the energy transition?
Geek rating: 1
Ari Peskoe, Harvard Law School
[Episode #227] – FERC Order 1920 (June 26, 2024)
What is the new FERC Order 1920, and how can it help pave the way for more transmission capacity to unlock the potential of wind and solar in the US?
Geek rating: 9
Mike O'Boyle, Energy Innovation
[Episode #226] – Load Growth Shenanigans (June 12, 2024)
Should we believe projections of surging electricity demand from data centers, crypto miners and AI? And are new gas plants the best way to meet new demand?
Geek rating: 6
Eric Gimon, Energy Innovation
[Episode #224] – US Hydrogen Tax Credits (May 15, 2024)
Will the final proposed rules for the US 45V hydrogen production tax credit stimulate a vibrant green hydrogen industry without increasing carbon emissions?
Geek rating: 2
Alessio Terzi, European Commission
[Episode #222] – Green Industrial Policy (April 17, 2024)
How can green industrial policy harness the tools of capitalism and growth to make the energy transition successful?
Geek rating: 5
Gernot Wagner, Columbia Business School
[Episode #221] – Fossilflation (April 3, 2024)
What causes inflation? And how is it connected to the energy transition?
Geek rating: 6
Akshat Rathi, Bloomberg
[Episode #220] – Climate Capitalism (March 20, 2024)
Author Akshat Rathi shares key insights from his new book, Climate Capitalism, about how the private sector provides scalable solutions to climate change.
Geek rating: 4
Jim Green, Friends of the Earth Australia
[Episode #219] – Nuclear Illusions (March 6, 2024)
Nuclear power’s long track record of failure, including that of small modular reactors (SMRs), shows why it will not contribute to the energy transition.
Geek rating: 3
Es Tresidder, Highland Passive
[Episode #217] – Passivhaus in Scotland (February 7, 2024)
Retrofitting buildings to the Passivhaus standard can make them far healthier and more comfortable, while consuming far less energy than conventional buildings.
Geek rating: 2
Christophe McGlade, International Energy Agency (IEA)
Tim Gould, International Energy Agency (IEA)
[Episode #215] – IEA’s New Oil & Gas Outlook (January 10, 2024)
How must the oil and gas industry prepare for the world to stop using their products entirely by 2050?
Geek rating: 8
Emma Pinchbeck, Energy UK
Melissa McKerrow, Ocean Winds
[Episode #213] – Offshore Wind in the UK (December 13, 2023)
Is offshore wind dead in the water, or just facing some temporary turbulence? Chris Nelder reports on the offshore wind sector from the UK.
Geek rating: 3
Becca Long, Eigg Heritage Trust
Bob Wallace, Eigg Electric
Lesley Riddoch, Eigg Heritage Trust
Lucy Conway, Eigg Heritage Trust
Maggie Fyffe, Eigg Heritage Trust
[Episode #212] – Transition in Eigg (November 29, 2023)
A small island in Scotland became the world’s first community to launch an off-grid electric system powered by wind, water and solar. Here’s how they did it.
Geek rating: 4
Marco Raugei, Oxford Brookes University
[Episode #211] – Doomers vs. Transitionistas (November 15, 2023)
Why do some people believe we should accelerate the energy transition, while others claim that it will never work and advocate for things like degrowth policies instead?
Geek rating: 9
Stephanie Cooke, Energy Intelligence
[Episode #209] – End of the Nuclear Age (October 18, 2023)
Contra the new pro-nuclear zeitgeist that has bamboozled climate hawks, nuclear power is not at the dawning of a new age, but at the end of its old age.
Geek rating: 5
Sandra Piesik, 3 ideas
[Episode #208] – Vernacular Architecture (October 4, 2023)
Can ancient architectural and building techniques be used today to help keep buildings comfortable without using energy?
Geek rating: 1
Jonathan Koomey, Stanford
[Episode #207] – 8th Anniversary Show (September 20, 2023)
Energy researcher Jonathan Koomey rejoins us to review the major stories we have covered over the past year and see how the energy transition has progressed.
Geek rating: 8
Russell Gold, Texas Monthly
[Episode #206] – Regulatory Capture in Texas (September 6, 2023)
Regulatory capture is rife in Texas, and it explains a lot about how the losers of the energy transition have rigged the state’s systems in their favor.
Geek rating: 2
Audrey Zibelman, Zibelman Energy Advisors
[Episode #204] – Regulatory Reform (August 9, 2023)
What do regulators and governments need to do differently to lead the energy transition?
Geek rating: 10
Hannah Ritchie, University of Oxford
[Episode #203] – The Case for Climate Optimism (July 26, 2023)
Why does so much media focus on unlikely, pessimistic climate scenarios when our progress should make us optimistic about combating global warming?
Geek rating: 5
Simon Evans, Carbon Brief
[Episode #202] – UK’s Green Day (July 12, 2023)
Simon Evans of Carbon Brief reviews the highlights of the UK’s latest policy proposals, including how the government plans to meet its emissions-reduction goals.
Geek rating: 6
Mohua Mukherjee, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
[Episode #201] – India Update Part 2 (June 28, 2023)
In this second part of the interview from Ep. 199, we see how India’s energy transition is changing its oil and gas, grid power, cooling, and mobility sectors.
Geek rating: 5
Jeff St. John, Canary Media
[Episode #200] – ETS Retrospective (June 14, 2023)
The Energy Transition Show marks its 200th regular episode with a look back at the progress of the energy transition and of the show since it launched in 2015.
Geek rating: 4
Mohua Mukherjee, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
[Episode #199] – India Update Part 1 (May 31, 2023)
In this first part of a 3.5-hour, two-part interview, we see how India is coming along with its energy transition, with focus on its coal, solar, and wind power.
Geek rating: 5
James "Jamie" Van Nostrand, University of Florida
[Episode #198] – The Coal Trap (May 17, 2023)
Why has West Virginia denied the reality of the energy transition and clung to coal for so long, especially when it’s against their own economic interests?
Geek rating: 3
Jigar Shah, US Department of Energy
[Episode #197] – Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) (May 3, 2023)
Virtual Power Plants are finally ready to scale up, making it possible for the grid to do more with less as we “electrify everything.”
Geek rating: 8
Marie Claire Brisbois, University of Sussex
[Episode #196] – Unglamorous Solutions (April 19, 2023)
What if the most fundamental, transformative, and enduring aspects of the energy transition aren’t about technology at all, but rather policy and investment?
Geek rating: 2
Derek Brower, Financial Times
[Episode #191] – Shale’s Swan Song (February 8, 2023)
It looks like days of growth are over for US shale oil production. What does that portend for the US, the world, and for the project of the energy transition?
Geek rating: 7
Seth Kleinman, Avolta Energy
[Episode #189] – Financing the Transition (January 4, 2023)
Why is it so much more expensive to finance clean energy projects than fossil fuel projects in emerging economies? And what can be done about it?
Geek rating: 6
Paul Denholm, NREL
[Episode #188] – Getting to a 100% Clean Grid (December 21, 2022)
What are some of the pathways to a 100% clean power grid, and how can we meet the last 10% of the need even through winter weeks of low solar and wind output?
Geek rating: 9
Darren Springer, Burlington Electric Department
Johanna Miller, Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC)
John Dillon, Vermont Public Radio
Josh Castonguay, Green Mountain Power
Kerrick Johnson, Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO)
Paul Hines, EnergyHub
Richard Cowart, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
Richard Watts, University of Vermont
[Episode #187] – Transition in Vermont, Part 2 (December 7, 2022)
This show tells the story of the demand side of the energy transition in Vermont, based on interviews with local experts in October 2021.
Geek rating: 4
Darren Springer, Burlington Electric Department
Johanna Miller, Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC)
John Dillon, Vermont Public Radio
Josh Castonguay, Green Mountain Power
Kerrick Johnson, Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO)
Paul Hines, EnergyHub
Richard Cowart, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
Richard Watts, University of Vermont
[Episode #186] – Transition in Vermont, Part 1 (November 23, 2022)
This show tells the story of the supply side of energy in Vermont, based on interviews with local experts in October 2021.
Geek rating: 4
Emily Grubert, University of Notre Dame
[Episode #185] – Designing the Mid-transition (November 9, 2022)
Can we coordinate replacing fossil-fueled assets with clean, zero-carbon assets so that both systems remain functional and affordable during the transition?
Geek rating: 8
David Murphy, St. Lawrence University
[Episode #184] – EROI of RE (October 26, 2022)
Is the Energy Returned on Investment (EROI) of renewable energy high enough to power our modern world?
Geek rating: 9
Will Kennedy, Bloomberg
[Episode #183] – Global Energy Crisis (October 12, 2022)
How is the world managing the ongoing global energy crisis, and why is the energy transition the only real path out of it?
Geek rating: 8
Jonathan Koomey, Stanford
[Episode #182] – 7th Anniversary Show (September 28, 2022)
Energy researcher Jonathan Koomey rejoins us to review the major stories we have covered over the past year and see how the energy transition has progressed.
Geek rating: 8
Kevin Book, ClearView Energy Partners, LLC
[Episode #181] – Command Capitalism (September 14, 2022)
Can free-market capitalism survive the energy transition? Or are we entering a new era of “command capitalism?”
Geek rating: 9
Sara Hastings-Simon, University of Calgary
[Episode #180] – Transition in Alberta (August 31, 2022)
What are the challenges and opportunities for energy transition in Alberta, and can it make a successful pivot away from its traditional fossil fuel industry?
Geek rating: 5
Patrick Gilman, US Department of Energy
[Episode #179] – Offshore Wind in the US (August 17, 2022)
How much clean energy could offshore wind provide in the US, and what do we need to do to develop the offshore wind sector?
Geek rating: 5
Gregory Nemet, University of Wisconsin–Madison
[Episode #178] – How the Transition Will Unfold (August 3, 2022)
Can we confidently undertake the energy transition without knowing exactly all the answers or where the journey will take us?
Geek rating: 3
David Pomerantz, Energy and Policy Institute
[Episode #177] – Utility Corruption (July 20, 2022)
Many utilities are actively working against the energy transition and abusing their monopoly power, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Geek rating: 2
Ida Sognnaes, CICERO Center for International Climate Research
[Episode #176] – Climate Scenarios vs. Reality (July 6, 2022)
How well do integrated assessment models reflect the trajectory of the energy transition, and how can we make their scenarios more useful to policymakers?
Geek rating: 8
Julian Leslie, National Energy System Operator (NESO)
[Episode #174] – Decarbonizing Britain’s Grid (June 8, 2022)
How National Grid ESO, Great Britain’s transmission network operator, is enhancing its grid to ensure stability while integrating more variable renewable power.
Geek rating: 9
Glen Peters, CICERO
[Episode #173] – IPCC AR6 Part 2 (May 25, 2022)
What does the IPCC Working Group III report say about the energy transition pathways and probabilities to limiting warming to 1.5 and 2°C? Part 2 of 2.
Geek rating: 8
Benjamin Sovacool, University of Sussex
[Episode #172] – IPCC AR6 Part 1 (May 11, 2022)
What does the IPCC Working Group III report say about the energy transition pathways and probabilities to limiting warming to 1.5 and 2°C? Part 1 of 2.
Geek rating: 5
Rachael Grace, Rewiring America
Simon Evans, Carbon Brief
Tim Gould, International Energy Agency (IEA)
[Episode #171] – Rejecting Russia (April 27, 2022)
How can the West stop funding the war on Ukraine by reducing their imports of Russia’s fossil fuels and minerals, and accelerating the energy transition?
Geek rating: 7
Daniel Møller Sneum, Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
[Episode #170] – Thermal Storage and District Energy (April 13, 2022)
Could thermal storage meet much of the demand for energy in a high-renewables future, and radically reduce the expected need for battery storage?
Geek rating: 6
Nate Blair, NREL
[Episode #168] – Storage Futures (March 16, 2022)
How much and what kinds of storage will be needed as variable renewables become more dominant on the power grid, and when and where will it be needed?
Geek rating: 9
Christa Clapp, CICERO Shades of Green
[Episode #167] – Rating Green Bonds (March 2, 2022)
How are green bonds evaluated and rated to ensure that they’re really green and will have an impact on climate change?
Geek rating: 5
Christophe McGlade, International Energy Agency (IEA)
[Episode #166] – IEA’s Climate Scenarios (February 15, 2022)
How can the world align with the IEA’s scenarios for limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, and how should the oil & gas industry proceed in the energy transition?
Geek rating: 7
Liam Denning, Bloomberg
[Episode #165] – Oil & Gas in Transition (February 2, 2022)
What is the outlook for oil and gas, and how will the world manage the supply/demand balance as the energy transition proceeds?
Geek rating: 8
Thane Gustafson, Georgetown University
[Episode #163] – Transition in Russia Part 2 (January 5, 2022)
In this second part of a two-part interview, we look at Russia’s gas, coal, nuclear, and renewables, and ask how it will fare as the energy transition proceeds.
Geek rating: 6
Liza Reed, Niskanen Center
[Episode #161] – Expanding Transmission (December 8, 2021)
What needs to happen to get new transmission projects moving in the US, and how can the provisions of the new infrastructure law help?
Geek rating: 8
Justin Guay, The Sunrise Project
[Episode #160] – Coal Plant Buyouts (November 24, 2021)
How can the world shut down the coal industry faster and more equitably, while delivering the best outcomes for the public?
Geek rating: 3
Matthew Ives, Oxford University
[Episode #159] – The Cost of Decarbonization (November 10, 2021)
A new approach to energy forecasting finds that the energy transition is feasible, affordable, and most importantly, inevitable.
Geek rating: 5
Will Kennedy, Bloomberg
[Episode #158] – Global Energy Crunch (October 27, 2021)
A global energy crunch is driving up the costs of all energy sources. But will it lead to renewed energy transition efforts, or reneging on climate commitments?
Geek rating: 5
Jonathan Koomey, Stanford
[Episode #156] – 6-Year Anniversary Show (September 29, 2021)
Energy researcher Jonathan Koomey rejoins us to review some of the major themes in energy transition over the past year.
Geek rating: 8
Andrea Copping, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
[Episode #155] – Marine Energy (September 15, 2021)
What is the state of marine energy technologies, and how can we capture marine energy sustainably and safely while minimizing environmental damage?
Geek rating: 5
Stephen Stapczynski, Bloomberg
[Episode #154] – Japan’s Nuclear Dilemma (September 1, 2021)
It’s been a decade since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, but the future of Japan’s energy sector remains murky. We try to clarify it in this episode.
Geek rating: 2
Rick Wallace Kenyon, University of Colorado Boulder
[Episode #153] – Grid-forming Inverters (August 18, 2021)
How can inverter-based resources integrate with synchronous generators as renewables become dominant on power grids? And is system inertia even necessary?
Geek rating: 11
Kingsmill Bond, Ember
[Episode #152] – No Limits (August 4, 2021)
Will the energy transition be limited by the availability of land, or key minerals, or the cost of renewables? And how will it affect economic growth?
Geek rating: 6
Dmitrii Bogdanov, Lappeenranta University of Technology
Glen Peters, CICERO
Jeffrey Sachs, Columbia University
Kingsmill Bond, Ember
Mark Lewis, Carbon Tracker
[Episode #151] – Best of ETS Vol. 1 (July 7, 2021)
This is Volume 1 of the Best of the Energy Transition Show, compiled from our five most popular shows of the past two years.
Geek rating: 5
Lorenzo Kristov, California Independent System Operator (CAISO)
[Episode #150] – Resilient and Reliable Power (June 23, 2021)
What does “resilient” and “reliable” grid power mean from the perspective of grid planning, and what should bulk power system operators do to ensure it?
Geek rating: 9
Mark Lewis, Carbon Tracker
[Episode #149] – Green Hydrogen and Carbon Prices (June 9, 2021)
What carbon price is needed for Europe’s Emissions Trading System to make green hydrogen a viable part of meeting its goals under the Paris agreement?
Geek rating: 5
Tim Gould, International Energy Agency (IEA)
[Episode #148] – Energy and Emissions after COVID (May 26, 2021)
What trajectory of global energy consumption and carbon emissions can we expect as the world starts to recover from the COVID pandemic? How much will energy consumption and emissions rebound, and what climate path are we now on?
Geek rating: 4
Christopher Clack, Vibrant Clean Energy, LLC
[Episode #146] – Why Local Solar Costs Less (April 28, 2021)
Since utility-scale solar costs less than rooftop solar, shouldn’t we invest more in utility-scale? Our guest in this episode says no.
Geek rating: 9
Ari Peskoe, Harvard Law School
Emily Grubert, University of Notre Dame
Russell Gold, Texas Monthly
[Episode #145] – A Slow Take on the Texas Blackout (April 14, 2021)
What really happened during the Texas blackout of February 2021, who was really at fault, and what does Texas need to do to keep it from happening again?
Geek rating: 8
Simon Evans, Carbon Brief
[Episode #143] – Hydrogen Economy 2.0 Part 2 (March 17, 2021)
In this first part of a two-part interview, we look at the global expectations for and production of hydrogen, and its potential role in energy transition.
Geek rating: 3
Simon Evans, Carbon Brief
[Episode #142] – Hydrogen Economy 2.0 Part 1 (March 3, 2021)
In this first part of a two-part interview, we look at the global expectations for and production of hydrogen, and its potential role in energy transition.
Geek rating: 3
Danny Cullenward, CarbonPlan
[Episode #141] – Making Climate Policy Work (February 17, 2021)
How should we design climate policies so they really reduce emissions, and why have carbon market strategies mostly failed?
Geek rating: 5
Emily Grubert, University of Notre Dame
Mason Inman, Global Energy Monitor
[Episode #140] – Methane Leakage (February 3, 2021)
The first study to make granular estimates for methane leakage in a large number of US cities exceeds the previous estimate by 72%.
Geek rating: 7
Robert Walton, Utility Dive
[Episode #139] – Vehicle-Grid Integration (January 20, 2021)
What is vehicle-grid integration, how are electric vehicles charged, and what are some of the best practices for managing EV loads on utility grids?
Geek rating: 7
Lauri Myllyvirta, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)
[Episode #138] – Transition in China (January 6, 2021)
Is China the greatest threat to the global climate, or our greatest hope for energy transition?
Geek rating: 6
Carey King, University of Texas - Austin
[Episode #136] – The Economic Superorganism (December 9, 2020)
To what extent will economics and fundamental limits of energy resources guide and control the progress of energy transition?
Geek rating: 7
Bob Litterman, Kepos Capital
[Episode #135] – Internalizing Climate Risk (November 25, 2020)
What risks does climate change pose to the financial sector and to various markets, and how should we recognize and internalize those risks?
Geek rating: 6
Jason Burwen, Energy Storage Association
[Episode #134] – Storage Grows Up (November 11, 2020)
Battery storage has grown ten-fold in the US over the past five years, but the storage sector is still just getting started.
Geek rating: 9
Mark Campanale, Carbon Tracker
[Episode #133] – Stranded Assets (October 28, 2020)
Investors need to reduce their exposure to fossil fuel assets as the world starts taking action on climate change.
Geek rating: 7
Jenny Chase, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
[Episode #132] – The Future of Solar (October 14, 2020)
How did the solar industry get to where it is today, and what does the future hold for it?
Geek rating: 5
Jamil Farbes, Evolved Energy Research
[Episode #131] – Decarbonizing the US by 2050 (September 30, 2020)
According to modeling by the UN, decarbonizing the economy of the United States, and getting to net-zero emissions by 2050, is not only possible but affordable.
Geek rating: 9
Jonathan Koomey, Stanford
[Episode #130] – 5-Year Anniversary Show (September 16, 2020)
Jonathan Koomey returns to the show for another freewheeling discussion about some of the interesting developments in energy transition over the past year.
Geek rating: 7
Jules Kortenhorst, Rocky Mountain Institute
[Episode #127] – Hard-to-Decarbonize Sectors (August 5, 2020)
What are the solutions to reducing carbon emissions from the “hard-to-decarbonize” sectors that make industrial civilization possible?
Geek rating: 2
Auke Hoekstra, Eindhoven University of Technology
[Episode #125] – Beyond Planet of the Humans (July 8, 2020)
Why did the new film, Planet of the Humans, get so much about the energy transition wrong, and what are its filmmakers really trying to say?
Geek rating: 3
Nat Bullard, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
[Episode #124] – Energy Transition Progress Report (June 24, 2020)
Will progress on the energy transition continue as the world gets back to work, or will it falter thanks to economies under pressure and vast unemployment?
Geek rating: 6
Dustin Mulvaney, San Jose State University
[Episode #123] – Sustainable Energy Transitions (June 10, 2020)
What does “sustainability” really mean in the context of energy transition? We review a new textbook that explores these complex questions.
Geek rating: 5
Will Gorman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
[Episode #122] – Hybrid Power Plants (May 27, 2020)
Why are utility-scale wind and solar farms increasingly being paired with integrated battery storage systems, and is that really the best way to deploy storage?
Geek rating: 8
Liam Denning, Bloomberg
[Episode #120] – Carnage in the Oil Patch (April 29, 2020)
How much damage has the oil industry suffered from the coronavirus shutdown, how will it recover, and what are the implications for energy transition?
Geek rating: 7
Paulina Jaramillo, Carnegie Mellon University
[Episode #119] – Energy Basics Parts 1–3 (April 15, 2020)
These first three episodes in our mini-series on the energy basics explain some of the essential concepts and terms in energy, including what energy is, why we convert it, and how we use it.
Geek rating: 1
Shayle Kann, Energy Impact Partners
Stephen Lacey, Post Script Audio
[Episode #118] – Open and Answered Questions (April 1, 2020)
The Energy Transition Show joins up with The Interchange for our first ever crossover episode!
Geek rating: 7
Kate Mackenzie, Bloomberg Green
[Episode #115] – Wildfire and Transition in Australia (February 19, 2020)
How is Australia dealing with the reality of climate change in this season of hugely destructive wildfires, and what is the outlook for its energy transition?
Geek rating: 1
Andy Bochman, Idaho National Laboratory
[Episode #114] – Cyber and Climate Risks (February 5, 2020)
What does cybersecurity on the grid mean, and what does it have to do with energy transition and climate change?
Geek rating: 9
Joe Daniel, Union of Concerned Scientists
[Episode #113] – Coal Plant Self-Scheduling (January 22, 2020)
Fully-regulated utilities can choose to operate their plants at a loss when regulators give them a way to pass those losses onto their customers.
Geek rating: 8
Christopher Clack, Vibrant Clean Energy, LLC
[Episode #111] – No Coal in our Christmas Stockings (December 25, 2019)
Transitioning to renewables, and moving heating and transportation to the power grid, will save everyone money while reducing emissions.
Geek rating: 6
Mark Lewis, Carbon Tracker
[Episode #110] – Death Toll for Petrol (December 11, 2019)
The transition to electric vehicles powered by renewables is all but guaranteed by the massive energetic advantage they have over conventional oil-burning vehicles.
Geek rating: 9
Sally Benson, Stanford University
[Episode #107] – Macro-Energy Systems (October 30, 2019)
Energy transition is complex, and understanding it requires expertise in multiple disciplines, so a group of Stanford researchers proposes to study it that way.
Geek rating: 5
Jesse Burton, University of Cape Town
[Episode #106] – Transition in South Africa (October 16, 2019)
South Africa could be one of the world’s greatest success stories in energy transition if it can shed its apartheid-era legacy of coal dependency.
Geek rating: 5
Jonathan Koomey, Stanford
[Episode #104] – 4-Year Anniversary Show (September 18, 2019)
Jonathan Koomey returns to the show for another freewheeling discussion about some of the interesting developments over the past year in energy transition.
Geek rating: 6
Colin Campbell, Petroleum Analysis Centre
[Episode #103] – A Return to Regionalism (September 4, 2019)
Unless energy transition is wildly successful, the world will have no choice but to depend on local resources when oil production begins its inevitable decline.
Geek rating: 4
Adam Warren, Colorado School of Mines
Constantine "Costa" Samaras, Carnegie Mellon University
David Murphy, St. Lawrence University
Dustin Mulvaney, San Jose State University
Sridhar Seetharaman, Colorado School of Mines
[Episode #100] – Teaching Energy Transition (July 24, 2019)
For our 100th episode, we thought we’d do a little something special: Interview professors from four US universities who are using the Energy Transition Show as coursework, and make the full show available to everyone, including non-subscribers. We ask these teachers about the specific topics they’re teaching, how they’re using the show in their classes, […]
Geek rating: 1
Morgan Bazilian, Colorado School of Mines
[Episode #99] – Metals Supply in Energy Transition (July 10, 2019)
Is the supply of certain key metals—like lithium, copper, nickel, and cobalt—and “rare earth” metals—like vanadium and indium—potentially a limiter on the progress of energy transition? Or is there enough of them to realize our ambitions? Are they being produced in a sustainable way? How will the geographic concentration of these metals affect geopolitics and […]
Geek rating: 1
Russell Gold, Texas Monthly
[Episode #98] – Why Building Transmission is So Hard (June 26, 2019)
Building high voltage transmission lines has never been easy, but now it’s arguably both harder than ever, and more necessary than ever, as we seek to unlock the vast potential of wind and solar in the US and ship it to major population centers. But it’s not a business for the faint of heart, as […]
Geek rating: 3
Miles Farmer, NRDC
[Episode #97] – How State Policies Can Drive Decarbonization (June 12, 2019)
As we continue looking for ways to decarbonize our energy systems, we often have to decide whether it’s better to try reworking our market rules so that the markets will do a better job of procuring clean energy, as we discussed in Episode #90, or whether it makes sense to just mandate the procurement of […]
Geek rating: 9
Debbie Hopkins, University of Oxford
[Episode #96] – Sustainable Mobility (May 29, 2019)
Energy transition is happening quickly and disruptively in the transportation sector. But it is generally an open question whether the transition currently at hand is producing socially beneficial results. As we grapple with a sudden influx of new modes of mobility and business models, and contemplate the dawning of an entirely new mobility paradigm, are […]
Geek rating: 2
Dmitrii Bogdanov, Lappeenranta University of Technology
[Episode #95] – Powering the world with RE (May 15, 2019)
Can we run the world on renewables alone? Various researchers have tried to model how a given country might run a grid using mostly renewables, oftentimes finding that carbon-negative technologies, advanced nuclear power, and even coal power plants equipped with CCS will be a part of the solution set. But no one has produced a […]
Geek rating: 6
Lorenzo Kristov, California Independent System Operator (CAISO)
[Episode #94] – Integrated Decentralized Power Systems (May 1, 2019)
As more distributed energy resources arrive unbidden onto the power grid, they are increasingly requiring us not to just think about new utility business models, but to radically rethink what a utility might look like. What if millions of distributed resources become the dominant resources, and the grid assumes a subordinate role as a residual […]
Geek rating: 9
Tim Buckley, Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)
[Episode #93] – Energy Transition in India and Southeast Asia, Part 2 (April 17, 2019)
This is Part 2 of our two-and-a-half hour interview with Tim Buckley, of the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, based in Australia. We featured Part 1 in Episode 91, in which we primarily discussed the future of coal fired power in India. In this second part, we expand on the India story and […]
Geek rating: 4
Chris Hansen, Colorado House of Representatives
[Episode #92] – Financing Coal Plant Retirements (April 3, 2019)
The coal power sector in the US is continuing to shrink due to poor economics, but this doesn’t mean we’re retiring coal fired power plants quickly enough to reduce carbon emissions at a rate that achieves our climate goals. So what’s the best way to get rid of coal plants before they reach the end […]
Geek rating: 7
Tim Buckley, Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)
[Episode #91] – Energy Transition in India and Southeast Asia, Part 1 (March 20, 2019)
It has long been assumed that India, China, and other developing countries of Southeast Asia would power their vigorous economic growth for decades to come with coal. We heard over and over that China is building a new coal-fired power plant every three days, and about plans for multi-gigawatt sized coal-fired power plants in India. […]
Geek rating: 4
Pete Fuller, Autumn Lane Energy Consulting
[Episode #90] – How Will Decarbonized Power Markets Work? (March 6, 2019)
This one is for the grid geeks! With the Green New Deal now a hot topic in the US Congress, while wholesale power markets still struggle to figure out how to accommodate new kinds of resources even as coal plants and nuclear plants continue to retire, the question of how wholesale power markets should work, […]
Geek rating: 9
Richenda Van Leuuwen, Global LPG Partnership
[Episode #89] – Energy Access and Health (February 20, 2019)
What kinds of energy solutions can really improve the health of people in developing countries, and how can energy transition support them?
Geek rating: 2
Alex Gilbert, SparkLibrary
[Episode #88] – Energy Trade in Transition (February 6, 2019)
The global energy trade is enormously complex, and its geopolitical implications are vast, but they are only made more complex by energy transition. If the US exports gas to Europe and Asia, might you expect it to largely displace coal in their power plants? Think again! What will be the geopolitical ramifications on our relationship […]
Geek rating: 8
Arne Olson, E3
[Episode #87] – The Value of Flexible Solar (January 23, 2019)
If utility-scale solar plants could be made to run more flexibly, they could avoid curtailment and play an even larger role in grid power supply.
Geek rating: 10
Inês Azevedo, Carnegie Mellon University
[Episode #86] – Is Transition Worth It? (January 9, 2019)
Are investments in energy transition worth it, or do things like the rebound effect and dirty power grids nullify their value?
Geek rating: 8
Michael Liebreich, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
[Episode #85] – Foreign Aid for Microgrids (December 26, 2018)
The best way to build a renewably-powered microgrid using foreign aid in Africa may be exactly the opposite of what you’d expect.
Geek rating: 4
Robbie Orvis, Energy Innovation
[Episode #84] – Designing Climate Solutions (December 12, 2018)
We talk with an author of Designing Climate Solutions about the best policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and how to design them.
Geek rating: 5
Patrick Graichen, Agora Energiewende
[Episode #83] – Revisiting Germany’s Energiewende (November 28, 2018)
How is Germany’s Energiewende (energy transition) coming along, why did they decide to phase out nuclear at a time like this, and when will they get off coal?
Geek rating: 2
Scott Tew, Center for Energy Efficiency & Sustainability at Ingersoll Rand (CEES)
[Episode #82] – The Business Case for Renewable Energy (November 14, 2018)
Can a large corporation, especially one involved in heavy industry like mining, use more renewable energy and become more sustainable? Ingersoll Rand thinks so.
Geek rating: 1
David Murphy, St. Lawrence University
[Episode #81] – Principles of Energy Transition (October 31, 2018)
Dr. David Murphy of St. Lawrence University interviews Chris about principles of energy transition, live from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Geek rating: 2
Samuel Golding, Community Choice Partners
[Episode #79] – Community Choice Aggregations (CCAs) (October 3, 2018)
Community choice aggregations (CCAs) are rapidly taking over power procurement in California and elsewhere, with both advantages and concerns to consider.
Geek rating: 9
Mark Lewis, Carbon Tracker
[Episode #76] – Carbon Clampdown (August 22, 2018)
Europe is about to fix its cap and trade system for carbon emissions. But will carbon prices rise high enough to meet the Paris targets?
Geek rating: 8
Constantine "Costa" Samaras, Carnegie Mellon University
[Episode #75] – Transportation Transition (August 8, 2018)
Is the transition of transportation to electric vehicles good for society, or just a new set of problems? We explore some common questions in this episode.
Geek rating: 7
Gary Wolfram, Hillsdale College
[Episode #73] – Regulatory Capture (July 11, 2018)
How can we ensure that utility regulators aren’t unduly influenced by the companies they’re supposed to regulate as we proceed with the energy transition?
Geek rating: 6
Adam Browning, Vote Solar
[Episode #72] – The Future of Solar (June 27, 2018)
What’s next for solar, as it becomes the cheapest form of new power generation? Do we still need solar advocates and incentives, or can it now stand on its own?
Geek rating: 5
Ivor Frischknecht, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
[Episode #71] – Australia at the Cutting Edge (June 13, 2018)
Australia is at the cutting edge of energy transition, with the world’s largest grid battery and rapidly replacing coal with renewables. How are they doing it?
Geek rating: 6
Michael Panfil, Environmental Defense Fund
[Episode #70] – Who Should Control Wholesale Markets? (May 30, 2018)
Contests over the control of wholesale markets are a core feature of energy transition and raise complex legal questions, which we explore in this episode.
Geek rating: 10
Laura Wisland, Union of Concerned Scientists
[Episode #69] – Western Grid Regionalization (May 16, 2018)
If 13 US states and parts of Canada and Mexico were to join the California ISO system, how would it affect power markets across the West?
Geek rating: 8
Gernot Wagner, Columbia Business School
[Episode #68] – Environmental Economics (May 2, 2018)
How can we count the uncountable in energy transition, and turn it into relevant data that can inform climate policy?
Geek rating: 7
Eric Gimon, Energy Innovation
[Episode #64] – Ask Eric (March 7, 2018)
Energy expert Eric Gimon answers questions submitted by Energy Transition Show subscribers.
Geek rating: 5
Mackay Miller, National Grid
[Episode #63] – Pathways to Deep Decarbonization (February 21, 2018)
As we transfer loads from transportation and space heating over to renewably-powered electricity, will we discover a limit to the “electrify everything” mantra?
Geek rating: 3
Dalia Patino-Echeverri, Duke University
[Duke Energy Week extra #2] – Integration and Market Challenges in Grid Evolution (February 1, 2018)
How does utility resource procurement need to adapt to a changing world? Can wholesale markets survive the transition to more distributed resources? Is there a risk of becoming too dependent on natural gas to provide grid balancing services? And how does storage may need to be valued in order to fulfill its greatest potential on the grid?
Geek rating: 8
Sara Bell, Tempus Energy
[Episode #60] – Demand Flexibility (January 10, 2018)
How can artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things turn demand flexibility into a core grid asset and displace fossil fuels?
Geek rating: 8
Garvin Heath, NREL
[Episode #59] – Lifecycle Assessment (December 27, 2017)
What is lifecycle assessment, and how can it help us choose between various energy options during the transition? NREL’s Garvin Heath explains.
Geek rating: 6
Paul Denholm, NREL
[Episode #58] – Solar with Storage (December 13, 2017)
NREL’s Paul Denholm explains how solar + storage systems participate in wholesale electricity markets, and when they can compete with natural gas peaker plants.
Geek rating: 7
Molly Webb, The Climate Group
[Episode #56] – Blockchain in Energy Transition (November 15, 2017)
Could the blockchain be a powerful new enabler of energy transition, or is it just another overhyped solution in search of a problem?
Geek rating: 4
Martin Wästljung, ABB
[Episode #55] – Voltage Stability (November 1, 2017)
How can we maintain stable voltage and frequency on the power grid as we replace conventional synchronous generators with wind and solar?
Geek rating: 11
William Rees, University of British Columbia
[Episode #54] – Resource Limitations (October 18, 2017)
When humanity’s demands exceed Earth’s ability to satisfy them, is energy transition even possible? Father of ecological footprint analysis Bill Rees explains.
Geek rating: 2
Robert Bean, Indoor Climate Consultants Inc.
[Episode #53] – Electrifying Heating (October 4, 2017)
In space heating, “deep decarbonization” is about a lot more than just swapping old furnaces. It requires a complete understanding of human health and comfort.
Geek rating: 5
Alexandra Klass, University of Minnesota
[Episode #50] – Siting Long Distance Transmission Lines (August 23, 2017)
To realize our renewable energy potential in the U.S., we’ll need more long-distance transmission lines. But there are a lot of obstacles, which we’ll discuss
Geek rating: 6
Claude Turmes, European Green Party
[Episode #47] – Transition in Europe (July 12, 2017)
Claude Turmes, a 15-year Member of the European Parliament, relates the history of Europe’s energy transition policies and his hopes for the future.
Geek rating: 2
Christopher Clack, Vibrant Clean Energy, LLC
[Episode #46] – Is 100% Renewables Realistic? (June 19, 2017)
Can we run the world on 100% renewables? Is that even the right goal? A new critique of Prof. Mark Jacobson’s work on 100% renewables offers some insights.
Geek rating: 9
Benjamin Sovacool, University of Sussex
[Episode #44] – Different Strokes (May 31, 2017)
Each state and country has its own unique set of resources and energy transition challenges, so there are different speeds and techniques for each one.
Geek rating: 7
Rembrandt Koppelaar, Institute for Integrated Economic Research (IIER)
[Episode #42] – Can Renewables Power the World? (May 3, 2017)
Is the net energy of renewables high enough to actually power human civilization? Or will low EROIs doom energy transition?
Geek rating: 8
Gavin Bade, Utility Dive
[Episode #41] – Generator Survival Strategies (April 19, 2017)
Utility Dive editor Gavin Bade explains how independent power producers are using around-market reforms and re-regulation to survive energy transition.
Geek rating: 5
Jenny Riesz, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
[Episode #39] – Transition in Australia (March 22, 2017)
How will Australia manage its energy transition, with both the most residential rooftop solar PV per capita, and the second-dirtiest power grid in the world?
Geek rating: 9
Jay Apt, Carnegie Mellon University
[Episode #38] – Getting from Here to There (March 8, 2017)
What are the hard problems and interesting questions on the road to energy transition, and what are their solutions? An astronaut and professor has answers.
Geek rating: 8
Erin Craig, 3Degrees
[Episode #37] – Corporate Buyers of Renewables (February 22, 2017)
Corporations have emerged as some of the top buyers of renewable electricity, even buying it from wind and solar farms in other states. But why are they doing that when they could just buy grid power? And how do “virtual PPAs” work, anyway? Erin Craig has the answers.
Geek rating: 6
Sean Kidney, Climate Bonds Initiative
[Episode #35] – Green Bonds (January 25, 2017)
What are green bonds, and how can they help mobilize private capital to fund energy transition and climate change mitigation measures? What kinds of things can green bonds be used to fund? What are the various roles for private, corporate, and sovereign issuers? Why does the green bond market need to grow by roughly 10x […]
Geek rating: 5
Eleanor Stein, EcoViva
[eLab Extra #4] – Transition in New York and the World (January 18, 2017)
This is a special, free "extra" episode recorded at RMI’s eLab Annual Summit in December 2016 in Austin, Texas. What are some of the ways that New York is building its resilience capacity while executing its Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) energy transition plan, particularly as a response to the damage it suffered in Superstorm […]
Geek rating: 1
Karl Popham, Austin Energy
[eLab Extra #5] – EVs and More in Austin, TX (January 18, 2017)
This is a special, free "extra" episode recorded at RMI’s eLab Annual Summit in December 2016 in Austin, Texas. Through a variety of programs, Austin Energy, the eighth largest publicly-owned electric utility in the U.S., has led the way to an EV future in Texas, installing the first EV charging infrastructure in the region, offering […]
Geek rating: 3
Jonathan Levy, Vision Ridge Partners
[eLab Extra #6] – Building EV Charging Infrastructure (January 18, 2017)
This is a special, free "extra" episode recorded at RMI’s eLab Annual Summit in December 2016 in Austin, Texas. Should utilities be allowed to own EV charging infrastructure, or should that be reserved for private charging companies? How many Level 3 high-voltage chargers do we need at workplaces and shopping areas? And how do we […]
Geek rating: 2
Elizabeth Doris, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
[eLab Extra #7] – How NREL Supports Energy Transition (January 18, 2017)
This is a special, free "extra" episode recorded at RMI’s eLab Annual Summit in December 2016 in Austin, Texas. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) based in Golden, Colorado provides a wide range of research, guidance, and policy support to the whole government stack in the U.S., from the local and city level all the way […]
Geek rating: 2
Kees van der Leun, Ecofys
[Episode #34] – Transition in the North Sea and Netherlands (January 11, 2017)
The North Seas Countries’ Offshore Grid Initiative would knit together the power grids of the countries adjacent to the North Sea, and enable a far greater share of renewables—especially offshore wind—on the northern European grid than would be possible otherwise. It would also make it possible to use Norway’s substantial hydro capacity as a giant […]
Geek rating: 4
Richard Caperton, Oracle
[eLab Extra #1] – Next Generation Demand Response (January 4, 2017)
This is a special edition of the Energy Transition Show with Chris Nelder, recorded in December 2016 at RMI’s eLab Annual Summit in Austin, Texas. Can utilities disrupt themselves, or does it take an outside force? How can demand response technologies—including simply informing customers of their electricity usage—help reduce demand peaks on the electricity system […]
Geek rating: 6
Lorraine Akiba, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
[eLab Extra #2] – Hawaii’s Energy Transition (January 4, 2017)
This is a special, free "extra" episode recorded at RMI’s eLab Annual Summit in December 2016 in Austin, Texas. How is Hawaii managing one of the most rapid energy transitions in history to variable wind and solar generators, while maintaining a balanced, isolated grid and actually reducing long-term costs? It’s no accident: They have developed […]
Geek rating: 5
Lorenzo Kristov, California Independent System Operator (CAISO)
[eLab Extra #3] – Grid Modernization and DERPs (January 4, 2017)
This is a special, free "extra" episode recorded at RMI’s eLab Annual Summit in December 2016 in Austin, Texas. Grid architecture is evolving, with loads becoming increasingly indistinguishable from generators, and local generators and other distributed resources increasingly supplying the services that were always provided by large central generators in the past. Meanwhile, an ever-evolving […]
Geek rating: 11
David Hughes, Post Carbon Institute
[Episode #33] – Fracking Follies (December 28, 2016)
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) regularly updates its estimates for how much oil and gas might be recovered in the future, and at what rate. With the application of new technology from year to year, those estimates generally keep going up. But it’s important to remember that they are just estimates — and the […]
Geek rating: 9
Carey King, University of Texas - Austin
[Episode #32] – Resources and Economy (December 14, 2016)
The notion of “decoupling” energy consumption from economic growth has become vogue in policy circles, but how much evidence is there that it’s really happening? If the energy intensity of our economy is falling, are we sure that it’s becoming more efficient, or might we just be offshoring energy-intensive industries to somewhere else…along with those […]
Geek rating: 8
Eamon Ryan, Ireland's Green Party
[Episode #31] – Transition in Ireland (November 30, 2016)
Ireland is one of the most advanced countries in energy transition, getting over a quarter of its electricity from renewables. It also has one of the most ambitious targets—to obtain 40% of its electricity generation from renewables by 2020—and the resources to be more than 100% powered by renewables, given time and technological development. On […]
Geek rating: 4
Ryan Wiser, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
[Episode #30] – The Future of Wind (November 16, 2016)
The cost of wind power has been falling steadily again since the 2008 price spike, and newer projects have been coming in at 2 cents per kilowatt-hour, making them very competitive with natural gas fired power and ranking among the very lowest-cost ways to generate electricity. But can wind prices keep falling, or have they […]
Geek rating: 4
Christopher Clack, Vibrant Clean Energy, LLC
[Episode #29] – Grid Simulation and Wind Potential (November 2, 2016)
What combination of power generators on the U.S. grid produces reliable power at the lowest cost? Or, what’s the most renewable energy that can be deployed at a given grid power cost, and what kind of transmission capacity is needed to support it? How would the U.S. grid be different if it were one, unified […]
Geek rating: 8
CC Huang, Energy Foundation China
[Episode #28] – Transition in Cities (October 19, 2016)
It is widely assumed that the ongoing migration of rural peoples to mega-cities all over the world will help reduce humanity’s per-capita energy footprint, while giving people a higher standard of living and accelerating energy transition. But the world is full of old, inefficient cities in desperate need of an eco-makeover, and of experts who […]
Geek rating: 3
Marissa Hummon, Tendril
[Episode #27] – Better Grid Modeling (October 5, 2016)
Although it’s clear enough that energy transition is necessary and reasonable, and although we know that transition is mainly happening on the grid at first, there is still much uncertainty about exactly where on the grid different strategies can be tried, how much they can accomplish, and what they’ll cost, relative to the alternatives….not to mention how the […]
Geek rating: 10
Oliver Morton, The Economist
[Episode #26] – Geoengineering (September 11, 2016)
As the world continues to struggle with the effects of climate change, energy transition is more important than ever as a key pathway to stopping global warming. But will it be enough? Many serious climate researchers think it won’t be, and urge deliberate attempts to directly alter the Earth’s climate by using a number of […]
Geek rating: 5
Jordan Macknick, NREL
[Episode #25] – The Energy-Water Nexus (September 7, 2016)
Energy and water are inextricably linked: It takes energy to supply water, and it takes water to supply energy. And those processes consume vast amounts of both. Yet we have only really begun to study the energy-water nexus and gather the data that policymakers will need to understand the risk that climate change poses to […]
Geek rating: 6
Jim Kennerly, Sustainable Energy Advantage
[Episode #24] – Starting Over (August 24, 2016)
What if we didn’t have to work around the grid we have today, with all of its inertia and incumbents and inflexibility? If we could start over and design the grid from scratch, what would it look like? And once we understood that, how might it change the way we are going about energy transition […]
Geek rating: 9
Jonathan Koomey, Stanford
[Episode #23] – Facts and Falsehoods in Energy Transition (August 10, 2016)
Should we tweak our markets to keep nuclear plants alive, or forget about markets and pay for them another way… and do we really need them at all to keep the grid functioning? Is nuclear power really declining because of overzealous environmentalists, or are there other reasons? Is it possible to balance a grid with […]
Geek rating: 8
Ed Crooks, Financial Times
[Episode #22] – Can Economics Guide the Energy Transition? (July 27, 2016)
Is conventional, free-market economic theory really up to the task of energy transition and combating climate change? Can we let the so-called invisible hand of the market guide us through the troubled waters ahead, or will we need firm policy direction and deliberate, top-down planning to secure the best outcomes? How useful can free markets […]
Geek rating: 6
Christine Eibs-Singer, Power for All
[Episode #21] – The Role of Development Banks in Energy Transition (July 13, 2016)
Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) like the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank are publicly committed to ending energy poverty and enabling energy access to the developing world. But their conventional processes and approaches to risk management make it difficult for them to invest in the decentralized renewable energy solutions that […]
Geek rating: 5
Eric Gimon, Energy Innovation
[Episode #20] – Grid Evolution (June 29, 2016)
Utilities face a host of rapid changes in a what used to be a staid business: new business models, changing supply and demand forecasts, new distributed architectures, new types of resources, new participants in the power grid that they don't control…yet they still must maintain a highly reliable power grid that operates within fairly narrow […]
Geek rating: 10
Adam James, SolarCity
[Episode #19] – Distributed Renewables in Latin America and Beyond (June 15, 2016)
Finance geeks, this episode is for you! Latin America has had one of the fastest-growing renewable energy markets on the planet for the past several years, but nobody ever talks about it. We aim to correct that in this wide-ranging interview with Adam James, Deputy Director of Global Strategy and Policy with SolarCity.  Who’s got […]
Geek rating: 8
Taylor Kuykendall, S&P Global Market Intelligence
[Episode #18] – The Collapse of Coal (June 1, 2016)
The last of the big-time U.S. coal companies has gone bankrupt, and in the hills of Appalachia, they’re looking for their next move. How will the former coal miners find new careers and build new industries? How will the liabilities of coal companies ever get paid? And how did we get into this situation in […]
Geek rating: 5
Justin Gerdes, Independent Journalist
[Episode #17] – Denmark’s Energy Transition (May 18, 2016)
In percentage terms, Denmark is the world leader in energy transition, as well as the king of wind power. Wind now supplies 42% of all Denmark’s electricity, and by 2020, the country plans to get fully half of its power from wind. It’s also the only developed country in the world with a serious plan […]
Geek rating: 2
Matt Golden, Open Energy Efficiency
[Episode #16] – Energy Efficiency Markets (May 4, 2016)
Improving efficiency is almost always easier and cheaper than generating new power, so efficiency should be our first target in energy transition. But it’s usually the last. And while there are very effective incentives for renewable energy, the incentives and programs for efficiency have been far less effective. In this episode we talk with efficiency […]
Geek rating: 9
Matthew Klippenstein, Green Car Reports
[Episode #15] – The Outlook for Electric Vehicles (April 20, 2016)
Electric vehicles are all the rage right now, and hopes are high that we might finally be able to transition off of oil and on to electric cars…preferably, cars powered by clean renewable electricity and not by coal-fired grid power. But they’re still less than 1% of the new vehicle market, and they still face […]
Geek rating: 2
James West, Mother Jones
[Episode #14] – China’s Energy Future (April 6, 2016)
China is always a bit of an enigma to the West: It is the world’s largest user of coal and the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide; the world’s largest car market; it has the world’s largest shale gas resources; and it has been building entire “ghost cities” with no one living in them. But […]
Geek rating: 2
Mason Inman, Global Energy Monitor
[Episode #13] – The Oracle of Oil (March 23, 2016)
Many have heard of peak oil, but few seem to understand what it really means, and fewer still know much of anything about the father of the idea, M. King Hubbert. In this episode we interview science journalist Mason Inman, who has written the first biography of Hubbert: The Oracle of Oil: A Maverick Geologist's […]
Geek rating: 8
Justin Guay, The Sunrise Project
[Episode #12] – Energy Access for the Developing World (March 9, 2016)
What’s the best way to bring energy to those in the developing world who lack it? Why do forecasts by agencies like IEA always seem to overstate the cost of solutions in the developing world? Why do big expensive programs run by NGOs and the World Bank so often fail to achieve their aims of […]
Geek rating: 2
Ashish Fernandes, Greenpeace
[Episode #11] – India and Coal (February 24, 2016)
Everyone knows that India is the second-largest coal importing nation in the world, after China, and that it is the fastest-growing source of global CO2 emissions thanks to its rapid adoption of coal. And it is widely believed that India will remain the world’s fastest-growing market for coal for years to come. But sometimes what […]
Geek rating: 3
Lorenzo Kristov, California Independent System Operator (CAISO)
[Episode #10] – Grid Architecture of the Future (February 10, 2016)
What kind of grid architecture and markets will we need in order to actually operate the distributed, decentralized grid of the future? What sorts of regulatory models will be needed? And what does it all mean, from a philosophical point of view, about how human society is organized? How can mere mortals begin to understand […]
Geek rating: 11
Gregor Macdonald, Terrajoule.us
[Episode #9] – Macro Outlook for 2016 (January 20, 2016)
A full-spectrum romp through the macroeconomic context: Stock markets; oil and gas prices; coal's collapse; the difficult LNG export market; what commodities are telling us about the health of the global economy; trends in oil and electricity demand and electric vehicles; currency valuations and trends; the outlook for renewables; and much more!
Geek rating: 6
Jason Burwen, Energy Storage Association
[Episode #8] – Storage on the Grid (December 2, 2015)
All about storage on the grid -- in front of the meter -- with a little bit about behind-the-meter storage.  How to value storage, how storage complements and replaces generation, and some geeky excursions into locational marginal pricing, PURPA, non-market uplift payments, and FERC Order 819! And in the news segment: Comments on the COP 21 United Nations Climate Change Conference and […]
Geek rating: 8
David Murphy, St. Lawrence University
[Episode #7] – EROI (November 18, 2015)
All about EROI (Energy Return on Investment), the state of biophysical economics, the relationship between energy and ecology, and what EROI could and should tell us about the outlook for a fuel -- for example, can we run a society on renewables? And in the news segment: LNG's troubled future, how low oil prices are causing surging gasoline […]
Geek rating: 6
Mark Lewis, Carbon Tracker
[Episode #6] – Transition from Oil (October 28, 2015)
In this episode we talk with a longtime energy analyst about why it's risky for the oil industry to assume that future demand for petroleum will remain as strong as they forecast, given the favorable economics of switching to EVs. We also discuss the recent history of oil production and prices, the future of the […]
Geek rating: 6
Jeremy Leggett, Solarcentury
[Episode #5] – Winning the Carbon War (October 21, 2015)
One man's sweeping ride through three decades of campaigning for action on climate and deploying solar from a veteran of the "carbon wars," plus his pithy observations on what our leaders in government and in the energy industry really think. And in the news segment: New studies are finding that renewables are getting cheaper than any other grid […]
Geek rating: 2
Craig Morris, Renewables International
[Episode #4] – Energiewende (October 14, 2015)
All about Germany's famed energy transition effort, the Energiewende. What it is, what it isn't (with a strong dose of mythbusting), and what the future of grid power looks like from one of the countries on the leading edge. And in the news segment: US LNG export terminals could be in trouble; China's massive push for renewables; and the […]
Geek rating: 4
Bentham Paulos, Power Markets Project
[Episode #3] – Limits on the Grid – Part 2 (October 7, 2015)
How energy markets need to change to level the playing field for renewables, how renewables should be valued, and whether wind and solar must "eat their own lunch" by virtue of having a free marginal cost, or whether markets can be adjusted to prevent that. And in the news segment: Shell gives up on the Arctic; the new […]
Geek rating: 7
Mackay Miller, National Grid
[Episode #2] – Limits on the Grid – Part 1 (September 30, 2015)
What the modeling work of our national renewable energy lab tells us about how far renewables can go on the grid under various scenarios, and their real technical limits.
Geek rating: 7
Mike Grunwald, Simon & Schuster
[Episode #1] – The Real War on Coal (September 23, 2015)
How the real war on coal is about economics, geology, and little skirmishes in local courts, not a national or presidential campaign; and the tragic failing of politics to address the phasing-out of coal that has been going on in the US for many years. And in the news segment: More calls to kill the UK's planned Hinkley Point C nuclear […]
Geek rating: 1