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[Episode #263] – The Role of Distribution Utilities

Nov 19 2025

Mini Episode

What is the role of distribution utilities in the energy transition?

Consider this paradox: Marc England, CEO of Australian distribution utility Ausgrid, has two batteries at his home but no solar panels. Instead, he buys grid power at 5 cents per kilowatt-hour during midday solar surplus, stores it, and then sells it back to the grid when prices are high, sometimes making $100 profit in a single day. Similarly, over 100,000 customers in Australia have installed batteries in their homes under a federal incentive program in just the past three months. But commercial players aren't building battery arrays on his network, despite slashing connection charges. And every time he flies into Sydney, he sees miles of empty warehouse rooftops that could host far more solar capacity if tariffs and other regulatory structures were reformed.

These market dislocations are part of an ongoing debate about who should build and own distributed energy assets (DERs). Should distribution utilities do it in order to maximize their integration? Or should they primarily provide a platform for consumer-owned DERs to connect and transact on an equal footing with utility-scale systems? Is it more practical and cost-effective for distribution utilities to build assets like battery storage systems and public EV chargers, especially where private-sector companies are not, or would it be cheaper and faster to maximize customer investment and rebuild the grid from the bottom-up?

For this conversation, Chris traveled to Sydney, Australia to debate these questions with Marc England in person. As Chris discussed with grid expert Lorenzo Kristov in Episode #205 and our Australia 2024 miniseries, there's no perfect answer, but these market structure questions will partly determine the speed of our response to climate change.

Guest:

Marc England is CEO of Ausgrid, Australia’s largest electricity network, based in New South Wales.

Marc joined Ausgrid as CEO in 2023, bringing a wealth of global experience spanning the energy, oil and gas and automotive industries.

Throughout his career, Marc has held a number of executive positions. Prior to joining Ausgrid, Marc was the CEO of Genesis Energy in New Zealand, delivering significant transformation and growth to a business that was at the forefront of the energy transition.

Marc also held Executive roles at AGL Energy where he was responsible for the establishment of the company’s New Energy Arm to deliver distributed energy resources to customers. Prior to that, Marc spent six years at British Gas in a range of leadership roles driving impactful commercial and operational outcomes.

On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marc-england-9147711

On the Web:  Ausgrid.com.au

 

Geek rating: 3

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[Episode #262] – All Transitions are Local

Nov 5 2025

Mini Episode

Successful energy transition projects are not one-size-fits-all. They are attuned to the local needs of their communities, and allow community priorities to shape resilience, affordability, and equity outcomes.

In today's conversation, Nadia Ahmad, Professor of Law at Barry University in Florida, shares findings from a three-year study of clean energy transitions in Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. Based on more than 100 stakeholder interviews, the research exposes a troubling paradox. Florida suffers from frequent hurricanes, tropical storms, and flash floods, but a utility structure dominated by investor-owned companies actively prevents the community microgrids that would build resilience.

Ahmad explains how legal, policy, and regulatory frameworks at county, municipal, state, and federal levels can support community-driven clean energy transitions. She shares important insights on designing approaches to accelerate the energy transition where you live, including the seven legal elements her team identified for successful projects and the pitfalls to avoid. For instance, Florida's challenges contrast with Germany's success, where nearly half of renewable energy capacity became citizen-owned by the 2010s.

Guest:

Nadia B. Ahmad is a Professor of Law at Barry University School of Law. Professor Ahmad’s research explores the intersections of energy siting, the environment, and sustainable development and draws on international investment law and corporate social responsibility. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice’s Environmental Justice Committee, and the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources’ Superfund and Natural Resource Damages Litigation Committee. She is an official expert for multilateral development organization, International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) Taskforce on Bamboo for Renewable Energy (TFB4RE), which promotes environmentally sustainable development using bamboo and rattan. Professor Ahmad is a member of the state bars of Florida and Colorado.

On Twitter: @nadiabahmad

On Bluesky: @nadiabahmad.bsky.social

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

On the Web:  Nadia’s faculty page at Barry University School of Law

Geek rating: 4

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[Episode #261] – The Case Against Climate Doom

Oct 22 2025

Mini Episode

Recent headlines may create the impression that the energy transition is slowing down, struggling against headwinds, and failing to make the requisite progress against our climate targets.

But the reality is that there is enormous progress being made against the climate change challenge, especially if you step back a bit from the daily news flow and consider the trends. There is plenty of evidence that we are in fact making a good deal of progress, and that the energy transition is accelerating, not slowing down. In fact, 2025 may be the year that global emissions peak and go into decline.

In his new book, The Case Against Climate Doom — An Economist's Guide to Climate Optimism, economist Michael Jakob reveals why the "we're too late" narrative isn't just wrong, but one that fossil fuel interests use to delay climate action. Building on his degrees in physics, economics, and international relations, Michael explores how climate change mitigation, adaptation technologies and policies are spreading across the world.

The evidence is striking: Solar costs have dropped 90% in 20 years, wind 80%, batteries 97%. Norway hit 97% EV market share without banning gas cars, simply by making electric vehicles irresistible. Climate litigation is winning unprecedented cases, with Swiss seniors successfully arguing that government inaction violates human rights. Over 5,000 climate policies now exist worldwide, up from under 100 in 2005.

In today's conversation, we explore five examples from each dimension the book covers: social progress, political change, and technological advances. From the collapse of carbon lock-in, to why even Texas became a green energy powerhouse, this interview offers clear evidence showing why the transition is continuing to accelerate, not stall.

Guest:

Michael Jakob is an independent researcher and consultant working under the label ‘Climate Transition Economics’. He holds a PhD in economics from the Technical University of Berlin and has obtained degrees in physics, economics, and international relations from universities in Munich, St. Gallen, and Geneva. His research interests include climate change mitigation in developing countries, the political economy of climate policy as well as the interlinkages between environmental policy and human well-being. Michael has advised governments, international organizations as well as NGOs and served as contributing author to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report.

On Bluesky: https://ct-economics.bsky.social/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-jakob-3929215/

On the Web:  https://www.ct-economics.net/

 

Geek rating: 2

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[Episode #260] – China Energy Transition Review 2025

Oct 8 2025

Mini Episode

Over the past decade, China has transformed from a heavily coal-fired country to the undisputed global leader in the energy transition. The pace keeps accelerating: In April 2025 alone, China installed more solar than Australia has in its entire history. By 2030, as little as one-seventh of China's projected spare solar manufacturing capacity could electrify everyone without power in 88 low-income countries.

Yet, this progress has not been recognized by much of the West, which still fixates on headlines about "building three coal plants a week" while missing that China is getting far ahead of US decarbonization efforts. China's vast exports of energy transition solutions are rapidly decarbonizing other emerging economies, while the nation's share of global clean energy patents jumped from 5% in 2000 to 75% today. Chinese companies now spend ten times more on electricity R&D than US companies and match the combined energy R&D spending of the US and EU together. The innovation advantage has flipped.

To understand China's oversized role in the energy transition, Muyi Yang and Sam Butler-Sloss of Ember join us to break down their report China Energy Transition Review 2025. We'll review how China is routinely beating its own transition targets by three to six years. We'll hear how Chinese firms have announced over $200 billion in overseas clean tech manufacturing investments, surpassing the scale of US investment abroad under the Marshall Plan. Solar, batteries, and EVs are growing three times faster than China's overall economy, hitting nearly 10% of GDP. Chinese solar exports to Namibia, Cambodia, and similar countries now exceed the entire centralized power generation capacity of those countries.

The result: what took decades with old energy is happening in years with solar. China's enormous commitment to the energy transition is a strategic path to economic growth and economic and political power, and it heralds the end of fossil fuel's dominance of the global energy system by 2030.

Guest #1:

Dr. Muyi Yang is Senior Policy Analyst at Ember, a global energy and climate think tank. He also holds positions as a non-resident Senior Policy Fellow at Asia Society Australia. Additionally, he is Adjunct Fellow at the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney and serves as the Secretary of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies.

On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muyi-yang-aa185389/?originalSubdomain=au

On X: @ymymilan

Guest #2:

Sam Butler-Sloss is a research manager at Ember where he analyses the global energy transition. He has published numerous articles and reports examining the rapid rise of cleantech and its implications. Prior to Ember, Sam worked at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the Carbon Tracker Initiative.

On LinkedIn

On X

On Bluesky

On Substack

Geek rating: 3

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[Episode #259] – 10th Anniversary: New Marching Orders

Sep 24 2025

Mini Episode

For our 10th anniversary, we reflect on our work so far, and consider what the next ten years might require. Whereas we spent the past decade focusing on techno-economic subjects, like explaining climate science and climate policy, and showing that energy transition technologies are practical and affordable, the next decade is likely to be far more political. We no longer need to justify the concept of the energy transition. Our job now is scaling up solutions and overcoming the resistance to them.

To help us explore this pivot, we welcome back Kingsmill Bond from Episode #152, along with his frequent co-author Daan Walter. Both are with energy transition think-tank Ember, where along with Sam Butler-Sloss they've published reports that clearly articulate what many observers are missing: an "electrotech revolution" reshaping geopolitics. They reveal staggering data: 70-80% of car sales in developing economies like Nepal and Ethiopia are already electric, while China's fossil fuel demand dropped 1% for the first time ever. Nearly every nation has 10-1000x more renewable potential than needed for its energy independence. Developing economies are seizing that opportunity while developed economies sabotage their own electrification by resisting change and taxing electricity at three times the rate of gas.

So join us to celebrate our 10th anniversary! And get ready for an even faster decade of the energy transition as countries choose to lead in the electrotech revolution, or get left behind.

Guest #1:

Daan Walter is a Principal at Ember, leading strategy research on the future of energy. His work builds on his previous role at RMI, where he focused on cleantech growth, battery development, and related mineral demand. Prior to that, at McKinsey, he co-founded and led the Sustainability Analytics team, advising governments and Fortune 500 companies on the energy transition. (linkedin)

On Twitter: @DaanWalt3r

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daan-walter-292980a7/

On the Web: https://ember-energy.org/people/daan-walter/

Guest #2:

Kingsmill Bond is the Energy Strategist for Carbon Tracker, a London-based clean energy think tank. He believes that the energy transition is the most important driver of financial markets and geopolitics in the modern era. Over a 25 year career as an equity analyst and strategist at institutions such as Deutsche Bank, Sberbank and Citibank, he has researched emerging markets, the shale revolution and the impact of US energy independence. At Carbon Tracker, he has written about the impact of the energy transition on financial markets, domestic politics and geopolitics, and authored a series of reports on the myths of the energy transition, looking at the many arguments made by incumbents to deny the reality of change.

On Twitter: @KingsmillBond

On the Web:  Kingsmill’s page at Carbon Tracker

Geek rating: 4

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[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

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[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

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[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

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[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

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[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

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