Decouple - Dr. Chris Keefer

Latest Episodes:

Diablo Canyon Lives feat. Michael Shellenberger Sep 02, 2022

Show notes

Michael Shellenberger, best-selling author and an early organizer of the pro-nuclear movement, joins Dr. Keefer to discuss the landmark victory of saving Diablo Canyon with the passage of California Senate Bill SB846 on August 31. Shellenberger reflects on the history of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, the early days of the fight to keep it open, and what this victory means for the future of nuclear power.

Decouple Reads: Fossil Future/Climate Change as Class War Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

Brahm Neufeld, senior engineer of process controls at CAMECO and a lifelong avid reader, joins Dr. Keefer on a new Decouple series: Decouple Reads. We discuss the value of reading, lay out a hopeful format for this new series, and discuss two recent books on climate and energy by Alex Epstein on the political right and Matt Huber on the political left. Read Brahm's Goodreads review of Fossil Future: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4875800094 Brahm's review of Climate Change as Class War: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4721644165 Comment with book suggestions on Twitter (tag @DecoupleMedia and #DecoupleReads), on YouTube (https://youtu.be/9f3H4LbWQp8), or by sending us a message at https://www.decouplemedia.org/about Support Decouple on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/decouple Learn more about Decouple Media: https://www.decouplemedia.org

The World's Largest Nuclear Refurbishment Aug 22, 2022

Show notes

Jeff Phelps, Vice President of Major Operations at Bruce Power, sits down with Dr. Keefer at Bruce Nuclear Generating Station to discuss the ongoing refurbishment of units at the world's largest operating nuclear plant. What are refurbishments, or major component replacements, and what do they mean for Ontario's energy and economy?

The Inflation Reduction Act with Robert Bryce Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

Robert Bryce, author, film producer, and host of the Power Hungry Podcast, discusses headlines and current events in energy, notably the recently-passed landmark U.S. bill, the Inflation Reduction Act. He offers an alternate perspective to the hyperbolic praise this bill has receive from some clean energy advocates, and contextualizes it amid broader trends in energy geopolitics. Listen to the Power Hungry Podcast: https://robertbryce.com/power-hungry-podcast/ Subscribe to Emmet Penney's Grid Brief: https://www.gridbrief.com/

The Story of Storage (Mark Nelson Masterclass) Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

Mark Nelson, managing director of the Radiant Energy Group, joins us for the third installation of our masterclass series, this time all about energy storage. We take a first principles approach focusing on the core concepts of storage to equip the listener with the analytical skills to better understand the contentious energy debates of our time. Mark explains the basic physics of storage, corrects common misconceptions, and gives a numerically literate overview of a few different energy storage technologies. Intro and outro music: Etude Op. 25 No. 12 "Ocean" by Frédéric Chopin (Performed by Mark Nelson live after the interview) Listen to Mark's two other masterclasses: https://www.decouplemedia.org/podcast/episode/2a543c07/this-land-is-mined-the-coal-masterclass https://www.decouplemedia.org/podcast/episode/1ebfcc84/a-natural-gas-masterclass-feat-mark-nelson Note: We apologize for occasional glitches in Dr. Keefer's audio.

Gold Standard or Standstill? Reflections on the Nuclear Waste Management Organization Aug 02, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Keefer and Decouple producer Dylan Moon reflect on their visit to Ontario's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). The NWMO is tasked with designing, siting, and building a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for the long-term storage of used nuclear fuel. Although decades of engineering and a current annual budget of over $100 million have led to a robust and safe storage solution, the organization's "gold standard" consent-based siting process leaves no clear path for the project to ever break ground. Learn more about the Deep Geological Repository project from nuclear operator Sheila Whytock's appearance on the We CANDU It podcast: https://anchor.fm/wecanduit/episodes/Deep-Geologic-Repository--Willing-to-Listen-feat-Sheila-Whytock-eqo293/a-a4n6q4k

This Land Is Mined: The Coal Masterclass Jul 19, 2022

Show notes

Mark Nelson, managing director of the Radiant Energy Group, joins us for his second masterclass, this time all about coal. Much maligned by environmentalists, and a significant source of air pollution and carbon emissions, coal still constitutes a whopping 25% of our primary energy consumption, and over 30% of global electricity production. What is it, where does it come from, how did it change the world, and why is it so difficult for even the most affluent and environmentally conscious countries to stop using it? Intro music: "Exodus Song (This Land Is Mine)" by Ernest Gold, performed by Mark Nelson live after our interview. Listen to Mark Nelson's Natural Gas Masterclass: https://www.decouplemedia.org/podcast/episode/1ebfcc84/a-natural-gas-masterclass-feat-mark-nelson

Germany: The Canary in the Coal Mine Jul 12, 2022

Show notes

Noah Rettberg returns to update us on how Germany is faring amid its ongoing energy crisis. How and why is the crisis unfolding, how have key industries been affected, will Germany capitulate to Russian pressure and how can Germany serve as a warning for other countries pursuing energy transition? Follow Noah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoahRettberg

Ontario's Energy Conundrum Jul 05, 2022

Show notes

Ontario can't seem to make up its mind about energy. Partway through a historic nuclear-powered coal phaseout, the province adopted the Green Energy Act (GEA), which established costly feed-in-tariffs for renewables in the footsteps of Germany's Energiewende. Now, three years after rising energy costs prompted the GEA's repeal, the planned 2025 closure of the 3.1 GW Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is leaving Ontario with no option to meet coming capacity shortfalls without winding back climate progress by burning much, much more gas.

Chris Benedetti, Managing Partner at Ontario-based Sussex Strategy Group and Head of its Energy and Environment Practice, extracts lessons from the fascinating energy case study that is this Canadian province.

Note: This episode was recorded on June 1, 2022 and contains outdated information pertaining to provincial elections.

Is Russia’s War the End of Climate Policy as We Know It? Jun 27, 2022

Show notes

Ted Nordhaus, executive director of The Breakthrough Institute, discusses his recent article in Foreign Policy: "Russia's War Is the End of Climate Policy as We Know It." The current energy crisis and Russian invasion are quickly causing us to prioritize energy security over climate targets. Could this, paradoxically, be a good thing for the climate?

Nordhaus argues that the carbon intensity of the global energy system fell faster in the 30 years before the first major U.N. climate conference than after it—a result of rising energy efficiency, the spread of nuclear power, and the changing composition of the global economy. With new pressure to fortify ourselves against dependence on gas and energy imports, he argues that climate and energy policies, especially in the West, may shift from subsidizing demand (for things like solar panels and electric vehicles) to deregulating supply (of things like nuclear power plants and high-voltage transmission lines). This could put clean energy policies on a much firmer economic footing and better align climate objectives with energy security imperatives.

Read the Foreign Policy article here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/05/climate-policy-ukraine-russia-energy-security-emissions-cold-war-fossil-fuels/

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Decouple – Dr. Chris Keefer

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected