Inevitable

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Turning Roads into Carbon Sinks with Carbon Crusher Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Haakon Brunell is the CEO and Co-founder of Carbon Crusher, a Norwegian company turning traditional road construction on its head. Carbon Crusher refurbishes existing roads using bio-based binders and on-site recycling to create carbon-negative, cost-effective, and more durable infrastructure.

In this episode, Haakon shares how their "Crushing-as-a-Service" model and SkyRoads AI platform reduce emissions, increase road longevity, and drive down costs. He explains why roads are both a climate problem and a climate opportunity—and how Carbon Crusher plans to sequester a gigaton of CO₂ by 2035.

MCJ is an investor in Carbon Crusher, having participated in the company's seed round back in 2022 when it emerged from Y Combinator. Guest hosting for the first time on this episode is MCJ Partner, Thai Nguyen.

Enjoy the show!

In this episode, we cover:

[02:23] Launching Carbon Crusher out of Y Combinator
[05:22] An overview of Carbon Crusher
[06:15] Roads as a climate problem and carbon sink opportunity
[08:21] Emissions from traditional road refurbishment
[09:41] Carbon Crusher's 3 pillars: crushing, bio-binders, and AI platform
[12:52] Why roads are now stronger, cheaper, and greener
[14:14] Customer mindset in a conservative industry
[17:49] Origin story from winter-damaged roads in Norway
[21:12] Performance in both cold and hot weather climates
[22:53] Customers include cities, counties, and private road owners
[26:12] SkyRoads AI helps digitize and plan road maintenance
[28:45] Challenges: regulation and conservative decision-making
[30:53] Vision: sequestering a gigaton of CO₂ by 2035

Episode recorded on May 13, 2025 (Published on June 23, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Crusoe’s Big Bet on AI Infrastructure and Energy Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

Cully Cavness is the co-founder, president, and COO of Crusoe, an energy-first AI infrastructure company.

In this live episode recorded in Austin, Texas, Cully shares how Crusoe evolved from capturing flared gas for Bitcoin mining to becoming a leading developer of hyperscale data centers. He discusses the company’s pivotal role in Project Stargate—a $500B AI infrastructure effort led by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle—and how Crusoe is building a 1.2 gigawatt data center campus in Abilene, Texas. Cully reflects on the decision to divest its original Bitcoin business, the company’s vertical integration strategy, and how energy abundance will shape the future of AI.

Thanks to our sponsors for this event: Gunderson Dettmer, and J.P. Morgan.

In this episode, we cover:

⁠[00:24]⁠ An overview of Crusoe
⁠[01:08]⁠ Its role in Project Stargate and Abilene data center
⁠[03:41]⁠ Shift from outbound to inbound interest
⁠[06:17]⁠ Company pivots and existential startup bets
[09:09]⁠ Sale of Bitcoin mining business to NYDIG
[11:40]⁠ Flared gas capture and climate impact overview
⁠[14:57]⁠ From digital flare mitigation to stranded wind use
⁠[17:27]⁠ Cully’s personal energy background and worldview
⁠[22:14]⁠ Why AI could drive climate and fusion breakthroughs
⁠[25:47]⁠ Details of the 1.2 GW Abilene campus for Oracle
⁠[36:42]⁠ 3,500 skilled trades supporting data center build
⁠[44:42]⁠ Natural gas as a bridge fuel + CCS investments

Episode recorded on June 10, 2025 (Published on June 17, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

How the Budget Bill Could Reshape America’s Energy Future Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Today on Inevitable, we’re joined by three guests to focus on the clean energy tax provisions currently at risk in the Congressional budget reconciliation process—what’s being called the One Big Beautiful Bill. This is our second episode on this topic this week.

Our guests are Jeremy Harrell, CEO at the right-of-center clean energy policy firm ClearPath; Spencer Nelson, Director of Federal Affairs at Form Energy; and Vikrum Aiyer, Head of Global Public Policy and External Affairs at Heirloom.

The goal of this conversation is to get to the root of the proposed changes in the legislation passed by the House and now under consideration in the Senate. We also explore which amendments are on the table and how those of us working in climate and energy innovation can help influence the outcome.

In this episode, we cover:

⁠[01:06]⁠ Why this bill matters for climate tech
⁠[03:19]⁠ Jeremy’s background in conservative energy policy
⁠[04:08]⁠ Spencer on Form’s long-duration batteries
⁠[05:40]⁠ Vikrum explains Heirloom’s DAC technology
⁠[08:44]⁠ What the reconciliation process actually means
⁠[13:42]⁠ Why the FEOC rule could block progress
⁠[17:41]⁠ Why startups need credit transferability
⁠[25:01]⁠ 60-day window threatens new projects
⁠[27:36]⁠ What’s at stake for solar and storage
⁠[31:32]⁠ Energy cost risks if credits vanish
⁠[35:42]⁠ How founders and VCs can take action
⁠[41:56]⁠ Tips for contacting your senator directly

Episode recorded on June 6, 2025 (Published on June 12, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

10,000 Projects, 1 Big Threat: What the Data Says About the IRA Rollback Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

Michael Thomas joins us to discuss the clean energy tax provisions and industrial stimulus in the Inflation Reduction Act, which have brought billions of dollars in private investment and added gigawatts of power. However, these provisions are at risk of being cut as the "One Big Beautiful Bill" makes its way through Congress.

Michael is a repeat guest and a data expert who has been tracking over 10,000 clean energy projects through his business, Cleanview. Since his last appearance, he's been highlighting the potential impact of these provisions. We discuss the challenges they face and how their loss would affect U.S. manufacturing and energy. Contrary to the name of the show, the loss of these provisions is not inevitable—Michael and Cody explore the ways we can all get involved to prevent it.

Episode recorded on June 6, 2025 (Published on June 9, 2025)

In this episode, we cover:

[2:45] Michael’s work since his last appearance
[8:34] Cleanview and its clients
[10:47] IRA’s impact on clean energy
[13:59] Billion-dollar investments in red states
[16:22] Cuts to clean energy in the Big Beautiful Bill
[19:25] Economic impacts in Republican districts
[23:11] Consequences of halting clean energy deployment
[29:45] The transfer of wealth behind the bill
[36:25] The Musk-Trump feud
[38:20] Actions people can take
[44:18] Timeframes for the bill to pass and go into effect

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Can We Slow the Doomsday Glacier? Arête on Glacial Intervention and Sea-Level Risk Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Brent Minchew is Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Chief Scientist at Arête Glacier Initiative, a new nonprofit launched to close the gap between frontier glaciology research and actionable sea-level forecasts—and to probe whether “brake-tapping” inside Antarctic glaciers can slow their slide into the sea.

Brent explains why current models still span 1–6 feet of rise by 2100—even if Paris targets are met—and how melting glaciers, especially Antarctica’s so-called “Doomsday Glacier,” drive that uncertainty. He details why glaciology remains drastically underfunded, how sea-level changes already threaten coastal economies via insurance markets, and where Arête’s first $5 million in philanthropic capital is going. He also walks through early-stage solutions—from thermo-siphons that passively refreeze ice to pumping sub-glacial water—that could “hit the brakes” on glacier flow and buy humanity time for deep decarbonization.

In this episode, we cover:

[03:45] Launching Arête to bridge glacier science and solutions
[05:38] Inside the “doomsday glacier” and its global risk
[07:18] Why Thwaites may collapse even if we hit climate goals
[09:51] Sea level rise: Millions displaced per inch
[12:41] The silent crisis of glacial melt
[13:28] Economic ripple effects of rising seas
[15:53] What Larsen B’s collapse taught us
[20:04] Arête’s model: Philanthropy + global research
[22:51] Advancing glacier tech through TRL stages
[25:45] How Antarctica is governed
[35:28] Refreezing glaciers with thermo-siphons
[45:00] Drilling costs vs. seawalls: Where’s the value?

Episode recorded on May 14, 2025 (Published on June 2, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

AI-Designed Materials to Cool and Decarbonize Data Centers with Orbital May 27, 2025

Show notes

Jonathan Godwin is co-founder and CEO of Orbital Materials, an AI-first materials-engineering start-up. The company open-sourced Orb, a state-of-the-art simulation model, and now designs bespoke porous materials—its first aimed at cooling data-centres while capturing CO₂ or water. Jonathan shares how his DeepMind background shaped Orbital’s “design-before-experiment” approach, why the team chose data-center sustainability as a beachhead market, and what it takes to build a vertically integrated, AI-native industrial company. The conversation explores the future of faster, cheaper R&D, the role of advanced materials in decarbonization, and the leap from software to physical products.

In this episode, we cover:

[02:12] Johnny’s path from DeepMind to materials start-up
[04:02] Trial-and-error vs AI-driven design shift
[06:40] University/industry dynamics in materials R&D
[10:17] Generative agent plus simulation for rapid discovery
[13:01] Mitigating hallucinations with virtual experiments
[18:18] Choosing a “hero” product and vertical integration
[25:43] Dual-use chiller for cooling and CO₂ or water capture
[32:26] Partnering on manufacturing to stay asset-light
[35:58] Building an AI-native industrial giant of the future
[36:51]: Orbital’s investors

Episode recorded on April 30, 2025 (Published on May 27, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Redesigning Nuclear Reactors for Mass Manufacturing with Aalo May 19, 2025

Show notes

Matt Loszak is CEO and co-founder of Aalo Atomics, a startup designing 50-megawatt nuclear power plants made of pods of five 10-megawatt reactors each, targeting the data center market.

Inspired by the MARVEL test reactor that his CTO Yasir Arafat led at Idaho National Lab, Aalo pursues parallel DOE and NRC pathways, betting that factory-built, pad-ready nuclear plants can slash cost, schedule, and grid-interconnection delays. Now 45 teammates strong and raising a Series B, Aalo aims to break ground on its first plant within 12 months and go critical the year after, powering the AI era with compact, clean, always-on fission.

In this episode, we cover:

[02:31] From SaaS to fission: Matt's founder journey
[07:08] Yasir’s path and the Marvel reactor at INL
[08:56] How national labs help launch commercial nuclear
[12:12] Aalo’s dual regulatory path: DOE + NRC
[13:45] Why Aalo is building reactors for data centers
[17:19] Designing for mass manufacturing, not megaprojects
[21:50] Security differences across nuclear facility types
[25:03] Fuel and enrichment: what Aalo had to consider
[28:02] Switching to LEU+ for supply chain resilience
[31:04] Comparing XMRs, SMRs, and micro‑reactors
[33:25] Inside the Aalo Pod: 5 x 10MW modules with built-in redundancy
[37:15] Regulatory updates on NRC civilian licensing
[38:43] Nuclear + AI: mutually transformative technologies
[41:35] Hiring at Aalo: who they need next

Episode recorded on April 23, 2025 (Published on May 19, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Inside Microsoft’s $1B Climate Fund Strategy to Hit Net Zero by 2030 May 12, 2025

Show notes

Brandon Middaugh is the senior director of Microsoft’s $1 billion Climate Innovation Fund, created in 2020 to accelerate technologies that help Microsoft and the wider economy meet aggressive 2030 sustainability goals: carbon‑negative, water‑positive, zero‑waste and ecosystem‑protective.

Five years in, Brandon shares how the fund’s “invest‑to‑procure” model aligns capital with Microsoft’s own demand for clean power, fuels, carbon removal, low‑carbon materials and water solutions; what’s working (a 5‑fold jump in durable CDR contracted since launch) and where supply still lags; and why scaling markets—not just piloting tech—is central to Microsoft’s moon‑shot roadmap toward net‑zero and beyond.

In this episode, we cover:

[01:43] Microsoft's ambitious 2030 sustainability targets
[02:59] Brandon’s path toward climate finance
[10:59] The fund’s “north star”
[12:18] How carbon removal demand still dwarfs current supply
[17:14] Airline partnerships supporting Microsoft's net-zero goals
[19:46] Investment and procurement teams’ flywheel collaboration
[23:22] Water-related investments and initiatives
[29:36] Program mandates: innovate, accelerate, and scale
[31:57] Brandon's advice on transparent engagement with Microsoft
[36:43] Predicting highly distributed future energy systems
[40:16] How transformation only seems inevitable in hindsight

Episode recorded on April 10, 2025 (Published on May 12, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

How Euclid Power Streamlines Clean Energy Development at Scale May 05, 2025

Show notes

Jacob Sandry is the CEO and co-founder of Euclid Power, a platform for renewable energy project development, financing, and operations—with AI-enabled services layered on top. MCJ is proud to be an investor in Euclid, having joined the company’s seed round in mid-2022.

Jacob has worked in renewable power his entire career, starting at Generate Capital right out of college, where he worked under Jigar Shah. He then spent several years on the investment team at Goldman Sachs' Renewable Power Group before having the a-ha moment that led to Euclid—and left to start it with a couple of his fellow Goldman teammates.

Jacob and Cody discuss how he’s seen the renewables industry evolve over the past decade, his theory of change, the insights that led to founding Euclid, and the company’s current product and traction. We also touch on his thoughts on AI, power demand curves, and more. As we see it, Jacob is riding two massive waves with Euclid: the inexorable growth of solar and storage, and the curve-bending potential of AI and workflow automation.

In this episode, we cover:

[1:59] Jacob’s early career and background
[3:34] Working with Jigar Shah at Generate Capital
[8:26] Time on the Goldman Sachs Renewable Power team
[9:24] The origin story of Euclid Power
[15:23] Challenges in building renewable energy projects
[19:15] From internal Goldman tools to the Euclid platform
[20:29] Client spotlight: UBS
[21:57] Transitioning from project development to a software company
[26:07] The role of AI in Euclid’s platform
[31:49] Business growth and market traction
[33:35] Building Euclid as a multiplayer platform
[37:10] Balancing software automation with hands-on services
[40:41] Current limitations of AI and automation
[42:50] Jacob’s outlook on the future of renewable energy
[46:05] Powering data centers and emerging demand
[47:30] Where Euclid is looking for help
[48:18] The meaning behind the name “Euclid”

Episode recorded on April 25, 2025 (Published on May 5, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Building the Future with Patrick Maloney, CIV May 01, 2025

Show notes

Patrick Maloney is the Co-founder and CEO at CIV, and this episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the UCLA Anderson School of Management as part of LA Climate Week.

Patrick's firm, CIV, is a new venture capital investment firm based in Venice, California, that backs and builds companies at the nexus of industry and technology. Patrick has had a long, successful career in clean tech. Before CIV, he founded and led Inspire, a clean energy technology company acquired by Shell in 2021. And for his work at Inspire, he was named Ernst & Young's 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner for Clean Tech and Renewables. Before Inspire, Patrick co-founded Independence Energy and was on the founding team of Energy Plus, both of which were acquired by NRG. Patrick is also co-founder of The Nuclear Company, in which we are proud investors via our venture funds at MCJ.

In this episode, we cover: