The Green Blueprint

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The storylines of the energy transition in 2023 Dec 22, 2023

Show notes

The competing trends in the energy transition from 2023 were stark: a looming peak in demand for oil, gas, and coal; a global agreement to transition away from fossil fuels; and an increasingly realistic pathway to triple renewables development.

But we also experienced the hottest global temperatures in 125,000 years, record US oil & gas production, inflation headwinds that challenged large renewables projects, and a very tough year for clean energy stocks.

Every new investment in energy infrastructure matters in an increasingly consequential way. This is the decade to get it right, and we’re almost halfway through it.

So, as is tradition, we spend some time outlining our picks for storylines of the year – with that urgency in mind. And we’ll talk about what they signal about the path ahead here in the US and beyond.

Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024.

The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.

LNG exports: America’s hidden ‘climate bomb’ Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

In less than a decade, America has become the world’s biggest exporter of liquified natural gas.

In the mid-2000s, the US was building terminals to import more fossil gas. But that all changed after the fracking boom unlocked vast reserves of hydrocarbons.

The US became a net exporter in 2017. Then, Russia’s war on Ukraine forced a scramble for new supplies of gas in Europe – and American companies stepped in.

The consequence: a historic push for new terminals, a vast new source of heat-trapping gasses that could wipe out US climate gains, and a growing conflict over how the government approves new LNG infrastructure.

This week: we explore the latest climate flash point: liquified gas.

We’re joined by Bill McKibben, author, organizer and founder of Third Act; Nicole Pollack, a contributing writer at Canary Media; and Jeremy Symons, analyst, political strategist, and principal at Symons Public Affairs.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Canary Media: Nicole Pollack’s deep dive into the controversies over FERC approval of LNG exports.
New Yorker: Bill McKibben’s article on Robert Howarth’s latest research on LNG emissions.
Jeremy Symons’ recent research on how LNG exports are causing US emissions to rise.

It’s Canary Media’s listener drive through the end of the year. Make a tax-deductible donation today.

Making sense of advanced nuclear’s stumbles Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

The nuclear industry is grappling with several issues: high interest rates, rising commodity prices, limited supply chains, fuel availability, and a regulatory environment that has been slow to adapt to new technologies.

In the west, nuclear knowhow has faded over the decades. Even with a surge in policy support and public interest, development is stagnant and capacity has fallen. Momentum has moved over to Asia, mostly China. But that’s not nearly enough.

While global renewables have tripled in just over a decade, net global nuclear capacity has barely budged upward. The reality is that we may need to see capacity double – or even triple – by 2050 to keep us on a net-zero path, on top of tripling wind and solar.

So this week, we’ll revisit the stories shaping nuclear power in 2023 and ask: are we getting anywhere closer to unlocking real growth? Or will the industry stay in a perpetual holding pattern?

Breakthrough Institute: Advanced nuclear is in trouble
Canary Media: Eric Wesoff's nuclear year-in-review
E&E News: What’s next after the NuScale cancellation
Canary Media: The future of small reactors at stake as NuScale deal flops
Bloomberg: US, UK lead pledge to triple nuclear power by 2050

It’s Canary Media’s listener drive through the end of the year. Make a tax-deductible donation today.

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How to triple renewables by 2030 Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

It took 12 years to triple global renewables – and now we need to do it in eight years.

As the latest UN climate summit begins, there’s a proposal on the table to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. Countries may agree to it in theory, but can the market meet it in practice?

This week, we’ll look at why this tripling is necessary, how it could be done, and what technologies will dominate.

Then, we’ll address a confusing narrative that has emerged around electric cars. We’re seeing a historic ramp-up in domestic EV production, and record sales. But many are fretting that the market is weakening – and automakers are pulling back. What gives?

We’ll end with the forecast: our picks for stories that tell us something about the near or far future.

Resources mentioned in the show:

BNEF: Tripling global renewables by 2030 Is necessary to achieve net zero
Carbon Brief: Why deals at COP28 to triple renewables and double efficiency are crucial
Latitude Media: To triple renewables capacity, solar is a boon – and a potential problem
NYT: A new law supercharged EV manufacturing, but not sales
Business Insider: Automakers are scrambling over EVs

This episode of Carbon Copy is brought to you by the Energy Show, hosted by Barry Cinnamon. Questioning if that cool new product or service really pencils out for customers? Curious about customer adoption of IRA policies? Wondering how the grid can keep up with home electrification? For the real-world scoop on clean energy technologies with a focus on the customer perspective, don’t miss the Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz.

AI in the real world: Solar forecasting, EVs, and virtual power plants Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

Weather forecasts for the grid depend on supercomputers to calculate the flow of heat, water, and radiation in the atmosphere, and then spit out predictions about what could happen next.

These supercomputers are powerful. But they are also expensive and slow, relative to how quickly the weather changes. A new class of AI-based weather forecasts could change the game for grid operators and renewable energy developers. Will they take hold?

This week, we explore a variety of emerging applications for artificial intelligence in energy.

First, we'll look at how machine learning can improve and democratize weather prediction with journalist Emma Woollacott, Dr. Jack Kelly of Open Climate Fix, and Dr. Noelia Otero Felipe of the University of Bern.

Then, we'll hear from a few companies that are using AI for demand response, virtual power plants, and EV charging. Latitude producer Erin Hardick explores AI trends at the grid edge with Apoorv Bhargava of WeaveGrid, Jae Beom Bae of Leap, Paul McDonald of Opower at Oracle Energy and Water, and Carlos Nouel of National Grid.

It’s Canary Media’s listener drive through the end of the year. Make a tax-deductible donation today!

The future of the ‘broken’ grid [partner content] Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

This is a partner podcast episode, brought to you by Intersect Power.

The U.S. grid is in trouble. It's old; it's really hard to build new transmission lines; and that is limiting the amount of wind and solar we can add to the system.

Sheldon Kimber, Founder and CEO of the clean energy developer Intersect Power, says the grid is “broken.” But he has a plan to get around those constraints.

In this episode, produced in partnership with Intersect Power, Sheldon Kimber talks with Stephen Lacey about creative strategies for building renewables that don't rely on overhauling the grid.

If you want to read more about Sheldon's vision on how this strategy will play out, he has an op-ed published at Latitude Media.

Intersect Power is a clean energy company bringing innovative and scalable low-carbon solutions to its customers in global energy markets. The company develops, owns, and operates some of the world’s largest clean energy resources – providing low-carbon electricity, fuels, and related products to customers for U.S. consumption and international export. Learn more about Intersect's projects and business model.

For Microsoft, AI is an ‘unlock’ for decarbonization Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Microsoft was an early mover in integrating OpenAI’s LLM into its Azure cloud services. And now every part of Microsoft’s technology stack — from cloud infrastructure to data analytics to consumer apps — will be “reimagined” for the AI era, said Nadella. As a result, every industry will inevitably be impacted by AI.

Utilities will also find themselves at the center of this shift, even if most aren’t yet actively investing in AI for grid management. Generative AI will increasingly start to influence back-office operations and customer support inside utilities for “focus and efficiency,” explained Microsoft’s Hanna Grene, on stage at Latitude Media’s Transition-AI: New York conference.

This week, we feature a conversation from our Transition-AI conference with Hanna. We talk with her about how large language models and other forms of artificial intelligence are making their way inside utilities – and why AI isn't as intimidating as it seems.

If you want more news and analysis like this in your inbox, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter and Canary Media's newsletter.

Inflation plagues clean energy. How bad is it? Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Wind, solar and batteries have seen steady, fairly predictable cost drops over the last two decades. But a combination of pressures – supply chain turmoil, grid constraints, interest rates, labor costs – has raised costs for products and projects. And they’re challenging the commercial viability of emerging sectors like offshore wind and hydrogen.

So how will the market work through this inflationary blip? And are there other policy interventions to ease pressures? This week: we’ll explore the inflation problem for clean energy.

Then, the International Energy Agency says peak fossil fuel consumption is upon us. But what does that actually mean? We’ll put the “peak” into perspective.

Joining us this week are Katherine Hamilton of 38 North, Michael O’Boyle of Energy Innovation, and Maria Gallucci of Canary Media.

Stories we mention in this episode:

Latitude Media: The ripple effect of rising wind costs
WSJ: Green power gets pricier after years of declines
Canary Media: Offshore wind pushes ahead despite industry turmoil
NYT: IEA forecasts peak fossil fuel demand
Washington Post: “Peak” fossil fuels isn’t what it sounds like

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Tackling the tough stuff: steel, cement, and chemicals Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

The industrial sector is set to overtake power generation and transportation as the biggest source of planet warming emissions in the US by 2035, according to The Rhodium Group.

The sector’s impact is even greater on the global scale. Industry around the world accounts for more carbon dioxide emissions than all forms of transportation combined – largely driven by steel, cement, and chemicals.

There are a lot of ways to decarbonize industry, but the pathways are much less clear than for electricity or automobiles.

In this episode, we’re joined by Jeff St. John, Maria Galluci, and Julian Spector, who’ve been exploring the varied paths for cleaning up the products that are foundational to the world around us.

Stories we mention in this episode:

Canary Media: Cleaning up steel, cement and chemicals is tough — and entirely doable
Rhodium Group: Taking stock of US emissions
Canary Media: ‘Electrowinning’ could help win the race to clean up dirty steel
Latitude Media: The electrolyzer market is caught in limbo
Canary Media: To decarbonize cement, the industry needs a full transformation

The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Savant Power. Savant’s end-to-end power systems provide energy generation, inverter and battery storage, generator control, flexible load management for every circuit, and level two EV charging. Learn more about the only company that can deliver an integrated smart home and energy solution controlled via a single award-winning app at Savant.com.

Investors riff on the new era for climate investing Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

There are a lot of quarterly ups and downs in venture dollars deployed across climatetech. But the trend is generally up. Since 2021, more than 200 new climate investment funds have been created with $121 billion under management, according to CTVC.

Earlier this month, Canary Media Editorial Director Eric Wesoff explored the evolved state of climate investing at Canary Media's live event in Berkeley.

The panel included: Nancy Pfund, managing partner at DBL Investors; Mona EINaggar, a partner at Valo Ventures, and Elaine Hseih, a senior advisor at the US Department of Energy.

They discussed what sectors are most promising, the pathways to commercial success, and what America’s green industrial strategy means for investors.

This episode is brought to you by SPAN, a smart electrical panel that helps homeowners save on their energy bills. Interested in having a SPAN Panel installed in your home? Visit span.io to learn more.

This episode is brought to you by Nextracker, a leading provider of intelligent, integrated solar tracker and software solutions used in solar projects around the world. Learn more at Nextracker.com.

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