The Green Blueprint

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Can California pull off its clean energy ambitions? Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

California is at a crossroads. The state has already installed nearly 1.8 million rooftop solar systems, 5 gigawatts of batteries, and 1.6 million electric cars. But it is also facing some serious challenges.

The list is long: controversial policy changes, extreme weather threats, and backlogs – lots and lots of backlogs.

It is facing serious backlogs in interconnecting utility-scale solar and storage projects, keeping fossil gas-fired power plants open that were supposed to shut down years ago. And that’s not even counting the gigawatts of offshore wind, geothermal power, long-duration energy storage and other clean, firm resources called for in the state’s long-term plans — none of which we’ve built yet.

This week, Jeff St. John, Canary Media’s director of news, sits down with three prominent people who are trying to move the state forward: State Senator Josh Becker; GRID Alternatives Executive Director Arthur Bart-Williams; and California Solar and Storage Association Executive Director Bernadette Del Chiaro.

This conversation was recorded live at Canary Live: Bay Area.

We have a flash sale for Transition-AI: New York through October 9th. Use the code FLASH30 to get 30% off your ticket price to our event on AI + energy. Spots are limited, so don't miss out!

The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.

The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com.

Why electric cars are driving the auto strikes Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Just as the auto industry resolves supply chain problems from the Covid pandemic, a new disruptive force has emerged: labor disputes.

Nearly 20,000 American auto workers are on strike as they ask for higher pay. At the heart of their concerns: will the shift to electric cars make them worse off?

We’ll look at a strike that is raising big questions about how to support the companies making electric vehicles for the masses – and support the workers who make them.

Then: the push for green steel. Are automakers critical for getting low- and zero-carbon steel into mass production?

Finally, as the presidential campaign gets noisier, we look at how Republicans are talking about climate and energy.

Joining us this week are Maria Gallucci of Canary Media and Katherine Hamilton of 38 North.

Stories we mention in this episode:

Canary Media: DOE offers $15.5 billion to retool existing auto plants for EVs
New York Times: Battle over electric vehicles is central to auto strike
Canary Media: Major steel users band together to place first big “green steel” order
Energy Monitor Op-ed: The road to clean steel runs through automakers
Bloomberg: Ron DeSantis pledges more fossil fuel production
New York Times: A roundup of what GOP candidates say about climate change

Don’t forget to grab your tickets for Transition-AI: New York and Canary Live: Bay Area, coming up in October.

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.

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.

New frontiers of clean energy emerge Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Renewables and electric vehicles are on a tear, and they’ll soon likely attract $2 trillion in yearly investment. But global emissions have not peaked.

So what are the new frontiers of technology that will make renewables and storage more valuable – and draw down emissions at the speed needed?

This week, we’re going to reflect on that question coming out of RE+, a major American conference where our editors were covering emerging tech.

Then, the battery recycling boom is on. It’s attracting billions of dollars in investment. Will it address supply chain security and a looming waste problem?

Finally, Hawaii’s difficult transition away from coal. Why couldn’t it build renewables and batteries fast enough to fill the gap?

Joining us this week to talk through these stories are Jeff St. John, Julian Spector, and Lisa Martine Jenkins.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

A preview of Latitude Media
Financial Times: Peak fossil fuels will happen this decade.
Canary Media: Redwood Materials lands $1 billion
Canary Media: Another US battery recycler just raised a massive round
Canary Media: Hawaii quit coal a year ago – how’s it going?

Don’t forget your tickets to Transition-AI: New York on October 19th. Our listeners get a 10% discount with the code pspods10.

And make sure to get your seat at Canary Live: Bay Area on October 3rd.

Inflation headwinds for offshore wind Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

In the last few months, three major projects in Europe and America have been delayed or canceled, thanks to rapidly rising costs.

Those projects make up more than 10% of current offshore wind capacity in the EU and US, according to Bloomberg. Another 9.7 gigawatts are at risk in America, as developers look to renegotiate contracts.

The complexity of offshore wind magnifies the technical and financial risks. And the financial picture for some projects has worsened over the last two years as inflation has driven up the cost of materials and labor across the supply chain.

This week: offshore wind is taking a hit. We'll talk with Jan Matthiesen, director of offshore wind and maritime decarbonization at The Carbon Trust, about whether financial challenges in the industry will encourage more technical innovation to bring costs down.

Are you looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape the business of energy? Come network with utilities, top energy firms, startups, and AI experts at Transition-AI: New York on October 19. Our listeners get a 10% discount with the code pspods10.

As debate over carbon removal swirls, America steps up funding Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

As the carbon dioxide removal industry grows, engineered solutions like direct-air capture are getting more attention.

According to the IPCC, novel methods for carbon dioxide removal are necessary to meet the Paris climate targets.

But another UN body, the UNFCCC, recently sparked controversy by concluding in draft language that “engineering-based removal activities…pose unknown environmental and social risks.” That language could have ramifications for how carbon removal gets considered in upcoming international climate negotiations.

Amidst the debate over the role of carbon removal, the US government is stepping up with some large investments in direct-air capture hubs and R&D support for novel technologies, creating a positive signal for the market.

This week, Savvy Bowman, a program manager at ClearPath, joins us to explain what this all means for the future of carbon removal technologies and policies.

Are you looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape the business of energy? Come network with utilities, top energy firms, startups, and AI experts at Transition-AI: New York on October 19. Our listeners get a 10% discount with the code pspods10.

America’s next-generation mining future [partner content] Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

This is a partner podcast episode, brought to you by South32.

Pat Risner spent 25 years as an engineer, general manager, and executive at one of the largest mining companies in the world, BHP. Today, he's the president of the Hermosa Project, a mining development in Arizona run by the global mining firm, South32.

That mine is the only advanced project in America that could produce manganese and zinc – two critical minerals that are essential to batteries and renewables.

In this episode, produced in partnership with South32, Pat Risner talks with Stephen Lacey about the importance of the Hermosa project for America's clean energy supply chain – and what it means to run a next-generation mine.

To learn more about how Hermosa can help power the nation’s clean energy future and strengthen the domestic supply chain of critical minerals, go to south32hermosa.com.

America’s historic climate law, one year on Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

A year after it was passed, the Inflation Reduction Act is already reshaping the energy and automotive industries in the U.S.

New factories for a wide array of clean energy components are being planned. Old factories are being reopened, retooled, or expanded. According to a Canary Media analysis, that is amounting to over $70 billion in new investments in the manufacturing sector for electric cars, EV parts, batteries, battery recycling, and wind and solar assembly.

Wind, solar, and battery developers are planning major increases in deal flow and projects, thanks to expanded tax credits.

Meanwhile, companies building an emerging set of technologies – like carbon removal, hydrogen, and novel long-duration storage – are also expanding.

But there are still plenty of debates and uncertainties around implementation, ranging from how to structure subsidies, who benefits from them, and whether they’ll be enough to keep supply chains in America for the long haul.

On this week’s episode of The Carbon Copy, we have a conversation with three journalists who are reporting on the lasting impacts of the IRA: Maria Gallucci, a clean energy reporter at Canary Media; Jeff St. John, director of news and special projects at Canary Media; and Julian Spector, a senior reporter at Canary Media.

Read all of Canary’s coverage of how the IRA is impacting America’s domestic energy industry.

The high stakes debate over green hydrogen Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

In August, the US government is set to issue standards for hydrogen tax credits. Over the last year, a debate has been raging over how strict those standards should be for matching renewables with hydrogen production.

With rules set to be released in the coming weeks, ad campaigns have popped up from industry trying to persuade the feds to adopt looser standards, and green groups pushing for

Without clear standards for matching renewables to hydrogen production, emissions could double, says Adithya Bhashyam, an associate hydrogen analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Adi closely tracks the industry, and has been modeling the market impacts of different standards. This week, we’ll talk with him about how standards might unfold in the US, how Europe’s newly-passed rules might influence the outcome, and why we need green hydrogen in the first place.

A surprise benefit of rooftop solar in New England Jul 26, 2023

Show notes

For years, rooftop solar was overlooked as a reliability solution in New England. But in a very sudden reversal, the region's grid operator says it’s critical to keeping the lights on across the region.

New England doesn't have its own fossil resources, so the region is dependent on oil and natural gas imported from other regions of the country. Over the last decade and a half, aging coal, nuclear, and oil-fired units have been retired there. Because of interconnection constraints and lots of NIMBYism, gas has mostly filled in the gap – not utility-scale renewables.

But distributed solar is suddenly providing a benefit for the New England system operator that will help it close an aging, expensive gas power plant remains open for reliability reasons.

This week, we'll talk with reporter Ben Storrow about his reporting on the value of solar. First, we'll look at what's changed in New England. Then we'll turn our attention to Texas, where renewables have been critical for managing the grid during a sweltering summer that has brought record-breaking power demand.

This podcast is brought to you by KORE Power, an American manufacturer of battery cells for electric vehicles and stationary storage. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a conversation with KORE CEO Lindsay Gorrill about how America can slash its dependence on imported critical minerals and batteries.

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.

What’s the next big trend in clean energy? Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

For decades, we have wildly underestimated the growth of renewables. Now that cost curves and deployments have exceeded all expectations, what’s next for the clean energy industry?

This week, we feature a conversation between journalist David Roberts and futurist Ramez Naam about what's ahead for tech trends – from renewables and batteries, to grid management, to space-based solar power and geoengineering.

This conversation was recorded in Seattle at a recent Canary Media Live event. Be sure to get your tickets to the Bay Area event in October.

Thanks to our sponsors:

This podcast is brought to you by KORE Power, an American manufacturer of battery cells for electric vehicles and stationary storage. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a conversation with KORE CEO Lindsay Gorrill about how America can slash its dependence on imported critical minerals and batteries.

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.

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.

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