The Keep Cool Podcast

Latest Episodes:

E69: Understanding the full scope of the Loan Programs Office with Arpita Bhattacharyya Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

Nick is joined by Arpita Bhattacharyya, Chief Climate Officer at the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, where she helps understand common barriers that slow down deployment in the Loan Programs Office's $200+ billion portfolio of deals. Her work also entails understanding the community engagement, equity, and communication considerations necessary to develop and fund new programs and projects, like the LPO's Tribal Energy Financing Program. Specifically, Nick and Arpita discussed:

Tribal Energy Finance Program: Arpita shares insights into the Tribal Energy Finance Program, highlighting how the LPO provides specific technical assistance for tribes across the country to develop new clean energy projects like solar and storage microgrids to enhance energy resilience and sovereignty. Nick and Arpita also discuss the success of the Viejas microgrid project as a template for future tribal energy initiatives.
Industrial Decarbonization: Nick and Arpita delve into the challenges and opportunities inherent to industrial decarbonization, focusing on sectors like low-carbon cement and steel. Arpita emphasizes the need for patient capital and innovative solutions. We also discuss how the federal government's investments in industrial decarbonization projects signal a shift towards a more holistic energy transition and a broader lens of sustainability.
Community Engagement and Communication: Arpita highlights the foundational importance of effective community engagement for the entirety of the energy transition.

Timestamps:

00:03:23 - Arpita's Background in Climate Work

00:05:12 - Role at the Loan Programs Office

00:06:31 - Disambiguation of Government Offices and the Department of Energy's Mandate

00:10:03 - Work at the Loan Programs Office in 2024

00:12:08 - Tribal Energy Finance Program Stewardship

00:17:39 - Viejas Microgrid Project Overview

00:22:10 - Templatizing Solar and Storage Projects

00:25:07 - Addressing Program Challenges

00:30:03 - Speeding Up the Loan Programs Office Process

00:36:02 - Communicating Energy Transition Benefits

00:40:05 - Challenges in Industrial Decarbonization

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and the DOE's Loan Programs Office in said transition. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about the Loan Programs Office and projects like the Viejas Tribe microgrid on their website: https://www.energy.gov/lpo/loan-programs-office +

https://www.energy.gov/lpo/articles/lpo-announces-conditional-commitment-viejas-microgrid-build-renewable-utility-scale

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much.

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://x.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

E68: Investing in water with Tom Ferguson, Founder and Managing Partner at Burnt Island Ventures Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

Nick is joined by Tom Ferguson, Founder and Managing Partner at Burnt Island Ventures, one of the first venture capital firms focused on investing in startups driving innovation in water-focused applications and industries.

Despite touching nearly everything on Earth, water is an under-discussed, under-invested in, and under-resourced category. As a result, innovation in the space often lags other areas that get more attention, whether fintech, crypto, or AI. At the same time, water is one of several categories that could see the most disruption due to climate change. Hence, Tom & team are on a mission to not just invest well in water but to grow the category as a whole. As part of their conversation, Nick & Tom also discussed:

Scope & Definition: Nick & Tom spend time breaking down and decomposing what is even meant by ‘water’ when we try to understand it as an industry.
Portfolio Companies: Tom runs through seminal examples of several portfolio companies that underscore the types of companies Burnt Island Ventures invests in and the impact they’re targeting
Storytelling and Intangibles: Nick & Tom stress the need for better storytelling in the water sector to attract more investment and public interest.

Timestamps:

00:01:23 - Tom's Journey into Water Investment

00:03:23 - Breaking Down the Water Investment Landscape

00:06:09 - Challenges in Water Sector Investment & Reframing the Industry

00:13:07 - Burnt Island Ventures' Mission

00:15:51 - Highlighting Portfolio Companies

00:22:03 - FundOne Portfolio Overview

00:27:00 - The Overlooked Importance of Water in Various Sectors

00:34:17 - The Importance of Storytelling + The Role of Investors in Water Sector

00:37:00 - Cross-Cutting Issues in Climate and Energy

00:39:53 - The Role of Water in Climate Adaptation

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and investing in water and what the ‘water’ category as a whole even entails and represents. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about Burnt Island Ventures on their website and LinkedIn: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much.

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

E67: Decarbonizing hydrogen and carbon black by splitting methane with Monolith Materials CEO, Rob Hanson May 27, 2024

Show notes

Description: Nick is joined by Rob Hanson, the CEO of Monolith, a company building methane pyrolysis plants to turn methane into hydrogen and carbon black, both of which are critical products for global industries and which are predominantly produced with significant emissions footprints today. Monolith’s process aims to decarbonize hydrogen and carbon black production while commercializing to scales of clean production not seen almost anywhere else in the world. Nick and Rob also discuss the duality of methane’s inherent economic value and its staggering cost to the environment, especially as a major global warming driver, as well as:

Technical ins and outs: Among other things, one of the pieces of technologies Monolith has built is one of the world’s largest plasma torches. Not sure what that means? Listen for more.
What it’s like working with the DOE’s Loan Programs Office: While the Loan Programs Office's risk appetite doesn’t suit itself to every type of project, Rob breaks down under what circumstances working with the LPO can be a powerful partnership to scale critical clean technologies.
Sustained will for the energy transition: Why ‘sustainability’ is about a lot more than just greenhouse gas emissions and other ‘green’ metrics.

Timestamps:

00:03:08 - Methane's role across environmental and economic impact

00:04:11 - Rob's background and journey to Monolith

00:06:10 - The Role of DOE's Loan Programs Office

00:09:03 - Deep dive into Monolith's technology and development

00:19:08 - Carbon Black production and usage

00:26:33 - Challenges and rigor required to work with the LPO

00:30:08 - Monolith's future production capacity and impact

00:33:32 - The importance of economic viability without green premiums

00:36:07 - Sustained will and what the energy transition holistically requires

00:38:33 - Perception of the energy transition in the Midwest

00:41:47 - Calls to action

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and the role of hydrogen in decarbonizing industry. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about Monolith on their website and LinkedIn: https://monolith-corp.com/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/monolith-corp/

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much.

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

E66: Building flywheels of irreversible momentum for methane monitoring & measurement May 13, 2024

Show notes

Description: Nick is joined by Jigar Shah, the Director of the DOE’s Loan Programs Office, and Ian Dickinson, the CEO of LongPath Technologies, to discuss the commercialization of novel methane monitoring technologies to accelerate lower-hanging fruit in methane mitigation. Specifically, Jigar, Ian, and Nick discuss the ongoing methane measurement technologies LongPath is building for oil and gas infrastructure in the Permian Basin and what climate, economic, safety, and regulatory impacts are being driven by a step-change in methane measurement and monitoring technologies. Further, Jigar, Ian, and Nick also discuss:

Bridging financing gaps: The Loan Programs Office’s role in financing climate and energy technologies to create “flywheels of irreversible momentum,” in Jigar’s words.
Momentum for methane: The range of tailwinds coalescing right now for methane measurement and mitigation that are accelerating the work of companies like LongPath
The oil and gas industry’s role: What does the oil and gas industry think of trends in methane measurement and monitoring, whether from a technology perspective or with respect to new regulations coming to the fore in the U.S. to price methane emissions?

Timestamps:

00:03:31 - Loan Programs Office's Support for Climate Tech Companies

00:04:40 - Methane's Impact on Global Warming vs. Lack of Financing

00:05:16 - Economic Incentives to Address Methane Leaks

00:08:33 - Technologies for Methane Detection and Monitoring

00:10:26 - LongPath's Development and Commercialization

00:15:15 - Safety Benefits of Novel Methane Monitoring

00:18:45 - Operational and Compliance Challenges in Methane Management

00:22:40 - EPA's Methane Regulations and Industry Impact

00:27:29 - Potential Global Impact of Methane Management Technologies

00:30:12 - Broader Economic and Environmental Benefits of Methane Reduction

00:31:38 - LPO's Goals and Impact on Hard Tech Innovation

00:33:40 - Working with the Loan Programs Office

00:35:09 - Other Exciting Developments in Climate Tech and Energy

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and the role of DOE's Loan Programs Office in accelerating the energy transition in the U.S. and globally. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about LongPath Technologies on their website and LinkedIn: https://www.longpathtech.com/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/longpathtech/

Learn more about the DOE’s Loan Programs Office on their website and LinkedIn: https://www.energy.gov/lpo/loan-programs-office / https://www.linkedin.com/company/doe-loan-programs-office/

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much.

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

E65: Building the common operating picture for climate action with Vibrant Planet Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

Nick and Allison Wolff, CEO of Vibrant Planet, discuss the platform Allison and company are building to accelerate environmentally and economically sound outcomes in natural resource management, wildfire risk mitigation, and more. Whether your interest stems from curiosity around optimal use cases for AI and machine learning in climate action or nature-based solutions ranging from proactive land management to mitigate wildfires or the reintroduction of beavers, there’s something in this episode for everyone. Specifically, Nick and Allison discuss:

How Vibrant Planet’s platform is a perfect case study of using AI and ML for climate action
Rapid outcomes Vibrant Planet has driven by digitizing natural resource management processes and uniting all required stakeholders more seamlessly
Underappreciated opportunities for significant impact in nature-based solutions, as well as underappreciated careers that people interested in climate work should consider

Timestamps:

00:03:51 - The Multifaceted Impact of Vibrant Planet's Platform

00:10:44 - The Pre-Digital State of Fire Risk Management

00:14:16 - The Importance of AI in Vibrant Planet's Platform

00:19:28 - Global Expansion and Key Use Cases

00:24:03 - Business Model and Customer Base

00:25:44 - Emerging Markets and the Future of Carbon and Biodiversity Credits

00:32:20 - A Concrete Example of Vibrant Planet's Impact

00:36:07 - Challenges and Concerns for the Future

00:42:14 - Calls to Action and Keeping Up with Vibrant Planet

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and the future of nature-based solutions work to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about Vibrant Planet on their website and LinkedIn: https://www.vibrantplanet.net/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/vibrant-planet/

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much.

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

SPECIAL EPI: How Glassdome digitizes and accelerates industrial decarbonization Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

Nick and Josh Charnin-Aker, Glassdome’s co-founder and CTO, as well as TJ Yoon, Product Manager, discuss how Glassdome is building a platform and a deeply experienced team to accelerate sustainability in manufacturing, heavy industry, and more. Not only does this involve building a first-in-class digital product to help customers like SK manage things like product carbon footprint calculations, but it also entails getting their hands dirty to collect novel, primary data from manufacturing environments and supply chains. Specifically, Nick, Josh, and TJ discuss:

The new base layer for manufacturing and industrial decarbonization Glassdome is building
The regulatory environment and specific rules and regulations necessitate a much deeper understanding of supplier and factory-level data from manufacturers
How deeper and digital intelligence will accelerate sustainability outcomes in what are traditionally thought of as ‘hard-to-abate’ industries

Timestamps:

00:03:27 - Overview of Glassdome's Business Focus

00:06:12 - EU and SEC Regulatory Landscape

00:08:45 - EU Battery Regulations and Challenges

00:12:07 - EU Battery Regulation Impact on Manufacturers

00:14:04 - Facilitating Deeper Data Understanding in Manufacturing Supply Chains

00:20:01 - Differentiation from Other Carbon Accounting Software

00:21:37 - Acquiring Data from Outdated Manufacturing Equipment

00:23:31 - Granularity of Emissions Data in Manufacturing

00:25:46 - Macro vs. Micro-Level Emissions Analysis

00:27:03 - Opportunities for Manufacturing Decarbonization

00:30:08 - Global Shifts in Manufacturing Sustainability

00:39:41 - The Broader Context of Sustainability Beyond Emissions

00:42:10 - Call to Action for Listeners and Job Seekers

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and the role of better data to accelerate industrial decarbonization. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about Glassdome on their website and LinkedIn: https://glassdome.com/ / https://glassdome.com/

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much.

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

E63: Literally making It rain with Augustus Doricko of Rainmaker Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

Nick and Augustus Doricko, Founder and CEO of Rainmaker, discuss the viability of cloud seeding to (quite literally) make it rain more. Whether for farmers dealing with drought or depleted aquifers or for adaptive purposes such as mitigating wildfires, the potential applications of cloud seeding and making rain more abundant are endless. Nick and Augustus dive deep into the history, theory, and modern current state of cloud seeding while turning an eye to what to expect from Rainmaker in Q2 2024 and beyond. In addition, they discuss:

The various approaches and technical complexities inherent to cloud seeding
Whether cloud seeding simply “pulls forward” rain that would otherwise have precipitated
How to encourage more people to pursue hard problems and the value of non-linear career and life paths

Timestamps:

00:02:06 - Overview of Rainmaker's Mission

00:03:00 - Public Perception and History of Cloud Seeding

00:04:49 - Breakthrough in Cloud Seeding Validation

00:07:40 - Cost Challenges and Rainmaker's Innovations

00:10:52 - Discussion on Cloud Seeding Materials

00:13:04 - The Confluence of Technologies in Modern Cloud Seeding

00:19:41 - Complexity in Climate and Water Systems

00:22:00 - Public Interest in Complex Climate Solutions

00:23:10 - The Importance of Long-Form Content

00:24:24 - Business Model and Customer Agreements at Rainmaker

00:30:03 - Pricing and Servicing Agreements for Water Production

00:31:57 - Rainmaker's Seeding Operations and Results

00:34:14 - Supply-Side Conversations in Water Resources

00:36:05 - Drone Technology and Altitude in Cloud Seeding

00:38:01 - Potential Synergies with Other Geoengineering Efforts

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and the role of novel geoengineering efforts in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about Rainmaker on their website and LinkedIn: https://www.makerain.com/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/rainmaker-technology-corporation/

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much.

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

E62: Infrastructure investing for the energy transition with John Skrinar, Partner at Cresta Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

Description: Nick and John Skrinar, Partner at Cresta Fund Management, explore the intersection of infrastructure investment, private equity, and the energy transition in the U.S. in 2024. Specifically, Nick and John discuss the merits of technologies ranging from carbon capture to hydrogen and renewable natural gas while also casting an eye to the political landscape and how sustainable infrastructure investing has changed over the past five years in the U.S. In addition, Nick and John dove deep on the following topics:

Other technologies like thermal energy storage, which is commercializing as we speak and offer a cost-effective solution to store and utilize excess renewable energy
The importance and state of stable policy: Nick and John discuss the IRA, the need for further clarification on its components, and other stable policies like the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
The importance of "boring capital" in climate tech and energy investment: As more large private equity firms enter the market, it signals a maturation of the industry.

Timestamps:

00:01:52 - Climate Tech Investment Landscape

00:04:48 - Molecule-focused Energy Infrastructure

00:05:09 - The Role of Private Equity in Energy Transition

00:06:13 - Types of Projects and Technologies for 2024

00:07:17 - The Mainstreaming of Carbon Capture

00:11:27 - The Role of Stable Policy in Infrastructure Investment

00:15:22 - Specific Projects Supported by Cresta

00:21:07 - The Potential of Renewable Natural Gas

00:24:06 - The Process of Creating Sustainable Aviation Fuel

00:29:57 - Cresta's Investment Strategy for 2024

00:31:24 - The Practical Applications of Green Hydrogen

00:34:24 - The Need for Stable Policy in Energy Investments

00:35:16 - Policy Tailwinds and Headwinds in the US

00:37:25 - The Impact of State-Level Policies on Energy Transition

00:40:37 - The Importance of Boring Investments in Energy Transition

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and the role of infrastructure investing in various critical capital stacks. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the latest episodes.

Learn more about Cresta on their website and LinkedIn: https://www.crestafunds.com/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/crestafunds/

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much.

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

E61: Making more climate resilient chocolate with Kawa Project and CEO, Aaron Feigelman Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Nick and Aaron Feigelman, the CEO of Kawa Project, dive deep on the world of waste-to-value alternatives to commodities like cocoa and palm oil. Specifically Nick and Aaron discuss why cocoa prices are soaring, how there’s a ton of ‘climate’ stories inherent to this dynamic, and the work Aaron’s company is doing to make cocoa alternatives that are sustainable and future-proof. In addition, Nick and Aaron walk through:

All the climactic impacts inherent to supply chains for things like cocoa
The benefit of waste-to-value approaches in climate tech and energy
The nuts and bolts (or beans?) of the cocoa industry and Kawa Project’s business

Don't miss out on this podcast if you’re interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, food and agriculture, waste-to-value approaches, and more! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the latest episodes.

00:01:34 - Food Waste Statistics and Environmental Impact

00:04:51 - Challenges and Pivots in Business Model

00:08:05 - Kawa Project's Current Focus and Progress

00:13:43 - Impact Layers and Keeping Waste Out of Landfills

00:15:00 - The Iterative Process of Product Development

00:16:03 - The Economics of Waste Management

00:18:45 - Centralization of Cocoa Supply Chain

00:20:07 - Scale and Sales Cycle in B2B Ingredient Sales

00:23:59 - The Biggest Challenges for Kawa Project in 2024

00:27:38 - Aaron's Broader Thoughts on Climate and Industry

00:33:44 - The Free Market and Climate Solutions

Learn more about Kawa Project on their website: https://www.thekawaproject.com/

If you love listening to The Keep Cool Show, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/keepcool

Thank you so much!

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Nick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/

E60: Keeping methane out of the atmosphere by using it on Earth, with Windfall Bio Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Description: Nick and Josh Silverman, the CEO of Windfall Bio, discuss his companies novel methane utilization technologies while casting a wide net across the climate tech ecosystem to discuss dynamics inherent to the methane ‘story’ as a whole and why methane mitigation deserves more attention from stakeholders across climate and energy (as well as listeners like you)

Why methane in general deserves a lot more attention in climate circles
Why methane hasn’t gotten more attention until now
A novel way to use methane on Earth, keeping it out of the atmosphere

Don't miss out on this podcast if you’re interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, methane mitigation, energy, and more! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the latest episodes.

00:01:57 - Needed Nuance in Climate Discussions and Methane's Role

00:04:04 - Reversing Climate Change with Methane Reduction

00:09:06 - Using Methane as a Feedstock

00:14:37 - Windfall Bio's Business Model and Go-to-Market Strategy

00:19:31 - Customizing Solutions for Different Methane Sources

00:25:17 - The Self-Sustaining Business Model of Windfall Bio

00:26:34 - The Importance of Sustainability in Business

00:31:11 - The Persistence of Methane Emissions Despite Its Value

00:34:12 - Case Study: Methane Mitigation on a Dairy Farm

00:44:13 - The Need for a Broader Focus Beyond CO2 in Climate Action

00:49:24 - The Positive Movement in Methane Regulation and Awareness

Learn more about Windfall Bio on their website: https://www.windfall.bio/