The energy transition in China is a complex picture. China is both the world’s largest annual greenhouse gas emitter and the largest market for electric vehicles. It’s the largest user of coal, and it deploys more wind and solar every year than the rest of the world combined. It’s both the largest worry in terms of rising CO2 concentrations, and th…

In August 2024, Chris commenced a three-month research trip across Australia and New Zealand to explore their unique challenges and opportunities in the energy transition, and to conduct interviews with the people involved. This episode kicks off a miniseries based on those travels. We start by speaking with Giles Parkinson, a journalist for more t…

Can the energy transition happen fast enough if investor-owned utilities (IOUs) continue to operate the US grid under a regulated monopoly business model? Our guest today says no. These profit-driven utilities have used their monopoly status to protect their market position and undermine the energy transition. Their control over generation, transmi…

Two decades ago, there was a surge of interest to make appliances, buildings, and utility meters smarter. Startups emerged to explore ways to monitor and manage electricity usage and optimize grid power, aiming to better align with the increasing supply of variable renewable energy. At the same time, utilities began rolling out millions of so-calle…

Why have our climate policies failed to significantly reduce carbon emissions? What new strategies could help us decarbonize the global energy system five times faster — as is needed to avoid the worst climate scenarios? Our guest in this episode believes he has some answers to these questions. Simon Sharpe has been personally involved in the craft…

The transition from oil-burning vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) has hit a few speed bumps over the past year, sparking widespread media coverage, but not much insight. A confusing tangle of narratives has emerged: Are EV sales surging or stalling? What does it mean for Ford and GM to adopt Tesla’s charger connector when Elon Musk just laid off …

What is the full potential for distributed solar power in the US? Many models have been developed to explore how a decarbonized US energy system could look, consistently finding that solar power would be the dominant source of electricity. Yet, we don’t really know the full potential for distributed solar. Even the term “distributed solar” isn’t ve…

Most climate communicators emphasize the risk of climate change, in the belief that if only people understood how dangerous it is, they would do something about it. But what if terrifying messages about rising sea levels and life-threatening weather events have the opposite effect? What if they only serve to turn people off, rather than motivate th…

The United States faces significant challenges in deploying enough transmission capacity and interconnections to support a modernized grid. Approximately 2.5 TW of new clean wind, solar, and storage capacity is currently on hold — twice the country’s current generating capacity of 1.28 TW. These projects are just awaiting transmission interconnecti…

In recent months, reports have circulated that data centers, cryptocurrency miners, and AI technologies are suddenly increasing electricity demand, allegedly straining power grids. These declarations have prompted calls for the hasty approval of new gas-fired power plants to bolster generation capacity. But should we believe these claims? We remain…

What is the role and potential of demand-side solutions in the energy transition?XE Network

Will the final proposed rules for the US 45V hydrogen production tax credit stimulate a vibrant green hydrogen industry without increasing carbon emissions?XE Network

As we phase out fossil fuels, can the revenues they have supplied to some communities be replaced by revenues from clean energy projects?XE Network

How can green industrial policy harness the tools of capitalism and growth to make the energy transition successful?XE Network

What causes inflation? And how is it connected to the energy transition?XE Network

Author Akshat Rathi shares key insights from his new book, Climate Capitalism, about how the private sector provides scalable solutions to climate change.XE Network

Nuclear power’s long track record of failure, including that of small modular reactors (SMRs), shows why it will not contribute to the energy transition.XE Network

A new report details policies that can accelerate the decarbonization of the entire US economy, along with the risks and barriers to their implementation.XE Network

Retrofitting buildings to the Passivhaus standard can make them far healthier and more comfortable, while consuming far less energy than conventional buildings.XE Network

What will cause global demand for oil to peak and decline until it reaches zero by 2050?XE Network

How must the oil and gas industry prepare for the world to stop using their products entirely by 2050?XE Network

Climate scientist Dr. Michael E. Mann answers some of the hottest questions today about climate science.XE Network

Is offshore wind dead in the water, or just facing some temporary turbulence? Chris Nelder reports on the offshore wind sector from the UK.XE Network

A small island in Scotland became the world’s first community to launch an off-grid electric system powered by wind, water and solar. Here’s how they did it.XE Network

Why do some people believe we should accelerate the energy transition, while others claim that it will never work and advocate for things like degrowth policies instead?XE Network