Today, solar’s dominance feels inevitable. But in 1979, when Neville Williams started promoting the industry at the Department of Energy, it felt like a far-off dream.
That didn’t stop the early pioneers from thinking big and pushing the government to invest in the early technology – helping solar module costs fall from $55 per watt in the 1970s to 50 cents ... Show More
Aug 19
Petrostates, electrostates, and the energy transition. Gerard Reid of the Redefining Energy podcast visits the Energy Gang
Is the global transition to low-carbon energy accelerating or slowing down? One answer is that it depends where you look. In the US, energy policy has shifted away from support for low-carbon technologies, but China is continuing with record installations of solar, wind, and batt ... Show More
1h 3m
Aug 5
Planning the grid to meet future energy demand | A discussion on the future of the grid, AI, energy innovation, and delivering the electricity supply we will need in the coming decades
The grid “is designed for the core components - supplying electricity - but we are definitely pushing it to its limits,” says Melissa Lott, Partner for energy technologies at Microsoft*. The electricity grid has been described as one of the greatest achievements of human civilisa ... Show More
1h 11m
Jul 22
What will energy look like 5 years after the 'Big Beautiful Bill?' The Energy Gang report from 2030.
In this episode, we take a trip in a time machine, five years into the future. 2030 has been set as a deadline for many climate goals, and is a milestone for checking progress towards a low-carbon energy system. Ed Crooks, Amy Myers Jaffe and Melissa Lott imagine themselves five ... Show More
1h 14m
Feb 2024
Leading the charge in commercial solar | Steve Raeder, CEO of Summit Ridge Energy
In this week's episode, Gil Jenkins sits down with Steve Raeder, the founder and CEO of Summit Ridge Energy. As a leading player in the community solar market, Summit Ridge Energy (SRE) has made significant strides since its inception in 2017, deploying over $1.6 billion into cle ... Show More
26m 36s
May 2023
The Four Horsemen of the Energy Transition: Where’s The Money Going?
Solar, wind, hydrogen and nuclear – we need more investment in these renewables, but where can the money come from? In 2022, worldwide investment in renewables hit almost half a trillion dollars. Investment in solar – the largest sector - jumped 36% to 308 billion. Investment in ... Show More
55m 28s
Feb 2024
The Solar-Powered Scammer
When Jeff Carpoff starts a business making portable solar generators, it becomes an instant hit among big corporations, Hollywood studios, and deep-pocketed investors. They think they’re getting a good deal on green energy – and a huge tax credit to go along with it. But Jeff’s c ... Show More
42m 55s
Mar 2020
A Founder's Tech-to-Climate Journey
This week: what one entrepreneur's story tells us about the migration of talent from tech to climate.Jason Jacobs is the founder of My Climate Journey, a podcast, newsletter, and slack room that brings together a high-level group of people who are dedicating their careers to addr ... Show More
39m 48s
Nov 2022
Climate tech to save the planet: Techno-optimism or greenwashing?
Billions of dollars are being spent by tech companies and investors on new technology to fight climate change. In the final episode of this series of Tech Tonic, Eric Toone, from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund, tells FT columnist and host Pilita Clark why he believ ... Show More
24m 22s
Apr 2022
Redefining Energy Storage
When the sun stays out for a few extra hours in summer, where do we store the excess energy? This is one of the biggest challenges facing the renewable energy industry. When looking at countries like Norway, which is currently powered by 50% renewable energy, mostly coming from H ... Show More
1h 1m