logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2023
56m 42s

The Energy Gang Live from NYU’s '2040 No...

Wood Mackenzie
About this episode

It’s a special edition of the Energy Gang this week. New York University’s 2040 Now event is an initiative focused on addressing the challenges posed by climate change, and this week the Energy Gang joined in. As part of the week of exercises, talks, exhibitions and discussions, regular Energy Gang member Amy Myers-Jaffe led a workshop on building energy transition scenarios, looking for ways to deepen our understanding of the present and strengthen our predictions about the future. The Energy Gang was there to record live in the Kimmel Center for University Life at NYU. 

Scenario analysis is particularly useful for analyzing the energy transition, because its trajectory is still uncertain, and a large number of variables can influence outcomes. Some of the most important of those variables are qualitative rather than quantitative, making them hard to analyze in a computer simulation such as an energy systems model. Thinking about a wide range of scenarios is a vital tool for testing assumptions and highlighting alternative possibilities. 

Amy and host Ed Crooks were joined by Energy Gang regular Robbie Orvis, Senior Director of Modelling and Analysis at the think-tank Energy Innovation, and by Erin Coughlan de Perez, Dignitas Associate Professor at Tufts University.

With contributions from NYU professors, students and invited guests, they discussed the aspects of climate, policy, technology and finance that will shape our energy system and climate over the decades to come. And they ask the question: when we try to predict the future of energy, what are we missing?


Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we’re @theenergygang  

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati—the premier legal services provider to technology, life sciences, and clean energy enterprises. Wilson Sonsini has built a leading energy and climate solutions practice and its team is dedicated to a single goal: advancing what’s next in the energy industry.  

For more information about Wilson Sonsini’s energy and climate change team, visit wsgr.com 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
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
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
Covid Gave Us a Glimpse of the Future [Special Content from Wartsila]
What if we could see into the future? In 2020, we got our clearest view yet.Last March, lockdowns swept across Europe, forcing an eerie silence on some of the world’s most iconic and bustling cities. It caused a steep drop in electricity consumption -- putting pressure on thermal ... Show More
15m 57s
Jun 2023
2418: British Gas Zero: The Technology Building a Sustainable Energy Future
Andrew Middleton from British Gas Zero joins me on this episode of Tech Talks Daily.  Andrew plays a pivotal role in a venture dedicated to installing, managing, and supporting EV chargers, heat pumps, and smart home technologies. These innovations are helping pave the way to a d ... Show More
24m 33s
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
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
Jun 2022
Babbage: How to go green amid an energy crisis
The energy shock threatens to derail action on climate change. Which technologies will enable the green transition, while ensuring energy security, too? Vijay Vaitheeswaran, The Economist's global energy & climate innovation editor, describes the pathway to a decarbonised future. ... Show More
37m 34s
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
Jun 2022
The emerging market for energy storage
Oil and gas prices have risen sharply after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and as a result many countries have signalled a move towards more renewable energy. One of the challenges for the future will be how to store energy produced by wind and solar power so it can be used at the ... Show More
17m 29s
May 2024
Houser on the Green Energy Transition
The Inside Economics team is joined by Moody’s Analytics colleague Chris Lafakis along with Trevor Houser from the Energy & Climate practice at Rhodium Group for a discussion on how the Inflation Reduction Act promotes the U.S.'s transition to green energy. Podcast host Mark Zand ... Show More
1h 19m
Mar 2022
Qu'est-ce que le Global Digital Power Forum ?
Il y a peu, près de 200 acteurs des technologies vertes se sont réunies à Barcelone pour le Global Digital Power Forum. Cette grand messe de la tech verte avait cette année pour thème Lighting Up a Low-Carbon Smart Future (mettre en avant un futur intelligent bas-carbone). Tout ç ... Show More
2m 4s
Jan 2024
Top Energy Headlines in Washington in 2024
As 2024 kicks off, energy and climate policy discussions loom large in Washington. With the added complexity of the November presidential elections in the U.S., it remains uncertain what will happen regarding the increasingly partisan issues of environmental regulation and green ... Show More
45m 55s