logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
55m 28s

The Four Horsemen of the Energy Transiti...

Wood Mackenzie
About this episode

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 wind – the second largest – remained stable at 175 billion. Overall investment in the energy transition topped 1.1 trillion dollars. The amount invested in new renewable projects is at the highest level in history – but it’s still not enough. For us to achieve net zero by 2050, it’s estimated we need between 3-5 trillion dollars a year going into the industry.  

 

On the Interchange today, we look at the flow of money needed across renewable projects. We focus on hydrogen, nuclear, wind and solar: the four horsemen of the energy transition. Joining us on the show are two of the leading climate economists in the US, both from Columbia University, Gernot Wagner and Bruce Usher. Gernot is a senior lecturer at Columbia, and he explores the policy decisions and economic barriers to the mass adoption of renewables in the US. Bruce lectures as Director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia’s Business School, and he explains why hydrogen is such a promising piece of the energy transition puzzle.  

 

Together they look at the investment going into the four main renewable energies and analyse what more needs to be done to get clean energy investment to the level it needs to be.  

 

Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and follow us on Twitter – we’re @interchangeshow 

 

Wood Mackenzie’s Solar & Energy Storage Summit is back, taking place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 21 and 22. Join expert solar and storage analysts for discussions with leading grid-scale utilities, solar and energy storage developers and federal policy makers.  

How is the IRA catapulting the development of solar and storage in North America? How can we continue to build a productive environment for solar and energy storage as we move forward with the energy transition? What is required to nurture the development of a thriving localized storage component supply chain?  

Expect two days of panel discussions, presentations and workshops, as we explore the opportunities for solar and storage in the coming decades.  

If you are interested in sponsoring or attending find out more on woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit 

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

Up next
Jul 1
The oil and gas majors are phasing down their renewable strategies. What does it mean for climate goals?
In February this year BP announced it was cutting its investment in green energy ventures from $5B to $2B while reallocating $10B to fossil fuels, and abandoning its 2030 oil output reduction target. Shell has also scrapped its planned 20% carbon reduction cut for 2030. It’s not ... Show More
41m 32s
Jun 17
The world’s most-used carbon accounting rule is about to get a major overhaul. What does it mean for clean energy buyers?
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol – the global gold standard for measuring corporate emissions – is under review, and the proposed changes could dramatically reshape how clean energy is bought, sold, and reported. New draft rules are expected by the end of the year.What changes could w ... Show More
34m 36s
Jun 3
It’s turbulent times for the wind sector in the US, but the outlook is better across the pond. What can the US learn from Europe?
Nearly 150 days into President Trump’s second term, the outlook for wind energy in the United States - particularly offshore wind - is increasingly bleak. Trump had pledged to end offshore wind development, and now the House Ways and Means Committee is proposing a phase-out of ta ... Show More
41m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
The Current State of Investment in the Energy Transition
The world is facing a great financial strain - what does this mean for the investment in the energy transition?On this episode of the Energy Gang, host Ed Crooks is joined by Nneka Kibuule from Aligned Climate Capital, and Sam Scroggins from Lazard. The gang starts the discussion ... Show More
57m 11s
Jun 2023
Big Green Is Under Attack - As Clean Energy Scales Up, Criticism Grows
More money will be invested this year in the solar industry than in oil production. So said Faith Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, last week. Amy Harder, executive editor of Cipher, attended the Cleanpower 2023 event in New Orleans and experienced at ... Show More
55m 29s
Jan 2023
What Could 2023 Deliver For Energy?
The Energy Gang is back. We’re only a couple of weeks into the new year but already so much has happened. A mild winter so far in Europe has sent wholesale gas prices falling, but there’s still a long way to go. Natural gas is expected to trade at 77.11 Euros per MWh by the end o ... Show More
46m 53s
Feb 2023
The IRA 9 Months On: What's Standing in the Way of Progress?
The US Clean Energy Boom: What Might Stop It?The US Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden last August, has transformed the outlook for low-carbon energy in the US, because of the array of tax credits and other policy support that has been put in place.Ov ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 2023
Is Geothermal Power The Key To Stabilizing The Grid?
Alternative sources of power are moving into the spotlight.As the share of dispatchable power in our electricity system declines, with coal-fired plants giving way to variable wind and solar, maintaining reliable supplies to keep the lights on becomes more complex. Investment in ... Show More
58m 45s
Feb 2024
2023 was a tough year for clean energy investment. Will 2024 be better?
There are no two ways around it: 2023 was a difficult year for low-carbon energy investment, and 2024 has so far carried on in very much the same vein.Rising interest rates, fears around future energy policy, cost inflation in some sectors, and perhaps a correction to some earlie ... Show More
1 h
May 2023
Wind and Whales: How Can We Manage The Conflicts When Energy Investment Affects Local Communities And Eco-systems?
On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks is joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Amy Duffuor, who is a General Partner at Azolla Ventures, a climate-focused investment firm. In this week’s episode, t ... Show More
1h 4m
May 2022
Energy Policy: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The energy transition is currently supported by three main pillars: science & technology, economics, and policy. In 2022 these three pillars are unaligned, with a lack of cohesion impeding progress. In today’s episode of the Energy Gang, the team explores three current events tha ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2014
Anatomy of a Solar Power Boom: Can the Industry Keep it Going?
As expected, 2013 was yet another record year for solar in the U.S. With 5.1 gigawatts of PV and CSP coming online, the solar industry was the second largest provider of electricity capacity behind natural gas. But how long will it continue? With a tax credit expiration looming, ... Show More
43m 9s
May 2023
AI in Energy; Evolution or Revolution?
The excitement around ChatGPT and other large language models has put AI firmly in the spotlight in recent months. Public perception is that we’re entering a new age of AI; it is a brand-new technology that promises to change our lives. In the world of energy, though, AI is not a ... Show More
53m 54s