A weekly podcast featuring veteran investor Shayle Kann interviewing experts about the state of the energy sector and the technologies powering decarbonization.Β
Shayle Kann is asking the big questions about the ways we power our world: How cheap can clean energy get? Where is the smart money going on new technologies? How will the AI boom both help and hinder us on our journey to decarbonization? Every Thursday on Catalyst, Shayle dives deep into the world of energy with prominent experts, investors, researchers, and executives to unpack both the solutions and the challenges at play in this ever-changing landscape.
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Cutting emissions is essential to avoiding the worst of climate change, but we also have to deal with the impacts of climate change happening now. Fortunately, thereβs a growing list of technologies that could help us adapt β and potentially turn a profit for investors, too. Will these emerging adaptation and resilience (A&R) technologies take off as an investment category?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Katie MacDonald, co-founder and managing partner at Tailwind. They talk about the areas of application β like wildfire prevention, air filtration, health monitoring, and more β that are attracting the attention of governments, corporations, and investors. But the space is young and still needs metrics and definitions, which is why Tailwind developed a taxonomy of A&R themes and sectors and plans to release an βinnovation playbookβ with market insights in the fall.Β
Shayle and Katie cover topics like:
Defining the scope of A&RΒ
Attracting resilience-curious investors to the space
The co-benefits with mitigation
How to measure the success of A&R
Growing demand signals from governments, such as Californiaβs climate risk disclosure requirements
Recommended resources
Tailwind: Taxonomy for Climate Adaptation and Resilience Activities
S&P Global: Risky Business: Companies' Progress On Adapting To Climate Change
Bloomberg Law: States Forge Ahead on Climate Disclosures as SECβs Plan Drags on
Catalyst is brought to you by Anza Renewables, a data, technology, and services platform for solar and storage buyers. Anzaβs real-time market intel equips buyers with the essential data they need to get the best deals. Download Anzaβs free Q2 Module Pricing Insights Report at go.anzarenewables.com/latitudeΒ
Catalyst is brought to you by Kraken, the advanced operating system for energy. Kraken is helping utilities offer excellent customer service and develop innovative products and tariffs through the connection and optimization of smart home energy assets. Already licensed by major players across the globe, including Origin Energy, E.ON, and EDF, Kraken can help you create a smarter, greener grid. Visit kraken.tech.
Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the global leader in integrated marketing, public relations, creative, and public affairs for energy and climate brands. If you're a startup, investor, or enterprise that's trying to make a name for yourself, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help tell your story and accelerate your growth engine. Learn more at antennagroup.com.
Why are we still flaring gas?
Thursday, August 29, 2024 β’ Duration 31:39
Oil producers waste a lot of natural gas. Last year they flared 150 billion cubic meters of associated gas into the atmosphere, equivalent to about half the global carbon emissions of aviation over a 30-year period.
So why are oil producers burning a valuable commodity like gas?
In this episode, Shayle talks to TomΓ‘s de Oliveira Bredariol, an energy and environmental policy analyst focused on methane at the IEA. So far, multiple major global initiatives havenβt made a dent in flare volumes, which have remained largely flat since 2010. Shayle and TomΓ‘s talk about the reasons why and the potential solutions, covering topics like:
The nine countries responsible for about three quarters of flare volumes
Why we donβt just build more pipelines
Why oil wells may choose expensive diesel instead of powering their equipment with associated gas
Converting gas into more valuable forms, like compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas, or methanol
The potential for regulation and financial incentives to push producers to cut flare volumes
Recommended resources
International Energy Agency: Curtailing Methane Emissions from Fossil Fuel Operations
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Stranded Natural Gas Roadmap
World Bank: Global Gas Flaring Data
Catalyst is brought to you by Anza Renewables, a data, technology, and services platform for solar and storage buyers. Anzaβs real-time market intel equips buyers with the essential data they need to get the best deals. Download Anzaβs free Q2 Module Pricing Insights Report at go.anzarenewables.com/latitudeΒ
Catalyst is brought to you by Kraken, the advanced operating system for energy. Kraken is helping utilities offer excellent customer service and develop innovative products and tariffs through the connection and optimization of smart home energy assets. Already licensed by major players across the globe, including Origin Energy, E.ON, and EDF, Kraken can help you create a smarter, greener grid. Visit kraken.tech.
Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the global leader in integrated marketing, public relations, creative, and public affairs for energy and climate brands. If you're a startup, investor, or enterprise that's trying to make a name for yourself, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help tell your story and accelerate your growth engine. Learn more at antennagroup.com.
Decarbonizing the high seas
Friday, July 12, 2024 β’ Duration 42:44
While aviation may be converging on one main pathway to decarbonization β sustainable aviation fuel β maritime shipping may require a more diverse set of solutions: a portfolio of fuels, energy efficiency, and on-board carbon capture and storage.
But each technology has operational and capital challenges. So what will it take to scale them up?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation. Ocean-going shipping consumes about 300 million tons of fuel per year, accounting for 3% of global emissions. But with significant regulatory pressure from bodies like the International Maritime Organization, shipping companies are exploring a range of options. Shayle and Lynn cover topics like:
Conventional fuels, like heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil
The inadvertent climate impact of cutting sulfur emissions
The pros and cons of lower-carbon fuels, like LNG, biofuels, methanol, and ammonia
The challenges for infrastructure and operations, especially involving the low volumetric energy density of new fuelsΒ
On-board carbon capture and storage
How energy efficiency reduces the impact of low volumetric energy density
Recommended resources
International Maritime Organization: Fourth Greenhouse Gas Study 2020
Catalyst: Heavy duty decarbonization
Catalyst: Putting a halt to geoengineering β by accident
Catalyst is brought to you by Anza Renewables, a data, technology, and services platform for solar and storage buyers. Anzaβs real-time market intel equips buyers with the essential data they need to get the best deals. Download Anzaβs free Q2 Module Pricing Insights Report at go.anzarenewables.com/latitude.
Catalyst is brought to you by Kraken, the advanced operating system for energy. Kraken is helping utilities offer excellent customer service and develop innovative products and tariffs through the connection and optimization of smart home energy assets. Already licensed by major players across the globe, including Origin Energy, E.ON, and EDF, learn how Kraken can help you create a smarter, greener grid at kraken.tech.
Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the global leader in integrated marketing, public relations, creative, and public affairs for energy and climate brands. If you're a startup, investor, or enterprise that's trying to make a name for yourself, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help tell your story and accelerate your growth engine. Learn more at antennagroup.com.
Whatβs holding up hydrogen in Europe?
Thursday, October 20, 2022 β’ Duration 43:40
Europeβs hydrogen economy is so close to becoming a reality. Billions in public and private dollars are lining up to invest in a wave of newly planned hydrogen facilities. EU policymakers are finalizing new regulations and subsidies. And the regionβs energy crisisβsparked by Russiaβs invasion of Ukraineβhas accelerated the need for alternative energy sources like hydrogen.
But an unexpected twist: The U.S. passed the Inflation Reduction Act, with subsidies for hydrogen production and far looser rules than those under consideration in Europe. Could Europe lose its hydrogen competitiveness?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Gniewomir Flis, an independent hydrogen consultant. Previously he researched hydrogen at Agora Energiewende, a decarbonization think tank, and Energy Revolution Venture, a decarbonization venture capital firm.
Gniewomir explains that some in Europe worry the U.S. might become a more attractive place to invest in hydrogen if the EUβs rules are too strict. This concern throws more complexity into an already difficult policy-making process. Itβs causing EU policymakers to fight over proposed rules and investors to delay final decisions to greenlight European projects.
Gniewomir and Shayle discuss questions like:
Whatβs the evidence for the concerns about Europeβs competitiveness?
What counts as renewable hydrogen in the proposed EU rules? They discuss the three key criteria that could be required for subsidies: additionality, temporal correlation and geographic correlation
Which electrolyzer technologyβproton exchange membrane (PEM), alkaline, or solid oxideβis best for which power generation technology, such as solar, gas, and wind?
How will the proposed rules impact developing countriesβ plans to export hydrogen to Europe?
How do we transport hydrogen? They discuss options, such as metal hydride, ammonia, methanol and liquid (also known as cryogenic) hydrogen.
Will China ultimately take over electrolyzer manufacturing, like it did for solar photovoltaic manufacturing?
Recommended Resources:
Agora Energiewende: 12 Insights on Hydrogen
Guidehouse: Facilitating hydrogen imports from non-EU countries
Florence School of Regulation: Green hydrogen: how grey can it be?
The New York Times: Can This Man Solve Europeβs Energy Conundrum?
Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more.
Catalyst is supported by CohnReznick, a trusted partner for navigating the complex and evolving financial, tax and regulatory landscape of the renewable sector. Visit cohnreznick.com to learn more.
What climatetech can learn from the oceans
Thursday, October 13, 2022 β’ Duration 37:03
So you want to build an offshore wind farm. Are you prepared to manage the marine ecosystem impacts of construction? What about monitoring and protecting underwater electrical cables?
Or maybe you want to decarbonize shipping. Do you know how to trace low-carbon fuel through ports or maintain storage tanks in marine environments? How about managing worker safety on the ocean?
These are the kinds of questions that crop up at the intersection of climatetech and something called bluetech, the range of technologies that touch the oceans. And this marine-based expertise may prove invaluable to climate solutions.Β
In this episode, Shayle talks to Alissa Peterson, co-founder and chief executive officer of SeaAhead, an organization that supports and incubates bluetech companies. They survey a range of technologies, covering topics like:
Alternative low-carbon fuels for shipping, such as ammonia, methanol and hydrogen
Alternative proteins, fisheries and kelp
Oceanic carbon removal, such as ocean alkalinity enhancement and sinking kelp to the bottom of the seabedΒ
In the U.S., will big coastal infrastructure, like offshore wind, suffer the same fate as long-distance transmission lines, stalling in an overly strict regulatory environment?
Recommended Resources:
Canary Media: Zero-emissions cargo shipping catches on in cities and port communities
Canary Media: Offshore wind installations surged threefold last year
SeaAhead : Innovation in Offshore Wind Reverse Pitch
MIT Technology Review: Companies hoping to grow carbon-sucking kelp may be rushing ahead of the science
Catalyst is a production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more.
Catalyst is supported by CohnReznick, a trusted partner for navigating the complex and evolving financial, tax and regulatory landscape of the renewable sector. Visit cohnreznick.com to learn more.
How well does soil actually store carbon?
Thursday, October 6, 2022 β’ Duration 35:25
Donβt miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.Β
Thereβs a buzz right now about paying farmers to trap and store emissions. Soil is a carbon sink, and certain farming practices accelerate carbon capture while others hurt it.Β
Enter soil carbon credits to incentivize sequestration through methods like cover cropping, no-till farming and agroforestry. These are practices often included under the umbrella of regenerative agriculture. So what does science say about how well these methods actually lock away carbon?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Eric Slessarev, staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he studies soil carbon.Β
Eric says thereβs a lot we donβt know about how well these practices actually work. There are even more fundamental questions like how much carbon is in the soil. Turns out dirt is pretty complicated.
They cover things like:
How exactly carbon gets into the soil and why it sticks around.
The challenges with measuring soil carbon.
The difference between soil carbon and enhanced weathering.
How microbes, minerals and the depth of root systems affect storage.
Specific practices like no-till farming, agroforestry and cover cropping.
Why our soil carbon models may need a big update.
Resources:
Canary Media: Carbon storage gets dirty: The movement to sequester CO2 in soils
International Soil Carbon Network Seminar Series: Towards a Durable Understanding of Soil Carbon as a Tool for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more.
Catalyst is supported by CohnReznick, your comprehensive source for navigating the complex and evolving financial, tax and regulatory landscape of the renewable sector. Visit cohnreznick.com to learn more.
Is the Inflation Reduction Act a win for EVs and batteries?
Thursday, September 29, 2022 β’ Duration 44:39
Donβt miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.Β
Depending on which headlines you read, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will either hurt U.S. electric vehicle sales by replacing existing tax credits with complicated new ones or build out a North American battery supply chain and rev up EV sales. So which is it?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Sam Jaffe, vice president of battery solutions at E-Source, about the key provisions of the IRAβs EV and battery tax credits. Sam explains how the IRA will spur a North American EV battery supply chain in the long run but will also create winners and losers along the way.Β
Thereβs a $30 billion pot of money for various tax credits and limited time to make use of them. Who will get to it first? There are already some early movers.
Sam explains the key provisions:
The EV components tax credit reduces the cost of EVs whose batteries contain materials assembled in the U.S. or its free-trade partner countries. This includes electrodes, electrolyte components and cells.Β
The strategic minerals tax credit reduces the cost of EVs whose batteries contain minerals mined and processed in the U.S. or its free-trade partner countries. These minerals include lithium, cobalt, and rare earth metals, among others.
The 45X advanced manufacturing production credit reduces the cost of making batteries in the U.S.
Certain credits ratchet up the percentage of materials required to qualify over several years. So once an EV model qualifies, it will have to maintain eligibility by getting a larger and larger share of its components and minerals from approved countries.
They also cover which part of the battery industry will benefit moreβ the EV battery side or the stationary storage side. And Sam explains why heβs paying attention to the Treasury Departmentβs forthcoming guidance on the tax credits.
Resources:
The New York Times: For Electric Vehicle Makers, Winners and Losers in Climate Bill
Canary Media: Private-sector reactions to the Inflation Reduction Act
Canary Media: 6 clean energy companies that are ramping up US manufacturing
Β
Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
Catalyst is supported by Antenna Group. For 25 years, Antenna has partnered with leading clean-economy innovators to build their brands and accelerate business growth. If you're a startup, investor, enterprise, or innovation ecosystem that's creating positive change, Antenna is ready to power your impact. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.ο»Ώ
Solar Power International and Energy Storage International are returning in-person this year as part of RE+. Come join everyone in Anaheim for the largest, B2B clean energy event in North America. Catalyst listeners can receive 15% off a full conference, non-member pass using promo code CANARY15. Register here.
Columbia Energy Exchange: Will Putinβs Energy Strategy Backfire?
Thursday, September 22, 2022 β’ Duration 54:19
Donβt miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.Β
Winter is coming. The energy crisis that is afflicting Europe and other parts of the world is worsening as Russia weaponizes natural gas.
This energy crisis has effects across climate tech, and so today weβre bringing you an episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, a podcast from Columbia Universityβs Center on Global Energy Policy. On Catalyst, we donβt usually dig so deep into geopolitics and policy, but this crisis has big implications for markets, investment and technology.Β
After Russian President Vladimir Putin turned off supply of Russian gas through the Nord Stream pipeline earlier this month, prices across Europe soared β causing severe pain for manufacturers and consumers, and pushing the region closer to recession. European countries are weighing emergency measures, like price caps and rationing.
In addition to the immediate energy crisis, key questions remain about what all of this means for the clean energy transition. The supply of critical materials for clean energy technologies β such as copper, lithium, and cobalt β will also present challenges. A recent report by S&P Global predicted that demand for copper will double by 2035 as a consequence of the energy transition, and it is unclear if the existing supply chains can sustain such an increase.Β
How can governments and companies address the energy crisis without sacrificing progress on climate? And how might current and future supply shortages change the geopolitical landscape?
This week, Columbia Energy Exchange host Jason Bordoff talks with Dr. Dan Yergin, an internationally known authority on energy, geopolitics, and economics. He sits on the boards of numerous institutions β including Columbiaβs Center of Global Energy Policy.
Dr. Yergin is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of βThe Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power.β And his most recent book, βThe New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations,β illustrates the greatest issues of geopolitics and energy today.Β
He is the Vice Chairman of S&P Global, and was the project Chairman for the report, βThe Future of Copper: Will the looming supply gap short-circuit the energy transition?β
Jason spoke with Dr. Yergin about the ongoing energy crisis, the supply of critical materials, and the future of energy superpowers.
Resources:
Simon & Schuster: The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power
Penguin Random House: The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations
Β
Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
Catalyst is supported by Antenna Group. For 25 years, Antenna has partnered with leading clean-economy innovators to build their brands and accelerate business growth. If you're a startup, investor, enterprise, or innovation ecosystem that's creating positive change, Antenna is ready to power your impact. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.ο»Ώ
Solar Power International and Energy Storage International are returning in-person this year as part of RE+. Come join everyone in Anaheim for the largest, B2B clean energy event in North America. Catalyst listeners can receive 15% off a full conference, non-member pass using promo code CANARY15. Register here.
Averting water wars as we decarbonize
Thursday, September 15, 2022 β’ Duration 39:13
Donβt miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.Β
We designed our power plants, refineries, and other energy infrastructure to depend on water. But not just any kind of waterβwater thatβs available at the right quantity, quality, place and time. When water falls outside of this Goldilocks zone, energy systems can unravel, sometimes in unexpected ways. Low water levels strain hydroelectric and thermal power production and restrict coal shipments by river. Extreme cold freezes water in natural gas infrastructure, causing blackouts. Examples abound.
The irony is that the energy system fuels climate change, which in turn fuelsΒ water problems for the energy system.Β
So how do we addressΒ these vulnerabilities as we decarbonize? And how can we build a resilient water-energy system in an increasingly chaotic climate?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Michael Webber, author of Thirst for Power: Energy, Water and Human Survival. Michael is a professor of energy resources at the University of Texas-Austin and chief technology officer at Energy Impact Partners, where Shayle is a partner.Β
They cover topics like:
The surprising places we use water in energy, like extracting minerals and natural gas, growing crops for biofuels andΒ sequestering carbon
The ways energy improves the quantity and quality of water, allowing us to move water longer distances, reach deeper wells and desalinate water
How to avoid exacerbating water problems as we decarbonize
Whether cheap, abundant electricity from nuclear fusion will power wide-spread desalination
Why the data on water systems is so scarce compared to energy systems
How prescient the new Mad Max water-war movies are
Resources:
Yale University Press: Thirst for Power: Energy, Water and Human Survival
The New York Times: Europeβs Scorching Summer Puts Unexpected Strain on Energy Supply
The New York Times: Chinaβs Record Drought Is Drying Rivers and Feeding Its Coal Habit
Β
Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
Catalyst is supported by Antenna Group. For 25 years, Antenna has partnered with leading clean-economy innovators to build their brands and accelerate business growth. If you're a startup, investor, enterprise, or innovation ecosystem that's creating positive change, Antenna is ready to power your impact. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.ο»Ώ
Solar Power International and Energy Storage International are returning in-person this year as part of RE+. Come join everyone in Anaheim for the largest, B2B clean energy event in North America. Catalyst listeners can receive 15% off a full conference, non-member pass using promo code CANARY15. Register here.
Could geothermal become a major zero-emissions player?
Friday, September 9, 2022 β’ Duration 01:01:09
Drill down far enough anywhere in the world and you reach temperatures hot enough to generate firm, reliable zero-emission electricity. Thatβs the hope for new geothermal technologies that could scale the industry beyond well-known geothermal hot spots like Iceland.
But first the industry needs to overcome major challenges in financing and technology. It has also to deal with the public opinion around the oil and gas industry, which may be an essential partner in scaling geothermal because of its overlapping expertise in drilling and underground exploration.
In this episode, guest host Lara Pierpoint talks with Jamie Beard, executive director of Project Innerspace, a non-profit focused on expanding the use of geothermal energy globally.Β
Current geothermal technology relies on naturally occurring underground hot spots, common in places like Iceland and the western U.S.. But an approach called enhanced geothermal systems or βhot, dry rock,β would make geothermal available around the world, potentially adding hundreds of gigawatts to current geothermal capacity.
Lara and Jamie discuss major questions facing the geothermal industry, like:
How and where to drill forΒ consistent hot temperatures?Β
How long before a well is depleted of heat-carrying capacity?Β
What sort of surveying and information do funders need to deal with exploration risks?Β
How can the industry take advantage of the co-benefits of geothermal drilling, such as lithium extraction, carbon sequestration and waste heat?
What working fluids, like water or critical CO2, are appropriate for a given project?
How viable are geothermal-source heat pumps and how do they compare to air-source heat pumps?
What are the potential environmental impacts of geothermal?
What role should the oil and gas industry play in scaling this zero-emission technology?
Resources:
Canary Media: Advanced geothermal heats up with $138M round for startup Fervo Energy
Department of Energy: DOE Launches New Energy Earthshot to Slash the Cost of Geothermal Power
Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
Catalyst is supported by Antenna Group. For 25 years, Antenna has partnered with leading clean-economy innovators to build their brands and accelerate business growth. If you're a startup, investor, enterprise, or innovation ecosystem that's creating positive change, Antenna is ready to power your impact. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.ο»Ώ
Solar Power International and Energy Storage International are returning in-person this year as part of RE+. Come join everyone in Anaheim for the largest, B2B clean energy event in North America. Catalyst listeners can receive 15% off a full conference, non-member pass using promo code CANARY15. Register here.
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