The Volts crossover episode

8 snips

Nov 3, 2023

In this podcast, Shayle Kann and David Roberts discuss underhyped and overhyped trends in climatetech. They cover topics like new wave of thermal storage technology, small modular reactors, rising interest rates, the Inflation Reduction Act, electric stovetops, mineral bottlenecks, and networked geothermal. They also mention the importance of tracking funding and express admiration for each other's work.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Revitalizing Domestic Manufacturing in Clean Energy Supply Chains

02:29 • 18min

Unlocking Renewable Energy Potential

20:49 • 13min

Debating Nuclear Energy and Small Modular Reactors

33:28 • 5min

The Impact of Higher Interest Rates on Clean Energy

38:29 • 25min

The Ongoing Impact of the IRA and the Importance of Tracking Funding

01:03:09 • 2min

Concerns about Interest Rates, Misconceptions of Decarbonization, and Future Collaborations

01:05:14 • 3min

Some technologies grab the spotlight even beyond #energytwitter, and some fly under the radar. Which ones are getting more attention than they deserve, and which aren’t getting enough?

This is the episode you never knew you needed: Shayle talks to Volts host David Roberts about the most underhyped and overhyped trends in climatetech right now. David has written about clean technology for the past two decades, first at Grist and then at Vox. He now writes a newsletter and hosts a podcast of the same.

Together, Shayle and David cover topics like:

Why this new wave of thermal storage technology is different.
Small modular reactors and why David and Shayle disagree on how much hype they deserve
Why rising interest rates are starting to become a big problem for climatetech.
The Inflation Reduction Act and how people still don’t grasp how big of a deal it is.
Plus: electric stovetops, mineral bottlenecks, and networked geothermal.

We want your climatetech questions for Shayle’s Ask Me Anything episode! Email questions to us at catalyst@latitudemedia.com. You can also tag us on Twitter or LinkedIn with the hashtag #AskCatalyst. Or you can leave us a voicemail at 919-808-5832.

Recommended Resources:

Volts: What's the deal with district energy?
Volts: Fine, we're doing gas stoves
Catalyst: Solving the conundrum of industrial heat
Catalyst: Strong opinions on small modular reactors

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