In a captivating conversation, Michael Liebreich, founder of New Energy Finance and host of the Cleaning Up podcast, teams up with Azeem Azhar to tackle the future of energy. They discuss the rapid advancements in AI, solar, and battery technologies, highlighting how these innovations could combat climate change. The duo also delves into the challenges of hydrogen versus battery energy, the monopolization of the energy sector, and the rising energy demands of data centers. Their insights spark a dialogue about the societal implications of this energy transition.

Longtime clean-energy analyst Michael Liebreich discusses causes for pessimism and optimism in the net-zero transition. Highlights include challenges in replacing fossil fuel backup systems, expanding electricity infrastructure, political obstacles, technological advancements like battery technology, and the importance of redefining energy efficiency.

In this engaging discussion, Michael Liebreich, a leader in green finance, and Bryony Worthington, a climate advocate, recap significant climate developments. They explore China's rapid advancements in solar energy and electric vehicles, shedding light on the complexities of battery recycling. The duo also tackle the potential of thermal batteries for renewable energy storage and assess the viability of engineered carbon solutions. Additionally, they analyze the intersection of climate politics and recent UK election outcomes, weaving together a vision for a sustainable future.

Michael Liebreich is the host of the podcast Cleaning Up, focused on leadership in the age of climate change. Michael was previously the CEO and founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. He has been involved with the organization for 20 years, still serving as a senior contributor. Michael also runs an advisory firm, Liebreich and Associates, focused on clean energy and sustainable development, and he's an advisor to the UK Board of Trade. All of this is just scratching the surface of Michael's background, which also includes having been a member of the British Ski Team and a participant in the 1992 Winter Olympics.This episode explores Michael’s accomplishments and how he came to focus on climate and clean energy topics, how he started New Energy Finance and the decision to sell the business to Bloomberg, as well as the legacy that he created with the business. Michael and Cody then cover a hit list of topics, including recent climate legislation in the US and the EU, the topic of green protectionism and Michael's “five horsemen” of big challenges the world faces as we try to decarbonize.This conversation merely grazes the surface of Michael's climate-related interests, including his deep focus on hydrogen. So, for more from Michael, you'll need to check out his conversations on the Cleaning Up podcast.In this episode, we cover: [01:58]: Michael's unique background[06:49]: Transitioning to journalism in the early internet era[08:48]: Michael's personal climate epiphany in the Swiss Alps[12:34]: Starting a data-driven media company to fill the clean energy information gap[18:05]: Pivoting to insight services[18:57]: Bloomberg's acquisition of New Energy Finance (NEF)[22:21]: Running Bloomberg NEF as CEO[25:27]: Stepping away from NEF and growing his professional network[26:53]: Paid speaking engagements and transitioning to podcasting during COVID[28:10]: Michael's approach to the Cleaning Up podcast[36:31]: The struggles and advantages of being generalists[38:34]: Europe's energy situation over the winter of '22-'23 and the urgent need to address dependence on Russian energy[40:54]: The role of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminals in Europe[42:58]: European response to the Inflation Reduction Act and "Green Protectionism"[48:08]: Caution around the practice of recycling and re-exporting items for credits[51:22] Michael's main concerns for clean energy deployment, including rare metals and recycling[52:38] Addressing the speed with which societies can approve and build transmission[56:43]: Limited access to capital in developing countries[01:00:41]: Resilience and intermittency issues[01:03:49]: Closing thoughts and how to follow Michael's workGet connected: Michael Liebreich Twitter / LinkedInCody SimmsMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on May 10, 2023 Stay Connected with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedIn | XVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ NewsletterEnjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.

Solar analyst Jenny Chase from Bloomberg NEF discusses solar finance and potential in Africa. Topics include geese, sci-fi influences on climate change views, challenges in renewable energy, and impacts of Russian invasion on energy prices.