Columbia Energy Exchange

Geopolitics looms large over the global economy. A recent client survey by Goldman Sachs found geopolitics is the top investment risk of this year, overtaking inflation and the upcoming U.S. presidential election.  The market impacts by the wars in Europe and the Middle East, and the rising tension between China and Taiwan, are hard to predict. And the rise of protectionism, economic fragmentation, and industrial policy are inflaming tensions in a new era of great power competition.  So, how should we understand this shifting world order? What is coming next in the Middle East following Iran’s attack on Israel? And how do energy and climate change impact national security?  This week’s episode features a fireside chat between Jason Bordoff and Tom Donilon from the Columbia Global Energy Summit 2024, which was hosted by the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia SIPA last week at Columbia University in New York.  Tom is chairman of the BlackRock Investment Institute. From 2010 to 2013, he served as national security advisor to President Barack Obama. He has worked closely with and advised three U.S. presidents since his first position at the White House in 1977, working with President Carter. He later served in senior roles in the Pentagon and the State Department.

Cleaner alternatives to the oil and gas that power vital industries are necessary for economy-wide decarbonization. E-fuels, or electrofuels, are touted as a carbon neutral solution for the hard-to-decarbonize sectors that rely on energy dense fossil fuels.  E-fuels are made by combining hydrogen with carbon dioxide. Through the electrolysis process, water is split into oxygen and hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen is then combined with CO2 through a process called synthesis. The outcome is an energy-dense liquid, synthetic fuel.  But currently, the e-fuels production process makes these alternatives more expensive than fossil fuels. And when burned, they release CO2, making critics question the claims of climate neutrality.  So, what is the climate impact of e-fuels? What industries are turning to these alternatives for decarbonization? And how can policy and tax incentives make them cost competitive with conventional oil and gas?  This week host Bill Loveless talks with Meg Gentle about the use of e-fuels for transport.  Meg is the executive director of HIF Global, an e-fuel company developing some of the largest projects around the world. Before joining HIF, Meg served as the director of Ovintiv, an independent petroleum company, and as the president and CEO of the natural gas company Tellurian. She also spent ten years working for Cheniere Energy, helping grow their LNG marketing and trading company into a world-wide business.  

Discover how AI can revolutionize the energy transition by monitoring emissions, optimizing renewables, and reducing emissions in sectors like steel and cement. Explore the challenges and solutions of AI integration, revolutionizing greenhouse gas monitoring, and transforming the power sector for more efficiency. Unveil the potential of AI for climate change mitigation with interdisciplinary expertise and data accessibility.

The podcast discusses the SEC's new rules on climate disclosures, requiring companies to disclose emissions and climate risks. Critics question legality and effectiveness. Guest Shiva Rajgopal explains the ruling and compares it to EU and California rules. Topics include SEC actions, passive investing challenges, ESG principles, and legal implications of the new rule.

Discussions on the importance of cutting methane emissions in the oil and gas industry, the role of national oil companies in the energy transition, and the challenges of balancing profitability and sustainability. Highlights include strategies for reducing methane pollution, the need for cleaner energy sources, and the industry's commitment to decarbonization by 2030.

Global energy transition towards clean energy amidst rising demand for fossil fuels, insights from CERAWeek conference, navigating challenges of decarbonization and energy security, impact of geopolitics and elections on energy sector, exploration of oil, gas, and commodity markets, accelerating shift to renewables and balancing national interests in renewable energy sources.

Exploring the shift towards clean energy solutions in the economic landscape and the profitability of moving away from fossil fuels. Delving into the concept of climate capitalism and how it integrates societal needs and sustainability within capitalism. Discussing the transformative journey of Juan Gong in advocating for electric cars in China and the pivotal roles of key individuals in shaping the energy transition landscape. Navigating climate questions and solutions while exploring current clean energy solutions and systemic challenges.

Batteries are finding their way into everything – from cars to heavy equipment to the electric grid. But scaling up production to meet the demands of a net-zero economy is complicated and contentious.  Season 4 of The Big Switch, a Columbia University podcast hosted by Dr. Melissa Lott, digs into the ways batteries are made and asks: what gets mined, traded, and consumed on the road to decarbonization? This is part one of “The Great Battery Boom,” a five-part series on global battery supply chains. Find the rest of Season 4 of The Big Switch on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The podcast discusses the importance of private capital in driving the clean energy transition globally, focusing on the challenges in deploying capital in emerging economies. They explore the role of private sector coalitions in advancing energy transition amidst anti-ESG backlash and higher cost of capital. The conversation touches on the pace of technological innovation, the role of private capital in meeting global climate commitments, and the critical need for affordable capital to fund clean energy projects.

A collaboration between Environmental Defense Fund and Google has led to the development of MethaneSAT, a satellite that can pinpoint methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure using AI technology. The podcast discusses the implications of this new technology and its potential for detecting other greenhouse gases. The episode explores the challenges and advancements in satellite technology for monitoring methane emissions, as well as the upcoming launch of MethaneSAT with philanthropic funding. It also highlights the importance of AI and collaboration in enhancing methane detection and emission mitigation efforts.