The Energy Revolution

Is a country's energy future determined by its geography?When it comes to energy resources, not all countries are made equal. Some are blessed with windy seas, others with regular sun, and a handful with the resources needed to build clean energy technology.This episode looks at some of the archetypes for energy systems, the limits of geography, and the opportunity for countries to still decide how they make the most of what they have. We're joined by Phoebe O'Hara of the Energy Transmissions Commission to talk about their latest research and what it means for the global energy transition.The show is hosted by Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, former government advisor and current Policy Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy.

The UK has an ambitious goal to achieve Clean Power by 2030, and cement itself as a clean energy superpower in the decade that follows.The success of this will depend not just on national leadership, but an ability to make the case for the energy transition locally, for the people that will see infrastructure built in their back yards, or want to know how they’ll feel the benefits on their bills.On today’s episode we’re joined by Merlin Hyman, CEO at  Regen and a staple of the UK energy world for almost two decades. Alongside our host Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, former government advisor and Policy Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy, they discuss everythingfrom collective ownership models for renewables and local government schemes, to practical changes needed to the electricity market and the huge changes in the wind and solar industries to date.Make sure to subscribe and rate us highly on your podcast platform of choice if you enjoy the show and want to help us grow!

An uncomfortable truth in the energy transition is that Coal is still a major part of the global energy system. Despite being majorly polluting and often no cheaper than cleaner alternatives, it's persisted particularly in countries like China, India, and Indonesia, but also the USA and Australia. Why? And how do we truly phase it out of the system.Our guest this week is Lucy Shaw, who's working on a book looking at the role of coal in the world and why it's been so hard for some countries to give up. We talk about the politics that's keeping coal on line from mechanised mines in China to aging sites in Trump's new America, complete with some real stories from Lucy's research on the ground.The show is hosted by Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, former senior government advisor at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the No10 Policy Unit, and a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy.

The solar industry has faced tough questions about its supply chains and the links to state-enforced forced labour, particularly in regions like Xinjiang, China.In this week’s episode Sulaiman speaks with Rachel Owens, former human-rights campaigner and CEO of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, to talk about the major steps the sector has been taking to address the issue.We discuss how increased transparency, accountability, and consistent government regulation can ensure buyers that their clean power isn't coming at the expense of human rights abuses. We show the immense progress that's been maded, but also what more needs to happen to ensure a truly just transition.

Jim Watson, a Professor of Energy Policy at UCL, dives into the evolution of energy systems over the past 40 years. He discusses the rapid dash for gas in the 1990s, driven by economic and political factors, and contrasts it with France's nuclear strategy. Watson explores the crucial role of policy in innovation, the impact of global forces like China's supply chains, and the need for just transition mechanisms in shifting energy landscapes. His insights reveal a blend of past lessons and future optimism around renewable energy innovations.

What makes the Texas energy system so special? Separated from the rest of the US grid, the Texas system is a living lab for the future of energy, achieving remarkable rollout of renewables despite the politics of the state.This week we’re joined by Mark Lauby from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the organisation responsible for grid and system stability across the US, to unpack what makes Texas special, and how it has evolved since the 2021 blackouts.This episode is part of a partnership with Reuters Events ahead of their major upcoming conferences in the UK and USA. Energy Transition Europe will take place on the 20-21 October in London. Use the code TER200 for a £200 discount on a ticket. Link here: https://events.reutersevents.com/energy-live. Energy Live will take place on the 9-10 December in Houston, Texas. Use the code REVOLUTION200 for a $200 discount. Link here: https://events.reutersevents.com/energy-transition/energy-transition-europe. The show is hosted by Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, former senior government advisor at the UK Department for Energy and No10 Downing Street, and current Policy Fellow at theUniversity of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy.

How do race and the legacies of empire continue to impact the energy transition?For black history month our host, Cambridge Fellow and former government advisor Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, looks at the ways that race and empire still impact our energy transition: including ‘energy apartheid’ in South Africa, the legacy of segregation on the Texas grid, and the role of slavery and empire in the early industrial revolution.Internationally he looks at the imperial roots of European oil and gas companies like Shell, BP and Total Energies, as well as the legacy of colonialism in cementing the resource curse that so many Sub-Saharan African countries face, from Congo, Angola, Nigeria and elsewhere.The impact of these histories continue to shape our energy systems, and it is important not to repeat these mistakes as we move to a fairer, renewables based energy system. Academic sources cited in this episode:Energy Racism Report: The Electricity Crisis and the WorkingClass in South Africa. University of Johannesburg. Maggott, Terri, Siphiwe Mbatha , Claire Ceruti, Lydia Moyo , Alice Mporo , Trevor Ngwane , Cleopatra Shezi , and Luke Sinwell .  Accessed November 30, 2022. https://www.uj.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/energy-racism-csrp-web.pdf The 2021 Texas Power Crisis: distribution, duration, anddisparities, Flores NM, McBrien H, Do V, Kiang MV, Schlegelmilch J, Casey JA.. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2023 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9851928/  Race and energy poverty: Evidence from African-Americanhouseholds, Eyup Dogan, Mara Madaleno, Roula Inglesi-Lotz, Dilvin Taskin; Energy Economics (2022). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140988322000883 Associations between air pollution and socioeconomiccharacteristics, ethnicity and age profile of neighbourhoods in England and the Netherlands. Fecht D, Fischer P, Fortunato L, Hoek G, de Hoogh K, Marra M, Kruize H, Vienneau D, Beelen R, Hansell AEnviron Pollut. 2015https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25622242/ ‘Oil will set us free’: the hydrocarbon industry and theAlgerian decolonization process’, Marta Musso, Britain, France and the Decolonization of Africa: Future Imperfect?, 2017.https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1mtz521.8?seq=3 Beyond Petrostates: The burning need to cut oildependence in the energy transition, Mike Coffin and Andrew Grant. 2021.https://carbontracker.org/reports/petrostates-energy-transition-report/Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, HelenThompson (2022).

The UK has been extremely slow to decarbonise the heating sector. Why? And what can be done?Meeting the UK's climate ambitions will require millions of heat pump installations and widespread heat network infrastructure to be established, but both of these sectors are struggling to get off the ground.In this episode we are joined by Adam Berman, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Energy UK, to unpack the challenges that clean heat has faced, and what government can do about them.The show is hosted by Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, former senior government advisor at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the No10 Policy Unit, and a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy.

Growth is at the centre of Labour's political programme, and with Rachel Revees' nod to airport expansion many have wondered if climate goals will take a hit in pursuit of the economy.But what is behind the Heathrow story and what does it tell us about the wider thinking in Treasury on public infrastructure and climate in the UK. Today we're joined by Alex Chapman from the New Economics Foundation, who explains why the Heathrow decision won't lead to the growth that government is hoping for, and what this all says about the state of British infrastructure writ-large.We cover everything from airports to energy networks and merits of a wealth tax in a wide-ranging discussion on the state of Britain.The show is hosted by Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, former senior government advisor at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the No10 Policy Unit, and a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy.

What happens to the energy system when you think about the end consumer first? People want warm homes, cheap power, and to get from place to place - they don't care how we make this happen, and arbitary distinctions between different parts of the energy system are holding us back.In this episode we're joined by Caroline Bragg, CEO of ADE, to discuss everything from consumer flexibility to heat networks, encouraging listeners to think about our energy needs as an integrated system, not a series of separate sectors.The show is hosted by Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, former Head of Policy and Strategy for Renewable Electricity Delivery at the UK Department for Energy and former Senior Advisor at No10 Downing Street. He is now a Policy Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy.Keywords: renewable energy, clean power, batteries, EVs