Energy Gang
Wood Mackenzie
Covering breaking news in clean tech, going deep on global energy policy, and debating the levers that need to move to accelerate the energy transition. Energy Gang is the podcast covering clean energy technology, renewable energy, and the environment. The world of clean energy moves fast, and you need a reliable source to stay on top of the news that matters. You’ll find it on Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Gang.How will changes to the US government affect decarbonisation and energy security? When will hydrogen, nuclear and carbon capture deploy at scale? Where’s the money for the energy transition green finance coming from and how much more is needed? What’s the outlook for EVs? What are the energy predictions for solar energy? What's the latest on climate change?Get answers to questions like these, bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7am ET. Plus, get special live episodes recorded at the biggest climate and energy events throughout the year, like COP30 and Climate Week NYC. Don’t worry if you can’t make it in person, Energy Gang brings you all the updates on energy policy, energy finance and energy innovation you need to hear.Energy Gang is presented by Wood Mackenzie and hosted by Ed Crooks, Vice-Chairman of Energy at Wood Mackenzie and a former Financial Times and BBC News journalist. Regular guests are Amy Myers-Jaffe (Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab), and Dr Melissa Lott (Partner at Microsoft) – plus a roster of industry leaders and policy influencers, like Jigar Shah (Industry figurehead and former director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy), Caroline Golin (Head of North America, Global Energy Market Development and Policy at Google) and Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt (Former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources).If you like The Energy Transition Show, Catalyst with Shayle Kann, The Big Switch from Columbia University, Open Circuit with Stephen Lacey or The Green Blueprint, you’ll enjoy Energy Gang.Want to get involved with the show? Reach out to podcasts@woodmac.com to:Bring Energy Gang to your eventBe a guest on the showSponsor an episodeAsk a question to Ed Crooks or one of our guestsCheck out another leading clean tech global podcast by Wood Mackenzie, Interchange Recharged: https://www.woodmac.com/podcasts/the-interchange-recharged/Wood Mackenzie is the leading global data and analytics solutions provider for renewables, energy and natural resources. Learn more about Wood Mackenzie on the official website: https://www.woodmac.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 7, 2017 • 54min
Sungevity CEO Andrew Birch
This week: a conversation with Andrew Birch, the co-founder and CEO of Sungevity.For those who’ve been following the wild ride in solar, you’re going to want to listen to this conversation.Sungevity was once one of the biggest residential solar installers in the U.S. – until it filed for bankruptcy protection at the beginning of the year. In this interview, Andrew Birch talks candidly about how Sungevity was founded, what killed an acquisition deal to save the installer, how market forces and the political landscape hurt the business, and where he thinks global solar trends are headed.This interview was conducted on-stage at Powerhouse, an incubator based in San Francisco. It’s part of the “Watt It Takes” series on how top cleantech entrepreneurs built their companies. The series is produced by Powerhouse, in partnership with Greentech Media.This podcast is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. To find out more about Mission’s high-power, American quality modules visit missionsolar.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nov 3, 2017 • 51min
EPA's Science Purge
Since taking over as administrator of the EPA, Scott Pruitt's meeting calendar has been filled almost exclusively with industry interests. Now he's opening the door even wider for industry.On Tuesday, the Administrator issued a new decree: any scientist getting funding from the EPA will no longer be allowed to serve on the agency's scientific advisory board. He's replacing scientists with representatives from the chemical, fossil fuel and utility industries.The scientific community is up in arms, saying there is already a very detailed process for ensuring scientific integrity and avoiding conflicts. Former EPA officials who served in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush administrations are criticizing the move as a way to stifle independent science.This week, we'll discuss the latest in Pruitt's campaign to unravel the EPA. Then, European utilities are scooping up American distributed energy companies at a record pace. We'll talk about Enel's acquisition of Enernoc, eMoterWerks, Demand Energy and a range of other distributed energy players. Is it sustainable?We'll end with a conversation about the latest developments in the ongoing solar trade case. Is the sky falling yet? MJ Shiao, head of Americas research at GTM, talks through the different penalties on imports proposed by international trade commissioners. Recommended reading:Washington Post: Scott Pruitt Blocks Scientists With EPA Funding From Serving as Agency AdvisersNew York Times: A Stream of Industry Meetings and Trips Home on EPA Chief's CalendarGTM: European Utility Giants Are on a Grid Edge Shopping Spree in 2017GTM Webinar: US Solar Outlook Under Section 201GTM: ITC Issues Recommended Remedies in Section 201 Solar Trade CaseThis podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at missionsolar.com.Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 27, 2017 • 58min
Rick Perry Picks Winners and Losers
"Don’t let government pick winners and losers."That was Rick Perry’s mantra as Texas governor and a presidential candidate. But it didn’t take him long to abandon it as energy secretary. This week, we’ll revisit the rare, bizarre request from Perry asking federal regulators to restructure electricity markets and prop up struggling coal and nuclear plants.Then, the latest on the post-Hurricane energy crisis in Puerto Rico. We'll talk about the rebuilding effort, a controversial grid-rebuilding contract with an unknown company, and the strained Washington-Puerto relationship.Finally, an Alaskan sovereign wealth fund is betting big on distributed energy through Generate Capital. We'll talk about what the fund says about new investment approaches in emerging tech.Recommended reading and listening:The Interchange: An interview With Ari Peskoe About the Legal Holes in Perry's NOPRVox: What Rick Perry Would Have Recommended If He Listened to His Own Grid StudyMartin Heinrich op-ed: Coal Bailout Is a Crude Attempt to Pay for Campaign PromisesWashington Post: FEMA Cites 'Significant Concerns' Over Whitefish Energy Deal in Puerto RicoGTM: Generate Capital Raises $200 Million FundSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 9, 2017 • 1h 6min
Dick Swanson, Founder of SunPower
This week, we’re unveiling a new podcast collaboration between Greentech Media and Powerhouse, called "Watt it Takes."
Watt It Takes is produced and recorded live at Powerhouse, a cleantech incubator and seed fund in Oakland, CA. Each month, a founder of a top clean energy company shares the personal story behind the company they’ve built.
Our first episode features Dick Swanson, founder, and former CEO and CTO of SunPower, who talks about the wild ups and downs of building one of the largest solar companies in the world.
The show begins with Shayle Kann, SVP at GTM, providing some market context. And then Powerhouse Founder and CEO Emily Kirsch leads the interview with Swanson.
Want to meet these industry luminaries and watch a live recording? Get tickets for future events: wattittakesoct2017.splashthat.com.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 29, 2017 • 51min
Episode 200: We Reflect on the Biggest Changes in Energy
When we first hit the record button four years ago, the energy landscape looked very different.
Oil prices were above $90 per barrel. Utilities were only just starting to take distributed resources seriously as grid assets. Coal was still on the upswing globally. There was great uncertainty around a global climate deal. And Donald Trump was still two years away from announcing his presidential campaign.
For our 200th episode of The Energy Gang, we'll reflect on the biggest changes we saw coming -- and didn't see coming -- since the podcast started.
Before we reflect back, we'll start the show with a conversation about Puerto Rico. The U.S. territory is facing unspeakable devastation after Hurricanes Irma and Maria -- made worse by a bankrupt utility and an American government slow to send help. What do we know about the scope of the commonwealth’s energy problems post-hurricane?
This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at missionsolar.com.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 21, 2017 • 1h 49min
Live From New York: Local Climate Policy in the Trump Era
Donald Trump was in New York City this week. We left him some tickets for our live podcast at the box office, but he never showed up.
Still, we had a blast taping our latest episode at WNYC's performance space in Manhattan. And this week, we've got that episode in its entirety.
Special guest Mark Chambers, director of the mayor's office of sustainability, joined us on stage for a lively discussion.
In this extended episode, we feature a variety of segments.
First, we tested the gang’s knowledge of New York’s energy scene with a little segment we called "Climate Week: The Game."
Then, we interviewed Mark Chambers, who offered insight into the city's climate action plan.
Then, we went deep. We had a debate about the importance of local climate and energy policy in the Trump era -- with a little audience Q&A mixed in, too.
Finally, we completed a quick news circuit and analyzed some top energy stories in the news.
A big thanks to Urban Future Lab, ACRE, Solar One, and NYSERDA for partnering with GTM on the Clean Energy Connections series.
This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at missionsolar.com.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 18, 2017 • 45min
Inside India's Solar and Wind Boom
India has blossomed into one of the most important renewable energy markets in the world.
It currently has the fourth-most cumulative wind capacity installed, and will become the third-biggest solar market globally by 2022. The country also has plans to sell only electric vehicles by 2030.
With immense growth comes new businesses and economic opportunity -- but also political and economic risk.
This week, we'll talk with the CEO of India's top independent renewable energy developers about navigating that risk.
Sumant Sinha is the founder and CEO of ReNew Power. He's overseen 2 gigawatts of completed wind and solar projects, and has plans to build 10 gigawatts more in the coming years.
In this show, we interview Sinha about the many forces that are changing India’s energy markets. We address:
The solar boom: Can India meet its 100 gigawatt solar target?
Grid planning: Can central and state governments better coordinate market expansion?
Quality: The importance of maintaining quality standards for projects
The rise of auctions: Are record-low prices sustainable?
India's EV target: Will it tangentially help
ReNew Power's expansion: What will it take to hit 10 gigawatts of projects?
This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at missionsolar.com.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 8, 2017 • 46min
The Fall's Top Energy Stories
We made it. We finished summer without nuclear war or an international catastrophe -- and now we can calm our nerves with pumpkin spice everything.
This week, as we close out summer and prepare for a busy fall news cycle, we're checking in on the stories that we think will define the remainder of 2017.
Katherine gives us a rundown on the top priorities for Congress.
Jigar talks about the shakeout coming for the auto sector.
And Stephen looks at the potential impact of solar tariffs.
This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Visit Mission Solar at the upcoming Solar Power International conference at Booth 3975. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at missionsolar.com.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 1, 2017 • 1h 8min
Painful Lessons From Hurricane Harvey
While Texans start the painful process of rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Harvey, many are asking: could anything have been done to lessen the impact?
In this week's podcast, we're going to discuss the storm through the lens of climate, urban planning and federal policy. All three of those factors created the perfect storm for maximum damage.
Marianne Lavelle, a reporter with InsideClimate News, joins us to talk about the important stories to watch in the wake of the hurricane.
Then, a DOE grid study redux. We’ll offer up some thoughts on the final version of that contentious federal grid reliability report that you’ve heard so much about.
Then, China’s solar frenzy continues. Wasn’t it supposed to be a slow year?
Also, don't forget to join us for our live podcast in NYC on September 19. Tickets here: http://bit.ly/2wbutCx
Also, use the discount code "ENERGYGANG" for a 15 percent discount to our NY REV Future conference in Brooklyn on September 26 and 27. Register here: http://bit.ly/2woZNOn
This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at: missionsolar.com.
Recommended reading:
Will Harvey's Damage Shift How Congress Sees Climate Change and Budget Cuts? http://bit.ly/2vItHKv
Harvey’s Devastation Shows the Need for Distributed Energy, Microgrids During Disasters: http://bit.ly/2wsSVhm
The Interchange episode with Travis Fisher, lead on DOE’s epic grid reliability report: http://bit.ly/2wXrcsg
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 22, 2017 • 57min
From the Vault: Elon Musk and Grid Fan Fiction
What makes Elon Musk tick? What will the grid look like in 2030?
This week, we (re)answer both of those questions. We're featuring a couple of our favorite podcast segments for your summer listening enjoyment.
First up, a 2015 Energy Gang interview with Ashlee Vance, a Bloomberg reporter and author of the book, Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Vance gives us an intimate look at why Elon operates in such a unique way. It's been two years since the book was released, but it's still just as relevant.
In our second interview, we dig into The Interchange vaults and serve up a conversation about what the grid may look like in 2030. It’s like a literary review of geeky grid fan fiction, written by Shayle Kann.
Sign up for our live Energy Gang in New York City on September 19:
This podcast is sponsored by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Visit Mission Solar at the upcoming Solar Power International conference at Booth 3975. You can find out more about Mission’s American-made, high-power modules at missionsolar.com.
Recommended reading:
Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X and the Quest for a Fantastic Future -- https://www.amazon.com/Ashlee-Vance/e/B003YLHAJG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
