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
Oct 2, 2014 • 50min
Should You Believe Claims About the Coming End of Fracking?
In mid-September, the U.S. government revised its estimates for U.S. oil production upward once again. Boosted by increases in tight oil from shale formations in North Dakota and Texas, America could soon surpass its previous domestic production peak hit in 1970.
At the same time, U.S. natural gas production, also driven by fracking, hit an all-time high this summer.
But skeptics warn that fracked oil and gas could soon hit a peak, pointing to the steep decline rates for wells – which both the oil and gas industry and the government admit. One prominent Canadian geologist and drilling consultant, David Hughes, recently released an analysis of these decline rates for the Post Carbon Institute, showing an 85 percent average drop in production at unconventional wells in the first three years.
However, total production is still growing. And the EIA suggests that a peak may not come for another couple of decades. What are we to make of these conflicting projections on the promise of fracking?
This week, we’ll look at the future of fracking and ask what it means for cleantech investment.
We’ll also talk about the possible outcome of an IRS review of value of solar tariffs, and ask if any good came out of the recent UN climate summit and march in New York City.
Don’t forget to fill out our listener survey so we can get your feedback: http://svy.mk/1rCT4HH
This podcast is brought to you by SMA, the world's leading solar inverter manufacturer. With more than 850 service experts, 90 service hubs, 30-plus gigawatts installed globally and thousands of commercial and utility projects completed worldwide, SMA is the partner of choice for your PV projects.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 24, 2014 • 55min
Why New York Is Trying to Create the Most Innovative Grid in the World
New York is taking a hard look at how to reform the distribution grid and encourage more distributed energy resources. But it’s not doing it through mandates.
Instead, New York regulators are developing flexible market structures to encourage utilities to adopt a variety of new distributed technologies, while also empowering customers, creating new business competition and hardening the grid.
So how exactly will the model work? In this special live podcast, recorded at WNYC’s performance space in New York City, we spoke with two architects of the plan.
Audrey Zibelman, chair of the New York Public Service Commission and Sergej Mahnovski, director of Con Edison’s utility of the future team, joined the Energy Gang to discuss why the state is so unique.
“I don’t want to create mediocre wires companies. I want to create excellent, innovative companies that have third parties wanting to come to New York and build businesses around DER because they see it’s a marketplace where they can be successful and then we can lead everywhere else,” explained Zibelman.
The live show was organized in partnership with Clean Energy Connections.
This podcast is brought to you by SMA, the world's leading solar inverter manufacturer. With more than 850 service experts, 90 service hubs, 30-plus gigawatts installed globally and thousands of commercial and utility projects completed worldwide, SMA is the partner of choice for your PV projects.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 9, 2014 • 51min
Your Building Is Dumb. Here's a Way to Make it Smarter
Large commercial buildings are the fastest growing energy consumers in the U.S. Why? Because most of them are not very energy aware.
Utilities and city planners understand this problem and have targeted the commercial building sector by providing rebates for retrofits, deploying smart meters and establishing stricter building codes. But the ability to gather actionable insights into how buildings are performing are only now emerging.
In this podcast, we’ll talk with FirstFuel CEO Swapnil Shah about how data analytics can change the building efficiency paradigm. We’ll also talk about the company’s partnership with Opower, which will help the startup expand to more utilities.
Later in the show, we’ll discuss the viability and economics of Tesla’s Giga factory and discuss the opening of America’s largest cellulosic ethanol refinery.
This podcast is brought to you by SMA, the world's leading solar inverter manufacturer. With more than 850 service experts, 90 service hubs, 30-plus gigawatts installed globally and thousands of commercial and utility projects completed worldwide, SMA is the partner of choice for your PV projects.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 4, 2014 • 50min
How America's Biggest Energy Consumer, the Government, Is Greening Itself
In December of last year, President Obama issued an order requiring the government to get 20 percent of electricity from renewables by 2020 – up from about 7 percent today.
That’s not an easy goal to achieve. The General Services Administration owns or leases more than 354 million square footage of buildings, which is enough space to fill half of Manhattan. It also manages a massive transportation fleet and must adhere to very strict cost requirements.
But the shift is happening. On this week’s show, we’ll talk with Ruth Cox, GSA’s senior sustainability officer, about how renewables and efficiency are greening government buildings while saving taxpayers money.
We’ll also have the latest on Hawaii’s effort to both tame and encourage solar, and look at the viability of Solar Roadways.
This podcast is brought to you by SMA, the world's leading solar inverter manufacturer.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 28, 2014 • 47min
Why Bill Gates Is Wrong About Renewable Energy
Bill Gates is a very influential guy -- not just because he founded Microsoft, but because of his powerful foundation. With $40 billion in trust assets, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one the biggest charitable organizations in the world focusing on global health, clean water, energy access and financing for entrepreneurs.
So when Gates writes on his blog that developing countries can’t afford renewable energy, that carries weight.
That’s exactly what Gates did last week when he promoted the work of Danish political scientist Bjorn Lomborg, writing that more fossil fuels are the moral choice in the fight against energy poverty.
Finding the right mix of resources for developing countries is a complicated exercise. But the economics of renewables are far better than fossil fuels in many cases. In this week's podcast, we'll talk about why Gates is wrong on the cost of wind, solar and other technologies.
Later in the show, we’ll talk about a very important compromise in Mississippi that will bring lots of new solar projects to the state. And we'll also discuss the latest developments in the battle to stop coal exports in Oregon and Washington State.
This podcast is sponsored by eGauge Systems, a manufacturer of next-generation energy meters for solar generation and building demand, submetering, performance contracts, LEED projects and net zero buildings.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 21, 2014 • 53min
Amory Lovins: As Economists Argue, Renewables Keep Getting Cheaper
In the academic world, there’s lots of debate about how expensive or cheap renewables are compared to fossil fuels. But do they actually match what’s happening on the ground?
In this week’s podcast, we’ll talk with Amory Lovins, the founder and chief scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute, about the difference between the market reality of renewables and the economic debate about their cost.
In the second part of the show, we will discuss a very important legal decision upholding FERC’s grid planning rule. We’ll also chat about a booming application in the non-residential solar market: carports.
This podcast is sponsored by eGauge Systems, a manufacturer of next-generation energy meters for solar generation and building demand, submetering, performance contracts, LEED projects and net zero buildings.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 14, 2014 • 46min
Nest Thermostats Just Got 'Hacked.' Should You Be Worried?
Last week, hackers at the Black Hat conference showed how to jailbreak a Nest learning thermostat and override the firmware, taking it under their control.
The hack itself cannot be done without physical access to the device, and Nest said no devices have been hacked maliciously. But it’s one of many recent hacks of connected devices in the home.
So are we safe?
In this podcast, we’ll talk about the widespread security implications for consumers, businesses and utilities.
Later in the show, we’ll ask if the Environmental Protection Agency is being transparent enough as it crafts carbon regulations. We’ll also look at the continued struggles for concentrating solar power and ask if there’s a future for the industry.
This podcast is sponsored by eGauge Systems, a manufacturer of next-generation energy meters for solar generation and building demand, submetering, performance contracts, LEED projects and net zero buildings.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 7, 2014 • 52min
This Data on Consumer Energy Use May Surprise You
Are your solar panels facing the wrong way? Is your utility focusing on the wrong types of energy efficiency?
These are the questions that Pecan Street Inc. has attempted to answer through its data collection from smart grid projects. The findings may surprise you.
In this week’s podcast, we’ll talk with Brewster McCracken, the CEO of Pecan Street Inc, about the organization’s most compelling analysis of consumer energy use, utility efficiency programs and electric vehicle charging.
Later in the show, we’ll discuss Arizona Public Service’s new plan to own rooftop solar, and look at the resurgence of property-assessed clean energy programs.
This podcast is sponsored by eGauge Systems, a manufacturer of next-generation energy meters for solar generation and building demand, submetering, performance contracts, LEED projects and net zero buildings.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 31, 2014 • 42min
We Argue About the True Cost of Wind and Solar: How Cheap Are They Really?
How do we calculate the true cost of intermittent renewables?
The levelized cost of wind and solar are falling by the day. But how cheap are they really? A recent study from the Brookings Institution concludes that they are higher than presumed when using a cost-benefit calculation.
In this podcast, we'll debate the merits of the Brookings study and ask what assumptions one should make when evaluating the cost of different technologies.
Later in the show, we’ll talk about the debate over the Export-Import Bank Washington, and assess the impact of new tariffs imposed on Chinese solar products coming into the U.S.
This podcast is sponsored by eGauge Systems, a manufacturer of next-generation energy meters for solar generation and building demand, submetering, performance contracts, LEED projects and net zero buildings.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 24, 2014 • 44min
We Are at the Start of a Revolution in Clean Energy Finance
The biggest investors in the world are pouring their money into renewable energy projects. Want to join them? Now you can.
Up until recently, it was nearly impossible for most investors to directly support solar, wind and other projects that offer stable returns. But YieldCos are changing that.
In this week’s podcast, we’ll tell you about how publicly traded YieldCos work, why so many companies are forming them, and what they’ll do to support a surge in clean energy development.
Later in the show, we’ll talk about innovative new structures in energy efficiency finance and explore the energy supply implications of California’s historic drought.
This podcast is sponsored by eGauge Systems, a manufacturer of next-generation energy meters for solar generation and building demand, submetering, performance contracts, LEED projects and net zero buildings.
The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
