Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen, believes that there is a relatively simple way to solve the aviation industry’s carbon emissions problem. Today’s sustainable fuels aren’t really all that sustainable, he says, and electric planes, while great in theory, don’t scale. That leaves one obvious choice for Eremenko: green hydrogen. “There is a very significant sort of low-hanging fruit opportunity with no significant tech risk to put hydrogen in service and solve in one fell swoop half of aviation emissions problems by 2035,” Eremenko says.Covered in this episode:[3:52] The aviation industry’s current carbon footprint[5:40] Why sustainable fuels aren’t really all that sustainable[7:12] Why electric planes aren’t feasible[8:27] Explaining the color spectrum of hydrogen[9:22] How hydrogen is safer than jet fuel[12:40] Technology for hydrogen fueled aviation[17:45] Why you can’t just fill up the existing fuel tanks with hydrogen[19:02] The “Nespresso pod of hydrogen”[21:23] Universal Hydrogen’s inaugural flight[23:20] How the range of a hydrogen craft compares to a regular jet-fuel plane[23:50] Major challenge is availability of green hydrogen[26:39] The economic competitiveness of hydrogen[27:31] A new commercial aircraft configuration[34:39] A few ways the aviation industry could look by 2045For show notes and a full transcript, head to the episode page.Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission with both a law background as well as a PhD in applied physics, Richard "Dick" Meserve is uniquely qualified to speak on the future of both nuclear fission and fusion in the U.S. “We have a huge challenge in confronting climate change, and it's my view that we need to marshal all the resources we can to address it," says Meserve. "And that obviously includes a heavy emphasis on renewables, but you need a backup. You need firm power as a supplement to renewables. And nuclear is a natural component of that.”For show notes and a full transcript, head to the episode page.Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamie Alexander is working to make capitalism compatible with a climate-safe world. Alexander is the director of Drawdown Labs, a branch of the nonprofit organization Project Drawdown that works directly with corporations to think beyond net zero and use their existing social, political, financial, and employee power to accelerate climate solutions at an unprecedented scale. "The more that companies can identify what their superpower is and use that to help the world get closer to our climate goals — that's where I think capitalism and climate change are going to meet in the middle.”For show notes and a full transcript, head to the episode page.Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane Hotchkiss, the president and cofounder of nonprofit Energy for the Common Good, is on a mission to educate the public about the promise of fusion and to support the buildout of a future fusion energy sector. For the full transcript, head to the episode page.Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Gaia Vince, a science journalist and the author of Nomad Century: How To Survive The Climate Upheaval, joins the show to talk about how climate change and energy will play a factor in mass migration to come. For a full transcript, head over to the episode page. Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. power grid is old. On average, it’s 40 years old — a quarter of the grid is 50 years old and there are parts that are 100 years old. And as we strive for a net-zero future, that grid is going to play a massive role, says Christina Hayes, Executive Director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, a coalition focused on preparing the U.S. grid for new renewable and clean energy sources. For a full transcript, head to the episode pageListen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Col. Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut and commander of the International Space Station, believes we need to focus on smarter ways to abate carbon emissions. "In every way, if you can get clean, abundant energy, human life is better.”For a full transcript, head to the episode page.Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scientists at TAE and the National Institute for Fusion Science in Japan have demonstrated the first-ever hydrogen-boron fusion experiments in a magnetically confined fusion plasma. Rich Magee, Senior Director of Physics Research and Development at TAE, joins the show to break down this promising achievement in the development of fusion power with hydrogen-boron, the cleanest, most cost-competitive, and most sustainable fusion fuel.For a full transcript, head to the episode page Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kaylee Cunningham is a PhD student at MIT in nuclear engineering and a popular TikTok influencer who’s focused on communicating about the potential for nuclear power. She joins the show to talk about small modular reactors, how NRC regulations affect the nuclear industry, and how she addresses people's worries about nuclear waste and meltdowns.For a full transcript, head to the episode page Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rose Mutiso, research director for the D.C.-based think tank Energy for Growth Hub, joins the show to discuss the connection between access to affordable electricity and poverty and details a path forward for “energy poor” countries on the continent of Africa. Covered in this episode:The connection between access to electricity and povertyThe reality of living in an energy poor countryWhy modeling is important for energy policy makingHow the path to accessible energy in Africa will unwindWhy energy infrastructure is crucial to Africa’s futureFor a full transcript, head to the episode pageListen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.