Interchange Recharged

Note: after this episode, we will be on hiatus for a few weeks while Stephen Lacey goes on paternity leave.This week, a conversation about what the Green New Deal reveals about public opinion on climate change.Why are national climate politics frozen? The conventional understanding is that Americans are deeply divided on the issue along party lines.Until recently, Democrats have been scared of talking too often about climate in national campaigns because they think the electorate is split; and the Republican Party has been outright hostile to climate policy, believing that’s what the majority of conservative voters think.And then, in steps the Green New Deal. It’s revealing something extraordinary. According to a Yale survey, 81 percent of registered voters say they would support the Green New Deal. And 64 percent of Republicans say they would support it. Other polls have shown similar levels of support.So what does this reveal about how climate plays among the electorate? And is there a disconnect between what people want and what policymakers think they want? We’re joined by Dr. Leah Stokes, an assistant professor of political science at the University of California Santa Barbara. She is an expert on political behavior — which includes public opinion, voting behavior, and how policy is influenced. Leah describes why the Green New Deal plays well with voters. She also talks about how climate is shaping the presidential campaign, why Trump is now talking about the environment, and describes the role of fossil fuel incumbents in shaping public opinion. Support for this podcast comes from PG&E. Did you know that 20 percent of EV drivers in the U.S. are in PG&E’s service area in Northern California? PG&E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&E’s EV specialists to find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric.The Interchange is also brought to you by Uplight, the company you once knew as Tendril and Simple Energy.The goal is still the same: To offer utility leaders a suite of engagement solutions that deliver customer experiences like Amazon and Netflix. Learn more about how Uplight is building an end-to-end product for utility customer engagement.You can listen to Uplight’s 5-part podcast series, called ILLUMINATORS, about what utilities can learn from case studies of business disruption. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we present a special episode on behalf of Centrica Business Solutions.The Green New Deal is now a driving force in climate politics. But up until now, it’s been mostly theoretical.And then, in April, Mayor Bill De Blasio declared that New York City is creating its own version of the Green New Deal. As part of the law, large commercial buildings will need to cut emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050 — or face steep fines. After so much theorizing about the Green New Deal, we can finally see what happens when a resolution meets reality. And the impact is not what you might think. Many building upgrades in the city are now stalling because of uncertainty around the law.“No matter who I’ve spoken to, nobody’s disagreeing with the goals. It’s the application of how we benchmark. There are clearly buildings that can become vastly more efficient. But this legislation doesn’t prize density, it doesn’t prize efficiency, for some of our most modern buildings,” explains Paul Kuehn, sales director for distributed energy at Centrica Business Solutions.In this episode, we dive into New York’s new building emissions mandate. We’ll explore the short-term unintended consequences and the positive long-term impacts for clean energy. What can other cities — and eventually the entire country — learn from its complexities?We’ll have a conversation with Paul Kuehn of Centrica Business Solutions and Aaron Miller, a partner at Gotham 360, about how the details may play out. This podcast was produced on behalf of Centrica Business Solutions. Centrica is using analytics, market know-how, and distributed technologies to help C&I customers take control of their energy use and improve their environmental performance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every year, we see a wide range of models for the future global energy system.The scenarios come from a wide array of organizations: International Energy Agency and the Energy Information Administration; oil companies like BP, Shell and Equinor; and research outfits like Wood Mackenzie and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.And the conclusions are all over the map. So a group of experts at Resources for the Future put them all together and created their own model — a way to compare the scenarios in a meaningful way and get a more accurate picture of how the future may play out. In this podcast, we’ll dig through the report. Can clean energy start to replace fossil fuels, or will it simply compliment them?You can read the Resources for the Future report (PDF) here.Looking for another podcast this summer? Listen to ILLUMINATORS, a 5-part series about the history of business disruption from Tendril. What can energy companies learn from radical change in other industries? Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This discussion dives into the intricacies of renewable energy curtailment, particularly in California, where excess solar power often leads to significant waste. It likens energy curtailment to uneaten leftovers, urging a reevaluation of how we perceive wasted electricity. The conversation shifts toward the potential economic advantages of overbuilding renewable sources instead of relying heavily on storage solutions. Financial implications for renewable developers are explored, highlighting the need for innovative strategies and enhanced infrastructure to handle increasing energy supplies.

This week, we’re challenging our long-held beliefs about whether individual actions matter. Even if we drastically altered our lifestyles, would it do anything to address climate change?We all want to believe that our individual life choices will have a meaningful impact on carbon emissions. But a focus on solar panels, LEDs and vegetarianism may just be a distraction.This week, Stephen is going to take the position that individual actions are inconsequential. Shayle will argue the other side.This is the second installment that addresses this theme. Last episode, we asked: do people care about energy? Listen here. Support for this podcast comes from PG&E. Did you know that 20 percent of EV drivers in the U.S. are in PG&E’s service area in Northern California? PG&E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&E’s EV specialists to find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric.We're also sponsored by Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the next two weeks, we are challenging our long-held assumptions about energy.We’re going to take the opposite stance of an argument that we agree with. Can we change our minds?In part 1, we’re revisiting the assumption that most people do not care about energy. Most people care about convenience, lifestyle and price. But do they care enough about their energy use to make a change for environmental reasons without external pressure? Shayle is going to take the opposite stance of what he believes — he’s going to argue that consumers do care. Stephen will respond by arguing that people don’t care.For your reading pleasure, here’s the article Shayle references on “flight shame” in Sweden.Support for this podcast comes from PG&E. Did you know that 20 percent of EV drivers in the U.S. are in PG&E’s service area in Northern California? PG&E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&E’s EV specialists to find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric.We're also sponsored by Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We present a special episode produced in collaboration with Centrica Business Solutions.In 2006, Kate Sherwood left her job in strategy consulting to work in solar. “I realized what I had been doing wasn't getting me out of bed anymore,” says Sherwood. “So, I took a very big pay cut to move into carrying a bag, into being a salesman.”Selling solar to corporate customers at that time wasn’t easy. But C&I solar blossomed as the technology got cheaper, financing got better, and companies got more comfortable.Today, Kate is the vice president and head of sales at Centrica Business Solutions. There, she runs a team that packages all kinds of energy tech for commercial and industrial customers — solar, batteries, combined heat and power, demand response.So much as changed since 2006. There’s a new company committing to 100% renewables every week; tech firms and industrial giants are looking to procure gigawatts of wind and solar for their operations; and extreme weather is forcing a lot of companies with critical infrastructure to build on-site generation with a green twist.In this podcast episode, produced in partnership with Centrica Business Solutions, we’ll speak to Kate Sherwood about the biggest shifts in commercial energy since she first found her calling in the space."I think corporate energy buyers have gotten more sophisticated. Hats off to the commodity suppliers and even the brokers and aggregators out there who have helped educate large customers on that their energy load, their spend is not just a liability, but also an asset that they can deploy. I think customers today are more sophisticated on average," says Sherwood.Centrica Business Solutions is using analytics, market know-how, and distributed energy tech to help C&I customers take control of their energy use and improve their environmental performance. Learn more here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What would a truly bold presidential plan to decarbonize the economy look like?Democratic candidates are offering up their visions.Elizabeth Warren is focusing on banning fossil fuel extraction on public lands and using the military to counter climate threats; Beto O’Rourke is looking to executive action; Joe Biden is teasing a “middle ground” plan.Then there’s Washington State Governor Jay Inslee. He just released his second climate plan — it’s more of a manifesto — called the The Evergreen Economy. It’s a culmination of a decade and a half of his thinking, writing and policymaking on climate.The document was so good, we decided to devote a whole episode to talking about it. You can read it here. And check out Dave Roberts’ supplemental analysis here.Support for this podcast comes from PG&E. Did you know that 20 percent of EV drivers in the U.S. are in PG&E’s service area in Northern California? PG&E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&E’s EV specialists to find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric.We're also sponsored by Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Uber and Lyft are now public — and now under more investor pressure to expand quickly. What does that mean for energy use and carbon emissions as more cars hit the roads?Multiple new studies show that these transportation networking companies are causing more traffic and pulling people away from public transit. Meanwhile, cities and states are trying to clean up those fleets by promoting electrification.Will we be able to clean up ride-hailing fleets fast enough?This week, in honor of the Uber and Lyft IPOs, we are looking at the negative and positive consequences of ride hailing.Recommended reading:GTM: Electric Ridesharing Benefits the Grid, and EVgo Has the Data to Prove ItPBS: Why is Your Uber or Lyft Stuck in Traffic? Most lLikely bBecause of Uber and LyftSchaller Consulting: Lyft, Uber and the Future of American CitiStreets Blog: Uber and Lyft Caused U.S. Transit DeclineSupport for this podcast comes from PG&E. Did you know that 20 percent of EV drivers in the U.S. are in PG&E’s service area in Northern California? PG&E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&E’s EV specialists to find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric.We're also sponsored by Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Big energy giants around the world are investing heavily in renewables and cleantech. But there’s a whole class of companies making moves in the sector behind the scenes.In this episode, we’re looking at the unsung corporate heroes of the clean energy transition.Shayle and Stephen share their picks for companies that are making surprising moves into renewable energy, electrification and clean materials. What does it tell us about how deeply clean energy is embedded in the corporate world?Support for this podcast comes from PG&E. Did you know that 20 percent of EV drivers in the U.S. are in PG&E’s service area in Northern California? PG&E is helping to electrify corporate fleet vehicles. Get in touch with PG&E’s EV specialists to find out how you can take your transportation fleet electric.We're also sponsored by Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.