Interchange Recharged

We’re facing a triple crisis: energy security, deadline for decarbonization and a fragile global economy. We’re at a pivotal moment where sustainable commitments can become a reality, now that technology has aligned with intention. We’ve seen extreme weather across the globe in the past few months, and it’s only going to increase in frequency. Mitigating these risks, strengthening the grid and reducing emissions to limit the warming are all vital.On the Interchange: Recharged today, we are joined by Bala Vinayagam, Senior Vice President of Microgrids at Schneider Electric, and Jana Gerber, North American Microgrid President, also at Schneider.Electricity 4.0 is the foundation of a digitized, modern and electrified grid. It’s a principle that transforms how we source, transmit and consume energy. Bala and Jana explain to us the importance of Electricity 4.0, and the ways it uses existing technology to implement ever-evolving solutions to climate change. Electricity 4.0 focuses on four key pillars, detailed in today’s show.DecarbonisationCentering on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a decarbonized economy, strategies for this include electrifying more sectors of the economy and employing renewable energy sources to generate electricity.DigitizationThe second aspect, digitization, revolves around the deployment of digital technologies to better monitor energy usage. The goal is to leverage data collected through artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things to improve the efficiency and resilience of existing infrastructure. The untapped efficiency of the current infrastructure can be harnessed through comprehensive digitization, offering potentially transformative benefits.DecentralizationElectricity 4.0 emphasizes decentralization. Currently, the electrical infrastructure relies heavily on bulk generation and large transmission infrastructure. Decentralization ensures more distributed generation and storage behind the meter, which simultaneously improves the resilience of the grid and generates a greener infrastructure.DemocratizationThis is all about empowering consumers to play a more active role in the energy system itself. The aim is for consumers to participate through demand response programs, energy efficiency measures, and deploying distributed generation and green infrastructure behind the meter. This concept transforms energy consumers into "prosumers", actively participating in energy production alongside consumption. Jana explores the concept of a prosumer – it’s a term we havw heard thrown about a lot in recent weeks.The future of sustainability depends on electrifying and digitizing our energy grid. Through digital twin interfaces, online exchanges and marketplaces, Schneider is constantly innovating to empower all to make the most of our energy and resourcesLearn more about Electricity 4.0 and microgrids here: www.se.com/us/microgridSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage is evolving rapidly from a niche market to a mainstream investment theme. To explore the technology, financing and science behind this key piece of the energy transition puzzle, industry leaders and analysts met in Houston for Wood Mackenzie’s CCUS Conference.The Interchange: Recharged was there, capturing the best conversations and debate from a packed day of discussion. Across two full episodes, we bring you the thoughts and insights from industry experts, as they examine the potential for CCUS to solve some of our biggest challenges in decarbonizing. Will it be the key to decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors? How much more development does the technology need? And where does the carbon actually go once it’s captured or sequestered? David kicks things off with the opening remarks from Wood Mac’s head of CCUS research: Mhairidh Evans. She explores the current state of the market and highlights some of the existing CCUS infrastructure and projects around the world that are leading the way.George Bilicic, Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Global Head of Power, Energy & Infrastructure at Lazard is joined by Ed Crooks, Vice-Chair Americas at Wood Mackenzie, as they look at the regulatory environment for CCUS activities, and the complex route of finalising financial decisions (FID) for projects.Tim Duncan from Talos Energy, and Chris Powers from Chevron New Energies are next to join in the podcast studio, fresh from a panel discussion on stage in which they looked at the opportunities for corporates in the CCUS space. What are the challenges for operators? What are the key needs to scale a CCUS business?There’s an interesting link between green hydrogen and CCUS; this partnership is explored in depth by next guest Mercy Renteria, National Business Development Manager of Hydrogen and CCS at Endress+Hauser. Mercy’s background in oil and gas, and transition to green technology operation, is indicative of the wider shift across the industry. She stresses the need for collaboration in reaching net zero: as we say often on the show, the energy transition will need a multitude of technologies, working in tandem to achieve net zero.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show, and check out part two of our special live broadcast from the conference in Houston, with insight from Exxon Mobil, Wood Mackenzie, Emerson and Compact Membrane Systems.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Harald Overholm, co-founder and CEO of Alight, discusses the growth and evolution of the solar industry, the transition to becoming an independent power producer, regulatory impacts on solar, potential obstacles in expanding solar energy, lessons for early stage developers, and concerns over solar development near homes and agricultural land.

Explore the importance of long-duration energy storage in mitigating the risk of blackouts during extreme weather events. Learn about the concept of long duration energy storage and the need for a combination of storage technologies. Discover the potential of using existing infrastructure for hydrogen blending and zero carbon gas storage. Discuss the challenges in deploying capital for energy transition technologies and the importance of setting aggressive targets for the clean energy transition.

280 million EV’s worth of battery material is sitting on the ocean floor, but do we need to mine it?The end is nigh for the internal combustion engine. Electric vehicles will be phased in across the next decade, with two-thirds of vehicles sold in the US by 2032 mandated to be electric. In California, 100% of cars will need to be electric by 2035. As a result, demand for the critical metals that are needed for EVs is forecast to increase significantly. Every solution creates its own challenges. Electrification is one of the answers to the net zero question, but it’s created an issue in itself – where are we going to get the minerals? On this episode, we are joined by Gerard Barron, CEO of The Metals Company. They estimate that there are quantities of metals equivalent to 280 million EVs (comparable to the total US fleet today), sitting on the seabed. Deep see mining is a new frontier – but do we need to start scouring the ocean floor when there’s an abundance of metals on the surface? How ecological is the practice? Also joining the discussion to answer these questions is Robbie Diamond, Founder, President and CEO of SAFE. SAFE is an advocacy group for US energy security and economic resiliency by reducing dependency on overseas energy supply. They work to ensure that the US and allies secure key aspects of the technology supply chain.Deep sea mining represents a significant opportunity to alleviate supply chain constraints. The mining, done in international waters, presents a few advantages: minimal impact on ecology (though this is debated, and addressed on the show today), avoidance of issues related to cross-continental delivery and rapid utilisation of resources due to lack of infrastructural hurdles.Despite the potential of deep sea mining to diversify supply chains, there has been some resistance from NGOs and other conservation groups who are hesitant about the potential environmental impacts. Understanding the benefits of deep sea mining and, as we do on the show, confronting its potential drawbacks is crucial.Follow us on Twitter - we're @interchange show, or head to woodmac.com/podcasts for more. Subscribe to the show on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode, out every second Friday at 8am ET. Also do check out our sister podcast The Energy Gang, out on the alternate Friday when the Interchange isn't.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The energy transition can’t be solved simply by focusing on infrastructure, digital solutions or investment alone. These three parts of the puzzle need to fit together. The federal government recognises this; at the end of June the Environmental Protection Agency, funded by the IRA, dedicated $7 billion to community solar projects. These projects will focus on supplying solar to lower-income neighbourhoods. This paradigm shift to the community and individual consumer level is welcome news to Michael Pinto, CEO of CleanWatts. They’re a cleantech company focused on the local energy market – utilising the power of solar farms and AI to provide clean energy to communities. Based in Portugal, they’ve seen a significant increase in community-based renewable energy initiatives. What lessons have they learned in Europe that can be replicated in the US? We guide you through a conversation to answer exactly that. Michael explores some of the major stumbling blocks and hurdles facing communities trying to access solar power, and how CleanWatts and others are overcoming them. In addition to looking for ways to improve energy efficiency, CleanWatts also perceives AI as an essential tool in managing and predicting future energy needs. These digital innovations enable a higher level of control, providing a more stable and resilient grid system in the face of the huge changes the energy transition places on the existing infrastructure.Two significant challenges that the industry faces are regulatory frameworks and supply chain dependencies. Speedy regulatory approvals for local energy generation constructs are critical to accelerating the energy transition. The latest announcement of funding from the US government could be a significant step on this path. Coupled with mass-scale infrastructure solutions, local demand-side activation needs to grow rapidly. Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter @interchangeshowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Back in May, we heard from two climate economists – Gernot Wagner and Bruce Usher, both from Columbia University. Together we explored the flow of capital going into the four largest sources of renewable energy: hydrogen, nuclear, solar and wind. Examining where the money is coming from and where it’s going?It's coming primarily from venture capitalists, but in the last two months there’s been significant changes and evolutions in the industry. As we accelerate towards our net zero future, with the goal set for 2050, total capital investment necessary to achieve it has been estimated at $275 trillion. Between 2010 and 2019, investment in renewables topped $2.6 trillion, so with three decades to go we need to increase that amount a hundred-fold.Today, we get another perspective on the financing for the energy transition. Serge Tismen is Managing Director and Global Head of Clean Energy Transition at Citi in New York and joins David to discuss the market as he sees it. Is this $275 trillion figure accurate? Serge explains that it could be 270 trillion, but some have estimated it at 120, or 195. What are the key criteria that investors are looking at when considering new projects and infrastructure? A year on from the IRA are we continuing to see impacts in the same sectors? Diversification is key. Investment in mining for critical minerals, battery recycling and the steady growth of new technologies such as geothermal all need to be considered. Serge examines it all. Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode and follow us on Twitter @interchangeshowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Changes to the way emissions are reported will have a big impact on renewable investment.It might be the most important piece of sustainability material in corporate and climate work that no one’s ever heard of, and it drives a huge amount of corporate behaviour.  In 1998, the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard launched, and set out a standard for businesses to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions. Like financial accounting standards, the GHG Protocol influences corporate behaviour such as investment decisions. So, a planned revision of the rules for reporting Scope 2 emissions is a significant event. The new standard, expected to take effect in 2025, could have a big impact on corporate investment in low-carbon energy around the world.  Now, a consortium of some of the world’s biggest funders of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, such as Amazon and Meta, are looking to refine the current rules with the goal of increasing the accuracy of reporting. Together with 8 other companies, including Intel and Heineken, they’ve co-founded the Emissions First Partnership, which is advocating for changes to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.  We are joined by Jake Oster, Director of Energy and Environmental Policy at Amazon Web Services, and Peter Freed, Head of Energy Strategy at Meta, to explain the goals of the EFP and why updating accounting standards is so important.   The EFP says that changes to the GHG Protocol Scope 2 emissions reporting is a crucial step to addressing the climate crisis and decarbonizing the power system. Investment in new renewable technologies from corporates, as a result of the accounting standards being updated in the past decade, is increasing.Pre 2015, before the current market-based methodology was in place, there was about a gigawatt of installed capacity coming from PPAs. Today, there’s more than 100. The pace of progress in the energy transition is accelerating as reporting standards are refined and the EFP aims to continue this progress.   Follow the Interchange on Twitter – we’re @interchangeshow See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Solar is attracting the power generation industry’s best talent. As solar and storage enter a new era of applied strategy, better analytics and tools are accelerating growth. Pine Gate Renewables is aiming to ‘get solar done’ by providing renewable energy to local communities across the country.On today’s episode of the Interchange: Recharged, we are joined by David Groleau, Senior Vice President of Origination at Pine Gate. Together, they explore how unprecedented demand and regulatory integrations are transforming solar and storage in the US.Plus, more of the best discussions from a packed Solar and Energy Storage Summit in San Francisco. We are joined by solar and storage experts with a focus on community and social enterprise, live from the Wood Mac event, including:Patrick Regan of Crossroads SolarBill Jordan of community initiative Share the SunEric Hafter from Origami SolarNate Webb of Passage Studio & Robert Cross from Cross Consulting ServicesFollow us on Twitter, we’re @interchangeshow Pine Gate Renewables is a fully integrated renewable energy company powering the nation's energy transition with trusted utility-scale energy and storage solutions. Building projects from a community mindset, Pine Gate is committed to delivering sustainable value where we live, work and operate. Visit pinegaterenewables.com/learnmoreSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are in San Francisco, bringing you the second of three special episodes recorded live at Wood Mackenzie’s Solar Energy and Storage Summit. From the live podcast studio in the Gold Ballroom at the Palace Hotel, we brins you the best bits from a packed second day of presentations and interviews with leading solar policymakers, innovators and specialists. The focus shifts today to storage: how can domestic manufacturing be incentivised? What is required to nurture the development of a thriving localised storage component supply chain? What are the opportunities and challenges for long-duration energy storage implementation? Join us and five expert guests, as they explore the trends in storage tech, solar finance and managing storage operations. Make sure you subscribe to the show so you don’t miss our third and final episode of this special series, coming soon and featuring more interviews with solar and storage industry leaders and some bonus behind-the-scenes content. Follow us on Twitter, we’re @interchangeshow Pine Gate Renewables is a fully integrated renewable energy company powering the nation's energy transition with trusted utility-scale energy and storage solutions. Building projects from a community mindset, Pine Gate is committed to delivering sustainable value where we live, work and operate. Visit pinegaterenewables.com/learnmoreSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.