Climate Positive

In this episode, host Gil Jenkins speaks with Marshall Cox, co-founder and CEO of Kelvin, a national leader in intelligent HVAC solutions for legacy buildings in major cities. Marshall shares the origin story of Kelvin (formerly Radiator Labs) and discusses the company’s flagship product—the Cozy—an insulated radiator cover that maximizes efficiency and eliminates waste in steam-heated buildings. He also outlines Kelvin’s growth plans and explains how New York’s Local Law 97 is accelerating the push for building efficiency and decarbonization. The conversation explores Kelvin’s hybrid electrification strategy and its broader implications for cost-effective, resource-efficient building decarbonization. Additional topics include market expansion, Kelvin’s innovative financing model, and the importance of partnerships with HVAC contractors and other key stakeholders.Bio:Dr. Marshall Cox is the co-founder and CEO of Kelvin, a pioneer in sustainable building decarbonization and innovative HVAC solutions. He earned his M.S. in materials science and engineering from Cornell University in May 2004 and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Columbia University in 2013. Marshall holds over 10 U.S. patents and has published eight peer-reviewed papers in semiconductor devices, processing, and inorganic synthetic chemistry. He has received numerous awards through his work at Kelvin, including the MIT Clean Energy Prize, the Verizon Powerful Answers Award, and the Popular Science Innovation Award.Links:Kelvin WebsiteKelvin on LinkedInMarshall on LinkedInEpisode recorded February 7, 2025 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation, with electric vehicles poised to dominate the future of transport. But this transition requires more than just building great EVs; it demands a comprehensive approach to ensure our electric grid can reliably support the demand from millions of new EVs. In this episode of Climate Positive, host Guy Van Syckle speaks with Apoorv Bhargava, CEO of WeaveGrid, a company at the forefront of electric vehicle deployment and grid reliability. WeaveGrid helps utilities integrate EVs into our grid at scale, with a focus on elevating the EV driver experience and keeping charging affordable.  Their platform also enables better charging alignment with renewable energy availability and broader decarbonization. Guy and Apoorv explore how WeaveGrid has built an AI software platform to transform EVs from a grid liability into a valuable grid asset, developing key partnerships with both automakers and utilities.  Links:WeaveGrid Website Apoorv Bhargava on LinkedInWeaveGrid on LinkedInEpisode recorded  February 6, 2025 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

In this episode of Climate Positive, hosts Gil Jenkins and Daniela Shapiro sit down with Tom Hunt, CEO, and Bret Labadie, CFO, of Pivot Energy—a Colorado-based renewable energy provider and IPP that develops, finances, builds, owns, and manages solar and energy storage projects. As an ECP portfolio company and Certified B Corporation, Pivot Energy seeks to leverage its renewable expertise to deliver innovative solutions that help businesses and communities achieve meaningful decarbonization. Tom and Bret discuss Pivot Energy’s growth, the rapidly evolving community solar market,  innovative financing strategies, and the power of corporate partnerships. They also explore the expanding role of distributed solar in the clean energy transition and what lies ahead for the industry.Bios:Tom Hunt is the CEO of Pivot Energy, a role he assumed in 2019. During his tenure as CEO, the company has grown by strong multiples in revenue, income, project deployment, and number of team members. In 2021, he drove a process to bring in blue-chip firm ECP as new sponsor investors for the company, allowing for renewed pursuit of Pivot's mission of making distributed generation a key part of the fight against anthropogenic climate change. A long-time community solar market leader, Tom also currently serves as the Board Chair for the Coalition for Community Solar Access, the national community solar trade association. Prior to Pivot, he oversaw corporate development, public policy, and project construction/operations for the first national community solar developer. He has also worked as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Colorado Governor's Energy Office and as a research chemist investigating biofuels synthesis methods.Bret Labadie is the CFO of Pivot Energy and has spent the last 18 years in escalating roles within energy finance, 8 of which have been concentrated in distributed solar. In his tenure in the renewables industry, Bret has closed debt and tax equity financings for over $600 million of distributed generation solar projects and has led three separate corporate capital processes, including the latest partnership between Pivot and ECP. Bret currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Pivot Energy, where he leads all financial, strategic, project finance, and capital market-related activities for the company.Links:Pivot Energy WebsitePivot Energy on LinkedInTom Hunt on LinkedInBret Labadie on LinkedInThe Kacie Peters Community Solar GardenPress Release: Pivot Energy Secures Over $450 Million in Major Financing of Distributed Generation Portfolios from First Citizens, ATLAS SP, and HASI (November 21, 2024) Press Release: Pivot Energy Collaborates with Microsoft to Develop Up to 500 MWac of Community-Scale Solar Projects that Will Deliver Significant Benefits to Local Communities (August 8, 2024)Press Release: Rivian Partners with Pivot Energy to Build Community Solar in Illinois (May 22, 2024) Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

In this episode of Climate Positive, hosts Gil Jenkins and Guy Van Syckle chat with Zeyneb Magavi, Executive Director of HEET, a Massachusetts-based non-profit focused on designing a strategic evolution of aging gas systems into bidirectional ambient thermal grids, with the aim of driving rapid and equitable decarbonization of heating and cooling in urban areas. The enlivening conversation centers around the networked geothermal, a novel technology gaining traction nationwide that utilizes underground thermal energy systems to provide efficient and sustainable heating and cooling. Magavi breaks down how this innovative neighborhood-scale decarbonization solution works, highlights the business case, policy drivers, the benefits for communities, utilities, workers, and more.Links:HEET WebsiteZeyneb Magavi on LinkedInZeyneb Magavi BioHEET on  XHEET on  LinkedInArticle: Underground Thermal Energy Networks May Be About to Have Their Moment (Wall Street Journal, April 21, 2024)Article: How an Unlikely Coalition of Climate Activists and a Gas Utility Are Weaning a Boston Suburb Off Fossil Fuels (Inside Climate News, December 21, 2024)HEET Blog:  13 Massachusetts Communities Kickstart New Geothermal Networks with $450,000 in Funding from MassCEC (February 29, 2024)HEET Blog: Networked Geothermal: The National Picture (April 17, 2023)Episode recorded December 17, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

Brandon Oyer, Head of Americas Power and Water at Amazon Web Services, spearheads major initiatives to integrate nuclear energy into Amazon's sustainability goals. He discusses the urgent need for power generation to meet the growing demand from data centers. Oyer dives into Amazon's pioneering agreements with both large-scale and small modular nuclear reactors. The conversation highlights the bipartisan support for nuclear, the economic benefits of these initiatives, and the vital role of nuclear energy in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

With rising investor demand and regulatory pressure in certain jurisdictions, company disclosure of their exposure to climate risks and their environmental impact has emerged as an expectation with tangible economic benefits. Increasingly, companies can improve their access to lower-cost capital by disclosing their exposure to climate risks and opportunities. Indeed currently over 23,000 companies now report through CDP, underscoring growing investor and customer demand for environmental data. In this episode, CDP CEO Sherry Madera joins hosts Chad Reed and Al Jacobs from the biodiversity-focused COP16 in Colombia, to explore the competitive advantages climate disclosures provide companies who proactively measure and manage their environmental impact and the role CDP plays in driving better carbon accounting practices. LinksCDPCorporate Climate Disclosure Has Passed a Tipping Point. Companies Need to Catch Up (World Resources Institute)EPA on Climate-Related DisclosuresEpisode recorded October 28, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

Coleman Adams, CFO of Nth Cycle, is an expert in critical metal refining, leading innovations in recycling for battery production. He discusses the significance of critical minerals like nickel and lithium, essential for clean energy technologies. Coleman highlights the environmental and geopolitical challenges in the supply chain, particularly reliance on foreign sources. He shares insight on Nth Cycle's groundbreaking Oyster facility in Ohio, which sustainably recycles materials, boosting U.S. self-sufficiency and reducing emissions in battery manufacturing.

Tim McDonnell, Climate & Energy Editor at Semafor and author of the Net Zero newsletter, discusses the evolution of climate journalism and the pressing challenges of the energy transition. He reflects on Ukraine's energy crisis, highlighting local initiatives towards renewable sources amid war-torn infrastructure. McDonnell also explores the intersection of climate policy and the 2024 U.S. election, touching on the energy demands of AI and the importance of engaging diverse audiences for impactful change. His insights bridge the gap between complex issues and public understanding.

In this episode, Dr. Tallamy and Hilary Langer tap into the world of caterpillars, birds, and native flora to illuminate how individuals can be agents of change and address urgent issues of species loss and ecosystem collapse. From publishing research on insects to reviving his own property that was overrun by non-native plants, Dr. Tallamy's journey has been a fascinating exploration of the intricate web of life that begins from the ground up. He offers a fresh perspective on the symbiotic relationship between native plants, insects, and the ecosystems they support, and emphasizes the urgency of education and personal responsibility to protect species in the face of a changing climate. Links:Homegrown National ParkNew York Times: Why You Should Plant OaksDr. Doug Tallamy Professional PageBooks by Dr. TallamyMeet the Ecologist Who Wants You to Unleash the Wild on Your BackyardWhy Native Plants Are Key to Saving Our Ecosystems: An Interview With Doug Tallamy Episode recorded September 5, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

Over the last few years, the United States has led the world in the fight against climate change by passing some of the most impactful and largest investments in infrastructure and related regulatory reforms ever. Together, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law seek to deploy nearly $1 trillion in climate positive infrastructure investment over the next decade. At the same time, however, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a series of decisions that together significantly curtail the authority of executive agencies charged with implementing and defending legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President. In its most recent term, the Court issued four such decisions including Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which overturns a 40-year precedent and ensures the courts will have a commanding voice over climate policy and regulation for the foreseeable future.In this episode, Chad Reed unpacks the details and implications of Loper Bright and related Court decisions with Kevin Poloncarz, a partner with Covington & Burling and one of the top climate change attorneys in the United States. Links:Supreme Court strikes down Chevron, curtailing power of federal agencies (SCOTUSblog, July 2024)CleanLaw – Suite of Supreme Court Decisions Undermine Administrative LawPalmaz VineyardsEpisode recorded September 12, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.