Switched On

In June of this year, the California Public Utilities Commission put out a decision requiring an additional 11,500MW of clean energy capacity to be procured by entities supplying the California grid by 2026. But also stipulated 1,000MW of this has to come from zero-emitting, renewable resources that have at least an 80% capacity factor, or, geothermal. In part 1 of this series we talked about the new technologies enabling geothermal development. In part 2, we'll talk about the business case -- how this regulation has set off a wave of activity in the sector, from incumbent geothermal developers, and those planning to utilize new geothermal generation technologies. Today on the show, we’ve got Paul Thomsen, Vice President of Business Development at Ormat Technologies. He’ll tell us about what’s going on in California and how Ormat and others are responding to this demand.BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geothermal is a small industry, with just about 14 gigawatts of capacity online globally. But where it matters, it matters a lot. In pockets around the world, geothermal can be not just the cleanest form of power, but also the cheapest. Still, geothermal development is hard -- drilling wells involves similar risks to oil and gas projects, but offers returns more in line with utilities. That risk profile has stunted the growth of geothermal. There are several companies working hard on technologies to de-risk geothermal development and squeeze additional value out of the hot water coming out of the wells. In some cases, they are throwing out the concept of conventional geothermal and starting afresh. Today, Switched On speaks with Hidda Thorsteinsson, managing director for research and innovation at Reykjavik Energy.BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late October, Rio Tinto announced plans to capture and bury CO2 from its ISAL aluminum smelter outside Reykjavik in the basalt right under its feet. The initiative is part of a $7.5bn effort to reduce firm-wide operational emissions by 50% by 2030. Today, Switched On speaks with Kari Helgason, head of research and innovation at Carbfix, the company that will take Rio's CO2 and inject it underground where it will turn to rock within two years. In our conversation, which takes place on location in Iceland at the site of Carbfix's first CO2 injection project, he tells us how the technology works, and how Carbfix's solution could scale to make a meaningful dent in global emissions.BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.Switched on this week is hosted by Mark Taylor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of countries and companies aim to hit net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, or thereabouts. But even after COP26, most have not laid out clear pathways to getting there, and are putting themselves in the position of starting too late to meet the mid-century deadline. This decade is critical to get things going. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF head of energy transition, Luiza Demoro, about the Pathfinders Initiative. Launched on October 18, Pathfinders is a resource from Bloomberg for policymakers to see what has worked around the world and get actionable ideas for policies to meet their net-zero targets.You can find out more about the Pathfinders Initiative at bloomberg.com/netzeropathfinders.Switched on this week is hosted by Mark Taylor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. When it comes to reducing methane emissions, monitoring technology, economics, and policy all have an important role to play. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF analysts Antoine Vagneur-Jones, who covers EMEA Energy Transitions, and Nakul Nair, who covers U.S. Gas & LNG. They tell us about methane emissions and what can be done.This episode is based on a report titled Global Demethanization Poised to Give U.S. LNG an Edge. You can also find Bloomberg’s coverage of COP26 and the Global Methane Pledge on the Bloomberg COP26 blog.Switched on this week is hosted by Dana Perkins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pressure is on the U.S. to get its climate house in order before it seeks to lead negotiations in Glasgow. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF head of Americas, Ethan Zindler, and BNEF head of global policy, Victoria Cuming. They will walk us through the politics in the U.S. and what to watch out for in Glasgow, whether or not Biden shows up to the conference as a leader, or just an attendee.This episode is based BNEF's ongoing coverage of U.S. and global policy, and special coverage of COP26. BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor and Dana Perkins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe's energy crunch is complex and weeks in, does not yet seems to be resolving, with higher gas prices, gasoline shortages and electricity retailers going out of business. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF head of research for EMEA, David Hostert. He will walk us through the big picture -- why the energy crunch, why now -- and talk us through how gas, coal, carbon and renewables are all tied into this. The podcast also touches on the implications for governments and consumers.This episode is based BNEF's ongoing coverage of European power, gas, and carbon markets. BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This podcast episode explores the fundamentals of hydrogen as a clean energy source. It discusses the different ways hydrogen can be produced and used, as well as the challenging economics behind it. The chapter highlights the potential applications of hydrogen in hard-to-abate sectors and its history as a fuel source. It also examines the properties and measurement of hydrogen, the economics of renewable hydrogen, and the impact of carbon prices on industries utilizing hydrogen.

International mining company Glencore has set a net-zero 2050 ambition across its operations for scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, meaning not only the mining but the use of its products, like coal. Today, Switched On speaks with Anna Krutikov, head of sustainable development at Glencore. She walks us through the company's targets, opportunities faced by Glencore in the energy transition in areas like battery metals, and some of the ethical considerations associated with decarbonization timelines.BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.Switched On is hosted this week by Dana Perkins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The urban sprawl can seem endless, but in reality, cities only cover 3% of global landmass, while accounting for 70% of global emissions. Cities around the world are therefore turning their focus to sustainability. This week, Switched On speaks with Technology & Innovation analyst for BNEF, Kirti Vasta. She will tell us about cities making moves toward sustainability and why now. How different types of cities are approaching the challenge in different ways, and how all cities are using technology as a key component to their strategy.This episode is based on a report titled Digital Technologies for Smarter, More Sustainable Cities. BNEF clients can access this at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.