Energy Evolution

The EU's Clean Industrial Deal aims to back cleantech manufacturing with a whopping €100 billion. Experts discuss how this could fend off deindustrialization amid fierce global competition, especially from China. With a focus on solar, batteries, and electric vehicles, the conversation highlights the need for local production to diminish reliance on imports. Additionally, geographical investment trends reveal key hot spots in Germany and Hungary sparking growth, while a comparison of EU and US investment strategies sheds light on the race for clean technology dominance.

In this episode of Energy Evolution, host Taylor Kuykendall chats with Ernest Moniz, founder and CEO of the EFI Foundation and the former US Department of Energy Secretary during the Obama administration. We'll also talk to Vast Energy CEO Craig Wood and Plug Power Chief Strategy Officer Sanjay Shrestha.   The discussions, held on the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference, focus on innovations in energy technology, particularly the role the Department of Energy plays in early investment and how it might change under President Donald Trump. Vast Energy and Plug Power are both companies that have partnered with the DOE in the past, and both remain optimistic about the future. Energy Evolution has merged with Platts Future Energy, and episodes are now regularly published on Tuesdays.

Industry leaders discuss the booming energy needs driven by AI and semiconductor manufacturing. A CEO reveals a bold $75 billion plan to enhance grid reliability amidst rising demands. Another emphasizes renewables and storage solutions to support the reshoring of US manufacturing. The transformative role of AI in energy management takes center stage, including a significant investment in innovative startups. Affordability challenges are highlighted, especially in the Northeast, as utilities navigate the complexities of infrastructure modernization.

In this episode of Energy Evolution, co-host Taylor Kuykendall delves into developments in battery technology with Pure Lithium founder and CEO Emilie Bodoin and explores methods for extracting lithium with International Battery Metals CEO Iris Jancik from the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference. The episode also addresses electric vehicle adoption, the impact of changing political climates on incentives, and the need for innovation in the face of a looming natural resource crisis.  Energy Evolution has merged with Platts Future Energy, and episodes are now regularly published on Tuesdays.

In this episode of Energy Evolution, host Taylor Kuykendall sits down with Hannah Hauman, head of carbon trading with multinational commodities company Trafigura, to learn more about the world of carbon markets.  After a brief overview of carbon markets, listeners will learn more about the impacts of geopolitical changes, artificial intelligence and more shaping carbon trading. Hauman emphasized the importance and complexities of carbon accounting and the need to recognize that carbon markets are a vital part of business strategy and not merely a philanthropic endeavor.  Energy Evolution has merged with Platts Future Energy, and episodes are now regularly published on Tuesdays.

As CERAWeek by S&P Global wraps up, Taylor Kuykendall sits down with Commodity Insights co-president Dave Ernsberger, LNG news reporter Corey Paul and power news reporter Kassia Micek to tease out the interesting themes and moments from the conference.  With the AI race front and center at CERAWeek, some of the biggest conversations revolved around powering datacenters, and with a new Trump administration looming large as the backdrop, the spotlight shifted from decarbonization and clean tech in past years to a new emphasis on investment and production, with a constant eye toward energy policy and geopolitics. Energy Evolution has merged with Platts Future Energy, and episodes are now regularly published on Tuesdays.

Grid planning and capacity optimization in the US have much room for improvement, for instance through new AI capabilities, Arshad Mansoor, president and CEO of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), says on the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference. Increased flexibility could stave off the potential of rising power bills for general consumers in light of the country's rapid load growth, he tells Energy Evolution host Taylor Kuykendall. While the US is blessed with abundant gas as well as renewables potential, much remains to be done on the accompanying grid expansion, Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy, tells Taylor in this episode from CERAWeek. Taylor will be hosting additional episodes in addition to Energy Evolution's typical weekly schedule for the duration of CERAWeek, featuring guests attending the conference. Energy Evolution has merged with Platts Future Energy, and episodes are now regularly published on Tuesdays.

“One difficulty may be the wind side,” says Rich Voorberg, president of the North America hub of energy equipment provider Siemens Energy, on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston. Meanwhile, the gas turbine and grids divisions are struggling to keep pace with surging demand, Voorberg tells Energy Evolution host Taylor Kuykendall. When it comes to the impact of tariffs, Siemens Energy and its competitors sit in the same boat, with limited relative competitive impact, Voorberg notes. Taylor will be hosting additional episodes in addition to Energy Evolution's typical weekly schedule for the duration of CERAWeek, featuring guests attending the conference. Energy Evolution has merged with Platts Future Energy, and episodes now regularly publish on Tuesdays.

As power demand rockets thanks in part to datacenter operators, the US grid needs more dispatchable power, FERC chairman Mark Christie tells Energy Evolution host Taylor Kuykendall on the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston. Taylor will be hosting additional episodes in addition to Energy Evolution's typical weekly schedule for the next several days, featuring guests attending CERAWeek. 

In this episode of Energy Evolution, host Taylor Kuykendall speaks with Mark Brownstein, leader of energy transition efforts at the Environmental Defense Fund about environmental and climate priorities related to the energy transition in 2025.  They discuss the evolving geopolitical landscape impacting energy policies, the role of market forces in advancing clean energy technologies, and private sector adaptation amidst changing political support. The conversation also touches on the need for collaborative efforts in permitting reform and the critical actions required to ensure the continued momentum of the energy transition into 2025 and beyond. Taylor will be hosting additional episodes in addition to Energy Evolution's typical weekly schedule for the next several days, featuring guests attending CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston, Texas. Energy Evolution has merged with Platts Future Energy, and episodes are now regularly published on Tuesdays.