

Energy Evolution
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Interviews, analysis and reporting from S&P Global Commodity Insights on energy and commodities' transition to a cleaner future. Hosts Taylor Kuykendall and Eklavya Gupte speak with policymakers, industry professionals and SPGCI in-house experts worldwide on topics related to decarbonization, climate, emerging fuels and energy sources, and the outlook for commodity markets from oil to power to metals. The Energy Evolution podcast has merged with the Platts Future Energy podcast as of January 2025.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 13, 2024 • 22min
What to watch as hydrogen moves into execution phase
On this week’s episode of Energy Evolution, S&P Global Commodity Insights hydrogen specialists Shankari Srinivasan and Catherine Robinson discuss their research on the current state of the hydrogen industry just a few weeks before World Hydrogen Week, which will take place Sept. 30- Oct. 4 in Copenhagen. While the mood has been dampened by project cancellations, the industry is now moving from planning to delivery, Srinivasan tells podcast correspondent Camilla Naschert. Blue hydrogen, made using gas and carbon capture, will play a major role, especially in Asia and the US, leveraging lower cost differentials and existing infrastructure, Robinson says. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications.

Sep 6, 2024 • 24min
All Things Aviation: CORSIA and the future of carbon markets in aviation (part 2)
This is episode 2 of All Things Aviation, a special six-part series focusing on the dynamics, trends, and outlooks in the aviation sector. In this episode, Marie-Louise Du Bois, head of the global carbon pricing team is joined by S&P Global Commodity Insights experts Dana Agrotti, low carbon market lead analyst, Agamoni Ghosh, managing editor, global compliance carbon pricing and Eklavya Gupte, editorial lead, carbon news. They delve into the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), discussing its role in reducing emissions and the challenges surrounding carbon credit availability. They also explore how CORSIA is shaping the aviation industry's approach to sustainability, looking at the big changes ahead for this hybrid carbon market.

Sep 6, 2024 • 29min
A closer look at Utah project converting renewables into hydrogen for later use
Today's episode of Energy Evolution is all about the Advanced Clean Energy Storage project in Delta, Utah. ACES will use electrolysis to convert renewable energy into hydrogen and store it so that the otherwise intermittent resources will be dispatchable on demand from storage in large salt caverns underground. The first project will convert and store up to 100 metric tons per day of hydrogen and is expected to enter commercial-scale operations in mid-2025. Chevron recently acquired Magnum Development LLC and a majority interest in the project, which is a joint venture with Mitsubishi Power Americas. Our guests discussing the topic are Austin Knight and Michael Ducker. Knight is the vice president of hydrogen for Chevron New Energies, a division of Chevron USA Inc. Ducker is the President & CEO of MHI Hydrogen Infrastructure, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Power Americas and a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. Veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall co-host the show, which routinely features regular correspondents Camilla Naschert and Camellia Moors.

Aug 30, 2024 • 15min
How an AI-powered robot is speeding up solar installation
This week's episode of Energy Evolution features a conversation with Deise Yumi Asami, the founder of Maximo, an AI-powered robot that automates the heavy lifting for placing and attaching solar modules. The project is being run by AES Corp., a Virginia-based utility and power generation company. In the episode, Asami explains how the robot uses AI to improve its own performance, how it is changing the way solar is installed and the broader implications of AI and automation in the energy transition. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. Veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall co-host the show, which routinely features regular correspondents Camilla Naschert and Camellia Moors.

Aug 27, 2024 • 20min
All Things Aviation: Post-pandemic economics, geopolitics and infrastructure (part 1)
This is episode 1 of All Things Aviation, a special six-part series focusing on the dynamics, trends and outlooks in the aviation sector. In the first episode of this Future Energy miniseries, S&P Global Commodity Insights scenarios and aviation experts Roman Kramarchuk, Paul McConnell and James Simpson set the stage, discussing the global state of aviation demand, fuel supply and Commodity Insights scenario outlooks for 2024 and beyond. What is the importance of emissions from the aviation sector in meeting (or not meeting) net-zero targets? How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted the sector? What drives demand for flying? What are the latest trends in aircraft fleets, and what are the policy constructs driving efficiency and alternative low-carbon fuels? Tune in next week for episode two of All Things Aviation, which will focus on the carbon market mechanisms that have been designed and implemented around the globe to constrain aviation emissions.

Aug 23, 2024 • 35min
Adair Turner on Trump 2.0, Chinese solar panels and the hydrogen hype
Adair Turner, the former chairman of the UK Financial Services Authority and current head of the Energy Transitions Commission, shares his insights on critical climate issues. He warns about the potential risks to U.S. climate goals if Trump returns to power. Turner discusses the challenges of deindustrialization in Europe and supports the need for carbon borders. He downplays fears over reliance on Chinese cleantech and emphasizes that AI datacenters may require regulatory oversight to navigate the energy transition effectively.

Aug 16, 2024 • 36min
The business case for solar power in the US energy transition
Solar power is the fastest growing source of electricity in the US. But as adoption of solar and other renewable power generation grows, developers are facing new realities when it comes to financing projects and setting expectations about their returns. In this episode, guest Sheldon Kimber, founder and CEO of independent power producer Intersect Power, speaks with correspondent Camellia Moors about the business case for solar power development in the US, some of the policies surrounding the industry, and solar power’s role in the US energy transition. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. Veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall co-host the show, which routinely features regular correspondents Camilla Naschert and Camellia Moors.

Aug 13, 2024 • 24min
Exploring the unprecedented growth of global solar PV
Global installed capacity of solar photovoltaics has grown at an extraordinary pace in recent years as countries strive to meet approaching decarbonisation targets, meaning that the technology is having an ever-increasing part in electricity mixes worldwide. In this episode of the Platts Future Energy Podcast, solar market reporter Lena Dias Martins is joined by associate director for solar research Josefin Berg to discuss the growth of solar globally, installation forecasts and how this technology is impacting decarbonising electricity systems.

Aug 9, 2024 • 43min
What it means to be green: Steel market lacks consensus on what low-carbon looks like
“Green steel” is becoming an increasingly desirable product around the world as more end users establish decarbonization goals and legislation like the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) goes into effect. But with no single definition, steel market participants are having to come up with their own standards as they pursue lower-carbon steelmaking. In this episode, Laura Varriale, managing editor of the ferrous metals team, EMEA, at S&P Global Commodity Insights and Guido Kerkhoff, management board chairman and CEO of the European unit of German steel service company Klöckner & Co., talk about the state of the European and US green steel markets, challenges and advancements, and how steel trading might be affected by CBAM and the decarbonization drive. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. Veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall co-host the show, which routinely features regular correspondents Camilla Naschert and Camellia Moors.

Aug 2, 2024 • 15min
Direct air capture may sound like science fiction, but investors are taking it seriously
Direct air capture is becoming a serious contender in the fight against climate change, attracting massive investments and attention. Experts highlight the hefty price tag of nearly $1,000 per ton of captured CO2 and discuss innovative approaches using limestone to lower costs. The pivotal role of low-carbon electricity is revealed, as renewable sources are essential for efficiency. Recent advancements include the first U.S. commercial plant, showcasing the urgent need for balanced investment in both emerging technologies and traditional renewables.


