

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

Mar 29, 2024 • 25min
Catching up with the CEO behind the largest clean energy infrastructure project in US history
Energy Evolution continues to showcase interviews with influential leaders in the energy transition as co-host Taylor Kuykendall returns from CERAWeek 2024, by S&P Global, the company's flagship energy conference. In this episode, we talk with Hunter Armistead, the CEO of Pattern Energy. Pattern Energy is developing SunZia Wind and Transmission to capture energy from the winds of New Mexico to power three million Americans in the western US. Hunter and Taylor talk about the challenges and opportunities of renewable energy, the importance of transmission in meeting demand, and the role of green fuels. They also touch on the difficulties of financing large-scale projects like SunZia, as well as the policy changes that could make it easier to build transmission and allocate costs. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.

Mar 27, 2024 • 38min
Energy transition insights from a former DOE Secretary and the COP24 President
Energy Evolution continues to showcase interviews with influential leaders in the energy transition as co-host Taylor Kuykendall returns from CERAWeek 2024, by S&P Global, the company's flagship energy conference. On this episode, we start with a chat with Ernest Moniz, former US energy secretary under the Obama administration, and now president and CEO of the Energy Futures Initiative think tank. Then, we talk to Michał Kurtyka, a fellow with the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, the first minister of Poland’s Ministry of Climate and the President of COP24 — the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Poland. In wide-ranging conversations, Energy Evolution talks to the two officials about policy changes, the need to act on climate and rapidly changing energy technologies — from coal to hydrogen to fusion. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.

Mar 22, 2024 • 18min
Curbing emissions in the oil and gas industry
This week, Energy Evolution reports from CERAWeek, S&P Global's flagship energy conference. Today’s conversation is with Colin Parfitt, vice president of Midstream at Chevron Corporation. Parfitt discussed Chevron’s approach to cutting carbon emissions intensity in the oil and gas business amid growing energy demand, the role of liquified natural gas in the energy space, and the pace of energy sector decarbonization with podcast co-host Taylor Kuykendall on the sidelines of the event. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.

Mar 21, 2024 • 15min
Virtual power plants and the future electric grid
This week, Energy Evolution reports from CERAWeek, S&P Global's flagship energy conference. Today’s conversation is with Meghan Nutting, executive vice president of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Sunnova Energy. Virtual power plants (VPPs) can help manage grid demand and support electrification, Nutting told podcast co-host Taylor Kuykendall on the sidelines of the event. She also talked about Sunnova’s Project Hestia, how VPPs may fit in with large conventional power plants, and policy levers to support solar power deployment. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.

Mar 20, 2024 • 39min
Commodities leave crisis era as demand booms, economist says
This week, Energy Evolution reports from CERAWeek, S&P Global's flagship energy conference. While the event has become increasingly focused on the energy transition, one commodity trading house says the good times for fossil fuels are far from over. Demand for oil and gas, as well as key metals such as copper, is set to grow across most global markets, Trafigura chief economist Saad Rahim tells Taylor Kuykendall on the sidelines of the event. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.

Mar 19, 2024 • 25min
Deconstructing the European carbon market's price slump
Experts analyze the reasons behind the European carbon market price slump, including economic uncertainty and lower gas prices. They discuss the impact on short- and long-term climate and energy policies, along with insights into EU ETS prices and emissions reduction goals.

Mar 19, 2024 • 19min
AI is changing the energy system, putting premium on flexibility
This week, Energy Evolution reports from CERAWeek, S&P Global's flagship energy conference. Our first conversation from the 'Super Bowl of energy' is with Arshad Mansoor, president of the Electric Power Research Institute. With AI changing the energy landscape at lightning speed, grid flexibility is increasingly indispensable, Mansoor tells podcast co-host Taylor Kuykendall. Given that, innovation and deployment of small modular reactors and hydrogen cannot come fast enough, Mansoor says. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.

Mar 15, 2024 • 21min
Previewing 2024 cleantech trends ahead of CERAWeek 2024
Energy Evolution podcast co-host Taylor Kuykendall interviews researchers behind S&P Global Commodity Insights' Top Ten Cleantech Trends in 2024 for insight into what might be at the front of mind as energy leaders from around the world converge in Houston for CERAWeek 2024. This show's guests are Cormac Gilligan, an associate director at S&P Global Commodity Insights who focuses on solar and energy storage research, and D'avack Francesco, principal analyst, global power and renewables, climate & sustainability for S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay current on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.

Mar 13, 2024 • 28min
Decarbonizing heavy industry with technology and policy
What industries produce the most greenhouse gas emissions, and how are they changing as the energy transition proceeds? What are the major technological and policy solutions to cutting emissions in the iron and steel, chemicals, and cement and concrete sectors? Energy Evolution correspondent Camellia Moors spoke with Jeff Rissman, senior director for industry at Energy Innovation, about his new book on industrial emissions and emissions mitigation strategies, Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay up to date on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.

Mar 8, 2024 • 23min
Building from scrap: Fueling EV batteries with recycled materials
As electric vehicle and clean energy technology demand ramps up, so is interest in sourcing the critical minerals they need from recycled materials. Energy Evolution correspondent Camellia Moors spoke with guests Ahmad Ghahreman, CEO, president and co-founder of rare earths recycler Cyclic Materials, and Julian Proelss, director of business management battery recycling at chemical company BASF, about how these materials are extracted from old equipment and used in new batteries. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay up to date on the energy transition and its implications. The show is co-hosted by veteran journalists Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall.