Let us know how we're doing - text us feedback or thoughts on episode contentThere's a lot going on in the offshore wind market in the US these days. Multiple projects have had to renegotiate or even outright cancel their power purchase agreements.In today's episode, Paul takes a closer look at the reasons behind this turmoil and the impact on the nascent offshore wind market.For further reference:"Offshore wind in the U.S. hit headwinds in 2023. Here's what you need to know" - NPR"A wind pro...

Let us know how we're doing - text us feedback or thoughts on episode contentThe amount of renewable generation that is forecasted to come online over the next few years is staggering. But renewable assets face risks - risks associated with the changing climate in the first place. As weather patterns change, affecting cloud cover, snow melt, or wind speed - renewable assets are especially vulnerable to these changes.In this episode, Paul unpacks how the changing climate may affect our increas...

Let us know how we're doing - text us feedback or thoughts on episode contentThere are over 20 Green Banks spread across the US, designed to deploy clean energy technologies and ensure equitable access to the clean energy economy. These quasi-public institutions play an important role in bridging a risk gap between what is "theoretically financeable" and what is "actually financeable".In this episode, Paul discusses how Green Banks function, the role that they play in handling risks that priv...

Let us know how we're doing - text us feedback or thoughts on episode contentIf there is a gold standard for setting corporate climate goals, it's a science based target. These commitments are a rigorous, methodical approach toward ensuring that we stay below the 2 degree warming threshold.In today's episode, Paul explains the methodology used to determine science based targets and their net zero counterpart. And Paul touches upon the recent controversy that arose around when and how it is ap...

Let us know how we're doing - text us feedback or thoughts on episode content Philanthropic giving to climate related causes is woefully small. But charitable dollars have a really important role to play because of their flexibility and different motivations. They can catalyze investment in areas where private or governmental dollars can not. In this episode, Paul sits with Randall Kempner, Senior Advisor to the Aspen Institute to discuss the role of philanthropic dollars in the capital...

Paul sits with Mike Roeth of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) to discuss the current state of trucking and how that industry is decarbonizing. Although trucks only account for 5-10% of the vehicles on the road, they contribute up to a quarter of the transportation sector's greenhouse gas emissions. But whereas challenges remain to fully decarbonize long haul, heavy duty trucking, Mike and Paul dig into the different use cases and opportunities that the industry has...

2024 marks the first compliance period for the groundbreaking building performance standard in New York City known as Local Law 97. The law requires large buildings to go beyond simply reporting emissions and to begin to enact decarbonization standards. Or face fines. Paul sits with Luke Surowiec of ICF and who is the program director of the New York City Accelerator to talk about the current state of Local Law 97, how buildings are complying with the requirements, what lies ahead, and what...

It's been about 6 and a half years since Hurricane Maria laid waste to Puerto Rico's power grid. As the island continues its recovery, it is pioneering a more distributed, renewable and resilient power infrastructure that the rest of us can learn from. In this episode, Paul sits down with Javier Rua of the Solar and Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico to talk about the recovery process and what's next for the island. For further reference: Javier Rua Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy...

On March 6th, the Securities and Exchange Commission released their long awaited rules on climate disclosure. The final product attempts to standardize how companies report on the risks that they face from worsening climate events, while providing a way to indicate the strategies and steps being taken to reduce the impact and risk of climate change. Paul tackles the rules, both in what they are now going to require public companies to report upon as well as in how effective these...

Thermal Energy Networks are matriced assemblies of pipes and heat pumps where buildings can not only utilize the heat from the ground beneath us, but repurpose heat from the buildings around us to make certain we're not wasting anything. And, because of that, these systems may be a super efficient and cost effective means to decarbonize large swaths of cities and neighborhoods. Paul sits with Matt Rusteika, Director of Market Transformation at the Building Decarbonization Coalition, to talk...

In this episode, Paul unpacks how 24/7 hourly matching is becoming something of a new standard for corporate renewable energy procurement. This temporal strategy is having an impact on not just how large companies are buying power, but also for federal organizations, hydrogen developers, and, frankly, just about anyone in the renewable procurement market. Paul discusses the impact of 24/7 hourly matching, it's potential drawbacks ... and even courts a bit of controversy by suggesting that...

When Walmart launched their Project Gigaton program in 2017, the idea that the retailer could get their suppliers to cumulatively reduce 1 BILLION tons for carbon emissions by 2030 was hailed as incredibly ambitious. Last week, the company reported in their fourth quarter earnings call that they had not only surpassed that billion ton goal, but had done so 6 full years earlier than their target. In today's episode, Paul discusses how Walmart got here, what other companies can learn from...

While EV global sales continue to surge, the uptick in the US lags significantly behind that of our European counterparts. And while obstacles such as a lack of charging infrastructure, high up-front costs, and battery range are affecting market share - those same issues are also at play in Europe. So what are they doing right that is helping that continent achieve over 20% market share of EVs? In this episode, Paul dissects four areas where Europe's approach to EVs has been a bit different...

Getting discouraged by all of the negativity in climate news recently? In this week's episode, Paul takes a different tack - focusing on the good news that came out of 2023 and all of the positive results that we've *already* achieved in climate action. Take a bit of hope from this episode as to the trajectory of change that is occurring! For further research: "World’s renewable energy capacity grew at record pace in 2023" - The Guardian "Chart: US EV sales are having a record-setting...

In this episode, Paul is joined by DR Richardson and Jan Keleher of Elephant Energy to discuss the challenges of the residential heat pump market. With an array of federal, state and local incentives, a myriad of technology options, sizing requirements, electrical upgrade decisions and other factors that play into installing these units, Elephant Energy has found a niche as a "one-stop shop" in helping homeowners. We explore why business model innovations such as Elephant's may be necessary...

The intensity and impact of wildfires has dramatically increased over the past few decades due to climate change. And as those acres burn, those fires are releasing trapped carbon back into the atmosphere and only exasperating global warming. Utilities have been at the center of the controversy around wildfires - taking the blame for devastating events in California and Maui, but also leading in developing solutions to mitigate the rise in and impact of wildfires. For further...

Is renewable natural gas the silver bullet for a greener future or a complex puzzle yet to be solved? While many industrial and natural gas companies have looked to RNG as a potential solution to decarbonize their operations, the fuel source is not without some issues. Paul examines how RNG is made, used and contributes to decarbonization goals. But he also looks at how and why some of those claims may not fully stand up under scrutiny. For futher research: The Four Fatal Flaws of...

CO2 may be the main culprit of climate warming activities - but there are other greenhouse gases out there even more potent. Twenty thousand times more potent, in fact. And controlling these gases is just as important to meeting our climate ambitions as reducing carbon emissions is. Paul unpacks the Kyoto protocol and the seven gases identified to have significant global warming implications on our planet. And Paul discusses where these gases are coming from and what we're doing to address...

Just before Christmas, the US Treasury and IRS issued rules on how certain tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act should be considered. These 45V tax credits are critical to the growth and evolution of the hydrogen industry, but not everyone agrees on how these credits should be managed. Should they prioritize growth of a needed carbon-free fuel industry? Or should they ensure that dirty, fossil fired power stations aren't powering staying operational longer than needed? In this episode,...

Back in October, California passed a remarkable law called Senate Bill 253, The Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act. Usually shortened to just SB 253, the new law is the first to require large companies to publicly report on their greenhouse gas emissions. Paul sits down with one of the key architects of the legislation, Catherine Atkin of Carbon Accountable. They discuss the implications and opportunities of the new bill and what it means for companies doing business in...

COP28, the world's largest climate event, wrapped in Dubai last week. On the one hand, the COP is an event for politicians and dignitaries as they wrestle with the language around how forcefully the world will commit to the climate transition. But, the COP has another side to it as well, a public side where corporations, NGOs and other organizations gathered to share the very best of what global collaboration can mean when harnessed in the right direction. In this episode, Paul unpacks the...

Industrial and manufacturing processes require intense heat - something that has been relatively difficult to achieve with electricity. But converting those processes away from fossil fuel sources and to renewable energy is critical if we're going to decarbonize this sector. But a host of emerging technologies are helping to make that transition. From heat pumps to old fashioned firebricks to more advanced technologies, a number of startups are helping to apply electricity to even our...

Artificial Intelligence is having a moment. And while there are legitimate concerns as to how AI can influence our society and culture, this emerging technology is also having a profound impact on the pace and scale of the energy transition. In this episode, Paul dissects what AI can, and can not do, and illustrates a few examples of how this important technology is changing our power grid. Paul references the following material in this podcast: PWC Report on Impact of AI on Global...

The utility business model is a bit unusual, given that power companies own a natural monopoly in the areas in which they operate. But just as the energy transition has upended a bunch of other industry models, it's doing something similar in the staid power industry.  Paul digs into the existing Cost of Service model most utilities employ today, as well as discussing the evolving role that decoupling and Performance Based Ratemaking play in aligning utility incentives with those of states...