Energy Switch

Coal is still the dominant source of electricity worldwide. That’s because it’s available domestically in many countries, and is cheap and easy to mine, transport and burn. But those benefits come with serious downsides: local air pollution and global CO2 emissions. We discuss with Dr. Rahul Tongia from the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, and Dr. Mark Thurber from Stanford University.

Twenty years ago, wind, solar, grid-scale batteries, and the powerlines to connect them were rare. Now they’re mainstream. Our two guests have been there since the beginning. We’ll hear how they’ve led alternative energy development and investment companies with great success. With Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy, and Michael Harrington, Chief Investment Officer for Actis.

Fertilizer drives modern agriculture, to feed the world. It turns natural gas, nitrogen from the atmosphere, and mined minerals into plant nutrients, which end up on our plates to nourish our bodies -- but with large energy and greenhouse gas footprints. We’ll discuss benefits, challenges and potential solutions with Chrystel Monthean from Yara and Dr. Jason Haegele from ICL Group.

The Clean Air Act has reduced particulate matter pollution, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides, ushering in capture technologies that have improved air quality and health. Further improvements, however, may be difficult to achieve. With Dr. Tracey Holloway, from the University of Wisconsin and NASA, and Emily Schilling, a law partner at Holland & Hart.

Russia’s energy exports fund its government and war efforts. It’s the world’s 2nd largest producer of oil and natural gas, behind the US, and has avoided energy sanctions through careful maneuvering. Because of its energy, Russia will continue to play an outsized role in global politics. With Dr. Margarita Balmaceda from Seton Hall and Harvard, and Dr. Caroline Kissane, Associate Dean at NYU.

Air conditioning has changed the world, allowing hot regions to develop, with increased comfort, health, and productivity. But these benefits come with challenges -- greater electricity demand and emissions. There are new ideas that could bring cooling to more people, with less impact. With Dr. Daniel Betts, CEO of Blue Frontier, and Dr. Chiara Delmastro from the International Energy Agency.

Last episode, our experts referenced IPCC data to explain that heat, heat waves and precipitation are trending up. While floods, fires and storms are flat or down. However, in this episode we’ll see that risk and damages from these events have increased, and we’ll look at potential solutions. Again with acclaimed environmental journalist Andrew Revkin and climate scientist Dr. Patrick Brown.

We often hear that climate change is driving extreme weather. To understand the trends, our guests dug into the IPCC data for heat waves and cold spells. Historic rainfall and current patterns. Storm frequency and intensity. What they reveal will surprise you. With Dr. Patrick Brown, climate scientist from Breakthrough Institute, and acclaimed environmental journalist Andrew Revkin.

Every text, email and social media post. Every digital photo, web search and credit card transaction. Every online purchase. Every streaming show. Nearly everything in our lives involves data coming in and out of data centers, with incredibly huge electricity demands. We discuss with Dr. Ayșe Coskun, from Boston University, and Josh Fluecke, who builds data centers for Syska Hennessy Group.

Our guests argue against conventional wisdom, that oil companies must be part of decarbonization. That solar and wind will never replace them. And that we don’t value our environment enough to take meaningful action anyway. You may not agree, but you’ll still want to hear from Dr. Nate Hagens, of the Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future, and Tisha Schuller, CEO of Adamantine Energy.

Subsidies support energy infrastructure and development to benefit consumers. And we pay for them. In tax credits for producers and investors. Direct payments and mandates for low carbon technology. Accelerated expense schedules for oil and gas. And R&D funding. We explore with Jonathan Lesser, President of Continental Economics, and Ryan Kellogg, Professor at the University of Chicago.

Large-scale batteries on our power grid could balance the intermittency of wind and solar, along with the normal irregularities of the grid. And they’re becoming ever more affordable. I’ll discuss the potential benefits and challenges with John Zahurancik, President of the Americas for Fluence, a battery storage company, and Paul Denholm, a Senior Energy Analyst at National Renewable Energy Lab.

Energy is so intertwined with the functioning of society that it’s a basic need. Yet not all Americans have equal access to safe, reliable, affordable energy. We’ll discuss energy justice initiatives that aim to spread the benefits of energy to more Americans, with Margo Weisz, Executive Director of Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute, and Monisha Shah from the EPA’s Solar For All program.

Using water to generate power has been a staple in our electricity system for a century. We look at conventional reservoir dams and pumped hydro storage; the state of hydropower in the US, Canada and internationally; and challenges that hydro faces. With expert guests Malcolm Woolf from the US National Hydropower Association, and Debbie Gray of the International Hydropower Association.

In part 1, we explored compliance and voluntary markets. Now we look at brokers and traders, market forces that help set prices, the emissions reduction potential of low vs. high price credits, and the importance of better regulation and verification. Expert guests again are Kaya Axelsson, Head of Policy and Partnerships at University of Oxford Net Zero, and Jamie Keech of Vida Carbon.

Carbon markets were created to try to reduce CO2 emissions. There’s a compliance market, in which governments set emission limits and companies comply, often by trading credits. And a voluntary market, where companies and consumers voluntarily buy credits. We’ll explore both with Jamie Keech, Executive Chairman of Vida Carbon, and Kaya Axelsson from University of Oxford Net Zero.

To curb global warming, governments often focus on reducing CO2 emissions. But many are now also adapting to a changing climate, from expanding air conditioning and passive cooling techniques, to engineered and nature-based solutions to counter sea-level rise. We discuss with Vijay Limaye from the National Resources Defense Council, and Susan Asam, VP of Climate Planning at ICF, a consultancy.

The common narrative about human population -- that it will grow forever -- is dead wrong. Demographic experts now agree that population will peak soon and begin to decline, with profound impacts on every aspect of global society, including energy and the environment. Explore these surprising revelations with Darrell Bricker, author of Empty Planet, and Dean Spears, author of After the Spike.

Small reactors have been used on aircraft carriers for decades. Similar designs are now proposed for power generation and industrial heat. They could be built in factories and assembled on site, with potential economies of scale, but face challenges. We explore with José Reyes, CTO & co-founder of NuScale Power, and Adam Stein, Director of Nuclear Energy Innovation at Breakthrough Institute.

There are more wildfires in some areas, though globally they’re down. Climate change contributes, but there are other factors which have made forests and cities more fire prone and fires more damaging -- while millions of Americans now live in fire areas. We explore with Lori Moore-Merrell, the US Fire Administrator, and Brian Buma, Senior Climate Scientist at Environmental Defense Fund.

General readers want straight answers on climate. But climate science is complex and full of nuance. This excites scientists, whose research explores the leading edge. But it makes climate reporting difficult. Journalists must understand the science, then competently simplify it for readers, no easy feat. We’ll discuss with two editors: Dr. Michael White from Nature, and Justin Worland from Time.

The US natural gas pipeline network carries gas from where it’s produced to the many places it's used: power plants, factories and millions of homes. Proponents want more pipelines, to replace more coal here and abroad. Opponents worry about methane leakage and local environmental impacts. We discuss with former Congressman Tim Ryan and Gillian Giannetti from Natural Resources Defense Council.

Plastic is cheap, lightweight, strong and versatile, so we use it in millions of products. But there are challenges with disposal and recycling, meaning plastic is increasingly in our oceans, our water, our food, even our bodies. We’ll talk about all this, and plastic’s energy and emissions footprints, with Dr. Anja Brandon from the Ocean Conservancy and Holli Alexander from Eastman.

In part 1, we talked about the size of planned offshore wind farms, and potential impacts to fisheries, marine mammals and property values. Now we discuss the cost to build offshore wind farms, the role of subsidies to do so, and how much these projects may or may not reduce US CO2 emissions. Our guests again are Peder Hansen from PH Consulting and Lisa Linowes of Industrial Wind Action.

The US is contemplating massive new offshore wind projects. Proponents see these as part of decarbonizing our electricity system. Opponents worry about impacts to fisheries, marine mammals, tourism and property values, plus the challenges of onshoring the electricity. Lisa Linowes from Industrial Wind Action and Peder Hansen from PH Consulting debate.

Working in energy, particularly oil and gas, is not as popular as it once was in the US. Electricity and lower carbon energies are more readily embraced by young people. We’ll talk to two young professionals, Natan Battisti from Harbour Energy and Maya Barwick from ATC, to see why they chose jobs in oil and electricity, how they’ve found the experience, and if they’d recommend it to their peers.

We use a lot of biofuels in the US -- corn ethanol now makes up 10% of every gallon of gasoline. Ethanol made from cellulose, from agricultural waste or non-food crops, has been in development for years and may eventually become commercial, along with new kinds of aviation biofuels. Dr. Valerie Reed, Bioenergy Director at the DOE, and Yiying Xong from the Great Lakes Research Center.

To wrap up this discussion, Dr. Bjorn Lomborg and Dr. Andrew Dessler lay out their strategies for addressing climate change. One favors adaptation, and tackling other pressing global problems that could lead to greater prosperity. The other argues for urgent action to reduce emissions to manage the risk of damage from a changing climate. They agreed on a greater focus on new energy innovation.

Warming temperatures and their potential impacts are predicted to escalate in the coming decades. Dr. Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist, argues for urgent action to reduce emissions. Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, a political scientist, maintains that climate change is a smaller problem than others we face, like poverty and education. Pursuing those would allow us to better adapt to a changing climate.

Everyone loves electricity…and no one loves powerlines. But we need more of them. New lines face many challenges, in permitting, siting and eminent domain; allocating costs among stakeholders; and working with property owners and environmental groups who oppose them. We discuss with Mark Christie from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Emily Fisher from the Edison Electric Institute.

Fission, the splitting of atoms, makes the heat that drives our nuclear reactors. Fusion, the fusing together of atoms, powers the stars, including our sun -- which means that fusion already powers Earth, just not in a way that we can control. If we could harness fusion, it would transform our world, producing limitless energy, safely and without emissions -- the holy grail of energy.

In Part 1 of this discussion, we heard ideas to decarbonize cement and steel. We’ll conclude with a look at fertilizer, which has made modern agriculture possible, and petrochemicals and plastic, which go into nearly every product. Solutions could include switching from oil and natural gas to hydrogen and bioproducts, but the technologies are still in development, and currently expensive.

Cement and steel have created the modern world: they make our buildings, roads, machines and products. These two industries emit nearly as much CO2 as our entire electricity system -- but they’re difficult to decarbonize. We’ll talk about challenges and potential solutions to do so, including changing their production processes, replacing the coal they now require, and more efficient use.

Everything in our modern lives has energy inputs and emissions outputs -- and that’s certainly the case for our food. It’s not just all the energy that powers the equipment required to grow, transport and process our food. And the energy inputs for fertilizer required by global agriculture. But also the emissions from land, and livestock, and particularly from food loss and food waste.

In part 1, we focused on India’s electricity, and the potential to expand it using coal and/or solar. We continue with the growth of 2- and 3-wheel electric vehicles in India, the potential to manufacture their batteries domestically, the growth of air conditioning to combat heat waves, decarbonization targets, green building and the importance of efficiency.

India is the third largest energy consumer and carbon emitter in the world, with the fastest growing energy demand. Today coal makes three-quarters of their electricity, with the other 25% solar and other non-carbon sources. If they follow China’s path and develop further on coal, it may be impossible for the world to meet its climate targets -- making India’s energy choices of vital importance.

For our ongoing ‘youth voice’ series, we created an energy and climate survey and asked two current and recently graduated university students to help administer it to hundreds of peers across the country, from diverse political backgrounds. The results provide a broad look at the energy and climate opinions, and knowledge, of young Americans -- and will test yours too.

Everything in the modern world relies on the electric grid. To keep the grid reliable, system operators order electricity from dispatchable generation, like coal, gas, hydro and nuclear, to balance intermittent generation, like wind and solar. Together, these must meet our enormous electricity demand, which varies by the second. It’s a hugely complicated task, and it's facing real challenges.

The US energy system, particularly our electric grids and pipelines, is constantly at risk -- from extreme events, like hurricanes, winter storms, heat waves and wildfires. And increasingly from cyber attacks, from hostile foreign powers and criminal elements. Enough that the energy industry and the US government are investing billions of dollars and working together to counter these threats.

Sea level has been rising since the end of the last Ice Age, when continental ice sheets began to melt. In island nations and low-lying coastal areas sea level rise is contributing, among other things, to high tide flooding, and saltwater encroaching into farmland and freshwater aquifers. We’ll talk about what the future could bring, and ideas of how communities could adapt to sea level rise.

Six hundred million people in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have modern energy -- so African nations are working to develop their energy resources. For many, the energy they do have comes from hydro. But Africa also has huge volumes of natural gas. Some funders, concerned about emissions, don’t want them to develop it. Others consider it essential to lift Africa’s people out of poverty.

There are many paradoxes in climate and energy: people want energy for their homes and cars… but don’t want new power lines or pipelines that could provide it. Nuclear is a zero-carbon energy source… yet many climate advocates oppose it. Some states impose EV mandates… but prohibit mining for battery metals. We’ll look to resolve these with two experts in economics, energy and climate policy.

Europe is currently facing an energy crisis that has instigated a 'war mentality' toward energy use and climate action, accelerating the implementation of new energy projects across the continent. In this episode, Jonathan Elkind, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy, and Dr. Carlos Batlle, Visiting Scientist at the MIT Energy Initiative, delve into the implications of these rapid changes. They discuss what this shift means for Europe's future, its environmental policies, and its relationships with international allies.

In this continuation of the discussion on Europe’s energy crisis, Dr. Carlos Batlle and Jonathan Elkind explore how the crisis has catalyzed cooperation among EU member states and the central governing body, while reinforcing the drive towards expanding wind and solar energy solutions. Despite this momentum, there remains a debate over pursuing a technologically neutral approach to decarbonization. This episode delves into these dynamics, discussing their implications for Europe’s energy strategy and climate goals.

Critical minerals and rare earth elements are pivotal for the advancement of new energy technologies, yet their supply is predominantly controlled by China, posing significant challenges and risks for global energy security. This episode features Dr. Nedal Nassar, Chief of the Materials Intelligence Research at the US Geological Survey, and Dr. Adam Simon, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. They delve into the complexities of global supply and demand, the geopolitical implications, and the prospects of developing new mineral mines in the US to ensure a more secure and stable supply chain.

Millions of solar panels are approaching the end of their life cycles, but current recycling methods are costly and underdeveloped, leading many panels to end up in landfills or in temporary storage. This episode features Dr. Serasu Duran, Assistant Professor at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, and Dr. Garvin Heath, Distinguished Member of the Research Staff at the National Energy Laboratory. They discuss the urgent need to develop an effective and sustainable solar panel recycling system to manage this growing issue.

Electric cars offer speed, efficiency, and zero local emissions, marking them as a significant shift in automotive technology. However, their high costs and the controversial sourcing of metals for their batteries present notable challenges. This episode features Dr. David Rapson, Economic Policy Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank and Professor of Economics at the University of California, alongside Dr. Beia Spiller, Director of the Transportation Program at Resources for the Future. They delve into the advantages and drawbacks of electric vehicles, examining the economic and environmental impacts of this burgeoning technology.

Continuing the discussion from Part 1, this episode further explores the complexities surrounding electric vehicles (EVs). Dr. Beia Spiller, Director of the Transportation Program at Resources for the Future, and Dr. David Rapson, Economic Policy Advisor for the Federal Reserve and Professor of Economics at UC Davis, delve into the effects of subsidies and mandates. While subsidies have boosted EV popularity, they predominantly benefit wealthier individuals, possibly leading to unintended consequences. The conversation also covers the need for more affordable EVs, even at the expense of lower range, to enhance accessibility for a broader audience.

Geothermal energy, a vast resource found everywhere beneath the surface, offers sustainable solutions for heating homes, generating electricity, and potentially powering industrial processes. In this episode, Lauren Boyd, Acting Director of Geothermal Technologies at the DOE, and Carlos Araque, Co-founder and CEO of Quaise Energy, explore the latest advancements and potential of geothermal energy. They discuss how the depth and location influence the temperature and accessibility of geothermal resources, and the innovative technologies being developed to harness this energy source more effectively.

Explore the future of energy through the eyes of two promising students deeply engaged in advanced energy studies. Shadya Taleb, a graduate research assistant specializing in carbon capture and storage at the Bureau of Economic Geology, and Grace Stanke, a nuclear engineering student and Miss America 2023, share their insights on a range of topics including nuclear power, carbon capture and storage, and energy sources like solar and wind, battery technology, energy reliability, and climate change. This episode provides a fresh perspective on the challenges and innovations that could shape the energy landscape of tomorrow.