Energy vs Climate

Another BONUS Podcast Episode!The electricity file has been popping, especially in Alberta, where on a weekly basis a clash of worldviews on the future of electricity generation is on full display.About Our GuestBlake Shaffer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at The University of Calgary. He works on electricity markets, climate policy, and energy transitions, and frequently provides policy advice to governments at various levels. Show Notes(00:02:44) AB’s new renewable energy rules could ban projects(00:04:26) AUC inquiry into the ongoing economic, orderly & efficient development of electricity generation in AB(00:09:00) Assessing potential impact of AB's proposed viewscapes & agricultural land restrictions(00:10:20) AB brings in new restrictions on renewable power projects as moratorium set to end(00:13:01) Farms or Solar Farms?(00:18:56) ‘What We Heard’ during consultations & directions being considered for the final regulations(00:24:13) Rotating brownouts leave thousands without power(00:27:52) Transmission Policy Review(00:31:03) Power Flows: Transmission Lines & Corporate Profits (00:31:44) Replacing The Utility Transmission Syndicate’s Control (00:33:38) Improving integration & coordination of provincially-managed electricity systems in Canada(00:34:15) AB's Renewable Electricity Program(00:35:30) Affordable Energy, Good Jobs, and a Growing Clean Economy(00:37:07) Recommendations for AB’s Power Market___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

New BONUS Podcast EpisodeCanada's consumer carbon tax policy has been getting a lot of press attention of late, especially following the $15/T increase that took affect on April 1, 2024. Much has been said about it across the political spectrum, some of it accurate, and some of it just plain wrong. David's away this month, so it's just Sara and Ed talking all things carbon tax with special guest Mark Jaccard.  About Our GuestMark Jaccard has been a prof at Simon Fraser University since 1986 save a couple of sabbaticals serving as Chair and CEO of the British Columbia Utilities Commission. Mark has served on the IPCC, domestically on the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy, and he’s a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and CD Howe Institute. His most recent book is the “The Citizen’s Guide for Climate Success,” published in 2021.Show Notes:(00:06:20) – Low Carbon Fuel Standards in Canada (00:08:37) – Designing flexible regulations to mitigate climate change: A cross-country comparative policy analysis(00:12:37) – Top Runner Programme (00:14:36) – Choose Wisely - Options and Trade-offs in Recycling Carbon Pricing Revenues (00:16:55) – Bridging the Gap: Real Options for Meeting Canada’s 2030 GHG Target (00:19:13) – Assessing climate sincerity in the Canadian 2021 election(00:23:25) – Independent Assessment: 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan(00:32:22) – Rebates rise as carbon price increases to $80 per tonne(00:33:37) – Designing flexible regulations to mitigate climate change: A cross-country comparative policy analysis(00:36:57) – The Political Costs of Oil Price Shocks (00:39:50) – Exploring Citizen Support for Different Types of Climate Policy(00:54:07) – Inside what ‘axe the tax’ means to Pierre Poilievre’s supporters: ‘He understands Canadians’___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

Dr. Simon Evans, Deputy Editor & Senior Policy Editor at Carbon Brief join co-hosts David, Sara, and Ed, to tease apart EV fact from fiction.  About Our Guest:Simon Evans is deputy editor and policy editor at Carbon Brief. Simon covers climate and energy policy. He holds a PhD in biochemistry from Bristol University and previously studied chemistry at Oxford University. Show Notes:(00:02:01) – Factcheck: 21 misleading myths about electric vehicles(00:04:59) – Electric vs. Gas Cars: Is It Cheaper to Drive an EV?(00:06:37) – IPCC Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report (00:10:30) – Reducing CO2 emissions from passenger cars (00:12:15) – Good Politics Bad Policy – Why governments should end their subsidies for EVs (00:17:25) –  U of T researchers model the health benefits of electric cars, find 'large improvement in air quality'(00:18:45) – Roles of diffusion patterns, technological progress, and environmental benefits in determining optimal renewable subsidies in the US (00:20:13) – Politics in the U.S. energy transition: Case studies of solar, wind, biofuels and electric vehicles policy(00:27:20) – Five point plan to protect drivers from a rush to net zero is backed by MPs, motorists & campaigners(00:31:20) – Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chains(00:37:12) – Alberta Budget 2024: EV groups question fairness of new $200 annual tax(00:43:46) – Yes, frigid weather may reduce your EV battery range. Here's how to prepare(00:48:24) – Hydrogen vs Electric Cars___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

Co-hosts David, Sara, Ed, and energy/environmental economist Dr. Andrew Leach of the University of Alberta unpack the past, present and future of Canada's oilsands. About Our Guest:Andrew Leach is an energy and environmental economist and is Professor at the University of Alberta, with a joint appointment in the Department of Economics (Arts) and the Faculty of Law. His research spans energy and environmental economics. His most recent book is Between Doom and Denial: Facing facts about climate change.Show Notes:(00:46) – Oil Market Report - November 2023(01:57) – A Matter of Fact: How the oil sands benefits Canadians(05:06) – Canada’s oil and gas sector, the road to net zero and regional fairness(06:16) – Making progress on Canadian oil sands CO2 emissions intensity(06:36) – This oil sands crude has lower GHG emissions intensity than the U.S. average(12:45) – Crude Oil Forecast Markets & Transportation(16:16) – Refinery Economics(25:30) – What's in store for 2024 — Part 3: Growth Plans at Alberta's largest in-situ producers(28:19) – Not Fit for Purpose: Oil Sands Mines and Alberta’s Mine Financial Security Program (29:53) – Fiscal Plan A Responsible Plan for a Growing Province 2024-27(38:02) – CCS Won’t Happen in Oilsands Without Bigger Subsidies, Cenovus Exec Warns(43:15) – The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions(46:39) – Whose jobs face transition risk in Alberta? Understanding sectoral employment precarity in an oil-rich Canadian pr___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

Overview:What does the history of energy tell us about energy transition? Can we learn from the past or will we repeat the same mistakes? What do people get wrong when trying to extract lessons from the history of energy? Co-hosts David, Sara, and Ed are joined by guest, Dr. Petra Dolata, to discuss data on historical transitions, including lessons of deindustrialization in the Ruhr region of Germany on Season 5, Episode 8 of Energy vs Climate.About Our Guest:Petra Dolada is Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Calgary. A former Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in the History of Energy, who held previous academic positions at the Freie Universität Berlin in Germany and at Kings College London in the UK, her research examines the 1970s energy crises, transatlantic energy relations and the historical connections between deindustrialization and energy transitions. She is the co-convenor of the Energy In Society working group at the Calgary Institute for the Humanities.Topics:(00:00) Intro(03:19) Socio-energy systems design: A policy framework for energy transitions(05:00) The 200-year history of energy transitions(07:20) History of Prime Movers and Future Implications(08:34) Gauging the Role of Energy Substitution in Transitioning to Low-Carbon Economies(12:12) The Social Dimensions of Energy Transitions(14:00) Histories of Transitions(16:35) Peaking: A Brief History of Select Energy Transitions(21:00) Profitable Solutions to Climate, Oil, and Proliferation(25:00) What we need to know about the pace of decarbonization(35:24) World History and Energy(40:07) The Future Role of Coal: International Market Realities vs Climate Protection?(47:10) The Energy Transition Is a Technological Revolution — with a Deadline(51:00) Three sides to every story: Gender perspectives in energy transition pathways in Canada, Kenya and Spain___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

What is the role of literature in the climate policy and technology discussion? How does the genre allow us to explore uncomfortable climate scenarios, including those to do with heat death and direct action? While ultimately successful, the path laid out in the book is very bumpy, volatile, and rife with violence – strikingly different from the smooth and orderly transition often offered up by politicians and techno-optimists.On S5E7 of Energy vs Climate, David, Sara, Ed, and New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson (of The Ministry for the Future) discuss how science fiction can help us explore different climate scenarios and solutions.EPISODE NOTES@0:21 – Kim Stanley Robinson@0:21 – The Ministry for the Future - Kim Stanley Robinson@3:13 – How hot is too hot for humans? Understanding wet-bulb temperatures@9:00 – Carboncoin @10:25 – The unprecedented Pacific Northwest heatwave of June 2021@13:55 – Karl Popper@18:45 – How to Blow Up a Pipeline - Andreas Malm@20:32 – Dave Foreman @21:30 – Climate protesters throw tomato soup on Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’@27:50 – Who is Wiebo Ludwig? A thunder storm wrapped in the flesh of a man. Part 1@30:52 – Glacier geoengineering to address sea-level rise: A geotechnical approach (Lockley et al, 2020)@31:50 – Solar Geoengineering - should we go there?@39:25 – Empowering Female Climate Change Activists in the Global South: The Path Toward Environmental Social Justice - Peggy Ann Spitzer@44:05 – The Hottest Year @46:10 – Utility of the blockchain for climate mitigation (Chen, 2018)@49:05 – Overshooting 1.5 ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

Published each year, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook (WEO) is a leading source of scenario-based analysis of global energy demand and supply. This year, as the global energy crisis shows signs of calming, the WEO finds a peak in fossil fuels before 2030 across all scenarios. The result has been met with skepticism by some politicians in Canada, with Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith going so far as to question the credibility of the organization. A follow-on special report from the IEA on the oil and gas industry in net zero transitions, released on November 23, offers additional insights on the role of oil and gas producers in achieving a decarbonized global energy sector.David, Sara, Ed, and the International Energy Agency’s Chief Energy Economist, Tim Gould discuss the findings of these IEA reports and the implications for Canada and its natural resources on Season 5, Episode 6 of Energy vs Climate.EPISODE NOTES @3:20 – World Energy Outlook 2023@6:10 – Oil and gas industry faces moment of truth – and opportunity to adapt – as clean energy transitions advance@9:45 – Electric Vehicles @10:53 – China’s electric vehicle surge will shock global markets@14:06 – Oil demand to begin long-term decline this decade, according to new Pembina report@24:01 – Oil Companies Are Preparing for a Lucrative Decline@24:26 – Building Momentum Toward Net Zero @29:05 – Canada’s Energy Future 2023 @32:50 – The Place of Energy Security in the National Security Framework: An Assessment Approach@42:26 – Canada introduces framework to cap greenhouse gas pollution from oil and gas sector@45:34 – Minister Guilbeault announces Canada’s draft methane regulations to support cleaner energy and climate action@46:40 – World Energy Investment 2023@56:26 – ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

We are excited to bring you a special live taping of Energy vs Climate  from November 22, 2023 at the Ampersand in Calgary. Energy vs Carbon Removal is a dive deep into this still relatively new climate mitigation pathway. The IPCC and other bodies increasingly view Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) as a critical tool to reduce CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere and bring warming back down to 1.5C by century’s end. It seems like new carbon removal start-ups are springing up weekly. But the barriers to commercializing CDR tech remain daunting. Will CDR live up to its hype or fail to launch?EvC partnered with carbonNEXT’s series Carbon Talks for this live show.EPISODE NOTES @5:00 – What is Carbon Removal?@6:00 – What's the least bad way to cool the planet?@8:35 – Carbon Engineering @9:45 – What is Ocean Alkalinization?@9:45 - Enhanced Rock Weathering@12:52 – Climeworks - Orca@16:25 – CCUS Investment Tax Credit - PRIMER (Spring 2023)@17:30 – US power sector carbon capture and storage under the Inflation Reduction Act could be costly with limited or negative abatement potential (Grubert & Sawyer, 2023)@21:50 – Occidental and 1PointFive, King Ranch Reach Lease Agreement to Support up to 30 Direct Air Capture Plants on Leased Acreage@26:00 – Decarbonizing Cement@33:00 – Carbon Removal Canada - Reports & Resources@38:22 – What You Need to Know About Article 6 of the Paris Agreement@50:15 – Lessons From California’s Carbon Dioxide Removal Policies@53:35 – Greengate Travers Solar @1:01:53 – The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal Report___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

What matters - and really doesn’t matter - when it comes to Building for Sustainability? David, Sara and Ed answer that question in a live episode of Energy vs Climate recorded on November 5, 2023 to kick off the Building for Sustainability symposium in Canmore, AB. EPISODE NOTES@00:3:30 Carbon sink and low-carbon building materials@00:5:30 Keeping The Heat In - Section 8: Upgrading windows and exterior doors@00:10:03 Spring Creek Mountain Village receives green energy certification@00:11:48 Fact sheet: Early Estimate of National Emissions 2022 @00:15:21 Goodbye, gas furnaces? Why electrification is the future of home heating@00:20:25 Recent Progress in Green Cement Technology Utilizing Low-Carbon Emission Fuels and Raw Materials: A Review@00:24:00 Heat Pumps Pay Off: Unlocking lower-cost heating and cooling in Canada@00:27:11 The green economy transition: the challenges of technological change for sustainability@00:29:00 Tesla Energy Storage Business, Solar Roof Revenues: Heading in Opposite Directions?@00:38:56  Incentive Programs @00:39:50  Banff launches the first municipal solar feed-in tariff in Canada@00:40:34 The Solar Club™@00:42:49 CANMORELAND@00:44:24 An Overview of Natural Gas Bans in the U.S. ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

Long distance and interregional transmission lines promise to increase reliability, mitigate the impact of extreme weather events, and provide electricity consumers with access to low-cost resources. They are an important piece of the energy transition puzzle. But despite the well documented benefits of long-distance transmission, to date there has been limited progress in building out interties across North America. What lessons can we draw from the early days of renewable development that are relevant to this new challenge? What is the current state of efforts to develop long distance transmission and interties in the US, and how does this compare to Canada’s approach? And what is the role of "patient capital” in financing these opportunities? David, Sara, Ed, and Michael Skelly of Grid United discuss all things transmission on Season 5, Episode 3 of Energy vs Climate.EPISODE NOTES@1:00 – Michael Skelly @1:00 – Superpower - Russell Gold @3:51 – Texas Renewable Energy Zones @7:44 - TransWest Express Transmission Project, USA @8:05 - Hertel-New York interconnection line @9:00 - EvC - Canada's Big Bet on Electrification @16:10 - The economics of large-scale wind power in a carbon constrained world (DeCarolis and Keith, 2006) @24:50 - Viking Link Interconnector Project, Denmark-UK @27:15 - North Plains Connector @29:14 - Replacing the Utility Transmission Syndicate's Control (Peskoe, 2023) @29:19 - Grid Governance in the Energy Trilemma Era: Remedying the Democracy Deficit (Kleit and Walters, 2023) @33:00 - China's mega transmission lines @33:50 - Morocco-UK Power Project @35:00 - EvC - How Solar Became Cheap @45:01 - Buying hydro from B.C. will help Alberta meet net-zero goal, in Ottawa's vision ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

Hey everyone, Ed here.  David, Sara and Ed will be back next week with an episode about electricity interties in the clean energy system. Until then we’d like to share another podcast with you that we think might be of interest, called Challenging Climate. Hosted by Jesse Reynolds and Pete Irvine, Challenging Climate tackles tough questions about the science, technology, economics and politics of climate change. Their topics range from climate modelling, persuasive narratives, national security, international development and even biotech. Jesse, Pete and their guests cover similar topics to what we cover here at Energy vs Climate, while offering a different perspective, one we hope listeners will find interesting and enlightening. Find it and subscribe wherever you listen. ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

Since the Paris Agreement coming into force in 2016, world leaders have increasingly emphasized the need to keep warming to the 1.5°C target by the end of this century, in order to avoid more dangerous impacts from climate change. Yet temperature readings around the globe show that the world has already warmed by roughly 1°C on average above pre-industrial levels. Many models suggest we will very likely exceed 1.5°C of warming, possibly in the next 5-10 years, in the absence of aggressive worldwide action to reduce emissions and (perhaps) engineer the climate. While we have made much progress, unfortunately the world is nowhere close to that level of action. So does the 1.5°C target still make sense if overshoot seems almost certain? Is it a science-based target or a political target - and even a reasonable and just target in the first place? Is the target about holding the line at 1.5°C or getting it back down to 1.5°C by 2100? When are we likely to exceed it, how will we know, and what will be the physical and political consequences of missing it?On S5E2 of Energy vs Climate, David, Sara, Ed, and climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of Stripe and Berkeley Earth discuss all things 1.5°C.EPISODE NOTES0:36 – Key Aspects of the Paris Agreement 1:23 – Climate Change: Global Temperature 2:16 – Zeke Hausfather - Berkeley Earth 5:37 - Earth likely to cross critical climate thresholds even if emissions decline, Stanford study finds 7:07 – 10 Big Findings from the 2023 IPCC Report on Climate Change 8:25 – Adrien Abécassis - COP 27 Debrief 10:16 – The Berkeley Earth Land/Ocean Temperature Record - Rohde and Hausfather (2020) 12:21 – Near-term acceleration in the rate of temperature change - Smith, et al (2015)15:05 – How low-sulphur shipping rules are affecting global warming 15:12 – Tonga Eruption Blasted Unprecedented Amount of Water into Stratosphere___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

On our first episode of Season 5, Sara and Ed speak to Dr. Melanee Thomas of the University of Calgary about her survey research into Albertans' attitudes to the energy transition, the oil and gas industry, coal and climate change. David wasn't able to join us for this one, but he'll be back live for Episode 2.EPISODE NOTES@00:49 If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: how the public’s economic confidence in the fossil fuel industry reduces support for a clean energy transition @2:16 Great expectations: Public opinion about energy transition @11:21 CanCO2Re Initiative @12:35 Clean energy investment is extending its lead over fossil fuels, boosted by energy security strengths @17:00 Forget Ottawa — Albertans growing alienated from their own leaders, too@19:30 Investment Impact of Alberta's Renewable Energy Moratorium@19:44 Suncor has been too focused on energy transition, must get back to fundamentals: CEO@20:14 Ottawa to reveal plan for emissions cap on oil and gas this fall@22:25 Alberta oil industry wary of NDP government@26:50 Alberta Energy Regulator: Coal Production@33:23 Mark Carney Sees ‘Wall of Opportunity’ for Energy Investors@36:50 Coal Boss Takes Climate Change Denial to the Extreme @40:14 Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority @43:28 Psychosocial adaptation to climate change in High River, Alberta: implications for policy and practice (Hayes et al.)@45:43 ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

On a special summer episode of Energy vs Climate, we’re addressing the record-setting wildfires that Canada has been experiencing this summer. We're joined by molecular paleoecologist Allison Karp to examine how fire has changed across geologic timescales and how much of this year's wildfires we can attribute to climate change.EPISODE NOTES@1:23 Allison Karp, paleoecologist at Yale and Brown University @11:04 Earliest evidence of wildfire found in Wales 430 million years ago, BBC, original journal article here  @11:33 Indigenous fire management and traditional knowledge @15:20 Record-setting climate enabled the extraordinary 2020 fire season in the western United States@16:31 Data attribution is political: Trump Blames Wildfires on Poor Forest Management. Biden Focuses on Climate Change  @19:25 Politics aside, 1/2 to 2/3 of wildfires attributed to climate change due to increased aridity @22:00 Economic toll and health impacts of wildfires @28:55 Estimated 25% increase in particulate matter at size less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) attributed to wildfires @26:02 Dr. Frances Moore and the shifting baseline syndromeMore from paleoecologist, Allison Karp:Fire contributing to grasslands expansion millions of years ago Fire activity in savannas responded differently to increases in rainfall 1000s of years ago ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

No, we didn’t forget to fill in the pod title after Matt Ferrell’s name. On Still TBD, aka the Still To Be Determined Podcast, Matt and his brother Sean discuss electric vehicles, renewable energy, smart technologies, and how they impact our lives. And this week we have a special treat for you: a bonus episode with Ed, Sara, and Matt, who also happens to be host of the massively popular Undecided YouTube channel. Matt's team reached out to us about collaborating and we loved what he was up to, sharing his journey of learning about smart and sustainable technologies with more than 1.2 million subscribers. So, we got together for a virtual nerd-out about our homes and vehicles - a.k.a. the gateway "drugs" to pursuing a more sustainable lifestyle. It's the fly-on-the-wall look into our lives you've all been clamouring for 😉. We hope it entertains and inspires and we hope you'll check out Matt's excellent YouTube channel and podcast. ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

On the final episode of Energy vs Climate Season 4, we’re covering the basics of solar geoengineering. We're joined by The Right Honourable Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada, to unpack the debate over the role of further research, the place of these technologies in the global climate toolkit, and the role for Canada in research and governance.EPISODE NOTES@1:36 Right Honourable Kim Campbell, Canada's 19th and first female Prime Minister@2:56 Solar geo-engineering resources@2:56 David vs. David on solar geo-engineering, David Suzuki - the Nature of Things@8:31 Toward a responsible solar geoengineering research program, David Keith@11:15 Climate Overshoot Commission and what is climate overshoot?@16:50 EvC and special guest Adrien Abécassis on COP27@23:40 Solar geo-engineering International Non-Use Agreement@25:00 “Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton quits Google...”-The New York Times@25:30 Alberta investing billions into CCUS@29:37 Solar geo-engineering project in Sweden halted@44:40 Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid – Robert J. Sternberg@60:01 Termination shock from solar geo-engineering defined___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

On Season 4 Episode 9 of Energy vs Climate, David, Sara, Ed and special guest Dr. Blake Shaffer of The University of Calgary, dig into the how and why of Canada's big bet on electrification in the 2023 Federal Budget. EPISODE NOTES: @0:44 Blake Shaffer, economist and professor at the University of Calgary @3:59 Blake Shaffer: Technical Pathways to Aligning Canadian Electricity Systems with Net Zero Goals Report @11:14 Electricity 101: Generation capacity vs. Energy generation @27:39 Non-wire solutions explained @28:39 Co-locating to build less transmission lines and get a higher utilization rate @28:39 BC and Alberta interties, Mark Jaccard and Blake Shaffer, CBC News @ 37:20 Barriers to innovation in Canadian electricity sector, Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon and Anna Kanduth, Canadian Institute for Climate Choices @45:50 Terminology: Spinning reserves and curtailment  @46:32 Solutions to variable renewable energy: Making wind and solar grid forming rather than grid following @50:00 Terminology: Regulated vs. Deregulated electricity systems @53:22 Ontario’s time of use (TOU) system with ultra-low overnight electricity rates to encourage EV charging at night @55:20 Earn $150 to participate in Blake's EV Smart Charging Pilot with Fortis.@56:46 Blake’s favourite utility company: Octopus Energy Additional Links: The Big Switch: Powering Canada's Net Zero Future Repo___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

On Season 4 Episode 8 of Energy vs Climate. David, Sara,  Ed, and special guest Dr. Chris Bataille, Adjunct Research Fellow at Columbia University’s Center for Global Energy Policy (CGEP) and researcher with the Institut du Développement Durable et de Relations Internationales (IDDRI.org), discuss contracts for difference policy and and how can it help industrial decarbonization. EPISODE NOTES:Dr. Chris Bataille, Adjunct Research Fellow at Columbia University Centre on Global Energy Policy.@1:12 EvC season 4, Ep. 3: Inflation Reduction Act and impacts to Canada@4:20 Contract for Difference (CfD) – Explained@5:50 CfD in Alberta’s electricity market, supporting renewables deployment by Sara Hastings-Simon@6:52 CfD example in the UK electricity market, supporting renewables deployment@10:22 The Climate Policy Certainty Gap and How to Fill It, by UCalgary School of Public Policy Dale Beugin and Blake Shaffer@13:16 Canada’s pancake stack of sticks and carrots: Output based pricing system, the Clean Fuel Standard, methane regs, oil and gas emissions cap, CCUS tax credit, Emissions Reduction Fund, and Clean Growth Program@15:05 Canada vehicle emissions regulations on par with California@15:45 EvC Season 3, Ep. 32: Rebecca Dell, ClimateWorks Foundation, on Decarbonizing cement@19:42 Canadian subsidies can compete with the USA’s Inflation Reduction Act___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

“Just Transition” is making headlines again in Alberta with the Provincial government pushing back against the yet to be tabled just transition legislation the Federal government first promised in 2019. Part of the debate is political, but underneath is the reality of the energy transition and the impact it will have on Alberta communities.How do we separate the politics from the policies when it comes to transition? What can we learn from coal communities that have already started to undergo similar transitions? What have policy makers gotten right? Wrong? And what does this mean for the Provincial and Federal governments facing economic transition on an even larger scale in the province of Alberta?Dig in with Sara, David, Ed and special guest Doray Veno, Executive Director of Lynks - Harvest Sky Services and Supports Society  on Season 4, Episode 7 of Energy vs Climate EPISODE NOTES@1:13 Government of Canada Sustainable Job Plans@1:51 Why Alberta dislikes the term ‘Just transition’. @3:40 Alberta coal phase-out and impacts on the Town of Hanna @4:30 “Hanna offers a clear example of how climate-change policies can impact a community in unexpected ways.”@8:00 Alberta government announces grant to help Hanna amid coal phase-out@10:47 Fear of the Unknown: Coal Community Hanna still waiting for a phase-out plans @13:00  Solar project announced for Hanna@20:26 ‘Just Transition’ must serve people, communities and companies@28:03 Hanna seeing a rise in more entrepreneurship @41:58  How can we transition to more sustainable industries in Canada, support workers and develop resilient communities? @50:23 Government of Canada – the dishonesty surrounding the consequences of Just Transition trade offs@51:03 Canada needs its own bold i___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn

On Season 4, Episode 6 of EvC, Sara, David and Ed tackle the thorny and always controversial topic of carbon offsets, live at Avatar Innovations at The Energy Transition Centre in downtown Calgary.An offset in principle is paying someone else - a company, or a country - to reduce emissions that you yourself cannot, or simply will not reduce. What is the role of offsets in helping the world to avoid dangerous climate change? What's 'additionality' when it comes to offsets, and is it fundamental or merely an after thought? How are offset markets regulated to ensure integrity? And should you bother to click that "yes" button to offset your flight emissions?EPISODE NOTES@1:10 EvC Live held at the Energy Transition Center, at the Ampersand @2:02 Infidelity Offsets video from Climate Ad Project@4:15 Business Renewable Centre of Canada @4:48 Guide to Purchasing Carbon Offsets with Pembina Institute  @5:48 CDM mechanism to reduce emissions by developed countries - Kyoto Protocol @10:05 Additionality, permanence, leakage 101 @23:09 Example of voluntary offsets @24:30 Two flavours of offsets: Alberta Emissions Offset Registry and the Emissions Performance Credit Registry @32:41 Discussion on the quality of voluntary offsets @37:43 Gaming the system with low quality voluntary offsets  @53:50 Low-cost American airline, JetBlue, moving away from carbon offsets ___Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systemswww.energyvsclimate.com Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn