Sponsored by DeloitteThere’s been a lot of buzz about the role hydrogen stands to play in the energy transition. Alan Alexander, a partner at Vinson & Elkins, joins the show to help separate the signal from the noise. V&E just released a paper ("Unlocking the Opportunity of Low-Carbon Hydrogen: Investment, Incentives, and Collaboration")  that outlines the current hydrogen landscape and what lies ahead as factors like the Inflation Reduction Act continue to drive growth in the sector. Alan walks us through the themes of the paper and shares his thoughts on how the hydrogen sector is maturing. The paper is an excellent primer on hydrogen and also includes an insightful summary of key points that developers and financiers need to remember when planning and negotiating hydrogen projects.From DeloittePower, Utilities & Renewables services Start charting your decarbonization path todayDiscover what’s sustainable, renewable, and possible in the future of energy. Deloitte’s Renewable Energy Seminar is back September 27-29, 2023! Registration opens June 28Sustainability SmartPod episode featuring Deloitte's John MennelSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

This quick podcast offers a taste of what went on today at Day Three of the American Clean Power Association's CLEANPOWER conference, including insights from:Magic JohnsonLeo Moreno from AES Clean EnergyArmando Pimentel from Florida Power & LightJesse Gronner from Triple Oak PowerSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

The show keep marching along in NOLA!This quick podcast offers a taste of what went on at Day Two  of the American Clean Power Association's CLEANPOWER conference, including insights from:Governor John Bel EdwardsFormer Senator Mary LandrieuSusan Nickey from HASIJason Grumet from ACPArt Del Rio from EDF RenewablesSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

Things are cooking in New Orleans!This quick podcast offers a taste of what went on at Day One  of the American Clean Power Association's CLEANPOWER conference, including insights from:Retired US Army General Stanley McChrystalJohn Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy InnovationMark Bradley, President of Bradley Construction ManagementCraig Cornelius, CEO of Clearway Energy GroupSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

Workforce development is a crucial step along the path to a clean energy future. Proponents of the energy transition can't stop talking about all the jobs, jobs, jobs that the transition will bring, but what exactly will that workforce look like?  Jasmine Robinson, a project manager at IHI Terrasun Solutions, joins the show to talk about what the energy sector can do to recruit, develop and retain more women. Jasmine started developing her engineering skills at an early age and she's determined to see more women follow in her footsteps. That's why she's keen to see things like STEM classes, mentoring programs, and other initiatives used to develop a pipeline of talented women to seize all those jobs, jobs, jobs.  Key highlightsJasmine's path to an engineering career - (5:15)Advice for a young person pondering a career as an energy engineer - (7:59)Advice for someone considering a mid-career pivot to the renewables sector - (8:50)What the industry can do to attract, develop and retain more engineering talent - (10:29)How has the landscape for women in the engineering field changed in the last 15 years? - (12:33)Pivotal mentors during Jasmine's engineering journey - (16:09)Important programs working to bring more women into the renewables sector - (17:47) Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

When many people think of solar power, they think of rooftop solar panels or massive, utility-scale solar farms. But there are more options. Kacie Peters, senior director of communications at Pivot Energy, joins the show to explain the basics of community solar. Peters highlights the momentum this segment of the renewables industry is enjoying -- and some of the challenges it is facing. Peters also details how more consumers and business owners can access community solar to power their homes and/or operations.HighlightsWhat is community solar? - (1:48)Community Solar vs. Residential Solar vs. Utility Solar - (3:05)Cost benefits of community solar - (5:26)Increasing awareness about community solar - (6:42)Typical companies that tap community solar - (10:54)Other types of customers - Nonprofits, Schools, etc. - (13:00)How the Inflation Reduction Act is affecting community solar - (15:49)The role of community solar in the net energy metering debate - (17:34)Kacie's bold predictions - (20:17)Pushing back against misinformation and 'Astroturfing' - (22:50)Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

If you've flown on American Airlines recently, there's a chance your plane was fueled by a small amount of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Jill Blickstein, Vice President of Sustainability at American Airlines, joins the show to talk about the latest advancements in SAF, how the carrier leverages renewables to power its operations and fleet upgrades the airline has made to enhance its sustainability. We also chat about an AI-enabled system called 'Smart Gating' that conserves fuel and saves time for travelers.  American Airlines is undertaking numerous initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. As Jill explains, many of those efforts come in places passengers might not notice, but certainly lead to more sustainable air travel.HighlightsUpdate on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) - (4:10)American Airlines' goals for SAF usage - (7:56)Using SAF to attract business travelers - (10:36)Creating a SAF certificate for all travelers - (14:22)The potential for zero-emission hydrogen-electric aircraft - (14:47)Partnering with the Bill Gates-backed Breakthrough Energy Catalyst - (17:24)Other sustainability initiatives at American Airlines - (19:10)'Smart Gating' - (23:47)Powering operations with renewable energy - (26:20)Validation from the Science-Based Targets initiative - (27:02)Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

While most of the listeners of this podcast might work in the renewable energy industry, ALL of the listeners of this podcast are energy consumers. And let’s be honest … even some of the most die-hard members of the renewables industry probably have at least one or two things about their home that they wish were more sustainable.With that in mind, Matt Ferrell joins the show to outline various ways everyday people can embrace cost-saving strategies that also make their homes more resilient and more sustainable. Matt is the creator of Undecided with Matt Ferrell, where he has amassed more than one million subscribers on YouTube by applying his technology-focused eye to all things sustainability. Matt is also the co-host of the Still To Be Determined podcast. He tests smart and sustainable technology solutions and often offers advice to viewers who … just like you and me …  might need just a wee bit of help making decisions about which solutions are best for their home.Matt and I will touch on batteries, solar panels, weatherization and various other topics, including … yes … even the Inflation Reduction Act. Matt is a real straight shooter, so you’ll appreciate hearing what he has to say.Key highlights(3:57) - The most common questions from consumers(5:00) - The Do's and Don'ts when it comes to installing solar(9:35) - The Do's and Don'ts when it comes to installing batteries(13:47) - How to prioritize energy efficiency needs(16:25) - The low-hanging fruit when it comes to energy efficiency solutions(19:02) - How the Inflation Reduction Act impacts consumers(21:47) - The role of Community Solar(23:03) - Exciting tech of the future: Flow batteries for homes(25:00) - Matt's bold predictions(26:17) - Matt's take on the future of EV chargingSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

From Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, numerous major events have transpired during the last couple of years that have had an impact on the global energy landscape. Luke Brett from Reuters joins the show to talk about how leading policymakers and key industry executives are keeping pace with such rapid change and continuing the shape the global energy transition. Luke also shares the details of upcoming events that he and the team at Reuters are planning for the rest of 2023. SmartBrief also has some huge news on the podcast front. We've launched yet another show, and this one focuses on all things sustainability. The Sustainability SmartPod is an industry agnostic show that will keep you informed about all the people technologies and trends, who are shaping a more sustainable society for all of us.Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

No matter which renewable energy generation or storage technology -- or combination of technologies -- an end-user chooses to deploy, it's crucial that the output and capabilities of those technologies are optimized. To reach peak optimization, more and more organizations are turning to digitalization. Krishna Vanka, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Fluence, joins the show to explain how digitalization is boosting ROI for renewable energy and storage assets while helping create a cleaner, more efficient power grid.ABS Quality Evaluations Global leader in business assurance servicesSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

Now that the calendar has turned to 2023, it’s time to look ahead to what the coming year might have in store for the renewable energy industry. To peer into that crystal ball, a pair of executives from EDF Renewables join the show. Tristan Grimbert is the President and CEO of EDF Renewables. Raphael Declercq is Executive Vice President and serves as the CEO of the company's Onsite Solutions business unit, which operates under the PowerFlex brand.2023 is definitely going to be an interesting year. Elements of the Inflation Reduction Act should pick up momentum, but headwinds - including supply chain issues and transmission challenges – could make this year a tricky one for renewables.Tristan and Raphael offer their insights on all of those topics - and more. We also dive into the work of Powerflex and how the efforts of Raphael and his team fit into EDF Renewables’ overall strategy of not just generating renewable energy, but also helping end-users optimize the storage and consumption of that renewable energy.ABS Quality Evaluations Global leader in business assurance servicesSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

The rise of ESG investing has investors clamoring for accurate and transparent data. Larry Lawrence, Head of Sustainable Finance - US at IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), outlines the crucial role data plays in the ecosystem of sustainable finance.  Public companies have ginormous reporting obligations, so Larry and the team at ICE help organizations sort through seemingly endless reams of data to satisfy stakeholder expectations and regulatory expectations associated with ESG investing.So when you hear a company announce a bold net-zero commitment, chances are that company is relying on someone like Larry to help navigate the maze of data needed to report progress on those goals. But ICE doesn’t just serve the needs of big companies with household names. When a small company – or maybe even one of the many oh-so-hot ClimateTech startups – is considering going public, Larry helps guide those businesses through the complexity of that process.With more than two decades of experience working in sustainable finance, Larry has seen trends come and go. The insights he shares on topics ranging from carbon markets and greenwashing to Know Your Data principles and the individual intricacies of the "E" the "S" and the "G" in ESG are definitely worth a listen.More resourcesUsing climate data to understand the greenhouse gas emissions reporting landscapeEDF Renewables Energy innovation for the next generationSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

Carbon emissions offsets can be a touchy subject. Some people think offsets are just a price businesses can pay to keep generating emissions. But the truth is, there are many industries where the technology needed to decarbonize doesn’t even exist yet. So if you're a business leader who wants to offset the emissions from your operations, how exactly do you go about doing that? Or if you are an individual who wants to buy offsets for the emissions you create in your daily life, would you know how to do it?  And perhaps most importantly, with accusations of greenwashing flying around everywhere, how does one offset emissions in a transparent and responsible way? Blake Lawrence from Cool Effect joins  today's show to answer those questions and more. The team at Cool Effect works to use science expertise and transparency to give people the confidence to purchase carbon offsets that will deliver positive results for the world around us. For those of you who are new to carbon markets, Blake and I are going to walk through a list of 5 questions every person should ask before buying carbon offsets. You’ll even learn how much it would cost you to offset your OWN emissions … or give offsets to others as a gift!More resourcesCool Effect ModelSeller's PledgeOffsetting TravelBusiness Offset CalculatorEDF Renewables Energy innovation for the next generationSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

Andy Posner is the founder and CEO of Capital Good Fund. Since 2009, Andy and his team have been working on the frontlines trying to tackle one of the biggest challenges homeowners face when they are thinking about installing solar on their homes: cost.The Capital Good Fund develops lending programs, like DoubleGreen Solar Loans, that deliver the benefits of solar and other energy efficiency improvements to middle- and low- income homeowners, as well as communities of color. Andy is passionate about the work he does. So much so that he recently got a desert-themed tattoo featuring a solar panel. So yes, Andy is all in on expanding the accessibility of renewables!ABS Quality Evaluations Global leader in business assurance servicesDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

Experts agree that the transportation sector needs to be a key target of any effort to decarbonize the global economy. Nicolas Peltier-Thiberge, the Global Director for the Transport Sector in the Infrastructure Practice Group of the World Bank, joins the show to talk about a report the bank recently released that analyses the economics of electric vehicles for passenger travel.When most people think of EVs these days, they think of aTelsa, a Rivian or perhaps a Ford F-150 Lightning.  The truth is, the menu of electric vehicles is expanding rapidly. But most of those EVs zoom around roads and cities in places like the US, Europe and China. This report produced by Nicolas and the rest of the team at the World Bank focuses on the roll an electric vehicle build out can play in low- and middle-income countries -- countries where the majority of miles traveled are traveled on two-wheel vehicles, three-wheel vehicles or buses. The report offers fascinating insights about the transportation and energy policies that can be leveraged to decarbonize this massive sector of the global economy. More resourcesThe Report: The Economics of Electric Vehicles for Passenger TransportationWorldBank.org/MovingToZeroEDF Renewables Energy innovation for the next generationSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

When most people think of batteries these days, they probably think of lithium-ion batteries. But serious questions are starting to be asked about lithium-ion batteries; questions safety, sustainability, performance and the supply of the rare earth materials that go into those batteries. So with all those battery questions swirling, today's show features Hugh McDermott, the senior vice president of business development and sales at ESS. The team at ESS has pioneered a different kind of battery: iron flow batteries. Hugh shares some of the basics about iron flow batteries and how they stack up when it comes safety, sustainability and performance.  Hugh details how the Inflation Reduction Act is a game-changer for the battery sector and how batteries from ESS are already … yes already … playing a role in the long-duration energy storage market.ABS Quality Evaluations Global leader in business assurance servicesSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

Luiza Demôro, the Head of Energy Transitions at BloombergNEF, walks us through a pair of reports that the team at BNEF recently released. One is their annual Power Transition Trends report. And the other is a special look at the state of clean energy funding in emerging markets and developing economies. And now that COP27 is upon us, Luiza also gives us a global perspective on energy trends, with a specific focus on where renewables are making inroads. She also shines a spotlight on some of the countries and regions that are ripe for investment. Along the way, Luiza also touches on what countries and jurisdictions can do to attract more capital from private investors who are looking to power the energy transition. EDF Renewables Energy innovation for the next generationDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year or so, you’ve probably heard about all the money that’s either already been deployed or is on its way toward funding the energy transition.  When there are billions and billions in play, it’s not surprising that groups are coming together to lure capital to not only certain technologies, but also certain geographic regions. Jane Stricker is the SVP for Energy Transition at the Greater Houston Partnership. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Houston Energy Transition Initiative. Jane and the team at HETI recently released a report from their capital formation working group, which includes some big time banks and investment firms – we’re talking Blackstone, Bank of America, Citigourp, EnCap, JP Morgan and more. The report is all about capital formation and what it will take to turn Houston – yes, Houston, which of course has a long history in oil and gas – into THE destination for climate capital to fund the energy transition.More resourcesHETI's Capital Formation WhitepaperHETI's Energy Transition StrategyLearn more about the H2Houston HubEDF Renewables Energy innovation for the next generationSign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

When a heat wave gripped California a couple of months ago, authorities sent out tweets and texts urging businesses and consumers to reduce their energy use to help utilities and other power providers avoid blackouts. That was an example of demand response. And guess what? It worked.James Muraca, the Chief Technology Officer at Enersponse, joins the show to explain how demand response can be automated and why it doesn't take a heat wave or some other kind of crisis for demand response to pay dividends. After all, demand response is when businesses and consumers shift their electricity usage during any peak periods. James outlines how automation and other demand response technologies are making grids more reliable and cleaner. That's right ... cleaner. Not only can demand response help consumers take advantage of time-based rates or other forms of financial incentives, but advances in automation allow businesses and consumers to use more of their energy when the grid is generating more power from renewables. So demand response helps the grid go green and helps businesses and consumers save some green.Key highlights2:34 - What is Demand Response?5:36 - The impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Demand Response7:55 - What new technologies are on the way when it comes to Demand Response9:41 - The role of Demand Response during extreme weather and other crises13:37 - What are the Price Response and Clean Response programs?15:05 - How Demand Response can make the grid cleaner16:13 - Demand Response and grid resiliency17:04 - Demand Response as an ESG reporting tool18:38 - Bold predictionsABS Quality Evaluations Global leader in business assurance servicesDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod

A key component of the Biden administration's energy transition plan involves establishing hydrogen hubs at multiple locations across the US.  Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., joins the show to share details about H2theFuture, which is a green hydrogen cluster that's being developed in southern Louisiana.H2theFuture was recently awarded $50 million from the US Economic Development Administration to develop a green hydrogen hub that will include everything from R&D facilities at multiple Louisiana universities to an end-use project at the Port of South Louisiana. Michael and his team pulled together many different stakeholders to get H2theFuture off the ground, so his insights on why southern Louisiana is well-positioned to play a big role in the future of green hydrogen are worth a listen.EDF Renewables Energy innovation for the next generationDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Sign up for the Renewable Energy SmartBriefFollow the show on Twitter @RenewablesPod