The Energy Gang

The world is experiencing a new reality: infrastructure, agriculture, and supply chains were built for a historical climate that no longer exists. Last year the average global surface temperature was about 1.47° C warmer than in the late 19th century, according to NASA. On current trends we are on course for perhaps 2.7° C of warming by the end of the current century: far in excess of the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5° C.As it becomes increasingly likely that the world is not going to cut greenhouse gas emissions enough to meet that Paris goal, it becomes more and more important for us to learn how to adapt and become more resilient in a warming world.It’s an issue that has been a focus for Dr Sarah Kapnick, the Global Head of Climate Advisory at the bank JP Morgan. She is a former Chief Scientist at NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and she knows the worlds of climate science and climate finance inside out.She returns to the show to talk to host Ed Crooks

In the third and final special episode recorded live from the ACORE Finance Forum, host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe talk to industry leaders to explore some key issues in renewable energy technology and finance.Amy starts the episode by speaking with David Ulrey, CFO of Fervo Energy, an innovative geothermal startup. David shares insights into Fervo’s projects, including their initial commercial pilot in Nevada and the ambitious 100-megawatt development in Utah. They discuss the challenges and successes of pioneering next-generation geothermal energy, the potential for the technology to offer clean, reliable power across the US, and the evolving landscape of financing structures in the industry.Ed then sits down with Mona Dajani, global co-head of Energy, Infrastructure and Hydrogen at the law firm Baker Botts. Mona provides an expert perspective on the shifting sands of energy dealmaking amidst political and economic uncertainty in the US. She highlights how companies are rapidly pivoting the

As the US races against China to develop the most advanced capabilities in AI, energy is critical. In this second episode from the ACORE finance forum, we speak to experts about how US energy policy, and in particular the reconciliation bill now being debated in Congress, might affect that race.Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe talk first to Joseph Webster, a Senior Fellow at the think-tank the Atlantic Council. They discuss the need for increased power supplies for data centers, the US reliance on clean energy supply chains that originate in China, and the challenges facing attempts to reduce that dependence.Ed and Amy then talk to Seth Hanlon, a Senior Fellow at the New York University Tax Law Center, and to Lesley Hunter, the Senior VP for Policy and Engagement at ACORE. They dig into the politics around the reconciliation bill currently being worked on in the Senate. Seth previously worked at the US Treasury on the implementation of the energy tax credits in the Inflation Red

The Energy Gang are at The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Finance Forum in New York City, which brings together industry leaders, investors, and bankers to discuss the hottest issues in clean energy. Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe talk to ACORE Chief Executive and President Ray Long about the uncertainty hanging over the industry following the debate in Congress over repealing energy tax credits. He talks about the reasons why a Republican president and Congress should preserve tax breaks for low carbon technologies to advance their energy dominance agenda. Ed and Amy also talk to Meghan Schultz, EVP and Chief Financial Officer of Invenergy, the largest independent power producer in the US, and to Ted Brandt, CEO and Founder of Marathon Capital. They explain the impact that uncertainty over tax credits has already had on their businesses. They discuss what rising demand from data centers means for electricity prices. And they explore the potential implications if subs

Legislation with massive implications for clean energy in the US has been making progress in Congress. The Republican party’s “big beautiful bill”, introducing sweeping changes to taxes and government spending, would phase out most of the tax credits for low-carbon energy that were created, expanded or extended in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022.To unpack the proposals and examine what they might mean for the US and the world, host Ed Crooks is joined by some of the Energy Gang’s top policy wonks:Amy Myers-Jaffe, Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability LabRobbie Orvis, Senior Director for Modelling and Analysis at the thinktank Energy InnovationRay Long, President and Chief Executive of the American Council on Renewable Energy They discuss whether the phaseout of tax credits for wind, solar and storage will deter the development of renewable energy. The credits have created a whole industry to support investment in new renewables projects. What happens if those credits go

It’s the most talked-about academic paper this year in the world of energy. Rethinking Load Growth, co-authored by Tyler Norris of Duke University has caused a stir in energy circles because it offers a new perspective on the hottest issue of the moment: how to provide power for new data centers and other large consumers. With new sources of electricity demand growing rapidly – from data centers for AI to battery factories to EV charging networks – grid planners are scrambling to understand how to integrate large new loads without breaking the system or budgets. That is the question for Rethinking Load Growth, and it delivers a startling insight: The US grid could absorb 98 gigawatts of new load, IF those loads can be sufficiently flexible. They would need to be curtailed for just 0.5% of the year, which is about 42 hours in total – not all in one go, but in blocks averaging a couple of hours at a time.That kind of load flexibility could unlock faster, cheaper grid expansion, with big implicati

They called the film Avengers: Infinity War the most ambitious crossover event in history. We can’t quite make the same claim, but at Wood Mackenzie’s 2025 Solar and Energy Storage Summit, we did record a crossover episode. Ed Crooks, host of Energy Gang, is joined by Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Wood Mackenz’s principal analyst for solar power and host of Interchange Recharged, to discuss the future of energy, and of the electricity grid in particular.They are joined by Rob Chapman, Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions at the non-profit research group EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, which aims to help power society toward a reliable, affordable, and resilient energy future. Rob talks about a key theme in his work: the importance of flexibility on the electricity grid. Increased reliance on solar and wind power has created challenges in keeping the grid balanced and the lights on. Surging demand for electricity for new data centres to train

“With great uncertainty comes great opportunity”, says Abby Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, in this special episode of the Energy Gang, recorded live at Wood Mackenzie’s Solar & Energy Storage Summit.Is she right? And what are those opportunities? To find out, host Ed Crooks welcomed Abby and Shyam Srinivasan, CEO and Co-Founder of Zitara Technologies, for a special discussion on the state of the solar and storage industries today.Uncertainty is the buzzword of the moment: uncertainty over tariffs, over tax credits, over the evolution of AI, and over the economic outlook. The Trump administration’s new tariffs are disrupting supply chains and prompting companies to delay investment decisions. At such a volatile time, it’s easy to be caught out by a sudden change in policy.Companies have different strategies for coping with all this uncertainty. Some have been stockpiling solar panels; a few have been stockpiling batteries. And all the while, there are some powerf

These are hard times for investment in low-carbon energy. The lack of progress in international climate negotiations, threats to policy support, and an increased awareness of the challenges of decarbonization, have created some strong headwinds. Everyone agrees that more breakthroughs in innovative emissions-reducing technologies are essential for tackling climate change. So how can innovative energy companies raise the capital they need to scale?Catalytic capital can provide long-term investment in clean energy and accelerate early-stage climate technologies. To find out how it can make a difference, host Ed Crooks welcomes back to the show Amy Duffuor. Amy is the co-founder and general partner at Azolla Ventures, a $300 million VC firm dedicated to having an impact on emissions. They do it through catalytic capital, which is still looking for a return, but can be more patient and flexible than conventional investment.In challenging times for investment in decarbonization, cleantech startups need to be able

If President Trump’s tariff strategy succeeds in sparking a revival in US manufacturing, one consequence will be surging demand for power. We are already seeing electricity demand starting to pick up after 15 years of stagnation, driven by new data centers for AI and a wave of factory-building for semiconductors and batteries that is already under way. How can the electricity industry increase capacity to meet that growing demand and provide the power that the country needs?That’s the question for this special episode of the Energy Gang, recorded live in front of an invited audience at the headquarters of the American Clean Power association in Washington DC. Host Ed Crooks talks to Chris Shelton, the Chief Product Officer at AES, Travis Kavulla, the Vice-President for Regulatory Affairs at NRG Energy, and MJ Shiao, the Vice President of Supply Chain and Manufacturing at American Clean Power.They discuss whether electricity demand growth is really happening, which technologies are best placed to provide new s

The Chinese car company BYD, the world’s top-selling manufacturer of electric vehicles, is launching two models that can charge in five minutes; about the time it takes to fill a tank with gasoline. It’s news that looks like a landmark moment in the energy transition, the way that the release of the DeepSeek model was for AI. It’s another eye-opening breakthrough out of China that should have the US worried. Or is it?To explain the significance of this latest leap forward in Chinese technology, Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at New York University, and Robbie Orvis, senior director for modelling and analysis at the think-tank Energy Innovation.They debate the question: is the US being outpaced in the global race to innovate in clean energy technology? If the US has lost the automotive innovation race to China, what does that mean for US car companies? Robbie argues that the US auto industry needs solid policy sup

Investors have gone sour on clean energy. In a troubled time for stock markets in general, where is the capital for energy flowing now?Host Ed Crooks is joined by Shanu Mathew, Senior VP and Portfolio Manager at Lazard Asset Management, and Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at NYU. Shanu returns to the show to break down how institutional investors, under pressure to deliver returns, are shifting strategies on energy. Amy shares insights on cleantech venture capital trends, and the factors that support investment in low-carbon solutions. With support for renewables under threat, and cutting-edge technologies facing mounting challenges, is the transition to low-carbon energy slowing down or recalibrating? Meanwhile, Big Oil companies are changing course on their decarbonisation strategies and approaches to addressing climate change. BP and Shell are pulling back from power and renewables and emphasising oil and gas investments instead, after pressure from investor

Charge when it’s cheap, when energy is abundant, and discharge when the energy is needed. The role of energy storage will be critical to the transition to low-carbon technologies. It’s an exciting time in the industry, with spectacular growth in battery storage markets in the US and around the world, and it’s predicted to continue. “We’re in the hockey stick growth phase,” says Swetha Sundaram, VP of solar and BESS (battery energy storage systems) at RWE, and a co-author of ‘The BESS Book’. She joins Ed Crooks on the show to look at where that growth is coming from. The systems being built today mostly use lithium-ion technologies to store energy for a few hours. But there are huge opportunities for long-duration energy storage (LDES), too. The LDES Council, an industry group, estimates that the build-out of up to 8 TW of potential power supply from long-duration storage by 2040 represents a $4 trillion investment opportunity. Julia Souder is CEO of the LDES council, and she’s also on the show to ta

In 2018, President Donald Trump said “I’m a tariff man”, declaring they were the way to make America rich again. Six years on and just weeks into his second term, he is putting that philosophy into practice. President Trump has announced a barrage of new and increased tariffs on imports into the US, including a 10% levy on all goods from China. He has threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Canda and Mexico, although those were put on hold for a month. And he has announced a strategy of reciprocal tariffs, promising to match other countries’ barriers to imports from the US with equivalent levies on their exports. It is a time of turbulence. What does it mean for the energy transition?  To analyse what all these actual and threatened tariffs mean for energy security, the economy and the climate, host Ed Crooks – Vice-Chair for the Americas at Wood Mackenzie - is joined by three policy experts from the US and Canada. Samantha Gross is the director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Br

It’s a historic moment in energy, with a leap forward in AI technology coming as the Trump administration sets a new direction for the US. The Energy Gang break down what it all means. When they make The Energy Transition – The Movie, the week of 27th January 2025 will be a pivotal scene. The Chinese AI company DeepSeek sent shockwaves through stock markets, as it revealed its model that apparently is capable of better performance than its competitors at a fraction of the cost. Host Ed Crooks talks through the implications for energy with regulars Amy Myers Jaffe of New York University and Melissa Lott of Microsoft. Together they discuss the market reactions to the launch of DeepSeek, shifting forecasts for AI demand, and the implications for the industry and for government.President Donald Trump has come into office putting emphasis on the importance of energy supplies for AI as a matter of national security. His administration wants more “baseload” power. But there is a debate on what that word means f

Hydrogen has been called the Swiss Army knife of energy, because it has so many potential applications, from home heating to heavy industry. But so far, deployment around the world has been slow. And in recent months there has been a series of setbacks for plans to use clean hydrogen to decarbonise energy systems. So what’s the problem?Is it unsuitable infrastructure, policy uncertainty, or fundamental challenges of physics and economics? Does hydrogen really have a role to play in the low-carbon energy system of the future? And if it does, what does the industry need to get there?To find out, host Ed Crooks is joined by Dr Melissa Lott, Partner General Manager in Energy Technologies at Microsoft, and Austin Knight, Vice President for hydrogen at Chevron New Energies. Hydrogen is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it could help us tackle some of the toughest challenges in decarbonisation. It may be expensive, but in some sectors it looks like a more cost-effective solution for achieving net zero

Host Ed Crooks is joined by regulars Amy Myers Jaffe and Melissa Lott to share their predictions for energy in 2025. They discuss the policy changes expected from Washington under the Trump administration, the crucial role for California as a leader in clean energy, the exciting new technologies that may be launched or ramped up this year, and the political and business leaders who will be shaping our future.The team also discuss some of the threats and challenges the energy industry could face this year. Amy warns that the wind sector is in trouble; is it really? And what about the wild cards: the unexpected events that could force everyone to reassess their plans? Melissa has concerns about the impacts of extreme weather: how will a warming world affect our lives? As the latest news on bird flu shows, the threat of another deadly pandemic is real; Ed analyses the risks.It’s going to be another tumultuous year in energy. To help make sense of it, get all the insights and analysis from us here.See Privacy Pol

China’s booming EV industry, AI and clean energy, questions over hydrogen, and the other big stories from 2024.To round off a momentous year for clean energy, Ed Crooks is joined by regulars Melissa Lott and Amy Myers Jaffe to reflect on the highs and lows of 2024. The gang revisit the predictions they made in January, share their highs and lows for the year, and talk about their favourite episodes of 2024. And, as is fast becoming a tradition on the show, we finish the year with some relevant holiday gifts.Some of our predictions for 2024 were spot on, but others were slightly off. The team discuss the continued rise and rise of China’s largest electric vehicle company BYD, and look ahead to what 2025 holds for the EV industry. Amy predicted big things for hydrogen this year, as did Melissa for geothermal. Did these fast-moving sectors hit the heights that they expected? And where do they go from here?There were some real lows in 2024, mostly related to international politics and conflict. But there were als

More than 100 countries have pledged to cut methane emissions, with not much to show for it so far. What is being done to change that?Methane – the main component of natural gas – is the second most significant greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide. It accounts for about 30% of all the human-induced warming the world has experienced since the 19th century.At COP26 in 2021, many countries got together to launch the Global Methane Pledge, to drive action on reducing emissions. There are now 111 countries, accounting in total for almost half of global methane emissions, that have signed up to that pledge. Their goal is to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030.So how much progress has been made in the past few years? Not a lot, is the answer. Instead of starting to decline to meet that targeted 30% reduction, methane emissions have actually been going up.At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, last month, methane was one of the key items on the agenda. Many people there were talking about ideas for bending the curv

The climate talks agreed a $300 billion finance deal. Not everyone is happy about it.The COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, finally ended around 5.30am on Sunday morning, almost 36 hours after they had been originally scheduled to close. The good news was that the negotiators representing about 200 countries agreed a deal on climate finance: flows of capital from developed countries to low and middle-income countries, to help them cut emissions and adapt to a warming world. The bad news was that many countries felt the amount agreed – $300 billion a year by 2035 – was much too low. India and other developing countries had suggested a sum of $1 trillion or more a year was needed.Ed Crooks, now back home after attending the talks, is joined by Energy Gang regulars Melissa Lott, the partner general manager for energy technologies at Microsoft, and Amy Harder, the executive editor of the energy and climate news service Cipher. They discuss the outcomes from the negotiations: what was agreed and what it mean