Spark Club Podcast
Grant McDowell
Spark Club brings entrepreneurs in the energy field together with a common objective, to build energy businesses. We draw on each others experience to support, learn and grow energy businesses. The podcasts are hosted by Grant McDowell and are recordings of our Fireside chat with leaders in the energy transition.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 9, 2025 • 41min
Engie aims to invest €21-24 billion - Tim Buckley - Ep47
This week Tim shares his highlights, lowlights and main story with us starting with; Highlights Green iron report by Deloitte & WWF. The Fifth Estate forum with Matt Kean and Martijn Wilder hosted at the Greenhouse. China's massive US$11bn 19GW (85% RE) Qaidam Golmud East Desert Base Power Project. Canadian Solar's reported CY2024 BESS shipments surged 505% yoy to 6.5GWh. Engie pulls out of a Texas gas project as the numbers no longer stack up. And EV highlights for BYD, not so much for Tesla Lowlights Gas cartel stitch up. Story by Royce Kurmelovs via Drilled Media. Main Story ENGIE of France reconfirming its NZE by 2045 commitments and aims to invest €21-24 billion in growth capex over the next 3 years Coming up Climate Action Week Sydney - over 200 events in Sydeney and online. Link to Tickets. End
Feb 23, 2025 • 43min
Whyalla Steel Works - Tim Buckley - Ep 46
This week Tim shares some good news from Canberra with the Climate Capital Forum leading a delegation to meet with politicians across the spectrum and share a positive message. Our focus this week on the South Australian State government working in partnership with the PM Anthony Albanese Federal Government to put the financially distressed Sanjeev Gupta GFG Alliance's OneSteel Manufacturing division into administration, and to offer a A$2.4bn rescue and modernisation package to transform Whyalla into a potentially world leading green iron and steel centre. For more information, refer our detailed Linkedin post here: https://lnkd.in/gkxY-hCE And Climate Energy Finance's Matt Pollard published his key thoughts in RenewEconomy here: https://lnkd.in/g3J6HxQK Enjoy the podcast.
Feb 2, 2025 • 38min
China Leaps Forward - Tim Buckley - Ep45
Welcome to episode 45 of the Spark Club podcast. Tim Buckley is back to take us through our regular format of Highlights, Lowlights, The Main Story and What Coming Up. In this episode we open with good news from the Middle East as large scale solar and battery storage deployment hits new records. Tim shares news on the $2Bn Green Aluminium production tax credits, Labor's 2025 Build Australia's Future plan and big BESS installations numbers across across the world. Amazing. In the Main Story for the week we discuss China's headline energy and economic growth numbers in 2024 and China's carbon emissions stats filtering through from Lauri Myllyvirta at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. To wrap up Tim shares what he's up to in Canberra this coming week. The Spark Club Live events will continue, so stayed tuned for our next one. Enjoy the podcast.
Jan 29, 2025 • 44min
Solar S-Curve - Birchy - Ep44
Welcome to episode 44 of the Spark Club podcast. A large part of our conversation on this podcast is about solar PV as the engine behind the global energy transition. Traditional media still maintains solar as a rounding error, a technology in its infancy. Well the stats tell a different story, which is why I'm delighted to have Andrew Birch 'Birchy', onto the podcast. Birchy shares his start in the solar industry, way back when, and how his career has informed the work he's doing on the S-Curve. Birchy has distilled the noise down to one key idea, and a number of important stats, for our community in the energy transition to know deeply and share with anyone who'll listen. The best way to learn more is on ebirchy.com This YouTube link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VvXzvffq8&t=1s And Birchy mentions the Global Solar Council. https://www.globalsolarcouncil.org/ Enjoy the podcast.
Dec 31, 2024 • 48min
Accelerating the Energy Transition - Tim Buckley - Ep43
Welcome to episode 43 of the Spark Club podcast, and the 10th in our new Regular Podcast series. Tim Buckley, our regular guest is back for the final episode for 2024. In this episode we discuss the highlights and the lowlights for the week and then go onto discuss the recent Climate Energy Finance report - Australia is seeing an Acceleration in our Electricity Sector Transition, putting our 82% Renewables by 2030 Target in reach. See link to report below; https://climateenergyfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CEF_82-Renewables-by-2030_17Dec2024-1.docx.pdf We will also discuss what stood our in energy in 2024 and what 2025 holds for Australia and ambitions for China in the coming year. The Spark Club Live events will continue, so stayed tuned for our next one. Enjoy the podcast.
Dec 26, 2024 • 40min
Solar PV in Australia - Renate Egan - Ep42
Welcome to episode 42 of the Spark Club podcast. This the 9th episode in our Regular Podcast series. This time we welcome Professor Renate Egan, Executive Director at the Australia Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics at UNSW to Spark Club. In this episode we discuss the discuss the opportunity for solar pv manufacturing in Australia and how UNSW remains at the leading edge of global solar innovation. Renate shares updates on early signs of progress and how Australia holds a global advantage for high volume, low cost solar PV manufacturing. We discuss the delicate balance for solar in Australia at this moment of complicated geopolitics, in the battle between molecules and electrons. The Spark Club Live events will continue, so stayed tuned for our next one. Enjoy the podcast.
Dec 1, 2024 • 38min
The Nuclear Debate - Tim Buckley - Ep41
Welcome to episode 41 of the Spark Club podcast. And the 8th in our new Regular Podcast with Tim Buckley. In this episode we discuss the highlights and the lowlights for the week and then go onto the main story. Tim was invited by Rob Stokes and Matt Kean to a debate on nuclear at Maquarie Uni. Rob, Matt and Tim were able to shift audience opinion. Great record to point to for anyone who has a nuclear supporter in their friends or family during the holiday season. The Spark Club Live events will continue, so stayed tuned for our next one. Enjoy the podcast.
Nov 17, 2024 • 57min
Green Iron Report - Tim Buckley - Ep40
This is episode 40 of the Spark Club podcast. And the 7th in our new Regular Podcast with Tim Buckley. In this episode we discuss Tim's Climate Energy Finance (CEF) report co-authored by Matt Pollard, Net Zero Transformation Analyst at CEF and Tim. Forging Australia's Green Iron Industry Letting you know we're opening the conversation to broader voices to compliment Tim. New guests will share their views on the rise and rise of China in the global energy transition, especially over the next four years as the US returns to short term profits from molecules and China unlocks new opportunities for clean electrons in global markets. The Spark Club Live events will continue, so stayed tuned for our next one. Enjoy the podcast.
Nov 3, 2024 • 44min
Tim Buckley - Regular Podcast - Ep39
This is episode 39 of the Spark Club podcast. And the 6th in our new Regular Podcast with Tim Buckley. In this episode we discuss Tim's recent trip to Japan and set the stage for Climate Energy Finance next report on Green Metal. The Spark Club Live events will continue, so stayed tuned for our next one. Enjoy the podcast.
Oct 14, 2024 • 43min
Tim Buckley - Regular Podcast - Ep38
This is episode 38 of the Spark Club podcast. And the 5th in our new Regular Podcast with Tim Buckley In this episode we discuss Tim's recent report The Green Capital Tsunami. You'll hear the genesis for the idea and how a new theme is emerging in China's approach to the global energy transition. The report is available for free at Climate Energy Finance. The Spark Club Live events will continue, so stayed tuned for our next one. Enjoy the podcast.


