Volts

David Roberts
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4 snips
Jun 26, 2024 • 57min

Heat pumps with thermal batteries

Jane Melia, Co-founder and CEO of Harvest, talks about pairing high-end heat pumps with thermal batteries to optimize electricity consumption, reduce costs, and lower emissions. They discuss the benefits of using CO2-based heat pumps, efficient hot water output with a unique water tank, and the financial advantages of investing in heat pump systems with thermal storage for homeowners.
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Jun 21, 2024 • 1h 4min

New York's congestion pricing fiasco

NY State Sen. Liz Krueger and Justin Balik discuss Gov. Hochul's delay of NYC congestion pricing, budget implications, and future steps. They touch on challenges in implementing congestion pricing, the governor's tax increase proposal, commuting patterns, impacts of delayed implementation, and reflections on Democratic governance.
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24 snips
Jun 19, 2024 • 58min

What's up with electric aviation?

CEO Kyle Clark of BETA Technologies discusses the design and operation of electric planes for all of aviation, starting with short light-cargo flights. Topics include EVTOL aircraft design, battery advancements, range and sustainability, and the future of electric aviation.
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15 snips
Jun 14, 2024 • 1h 21min

Washington Governor Jay Inslee on his last big climate fight

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, a climate advocate, discusses his achievements and challenges in combating emissions. The podcast covers his climate advocacy, political landscape, fundraising efforts, and reflections on past campaigns. It explores balancing conservation with green energy, burning wood pellets for carbon neutrality, renewable energy impacts, and union battles against corporations in Washington State.
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27 snips
Jun 12, 2024 • 1h 36min

Are markets the right tool for decarbonizing electricity?

Author Brett Christophers discusses how profitability, not cost, drives renewable energy deployment. Challenges of using markets for decarbonizing electricity are explored, emphasizing the importance of government support. Topics include bid selection, market volatility impacting renewables, and unique challenges in electricity generation. Corporate power purchase agreements, government subsidies, and financing strategies for accelerating the transition to renewable energy are also discussed.
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72 snips
Jun 7, 2024 • 1h 21min

Wrapping our heads around AI and climate

Alp Kucukelbir discusses the transformative power of AI in climate change, optimizing industrial processes with AI and machine learning, concerns about AI manipulation and disinformation, AI's role in decarbonization policies, advancements in data gathering technologies, and making industries more efficient in developing nations.
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Jun 5, 2024 • 47min

Making mini-grids work in sub-Saharan Africa

Tombo Banda discusses the challenges of electricity access in Africa, mini-grid innovations, boosting profitability through economic empowerment, balancing profitability and access, and solutions for mini-grid developers in Africa
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May 29, 2024 • 52min

Making carbon-free steel with clean electricity

Tadeu Carneiro, CEO of Boston Metal, discusses making carbon-free steel using clean electricity, explaining the process of 'molten oxide electrolysis' and its potential to transform the industry. They explore challenges faced by the steel industry in reducing CO2 emissions and the innovative approaches to steelmaking, emphasizing the importance of clean electricity for a sustainable future in steel production.
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14 snips
May 24, 2024 • 1h 9min

FERC's new rule and other exciting transmission news

Rob Gramlich, Expert in Grid Strategies, discusses FERC's new transmission planning rule, implications for clean energy goals, grid reliability, and consumer rates. Topics include 20-year plans, grid enhancing technologies, cost allocation dynamics, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act impacts, regulatory initiatives, future grid actions, and reevaluating stances on transmission infrastructure.
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12 snips
May 22, 2024 • 56min

Using a Moneyball approach to elect state & local climate champions

Caroline Spears, Executive Director of Climate Cabinet, discusses using data science to target state and local races for climate advocacy. Topics include Moneyball strategies, empowering clean energy advocates, legal structures, navigating partisanship, engaging marginalized voters, analyzing election performance, and the impact of volunteer engagement in climate politics.

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