The Energy Transition Show with Chris Nelder

Dec 04 2024 248 ep. 35 mins 3.6k
The Energy Transition Show with Chris Nelder Podcast artwork

Longtime energy expert Chris Nelder interviews some of the smartest and most knowledgeable people in energy, exploring global infrastructure and markets during the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewables. Designed to stimulate discussion about the difficult questions rather than reinforce preconceived answers, the Energy Transition Show covers oil, gas, coal, solar, wind, emerging renewables, nuclear, grid power, transportation systems, macroeconomics, and more, including the latest news and research, policy developments, and market events.

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[Episode #238] – Transition in Europe 2024

Dec 04 2024 24 mins  
The outlook for energy transition in the US may feel bleak at the moment, but Europe continues to make significant progress. So if you’re ready for a little good news and thoughtful conversation about the energy transition in Europe, this one’s for you! Our guest in this episode is Jan Rosenow, a veteran European energy observer, analyst, and policy advisor with extensive expe

[Episode #237] – Why Nuclear?

Nov 20 2024 22 mins  
Nuclear power is “having a moment.” Frequently in the news, it is hailed by proponents as a critical part of decarbonizing our economy and meeting rising power demand. But does nuclear truly have a role to play in the energy transition? The fact is that nuclear power plants are only built when they have significant government backing. Around the world, the private sector avoid

[Episode #236] – Zero Carbon Industry

Nov 06 2024 18 mins  
The energy transition is making good progress on several fronts. Renewables are displacing fossil fueled electricity generation. Heat pumps are decarbonizing space heating. Electric vehicles of all sizes are replacing oil-powered cars. But the world's industrial decarbonization is really just getting started. Industry generates roughly one-third of all human-caused greenhouse gas

[Episode #235] – China, India and Australia 2024 Update

Oct 16 2024 21 mins  
The energy transition in China is a complex picture. China is both the world's largest annual greenhouse gas emitter and the largest market for electric vehicles. It’s the largest user of coal, and it deploys more wind and solar every year than the rest of the world combined. It’s both the largest worry in terms of rising CO2 concentrations, and the biggest hope for curbing emi

[Episode #234] – Transition in Australia 2024

Oct 02 2024 20 mins  
In August 2024, Chris commenced a three-month research trip across Australia and New Zealand to explore their unique challenges and opportunities in the energy transition, and to conduct interviews with the people involved. This episode kicks off a miniseries based on those travels. We start by speaking with Giles Parkinson, a journalist for more than 40 years who has arguably cov

[Episode #233] – Ending the Monopoly Utility

Sep 18 2024 23 mins  
Can the energy transition happen fast enough if investor-owned utilities (IOUs) continue to operate the US grid under a regulated monopoly business model? Our guest today says no. These profit-driven utilities have used their monopoly status to protect their market position and undermine the energy transition. Their control over generation, transmission and distribution systems a

[Episode #232] – Smart Meters and Appliances

Sep 04 2024 24 mins  
Two decades ago, there was a surge of interest to make appliances, buildings, and utility meters smarter. Startups emerged to explore ways to monitor and manage electricity usage and optimize grid power, aiming to better align with the increasing supply of variable renewable energy. At the same time, utilities began rolling out millions of so-called smart meters, promising to redu

[Episode #231] – Five Times Faster

Aug 21 2024 27 mins  
Why have our climate policies failed to significantly reduce carbon emissions? What new strategies could help us decarbonize the global energy system five times faster — as is needed to avoid the worst climate scenarios? Our guest in this episode believes he has some answers to these questions. Simon Sharpe has been personally involved in the crafting of climate policy in the U

[Episode #230] – EV Charging Blues

Aug 07 2024 28 mins  
The transition from oil-burning vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) has hit a few speed bumps over the past year, sparking widespread media coverage, but not much insight. A confusing tangle of narratives has emerged: Are EV sales surging or stalling? What does it mean for Ford and GM to adopt Tesla’s charger connector when Elon Musk just laid off his entire charging network team

[Episode #229] – US Distributed Solar Potential

Jul 24 2024 21 mins  
What is the full potential for distributed solar power in the US? Many models have been developed to explore how a decarbonized US energy system could look, consistently finding that solar power would be the dominant source of electricity. Yet, we don’t really know the full potential for distributed solar. Even the term “distributed solar” isn’t very well-defined, potentia