Energy Switch

Six hundred million people in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have modern energy -- so African nations are working to develop their energy resources. For many, the energy they do have comes from hydro. But Africa also has huge volumes of natural gas. Some funders, concerned about emissions, don’t want them to develop it. Others consider it essential to lift Africa’s people out of poverty.

There are many paradoxes in climate and energy: people want energy for their homes and cars… but don’t want new power lines or pipelines that could provide it. Nuclear is a zero-carbon energy source… yet many climate advocates oppose it. Some states impose EV mandates… but prohibit mining for battery metals. We’ll look to resolve these with two experts in economics, energy and climate policy.

Europe is currently facing an energy crisis that has instigated a 'war mentality' toward energy use and climate action, accelerating the implementation of new energy projects across the continent. In this episode, Jonathan Elkind, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy, and Dr. Carlos Batlle, Visiting Scientist at the MIT Energy Initiative, delve into the implications...

In this continuation of the discussion on Europe’s energy crisis, Dr. Carlos Batlle and Jonathan Elkind explore how the crisis has catalyzed cooperation among EU member states and the central governing body, while reinforcing the drive towards expanding wind and solar energy solutions. Despite this momentum, there remains a debate over pursuing a technologically neutral approach to decarbonization...

Critical minerals and rare earth elements are pivotal for the advancement of new energy technologies, yet their supply is predominantly controlled by China, posing significant challenges and risks for global energy security. This episode features Dr. Nedal Nassar, Chief of the Materials Intelligence Research at the US Geological Survey, and Dr. Adam Simon, Professor of Earth and Environmental Scie...

Millions of solar panels are approaching the end of their life cycles, but current recycling methods are costly and underdeveloped, leading many panels to end up in landfills or in temporary storage. This episode features Dr. Serasu Duran, Assistant Professor at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, and Dr. Garvin Heath, Distinguished Member of the Research Staff at the National...

Electric cars offer speed, efficiency, and zero local emissions, marking them as a significant shift in automotive technology. However, their high costs and the controversial sourcing of metals for their batteries present notable challenges. This episode features Dr. David Rapson, Economic Policy Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank and Professor of Economics at the University of California, along...

Continuing the discussion from Part 1, this episode further explores the complexities surrounding electric vehicles (EVs). Dr. Beia Spiller, Director of the Transportation Program at Resources for the Future, and Dr. David Rapson, Economic Policy Advisor for the Federal Reserve and Professor of Economics at UC Davis, delve into the effects of subsidies and mandates. While subsidies have boosted EV...

Geothermal energy, a vast resource found everywhere beneath the surface, offers sustainable solutions for heating homes, generating electricity, and potentially powering industrial processes. In this episode, Lauren Boyd, Acting Director of Geothermal Technologies at the DOE, and Carlos Araque, Co-founder and CEO of Quaise Energy, explore the latest advancements and potential of geothermal energy....

Explore the future of energy through the eyes of two promising students deeply engaged in advanced energy studies. Shadya Taleb, a graduate research assistant specializing in carbon capture and storage at the Bureau of Economic Geology, and Grace Stanke, a nuclear engineering student and Miss America 2023, share their insights on a range of topics including nuclear power, carbon capture and storag...

China's position as the world's largest energy producer and consumer, along with its status as the top exporter of solar technology and a leader in nuclear energy, places its energy and climate policies at the forefront of global concerns. This episode features Dr. David Sandalow, Founder & Director of Columbia's US-China program, and Dr. Wei Peng, Assistant Professor at Princeton University....

In this continuation of the discussion on China's energy and climate policies, Dr. Wei Peng and Dr. David Sandalow delve deeper into China's commitment to reducing the use of coal plants despite ongoing construction. They discuss China's strategies for managing local air pollution, achieving peak CO2 emissions, and reaching net-zero goals while prioritizing energy security. The episode examines th...

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) offers a promising solution to mitigate carbon emissions by sequestering them underground. However, the technology faces significant challenges in capturing, transporting, and storing CO2, as well as determining financial responsibility. This episode features Dr. Sallie Greenberg, formerly with the Illinois State Geological Survey, and Dr. Julio Friedmann, Chief Sc...

The US stands unique in having permanent storage solutions for low and intermediate-level nuclear waste but lacks a comprehensive plan for high-level waste—a challenge faced by many countries with nuclear power plants. In this episode, Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary at the Office of Nuclear Energy in the DOE, and Dr. Allison Macfarlane, former Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,...

Providing modern energy services to the developing world is a monumental challenge, as 80% of the global population resides in these regions yet uses only 20% of the world's energy. This episode features a discussion between Ashvin Dayal from The Rockefeller Foundation and Robert Stoner, Deputy Director at the MIT Energy Initiative, on how to potentially double global energy production to meet thi...

Energy and water are intricately connected, each vital for the effective functioning of the other. This episode explores how municipal water systems and agricultural irrigation consume vast amounts of energy, while energy production itself requires significant volumes of water. Afreen Siddiqi, research scientist at MIT, and Newsha Ajami, Chief Development Officer for Research at Lawrence Berkeley...

Across the globe, numerous countries, states, and corporations have committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This episode features Dr. Melissa Lott, Senior Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, and Terry Keeley, Managing Director at BlackRock, discussing the extensive technologies, policies, and financial investments requir...

Advancements in battery technology have propelled electric vehicles into the mainstream, offering consumers viable alternatives to traditional cars. In this episode, Shirley Meng, Chief Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and Lynden Archer, Dean of Engineering at Cornell University, explore the potential for these technologies to similarly transform the electric grid. They discuss the curren...

Send us a Text Message. Building on the previous discussion of battery technology's impact on vehicles and the grid, this episode dives deeper into the innovation behind battery materials. Lynden Archer, Dean of Engineering at Cornell University, and Shirley Meng, Chief Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory and Professor of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, explore potential n...

Energy infrastructure, from extraction sites to transmission lines, occupies and alters vast tracts of land. In this episode, Mark Mills, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and Gurcan Gulen, Principal at G2 Energy Insights, discuss the extensive impacts of energy development on land. They explore how various energy processes require drilling and mining, and consider the footprint of energy...

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) hold transformative potential for the energy sector, promising enhanced efficiency and improved forecasting of electricity resources. In this episode, Pamela Isom, Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office for the US Department of Energy, and Anima Anandkumar, Director of Machine Learning Research at NVIDIA, evaluate the cu...

While CO2 emissions often dominate discussions on the environmental impacts of energy, particulate air pollution presents a more immediate concern. Burning coal, wood, diesel, and animal dung leads to millions of premature deaths annually. In this episode, Angel Hsu from the University of North Carolina and Amod Pokhrel, a health sciences researcher at UC Berkeley, delve into the issues of air pol...

Recent IPCC reports show less warming than predicted a decade ago. Emission growth is slowing, but has not yet plateaued, and while climate scientists say we’re not on track to meet Paris climate goals, the news is better than we often hear. Roger Pielke, Environmental Studies Professor at UC Boulder, and Daniel Cohan, Environmental Engineering Professor at Rice, discuss.

The electric grid, and all its attached generators and transformers, has been called the largest machine in the world. In part 1, we’ll discuss how it powers our lives and the modern world, and as our electricity demands grow, how it could better meet them in the future. ERCOT CEO, Brad Jones, and Southern California Edison CEO, Steven Powell, discuss.

As we continue our exploration of the electric grid, we delve into its pivotal role in powering cities, industries, homes, and increasingly, our vehicles. In this episode, Southern California Edison CEO, Steven Powell, and ERCOT CEO, Brad Jones, discuss the necessity of expanding and enhancing national electric systems. They consider the challenges of increasing electricity supply while aiming for...