Energy Evolution

Today's episode of Energy Evolution is all about the Advanced Clean Energy Storage project in Delta, Utah. ACES will use electrolysis to convert renewable energy into hydrogen and store it so that the otherwise intermittent resources will be dispatchable on demand from storage in large salt caverns underground. The first project will convert and store up to 100 metric tons per day of hydrogen and...

This week's episode of Energy Evolution features a conversation with Deise Yumi Asami, the founder of Maximo, an AI-powered robot that automates the heavy lifting for placing and attaching solar modules. The project is being run by AES Corp., a Virginia-based utility and power generation company.  In the episode, Asami explains how the robot uses AI to improve its own performance, how it is changi...

This is episode 1 of All Things Aviation, a special six-part series focusing on the dynamics, trends and outlooks in the aviation sector .  In the first episode of this Future Energy miniseries, S&P Global Commodity Insights scenarios and aviation experts Roman Kramarchuk, Paul McConnell and James Simpson set the stage, discussing the global state of aviation demand, fuel supply and Commodity Insi...

This week on Energy Evolution we hear from Lord Adair Turner, British businessman and former chairman of the UK Financial Services Authority. Turner is now heading up the Energy Transitions Commission, an industrial collective. He tells Taylor Kuykendall and Camilla Naschert about the risks he sees for America's climate goals if Donald Trump is re-elected, the challenges of deindustrialization in...

Solar power is the fastest growing source of electricity in the US. But as adoption of solar and other renewable power generation grows, developers are facing new realities when it comes to financing projects and setting expectations about their returns.   In this episode, guest Sheldon Kimber, founder and CEO of independent power producer Intersect Power, speaks with correspondent Camellia Moors...

Global installed capacity of solar photovoltaics has grown at an extraordinary pace in recent years as countries strive to meet approaching decarbonisation targets, meaning that the technology is having an ever-increasing part in electricity mixes worldwide.  In this episode of the Platts Future Energy Podcast, solar market reporter Lena Dias Martins is joined by associate director for solar resea...

"Green steel" is becoming an increasingly desirable product around the world as more end users establish decarbonization goals and legislation like the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) goes into effect. But with no single definition, steel market participants are having to come up with their own standards as they pursue lower-carbon steelmaking.    In this episode, Laura Varriale, ma...

Vacuuming CO2 out of the atmosphere may be possible, but at a cost of nearly $1,000 per metric ton of carbon captured and stored. Nevertheless, direct air capture is attracting serious investment from the US government, oil and gas companies and Microsoft. In this episode of Energy Evolution, hosts Taylor Kuykendall and Dan Testa and reporter Siri Hedreen discuss what the public and private sector...

In this episode of Energy Evolution, host Taylor Kuykendall and S&P Global Commodity Insights climate and energy reporter Karin Rives discuss the increasing involvement of state lawmakers in electric utility regulations and their impact on the power industry and ratepayers. Guests on today's show are Lillian Federico, a research director with Commodity Insights, California state Senator Josh Becke...

In this episode of the Energy Evolution podcast, host Taylor Kuykendall interviews William "Bill" Daley, who was White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama and Commerce Secretary during the administration of President Bill Clinton. Daley joined Taylor to discuss the role of climate technologies in driving economic growth and job creation. Daley explained the work of Crux Climate, a su...

In this episode of Energy Evolution, host Taylor Kuykendall is joined by Tom Dichristopher, senior reporter at S&P Global Commodity Insights, to discuss the movement to ban new gas hookups and require all-electric construction for new buildings. In 2023, a court struck down a gas ban in Berkeley, California, which was the first of its kind in the nation. The decision came as part of a legal settle...

Electric vehicles are growing in popularity in the US, but purchasing one can come with a host of hurdles to navigate, from tax credits to charger availability.   In this episode of Energy Evolution, correspondent Camellia Moors interviews Bryan Birsic, CEO of Motor, about the challenges faced by EV drivers and headwinds to wider EV adoption. Backed by The AES Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp., Motor pro...

Also known as 'forever chemicals', PFAS materials can be found in frying pans and rain coats, but also in hydrogen electrolyzers and batteries. After a group of countries proposed a ban on PFAS chemicals in the EU in 2023, legislators are expected to restrict their use. On this episode, correspondent Camilla Naschert hears from scientists Christina Jönsson (Research Institutes of Sweden) and Karst...

A first wave of subsidy auctions for green hydrogen production in Europe has revealed early price signals and could kick-start the market after a long period of policy and investment delays. The recent European Hydrogen Bank auction results were much lower than expected, but will renewable hydrogen be much cheaper than previously thought, or will consumers have to pay a large premium to secure off...

In this episode of Energy Evolution, the teams is joined by two special guests: Jigar Shah, the director of the Loan Programs Office of the US Department of Energy, and Jonathan Evans, the President and CEO of Lithium Americas. The US Department of Energy has shown interest in the metals and mining space, particularly in critical mineral mining and extraction projects. Additionally, the DOE's Loan...

Hydrogen fuel is gaining traction as a promising solution for decarbonizing the transport sector, particularly in challenging areas like aviation where electrification is limited. US government subsidies for low-carbon hydrogen production and the establishment of the Department of Energy's seven hydrogen hubs are expected to drive low-carbon hydrogen production at scale. However, the aviation indu...

Right-wing parties have made gains in the EU parliamentary elections this past week, but a coalition of centrists remains likely.  Correspondent Camilla Naschert tells host Taylor Kuykendall what the result means for energy policymaking in the 27-member bloc. The main message: Net zero is still on, but the pace of climate lawmaking may slow in coming years.  Subscribe to Energy Evolution to stay c...

In this episode of Energy Evolution, host Taylor Kuykendall interviews Dan Brdar, the CEO of Ideal Power. Ideal Power is developing a bidirectional semiconductor power switch with a wide range of applications, including electric vehicles, renewable energy and datacenters. The technology enhances energy efficiency and is starting to gain traction in the industry. Ideal Power is partnering with Stel...

Today's episode of Energy Evolution, your podcast for all things energy transition, focuses on small micronuclear reactors and their role in the energy transition. Our guest, Jay Yu, is the founder of Nano Nuclear Energy. Their products include microreactors, which produce one to 20 megawatts of thermal energy that can be used directly as heat or converted to electricity. They are compact, modular...

In this episode of Energy Evolution, host Taylor Kuykendall sits down with Emily Easley, CEO of Novus Energy Advisors. Emily, who hails from the Texas oil and gas fields, now works in the world of renewable energy. During their conversation, Taylor and Emily delve into the topic of bridging the gap between conventional fuels and new energy technologies. They explore the lessons that can be learned...

In this episode of Energy Evolution, Taylor Kuykendall interviews Bruno Arcadier, head of Vale Ventures, the venture capital arm of international mining giant Vale. Vale Ventures aims to invest in cutting-edge technologies that will revolutionize the mining industry and make it more sustainable. The mining sector plays a critical role in the energy transition because metals like copper, nickel and...

As utilities grapple with how best to expand the US electric grid to improve reliability and support technologies like electric vehicles, they're turning to a host of technologies like grid storage and AI that can help with planning and managing new demands.  On this week's episode, co-host Taylor Kuykendall and correspondent Camellia Moors speak with guests Anthony Allard, executive vice presiden...

Sulfur is a crucial input for the fertilizer market. But, this byproduct of the oil and gas industry is also increasingly in-demand for processing key metals needed for the energy transition, such as copper and nickel. In this episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast, sulfur and sulfuric acid market reporter Matt Hoisch is joined by sulfur and sulfuric acid Analyst, Yuya Pan, and senior copper...

Capturing solar energy in space promises 24/7 renewable energy at a competitive cost. But to get space solar to scale, scientists and engineers need to tackle questions around technology management in space, social acceptance of power beaming and ground infrastructure, as well as financing hurdles.  On this week's episode of Energy Evolution, reporter Camilla Naschert discusses all of this with Sa...

A maritime law from 1920 prevents non-US ships from operating in and out of US ports. The problem for offshore wind? There are no large turbine installation ships under US flag yet. In this episode of Energy Evolution, we hear from industry experts how the Jones Act affects a fledgling offshore wind buildout and how developers found workarounds to get turbines offshore.  Guests are Dominion Energy...