NTNU Energy Transition Podcast

CEO of WindEurope - Europe's voice of the wind industry - is today's guest. Together with 400 other members from across the value chain of wind energy, he works to coordinate policy, communicate, research and analyze in order to further the development of wind power. WindEurope analyses, formulates and establishes policy positions for the wind industry on key strategic sectoral issues, cooperating...

This episode comes out on day eight of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. War, destruction and death have been flickering across our TV and mobile screens in recent days. These actions in themselves are terrible, and we realize that this war is likely to turn the tide on European energy policy. In this episode, I am joined by Thijs van de Graf from Ghent University (Thijs on Twitter ). Thijs is Asso...

The energy transition is the generational challenge of our time. It can not be solved by researchers in their ivory towers, nor policymakers in the country's capitals. Instead, we need all parts of society to engage and work towards a common goal. One group that is often overlooked, but that is key for the transformational processes that we are going through, is the youth. First, if today's youth...

EU just unveiled that it plans to label investments in natural gas and nuclear projects as sustainable if certain criteria are met, a controversial move that raises concerns about greenwashing and divides member states. If a majority backs it, it will become EU law, coming into effect from 2023. The taxonomy - a labeling system that incentives investing in green solutions - is a part of the strate...

Transport represents almost a quarter of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions and is the main course of air pollution in cities. The transport sector has not seen the same gradual decline in emissions, as other sectors. Emissions just started decreasing in 2007 and still remain higher than in 1990. Hence, let's have a look at this sector to actually understand it a bit better and its current state. F...

How do we transition away from carbon-intensive industries while avoiding unemployment? How do we rebuild communities in a sustainable way after losing major job providers? How can marginalized groups get their opinion heard when their society must change? Society faces huge changes in the energy transition. Technological solutions get most of the attention for reducing emissions and transitioning...

"Solar energy is a substantial global industry, one that has generated trade disputes among superpowers, threatened the solvency of large energy companies, and prompted serious reconsideration of electric utility regulation rooted in the 1930s. One of the biggest payoffs from solar’s success is not the clean inexpensive electricity it can produce, but the lessons it provides for innovation in othe...

The German energy transition, commonly known as the "Energiwende", is challenging many parts of German society. Until March 2011, one-quarter of Germany's electricity was obtained from nuclear energy, which is now due to be phased out in 2022. Coal-fired power generation is expected to diminish, as wind and solar receive generous financial support. Whether Germany's efforts have been a success or...

Technology alone can't magically solve all our challenges. It is highly intertwined with user practices, other technologies, business models, value chains, regulations and structures in organizations, institutions, and policy. Therefore, while radical innovation and its diffusion is necessary, socio-technical systems always undergo long term incremental changes. In light of this, understanding the...

In late 2021, US President, Joe Biden signed a 1.2 trillion infrastructure bill in law, a key part of his agenda for the US' future economy, but also climate change mitigation. At that same time, NTNU adjunct professor Steven Gabriel from the University of Maryland paid us a visit. So naturally, I sat down to chat with him about this bill and what it could mean for the American Energy Transition....

Norway is Unique: It has abundant natural energy resources and a relatively small population. It’s electricity runs mainly on carbon free hydro energy, and it is one of the wealthiest countries on the planet. But most of its wealth comes from exporting fossil fuels such as natural gas and oil. While the Norwegian government aims to accelerate the low carbon energy transition, social resistance ris...

In this episode, I talk to Prof. Christina Voigt. Christina is a Professor at the University of Oslo and has been a member of the climate negotiation delegation of Norway for years.  The climate negotiation process occurring through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) is the primary forum for international cooperation on stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse...

There is no doubt. Climate change is happening. And yes, the vast majority of researchers agree that it is us who cause it. But there is hope. We can fix this. In this episode, I talk to Kimberly Nicholas, who is a climate scientist and professor at Lund University in Sweden. Kimberly was born and raised in California, in a place surrounded by grapes and wine. She has a PhD from Stanford Universit...

The NTNU Energy Transition Podcast aims to function as a knowledge hub that empowers individuals and organizations in Europe and beyond to tackle climate change and move our global society toward carbon neutrality. New episodes every Thursday. Join us in our Discord Channel , or find us Twitter, LinkedIN or our webpage. If email is your thing, than shoot us an email to energytransition@ntnu.no . T...