The Clean Energy Revolution

Overhead power lines transmit the vital electricity that our homes and businesses, schools and hospitals need. They’re exposed to all the elements - storms, winds, hail and snow - so someone needs to make sure they can withstand whatever is thrown at them. Thankfully there’s a team of people who do this 24/7 – lineworkers.  The UK’s transmission network has 7000km of overhead lines - lay the cable...

There’s an ongoing struggle for balance between the usefulness of AI and its energy demands. Generative AI and large language models are highly energy-intensive, with ChatGPT consuming up to 10 times more electricity than a standard Google search, and the energy consumption of data centres projected to double by 2026. But at the same time, AI has the potential to significantly improve energy effic...

In this special edition of The Clean Energy Revolution, we bring you highlights from a panel discussion, ‘Women Leading the Energy Transition’, hosted at New York University during Climate Week. The discussion is moderated by Sandy Grace, Vice President of US Policy and Regulatory Strategy for National Grid, who sits down to talk with women working in various roles addressing the clean energy tran...

It’s an exciting time for geothermal energy. The US Department of Energy predicts geothermal power generation capacity to grow by 26 times by 2050, potentially providing almost 10% of the US’ total power needs. To talk about the policy and technology that’s needed to achieve this goal is Kevin Jones, enhanced geothermal program manager at the DOE. He speaks to Carolyn Kissane about pilot projects...

The role of technology in the energy transition has been talked about for years. In a speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate in 2021, International Energy Agency Director Fatih Birol said: “IEA analysis shows that about half the reductions to get to net zero emissions in 2050 will need to come from technologies that are not yet ready for market. This calls for massive leaps in innovation. Innovat...

The transition to clean energy is the biggest challenge of our generation, and its unprecedented nature means that totally new ways of thinking and innovative solutions are required for it to be delivered successfully.   This means the industry must continue to innovate, to drive this change at the speed and scale needed. Investment in new technology, the forging of new partnerships and the creati...

Connecting more clean energy projects to the electricity grid is one of the most critical issues in driving the clean energy transition. Legacy ‘first come first served’ approaches, along with a rapid growth in the number of projects looking to connect, have led to stalled, or "zombie" projects waiting in the queue to be connected - so what’s being done to resolve this?   Across the world, it's es...

In 1990, in an episode of The Simpsons, the family are sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner. Homer gives thanks to nuclear power: ‘the cleanest, safest energy source there is’. He then adds, ‘except for solar - which is just a pipe dream.’ Despite the irony in the statement, over 30 years later it’s safe to say solar is very much not just a pipe dream. In the US alone, solar capacity has increased...

The Global Wind Energy Council forecasts that, with sustained policy support and investment, global wind capacity could reach 2,000 GW by 2030. This would be a significant contribution to net zero goals, so what does this sustained policy support look like? Where does the investment need to go, and where are we seeing innovation in the sector?   On The Clean Energy Revolution, Carolyn and Laura ex...

This year will see a significant milestone: renewable sources are poised to constitute over a third of global electricity generation, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).  With the ambitious pledge set out at COP28 - to triple renewable capacity by 2030 - still high on the agenda of global energy policy, much focus is on the capability of electricity grids to deliver on increased de...

It's going to be a significant year for clean energy. In 2024, countries are expected to update or submit new nationally determined contributions - their commitments to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The International Energy Agency has highlighted the need for significant increases in renewable energy deployment to meet these climate goals, projecting that renewable p...

Welcome to a new season of The Clean Energy Revolution. Dr Carolyn Kissane and Laura Young explore the people, policy and projects that are having the biggest impact on tackling climate change. How can infrastructure around the world be upgraded to keep up with energy demand? What needs to happen to triple global renewable energy generation? Where and how will AI be best deployed? Laura Young, aka...

The transition to cleaner, greener energy means that big changes are needed to the infrastructure that keeps it flowing to our homes and businesses. So how are these changes making a difference to the workforce of today - and of tomorrow? In this episode of The Clean Energy Revolution, Max finds out about: New York’s Community Offshore Wind project, which could create up to 10,000 new jobs in the...

The infrastructure that helps bring more clean, renewable energy to our homes and businesses is an essential part of the journey to net zero. But wouldn't it be great if the work that's being done to make this happen was also bringing positive changes for people, places and our natural environment? In this episode of The Clean Energy Revolution, Max finds out about: A project that's helping preser...

In this episode of The Clean Energy Revolution, Max La Manna discovers new ways that people and businesses can reduce their carbon emissions and the energy they use, and asks what this could mean for our homes and lifestyles – as well as for the planet.   In the studio, Max is joined by Tristram Stuart - a writer and expert on the environmental and social impacts of food – as well as self-titled ‘...

In this episode of The Clean Energy Revolution, Max La Manna discovers the ways that non-profit organisations in the UK and US are using clean and renewable energy solutions to help in their fight against fuel poverty. From building solar-powered tiny homes for the unhoused, to using energy efficient measures to help those in need, Max speaks to some amazing people who are doing great work for the...

It’s a new year, and Max La Manna is taking a look at the ways clean energy is heading in 2023 and beyond. We’ll hear predictions from experts across the energy landscape on what they think the next year - and the coming decades - will hold. Those predictions will be dissected and discussed by three energy leaders: Emma Pinchbeck - CEO of Energy UK, Dr. Shini Somara – mechanical engineer and broad...

A fossil-free energy future isn’t just essential to help us reach net zero carbon goals, it’s a vital opportunity for future economies too.  In The Clean Energy Revolution from National Grid, Max La Manna is on a mission to demystify our energy systems and help make sense of the science and engineering that underpins them. In this episode, Max talks with innovative minds from the Northeast and Wes...

In the Clean Energy Revolution from National Grid, Max La Manna explores our energy systems as we move towards a net zero world. In this episode, Max takes a look at the different ways our energy supplies are being kept secure and resilient–both now and into the future. With all the challenges in the world today–extreme weather, climate change, cyber threats, global politics - this is anything but...

In the Clean Energy Revolution from National Grid, Max La Manna is on a mission to demystify our energy systems and help make sense of the science and engineering that underpins our everyday lives. As we push forward towards a net zero world, countries face tough targets to decarbonise the way we fuel our lives and National Grid is there to help in the UK and Northeast United States. This time, Ma...

This time on the Clean Energy Revolution from National Grid, Max La Manna is finding out how we can learn from science and nature to come up with solutions for a cleaner, greener future. We’ve come a long way from the days of windmills and watermills, with our oceans becoming vast sources of wind power, and development along our coastlines allowing us to process and transport renewable energy arou...

In season 2 of The Clean Energy Revolution podcast from National Grid, Max La Manna takes a look at the role energy plays in tackling the negative effects of climate change, and discovers how our world will be powered in the next 30 years. This time Max is looking at transport; asking how travel is embracing clean, green and renewable energy. We all know that change is happening around us. So how...

In Season 2 of The Clean Energy Revolution podcast, Max La Manna takes a look at the role energy plays in tackling the negative effects of climate change. As countries around the world aim to reach net zero emissions, Max discovers how the world will be powered in the next 30 years as we work towards a future that doesn't contribute to global warming. Along the way we’ll meet inspiring people who...

In the final episode of the series, Helen Skelton hears from people who are working to make the clean energy future fair and representative for everyone. She chats with National Grid's Fleur Callender who shares the view from the United States and Alice Cross from the UK’s Sustainability First. Alice outlines how they’ve been working with activists, artists, policymakers and communities to underst...

In The Clean Energy Revolution from National Grid, Helen Skelton talks to brilliant individuals for inspiring ideas on how we can make sure the energy we use is clean and green. A huge part of transitioning our energy system is making sure that we stop emitting carbon dioxide and harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. But we also need to think about how we can remove it too. This time Helen...