Conversations from the Gulf Coast Power Association conference. This bonus episode of the Energy Gang was recorded live during the spring meeting of the Gulf Coast Power Association in Houston, Texas. Host Ed Crooks is joined by Beth Garza, President of the Gulf Coast Power Association, Frank O'Sullivan, Managing Director for Clean Energy at S2G Ve…

As half the world heads to the polls, how important will the results be for efforts to cut emissions? Over half the world lives in a country that will be holding an election this year. The votes come at a time when resistance to the energy transition is building in many parts of the world, as concerns around energy security grow and some of the cha…

Big power users are getting together to accelerate the development of advanced clean energy technologies. The hottest topic in energy right now is the expected surge in demand for electricity. Data centers for AI, new factories, and electric vehicles are driving power consumption higher in the US, after about 15 years of stagnation. Solar and wind …

AI isn’t just threatening to take our jobs, it’s also draining our electricity. Data centres centers used to have power demand measured in the tens of megawatts. Now they are in the hundreds of megawatts, and the new ones that are being proposed have demand in the thousands of megawatts: gigawatts. At the Distributech conference in Feburary, Harry …

This bonus episode of Wood Mackenzie’s The Energy Gang is our third from the Distributech conference in Orlando. Distributech is the leading event for the electricity transmission and distribution industry in North America. It gave our host Ed Crooks a fantastic opportunity to talk to many of the leading figures from the industry, including those w…

On this episode of Wood Mackenzie's The Energy Gang: what the history of innovation in solar power and batteries can teach us about the right ways to support clean energy breakthroughs. As the world moves towards a more sustainable energy future, government support is essential for research to develop new technologies, and for investment to deploy …

When most people drive electric cars, what does that mean for the grid? This bonus episode of Wood Mackenzie’s The Energy Gang is our second from the Distributech conference in Orlando. Distributech is the leading event for the electricity transmission and distribution industry in North America. It gave our host Ed Crooks a fantastic opportunity to…

What AI means for the energy transition in the electricity industry Welcome to a special episode of Wood Mackenzie's The Energy Gang, recorded at the Distributech 2024 conference in Orlando. Distributech is the leading event in North America for the electricity transmission and distribution industry. It provides a fantastic opportunity to talk to t…

There are no two ways around it: 2023 was a difficult year for low-carbon energy investment, and 2024 has so far carried on in very much the same vein. Rising interest rates, fears around future energy policy, cost inflation in some sectors, and perhaps a correction to some earlier over-exuberance, have meant that shares in clean energy companies h…

The US is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), super-cooled to about -160 °C (or -260 °F) so it can be shipped in tankers. An investment boom means export capacity will soar over the next few years. But last month the Biden administration signaled it was putting the brakes on future growth, announcing a “pause” in new approv…

The World Economic Forum held its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last week, bringing together leaders from business, finance, politics, academia and culture. Regular Energy Gang guest Dr Melissa Lott was there, talking about one of the meeting’s central themes: long-term strategies for the climate, nature and energy. On this week’s show, she…

Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Myers-Jaffe and Dr Melissa Lott to look ahead to 2024. They explore the people, places, and technologies that could have a big influence on energy this year. Amy kicks things off with a look ahead to the US elections in November. The results of that vote will have big impact on policy in the US, and there are several othe…

Further conversations from this year’s summit. COP28 was the largest climate talks to date, with global industry leaders, governments, analysts, journalists and climate activists converging on Dubai for the summit. The Energy Gang's schedule was packed, and host Ed Crooks was joined by many interesting and influential people from the world of energ…

As 2023 comes to a close, the Energy Gang reflects on the events and trends of 2023 that provided grounds for optimism about the transition to a lower-carbon world. On this week’s show, Ed Crooks is joined by Melissa Lott and Amy Myers-Jaffe as they share their reasons to be cheerful this holiday season. Ed chooses the precipitous drop in the cost …

The gang assess the outcome of the climate talks in Dubai. This year’s COP went to overtime, as countries argued over the wording of the concluding statement. They had to carry on the negotiations all through the night to do it, but finally they emerged with what was described as a “historic” agreement. For the first time, the need to accelerate th…

Nuclear energy has been in the headlines more in Dubai, than at any previous COP. Nuclear power has had more prominence at this year’s climate talks than at any previous COP. In fact, some people have even been calling it “the nuclear COP”. That’s partly because the hosts, the United Arab Emirates, have been a pioneer of nuclear power in the Gulf r…

On day 9 of the climate talks, what do the experts think? As Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCC, said today, it’s go-time for governments at COP28 this week. To examine the latest stories Ed Crooks has assembled a panel of energy experts: regular Energy Gang guest Melissa Lott, who is Director of Columbia University’s Center on Global E…

An interview with Kristen Siemen from General Motors On this bonus episode recorded live from COP28, Ed Crooks meets Kristen Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer at General Motors. She sits down with Ed to discuss the current state of the EV market, GM’s plans for the industry and the key takeaways from the conversations at the summit. Subscribe to…

What are the barriers to cheap green hydrogen? As COP28 debates the future of fossil fuels, many people think low-carbon hydrogen could replace them for some uses. But, hydrogen has plenty of problems of its own: water use, public resistance to building infrastructure and above all, its cost. Ed Crooks talks to three leaders from politics and busin…

At the halfway point of COP28 the focus is still on fossil fuel abatement. Ed Crooks is joined by Dr Melissa Lott, Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and Professor at the Climate School, and Michael Webber, the McKetta Centennial Energy Chair at the University of Texas. Together they examine the biggest the…

At the halfway point of this year’s climate negotiations at COP28, the focus is still on the proposal that the world’s governments should commit to phasing out fossil fuels. Discussion on the best way forward is still going on; fossil fuels are responsible for the majority of human-induced climate change, and so the world has to stop using them. Bu…

The insight and debate from the Climate Co-Lab event at COP28 In 2009, developed countries jointly pledged to mobilise $100bn per annum to support climate action in developing countries. This target has never been met and the pledge will expire in 2025. It is estimated that approximately $5 trillion is required annually, just to avoid the worst imp…

Part one of our coverage live from the conference Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Harder & Bill Spindle from Cipher, the publication supported by Breakthrough Energy – the clean energy network founded by Bill Gates. Amy and Bill have been in Dubai since the start of the conference, and they analyze the big stories to come out of the first few days. The …

COP28, this year’s Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, started in Dubai on Thursday November 30. The Energy Gang will be there, bringing you all the latest news from the negotiations and explaining what it all means. As the climate talks get under way, Ed Crooks sits down in New York with Energy Gang regulars…

Thanksgiving is a special time in America when families across the country get together and argue. In honor of that tradition, host Ed Crooks and regular Amy Myers-Jaffe are joined by Danny and Toby Rice, two brothers who have both had very successful careers in energy but have gone in somewhat different directions. Toby Rice is president and chief…

The International Energy Agency last week published its World Energy Outlook, which is its big annual review of everything that is going on in the world of energy. One of the headlines that has been attracting a lot of attention is the forecast that, on current trends, demand for all three fossil fuels – that is, oil, gas and goal – will peak befor…

This week marks 50 years, almost to the day, since the 1973 OPEC oil embargo on the US, which led to global oil prices soaring. Oil’s potential role as a political weapon was thrown into sharp relief, and the world woke up to a new awareness of the vital importance of energy security. On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks hosts Robbie Orvis and A…

The International Energy Agency last month held its first ever summit to discuss Critical Minerals and Clean Energy. It was attended by more than 50 countries, which came together to discuss ways to secure the critical minerals that are needed to make the transition to low-carbon energy. Whether it’s copper wiring in electricity systems, steel in a…

Host Ed Crooks brings you the second of two special episodes recorded live from Wood Mackenzie’s Hydrogen Conference. In the rapidly changing energy landscape, hydrogen has become a hot topic. For some, it represents a beacon of potential for meeting global net-zero ambitions. For others, it is a costly and ineffective blind alley. As the clean ene…

Host Ed Crooks brings you the first of two special episodes recorded live from Wood Mackenzie’s Hydrogen Conference Industry leaders and energy analysts gathered recently for the second annual Wood Mackenzie Hydrogen Conference, where they debated the potential of hydrogen in the global energy mix. Join host Ed Crooks in the first of two special ep…

What’s Next for US Energy Policy? As part of Climate Week in New York, The Energy Gang recorded a special edition in partnership with New York University: an expert panel discussing the future direction of US climate policy and its implications for the energy transition. Amy Myers Jaffe, a regular contributor to The Energy Gang and director of the …

Direct air capture and carbon sequestration – is it viable, and scalable? The U.S. Department of Energy announced in late August that it would be investing $1.2 billion in two direct air capture or DAC facilities. Direct air capture technology, which uses either chemical media (such as a liquid solvent or solid sorbents) or physical processes invol…

It’s a little over a year since the US Inflation Reduction Act was passed into law. Solar was one of the main beneficiaries, thanks to an extension and expansion of the tax credits available to the industry. So why has the sector fallen out of favour with investors recently? August was a difficult month for the markets in general, but companies inc…

Answering a question I received this week of "how did we get to where we are today?" I seek to answer it with a reading from Genesis 126-31; Genesis 2:15-3:19;Ephesians 2:1-2:10; Matthew 28:18b-20. Thank you for joining us, Pastor Mark Support the showBy Mark Jicinsky

On the last Energy Gang we looked at the impact of record temperatures on the energy sector. This week, we discuss another impact of climate change: its effect on human psychology. We discuss how the way we talk about global warming affects how we respond to it. A recent study in the journal Global Environmental Change argued that scientists and me…

In this episode, we consider a few thoughts on Psalm 128, Psalm 148, and how we are made to Glorify God and flourish in community with other "real" people. Will AI disrupt this? And what is up with the amazing and crazy software from LOGOS? All things I consider this morning. Thanks for joining me. I. Logos Bible Software: https://www.logos.com/ Su…

New challenges for our power supplies in a warming world. Global temperatures have been breaking records this summer. On some estimates, the earth is the hottest that it has been for about 125,000 years. In Phoenix, Arizona, temperatures have consistently reached over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and people are being hospitalized with severe burns after…

Links 1. CRC Synod Update: https://www.thebanner.org/department/synod-2023 2. Aquilla Report/CRC Syndon Update: https://theaquilareport.com/summary-report-of-the-christian-reformed-church-synod-2023/ 3. Sticky Teams: https://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Teams-Keeping-Leadership-Staff/dp/0310324645 4. Judah and the Lion Music: https://www.judahandthelion.c…

Bidenomics’ is the new buzzword that the US administration is using to brand its industrial strategy. What does it mean for energy in the US, and around the world? Last week, President Joe Biden spoke in South Carolina about his economic vision: a strategy that he is calling “Bidenomics”, with the energy transition is right at the heart of it. By “…

This Sunday we will be ordaining and installing our new Elders and Deacons. In this episode I take a few minutes to read through our liturgy that we will be using for the service. The liturgies can be found here: https://www.crcna.org/resources/church-resources/liturgical-forms/ordination-installation Support the show…

Having preached almost all the way through 1 Samuel, I thought I would pause and speak to chapter 27 a bit. You can find our sermon series, through this book and others, on our Crossroads Fellowship CRC Facebook page. We should soon have our web page updated to index our sermons a bit better. Thank you for joining today. Support the show…

This year’s climate talks have already drawn widespread criticism. Can they make progress? COP28, this year’s Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is still five months away, but the discussion around it is already intense. The conference is being held in Dubai, a choice that has drawn criticism bec…

Reading through some old article I wrote for our church. This one was written last spring and has to do with seasons of rain and sun and God's soverngty over our life. I hope you are encouraged by it. -Pator Mark Jicinsky Support the showBy Mark Jicinsky

Going through some old articles I wrote for our church. I hope you find encouragement this day in these words. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments you might have. -Pastor Mark Support the showBy Mark Jicinsky

Reading through some of my old articles written for our church in the past months. I hope you find encouragement today in this podcast. -Pastor Mark Support the showBy Mark Jicinsky

The north-eastern US has taken on a post-apocalyptic appearance recently, blanketed by smoke from wildfires in Canada. Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Melissa Lott, Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, are both based in New York and saw first-hand the extent of the fires that have been burning in Quebec. In…

More money will be invested this year in the solar industry than in oil production. So said Faith Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, last week. Amy Harder, executive editor of Cipher, attended the Cleanpower 2023 event in New Orleans and experienced at first-hand what it means for the Big Green energy industry to be rival…

The excitement around ChatGPT and other large language models has put AI firmly in the spotlight in recent months. Public perception is that we’re entering a new age of AI; it is a brand-new technology that promises to change our lives. In the world of energy, though, AI is not a new concept. GE was developing its AI capabilities more than a decade…

On the Energy Gang this week, Ed Crooks is joined by Dr. Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Amy Duffuor, who is a General Partner at Azolla Ventures, a climate-focused investment firm. In this week’s episode, the gang start of by discussing the recent outcry over the possible imp…

It’s a special edition of the Energy Gang this week. New York University’s 2040 Now event is an initiative focused on addressing the challenges posed by climate change, and this week the Energy Gang joined in. As part of the week of exercises, talks, exhibitions and discussions, regular Energy Gang member Amy Myers-Jaffe led a workshop on building …