Best Latitude News Podcasts (2024)

1
Going deep on next-gen geothermal 37:30

22h ago37:30

37:30

Investment is on the rise in geothermal, where advances in drilling techniques are driving down the cost of generation right as the grid needs more clean, firm, dispatchable power to meet rising load growth. And enhanced-geothermal startup Fervo is leading the pack of entrants, signing agreements to provide power to Southern California Edison and G…

1
Avoiding mistakes from the first smart meters 25:10

3d ago25:10

25:10

When millions of smart meters rolled out across the country at the turn of the last decade, many people hoped it would create the backbone of a digital grid. Today, you’ll find few who think meters lived up to expectations. One survey found only 3% of advanced meters supported by the 2009 stimulus bill brought customer savings. Mike Phillips, the C…

1
Republican Garret Graves’ data-driven approach to the climate crisis 44:32

7d ago44:32

44:32

Among Republicans in Congress, few, if any, have wielded as much influence on climate and clean energy as Louisiana Representative Garret Graves. In the past few years, Graves served as the ranking member on the House Select Committee on Climate and ran the Republican Task Force on Energy, Climate, and Conservation. He also played a central role in…

1
Demystifying the Chinese EV market 37:52

8d ago37:52

37:52

New electric vehicles — including both battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles — make up nearly half of new car sales in China. Compared to slowing EV sales in Europe and the U.S. the Chinese market is booming. So what’s going on? In this episode, Shayle talks to TP Huang, who writes a Substack about EVs, clean energy, and other tech focused o…

1
Why ditching aluminum is key to securing the US solar supply chain 44:06

15d ago44:06

44:06

Solar is the fastest growing electricity-generating technology in history. That rapid scaling was a result of squeezing cost reductions out of every step of production. But there's one critical piece that hasn't changed much: frames. Aluminum frames now make up one-quarter of the cost of a PV module. And that metal mostly comes from China, a countr…

1
Under the hood of data center power demand 43:54

15d ago43:54

43:54

Driven by the AI boom, data centers’ energy demand could account for 9% of U.S. power generation by 2030, according to the Electric Power Research Institute. That's more than double current usage. So how do we meet that demand? And what impacts will it have on the grid and decarbonization? In this episode, Shayle talks to Brian Janous, former vice …

1
AI-fueled geothermal and ‘the edge of the possible’ 40:04

18d ago40:04

40:04

A lot of climate tech investors are still trying to figure out how to invest in artificial intelligence. Will it become a unique investment category? Or just a natural enhancement of what many startups are already building? There’s an emerging class of startups with AI at the center of their business. Citrine Informatics is using generative AI to s…

1
The politics of carbon removal heat up 40:42

20d ago40:42

40:42

In recent weeks, carbon management has found itself in the spotlight – for reasons both encouraging and concerning for its proponents. On May 28th, the DOE unveiled the semifinalists for a new funding competition for carbon removal and storage companies, as well as a plan to buy over $30 million in carbon credits from the eventual winners. The same…

1
Drew Baglino on Tesla’s Master Plan 1:02:40

22d ago1:02:40

1:02:40

Tesla’s Master Plan Part 3 lays out the company’s model for a decarbonized economy — and makes the case for why it's economically viable. It outlines a vision for extensive electrification and a reliance on wind and solar power. In this episode, Shayle talks to one of the executives behind the plan, Drew Baglino, who was senior vice president for p…

1
A macro view on the state of climate tech 32:00

26d ago32:00

32:00

We need to invest many trillions of dollars every year to build a climate-positive economy. We know what those technologies are – but they're all at very different levels of readiness. So what would it take to scale critical climate technologies? That was the simple-but-complicated question recently posed by a group of energy, industry, and high-te…

1
Heavy duty decarbonization 39:40

30d ago39:40

39:40

Batteries are making their way into more passenger cars and commercial vehicles than ever before, but the limits of electrification mean that we’ll likely need alternative fuels to decarbonize heavy transport like ships, planes, and trucks. So what are those fuels and what modes of transport do they suit best? In this episode, Shayle talks to his c…

1
With Great Power: Why dynamic rates are gaining momentum 24:21

1M ago24:21

24:21

This week, we’re featuring a crossover episode of With Great Power, a show produced by Latitude Studios in partnership with GridX. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. Ahmad Faruqui has been researching electricity pricing since the mid 1970’s, when the cost of a kilowatt-hour was flat. But in the 80’s and 90’s, he started wor…

1
Biden’s Chinese EV and solar tariffs: Big boost or hot air? 37:39

1M ago37:39

37:39

On the heels of a climate and energy rules blitz, President Biden has announced a plan to quadruple existing tariffs on Chinese EVs – from 25 all the way up to 100 percent – and dramatically hike tariffs on Chinese solar cells, batteries, and critical minerals as well. While these numbers look huge on paper, loopholes and caveats in the policy will…

1
Could VPPs save rooftop solar? 41:50

1M ago41:50

41:50

The U.S. rooftop solar market has tanked. Residential applications in California, the largest market in the country, plunged 82% from May through November 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Contractors are going bankrupt. The big culprits are high interest rates and California’s subsidy cuts. But there are some bright spots. Battery attachme…

1
Energy is now the ‘primary bottleneck’ for AI 56:22

1M ago56:22

56:22

Data centers are an impressive energy success story. Over the last 25 years, internet traffic has climbed more than 500x while data center electricity use has remained flat. The servers and energy infrastructure have gotten wildly more efficient, and the biggest tech companies have focused on powering those warehouse-scale computers with renewables…

1
Hook, Line, And Accelerators: Startup Success With David Lord, From Guidesly 19:34

1M ago19:34

19:34

In this episode of the Latitude Podcast, we're joined by David Lord and Taylor Lord from Guidesly, who are part of our new Y9 cohort. From their roots in the industry to their integration into the Buffalo community, David and Taylor share valuable insights and exciting plans for the future. Tune in to learn how Guidesly is changing the game for out…

1
Understanding SAF buyers 29:08

1M ago29:08

29:08

Airlines are lining up to buy as much sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as they can, despite it costing two to three times more than conventional jet fuel, according to BloombergNEF. United Airlines has secured 2.9 billion gallons of SAF over, and others like Delta, Air France-KLM, and Southwest have secured around 1 billion gallons each. And yet to …

1
Tesla’s extremely hardcore pivot 33:35

1M ago33:35

33:35

The origin of Tesla was rooted in two goals: electrify transportation to drive down emissions that are warming the planet; and do it by driving down the cost of EVs to make them accessible to the masses. Is Musk now walking away from both? “He's decided I'm not a car company. I’m an AI and robotics company. It's astonishing what's happening with Te…

1
Biden’s permitting plan: silver bullet or more red tape? 37:50

2M ago37:50

37:50

With six months to go until the election, President Biden has unveiled a far-reaching rules package that tackles everything from power plant emissions and air toxins, to boosting the EV industry and upgrading transmission lines. Despite their promise, many of these rules will face long rollouts and fierce legal challenges. On this episode of Politi…

1
The news quiz episode! 46:23

2M ago46:23

46:23

This week, we have something a little different: a news quiz. We recently took the stage with four investors at the Prelude Climate Summit — armed with a bell, a buzzer, and four different categories of questions. We tested two teams of venture investors on their knowledge of the most recent industry news. Shayle Kann and Cassie Bowe, partners at v…

1
The news quiz episode! 46:14

2M ago46:14

46:14

This week, we have something a little different: a news quiz. We recently took the stage with four investors at the Prelude Climate Summit — armed with a bell, a buzzer, and four different categories of questions. We tested two teams of venture investors on their knowledge of the most recent industry news. Shayle Kann and Cassie Bowe, partners at v…

1
CO2 utilization 46:53

2M ago46:53

46:53

The IPCC says that we likely need to capture hundreds of gigatons of CO2 if we want to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. So what are we going to do with all that carbon? In this episode, Shayle talks to Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct. Julio says we will store the vast majority of that CO2. But the markets for using CO2…

1
Political Climate: Is the IRA under political threat? 42:53

2M ago42:53

42:53

This week, we have a drop-in episode from our new podcast at Latitude Media: Political Climate. Since the Inflation Reduction Act became law in August 2022, we’ve asked ourselves a big question: could the government and the private sector actually get this sprawling set of climate programs up and running? So far, many would answer “yes.” The IRA ha…

1
Taking stock of IRA wins and political threats 40:38

2M ago40:38

40:38

Since the Inflation Reduction Act became law in August 2022, we’ve asked ourselves a big question: could the government and the private sector actually get this sprawling set of climate programs up and running? So far, many would answer “yes.” The IRA has already created over 170,000 jobs and supported $110 billion in new clean energy manufacturing…

1
Building a supply chain for rare earth elements 39:21

2M ago39:21

39:21

Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential ingredients in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and many electronics. As with most critical minerals, China controls the vast majority of the REE supply chain. And so when it banned the export of REE processing technology last December, it raised concerns about supply. So what will it take to secure the sup…

1
How an obscure, 100-year old law is disrupting U.S. energy 40:36

2M ago40:36

40:36

A little-known U.S. law called the Jones Act shapes climate tech in weird ways — like hindering offshore wind deployment and pushing up energy prices. The law, part of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, requires all cargo shipped between U.S. ports to be carried by ships that meet strict standards. Those ships must be built in American shipyards, own…

1
An influx of EVs. Surging peaks. Can AI help? 41:00

2M ago41:00

41:00

AI is suddenly in use everywhere – and it’s headed for the power sector. New research from Latitude Intelligence and Indigo Advisory Group shows a coming wave of AI integration, inside and outside of utilities. Distributed energy companies are increasingly integrating AI into their products, and many power companies are building teams to take advan…

1
Political Climate is back! 4:38

3M ago4:38

4:38

After a hiatus, Political Climate is back with more news, analysis, and bipartisan hot takes on the policy and politics shaping climate solutions — in what is sure to be a defining year. Julia Pyper is joined by Emily Domenech and Brandon Hurlbut to riff on top political stories and insider scoops – from state houses, to the halls of Congress to re…

1
Australian outages show the value of solar and batteries 11:41

3M ago11:41

11:41

In Australia, one in three homes hosts a rooftop solar system. And 20% of those systems are attached to batteries. In February, a major grid outage put those systems to the test. Extreme weather caused a series of grid failures in the state of Victoria. And with coal plants tripping offline, solar capacity helped keep the blackouts from cascading f…

1
The Big Switch: Are Batteries the New Oil? 46:12

3M ago46:12

46:12

This week we’re bringing you a deep dive into battery supply chains — the season premier of The Big Switch, a show that Latitude Media makes in partnership with Columbia University’s SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy. Across this five-episode documentary series, hosted by the acclaimed energy scholar Dr. Melissa Lott, we examine every step of the…

1
The rise of heat batteries 41:38

3M ago41:38

41:38

John O’Donnell co-founded and ran two solar thermal companies. He watched as the technology shifted from being the most promising utility-scale solar technology, to getting out-competed by photovoltaics everywhere. But he stayed passionate about heat. Today, he’s CEO of Rondo Energy, which makes a “heat battery” for industrial applications using br…

1
The world of battery recycling 36:45

3M ago36:45

36:45

The lithium-ion battery business is taking off, and the battery recycling business is close behind. Financiers are pouring over a billion dollars into recycling companies like Redwood Materials, Ascend Elements, and Li-Cycle. But success depends on a steady supply of used batteries, and with batteries lasting longer than expected — and the battery …

1
Inside Apple’s failed car program 32:13

3M ago32:13

32:13

Mark Gurman has been covering Apple since 2009. His reporting career is full of scoops about new products or strategic decisions from inside the company. His latest scoop in February: Apple is finally shutting down its efforts to build an autonomous electric car. Apple first started exploring an electric car in 2014. At that point, cars had already…

1
The electricity gauntlet has arrived 47:47

3M ago47:47

47:47

The electricity gauntlet we covered last year has been having a moment in the national spotlight, with coverage of rising load growth in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. On one side of the gauntlet, demand for electricity is rising, driven by new loads like EVs, data centers, and electrification. On the other si…

1
Charging Ahead: Jane Chen's Electrical Revolution with StepWise 29:11

3M ago29:11

29:11

Join us on the Latitude podcast as we dive into the journey of Jane Chen and her visionary co-founders of StepWise. Explore how StepWise is breaking down barriers in the energy sector and addressing critical bottlenecks. Learn about Jane's experience at 43North Finals, and her unexpected journey to national TV, and discover why their team chose Buf…

1
Can NVIDIA become an AI power broker on the grid? 15:31

3M ago15:31

15:31

There are two critical ingredients fueling the AI boom: energy and chips. And NVIDIA, one of the most important companies in AI, is looking to be a power player in both. NVIDIA was founded in the early 1990s as a chip maker for gaming. It has since evolved into a $2 trillion behemoth building the most sought-after graphics processing units for trai…

1
The Latitude: Could government rules hinder green hydrogen? 23:00

3M ago23:00

23:00

The US green hydrogen industry is at a critical juncture. After months of input and debate, the government put out draft rules for tax credits at the end of last year – setting strict requirements for matching new, local renewables to hydrogen production. It was hailed by many as a really important step for ensuring that green hydrogen actually liv…

1
Will government rules hinder green hydrogen? 18:25

3M ago18:25

18:25

The US green hydrogen industry is at a critical juncture. After months of input and debate, the government put out draft rules for tax credits at the end of last year – setting firm requirements for matching new, local renewables to hydrogen production. It was seen by many as a big step for ensuring that green hydrogen is actually green. But across…

1
Digging into the SEC climate disclosure rules 32:01

3M ago32:01

32:01

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved new rules this month on what information companies must disclose about their greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, but notably dropped more stringent requirements that the commission initially proposed. Despite being halted by lawsuits, the rules are a significant win for climate transparen…

1
The achilles heel of AI in the power system: data 27:57

4M ago27:57

27:57

There are many forces that could hold back AI in the power system: computing infrastructure, power availability, regulation, and corporate inertia. The biggest one? Good data. Utilities and grid operators are awash in data. But getting access to it – or making sense of it – is very difficult. For a better understanding of how to change that, we tur…

1
Climate tech’s tough year in the public markets 40:59

4M ago40:59

40:59

Two major indicators of climate tech stocks – the S&P Clean Energy Index and the MAC Global Solar Index – are significantly trailing the overall market. They’ve been declining for months, down from their mid-pandemic highs when they performed far better than the rest of the economy. So what happened to climate tech investments in the public markets…

1
Leaning into Your Strengths for Entrepreneurial Success 21:11

4M ago21:11

21:11

Discover the keys to entrepreneurial success as Helen Min, Managing Partner at Phenomenal Ventures, shares insights on playing to your strengths in the startup world. Helen, a Buffalo native with a background in major tech companies and advertising, discusses the evolving role of AI, the power of complementary strengths in founding teams, and the c…

1
The urgent need to simplify clean energy finance [partner content] 15:27

4M ago15:27

15:27

Early in her career, Amanda Li worked on many deals in solar and storage as part of a billion-dollar sustainable infrastructure fund. And she discovered a problem that often hinders deployment: the underwriting process is cumbersome and slow. “All of it was in spreadsheets, word documents, emails. When you look at a solar deal, there's a lot of doc…

1
The early days of AI on the grid 37:49

4M ago37:49

37:49

The first wave of digital grid infrastructure in the U.S. didn’t quite deliver on its promises. More than 100 million smart meters have rolled out across the country, buoyed initially by billions in federal funding. But instead of using them for exciting things like time-of-use pricing and automated demand response, utilities used them for more mun…

1
New demand is straining the grid. Here’s how to tackle it. 29:59

4M ago29:59

29:59

When Brian Janous took charge of Microsoft’s clean energy strategy in 2011, the company’s data center demand was modest. He was measuring new demand in the tens of megawatts. Over the years, that grew to hundreds of megawatts of new demand as hyperscale computing expanded. And then everything changed in the spring of 2023, with the public launch of…

1
The right way to recycle batteries [partner content] 21:59

4M ago21:59

21:59

In the early 2000s, Steve Cotton ran a company serving the fast-growing data center industry with backup battery systems. And when those systems reached the end of their lives, the company monetized kilotons of lead-acid batteries by sending them to recycling facilities – industrial plants that break down and burn the components. “It's very dangero…

1
The challenges of building a carbon removal portfolio 43:43

4M ago43:43

43:43

The carbon removal market could reach $400 billion to $1.6 trillion by 2050, according to McKinsey. But it’s got a long way to go. Right now the market is wild, unexplored territory filled with unproven technologies, murky cost curves, and a motley mix of price points and standards. The hope is that one day it becomes a standardized commodity marke…

1
Data center experts on AI energy demand 9:13

4M ago9:13

9:13

Data center energy use is spiking around the world. The International Energy Agency says that demand could double in the next two years, as artificial intelligence workloads soar. This increase in demand is alarming environmentalists and clean power advocates, who say AI is making decarbonization harder. But many experts in the data center industry…

1
How Tech Can Save You Money with StoreCash 20:49

4M ago20:49

20:49

Join us in this episode of Latitude with 43North as Justine Palkowski, Senior Marketing Manager, welcomes Daricus Releford, Co-founder and CEO of StoreCash, a Y9 43North company. Discover how StoreCash's app helps you save 7-15% at your favorite stores, the unique QR code payment system, and how it differs from other cashback platforms. Explore the…

1
A US city tries a novel approach to microgrids 8:59

4M ago8:59

8:59

As cities around the U.S. ramp up their renewable energy goals, they’re sometimes at odds with the utilities that serve them. Some have tried to break away and form their own utilities. Others are creating community choice aggregators to negotiate clean power supply for residents. The city of Ann Arbor is trying something different – building micro…

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