The Energy Collective podcasts

Carbon capture and storage technology promises fossil fuels without the carbon dioxide. But can the fledgling technology deliver on this promise?On May 27th, I hosted an Energy Collective #EnergyChat webinar, sponsored by Shell, on precisely this topic. For a full hour, we chatted with a panel of experts on carbon capture and storage, or CCS technology, which could be a critical technology in the fight to avert climate change.Global greenhouse gas emissions will need to be cut in half by 2050 and fall to zero or even below that by 2100 in order to keep atmospheric concentrations of these climate-warming gases below the equivalent of 450 ppm of CO2.That would give the world a roughly even chance of halting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, an internationally-agreed target intended to prevent the most dangerous effects of climate change.The ability to capture and permanently store CO2 emissions from fossil fueled power plants and industrial sources features prominently in virtually every published strategy consistent with this 2 degrees Celsius target.Yet carbon capture and storage is still a nascent technology. While the individual components — CO2 separation, compression, and deep well injection — are all well established in the oil and gas industry, only a handful full-scale CCS projects are in operation worldwide and the technology remains expensive.So can carbon capture and storage deliver on the promise of CO2-free fossil fuels?To get to the bottom of this critical question, we brought together three experts on CCS technology:Howard Herzog is a senior research engineer at the MIT Energy Initiative, where he was a Coordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage and a co-author of the MIT Energy Initiative’s Future of Coal report.Tim Wiwchar manages Shell Energy’s Quest carbon capture and storage project in Alberta Canada and brings an on-the-ground perspective on the challenges and opportunities of CCS to the discussion.Finally, John Thompson is Director of the Coal Transition Project at Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit organization that works to cut atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gases in the United States and China.Below we've posted a Storify compiling a few good resources on CCS and summarizing some of the key points discussed on Twitter during the webinar.Another special thanks to our sponsor Shell for making this conversation possible. [<a href="//storify.com/socialmedia2day/tec-energychat" target="_blank">View the story "#EnergyChat Webinar: Can Carbon Capture & Storage Deliver? May 27th 2015 " on Storify</a>]

The growing penetration of distributed energy resources, including distributed generation such as solar PV or fuel cells, electric vehicles, stationary batteries, and demand response, could remake electricity markets, power system operations, and utility business models alike.

The podcast for the exclusive #energychat webinar that occurred on January 26th.

The podcast for the exclusive #energychat webinar that occurred on January 26th.

A virtual discussion about the events, decisions and conversations from the 20th UNFCCC climate summit in Lima. Is the UNFCCC still a viable pathway to confront climate change? Can the Lima talks capture momentum from a recent US-China climate agreement and set the stage for international agreement in Paris in 2015? Are bilateral deals, like the US-China partnership, an alternative to the UNFCCC process or a critical step towards a global treaty? Panelists: - Rob Stowe, Executive Director, Harvard Environmental Economics Program -Matthew Stepp, Center for Clean Energy Innovation -Valerie Karplus, Assistant Professor of Global Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management - Jesse Jenkins, MIT PhD Student and Researcher / Energy Writer and Digital Strategy Consultant This webinar was brought to you by Shell.

A virtual discussion about the events, decisions and conversations from the 20th UNFCCC climate summit in Lima. Is the UNFCCC still a viable pathway to confront climate change? Can the Lima talks capture momentum from a recent US-China climate agreement and set the stage for international agreement in Paris in 2015? Are bilateral deals, like the US-China partnership, an alternative to the UNFCCC process or a critical step towards a global treaty? Panelists: - Rob Stowe, Executive Director, Harvard Environmental Economics Program -Matthew Stepp, Center for Clean Energy Innovation -Valerie Karplus, Assistant Professor of Global Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management - Jesse Jenkins, MIT PhD Student and Researcher / Energy Writer and Digital Strategy Consultant This webinar was brought to you by Shell.

Derechos, superstorms, human error and deliberate cyber attacks can disable vast swaths of our electrical grid and expose communities to crippling economic and social impacts. We have a number of technologies and business models that can help address grid weaknesses, but are our federal and state policies prepared to help or hinder these innovations? This webinar will cover the regulatory ecosystem and point out gaps, challenges, and opportunities for innovations in achieving the objectives of making the grid reliable AND resilient.

Derechos, superstorms, human error and deliberate cyber attacks can disable vast swaths of our electrical grid and expose communities to crippling economic and social impacts. We have a number of technologies and business models that can help address grid weaknesses, but are our federal and state policies prepared to help or hinder these innovations? This webinar will cover the regulatory ecosystem and point out gaps, challenges, and opportunities for innovations in achieving the objectives of making the grid reliable AND resilient.

The International Energy Agency now projects that North America will be energy self-sufficient by 2020, with the U.S. becoming the world's largest producer of both natural gas and oil. . In 2000, shale gas accounted for only 1% of all US natural gas production. Today, it accounts for almost a quarter, and by 2035, it will be over half. The resulting low cost of natural gas has turned the US into an energy-exporting nation, has transformed states like North Dakota into boom areas and is in the process of driving coal out of business. The geopolitical, economic, and environmental ramifications of this new development are just coming into view.Countries across the globe are now looking to the United States to see if they should develop their shale gas resources. Cheaper natural gas is shifting the geopolitical power balance between the EU and Russia. China’s shale reserves are supposedly larger than those in the US, with Argentina not far behind. Countries like Mexico, South Africa and Australia could also benefit. But will the myriad risks, from increased carbon emissions to water contamination and potential earthquakes, outweigh the benefits?With the political, social and economic fallout still up in the air, The Energy Collective hosted a webcast focused on exploring what this means. Among other issues, we discussed:What are the policy roadblocks in different countries to more hydraulic fracturing? Can the opposition of environmental groups be overcome?What are the geopolitical considerations? How is OPEC reacting to this development?What does the changing landscape of fossil energy production in the U.S. portend for energy policy globally?Jane Nakano is an Energy & National Security Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Her research interests include energy security and climate change in Asia, nuclear energy, shale gas, rare earth metals, and energy and technology. Prior to joining CSIS in 2010, she was with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and served as the lead staff on U.S. energy engagements with China and Japan.Geoffrey Styles is Managing Director of GSW Strategy Group, LLC, an energy and environmental strategy consulting firm. His industry experience includes 22 years at Texaco Inc., culminating in a senior position on Texaco's leadership team for strategy development, focused on the global refining, marketing, transportation and alternative energy businesses, and global issues such as climate change. He has been quoted frequently by the Wall Street Journal and was named one of the "Top 50 Eco Blogs" by the Times of London in 2008.Mark Caine is a Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. There, he coordinates energy and climate programmes for the Mackinder Programme for the Study of Long Wave Events, a research centre dedicated to political economy, geopolitics, long-wave trends, and scenario-based thinking.Jesse Jenkins, Moderator Jesse is an MIT Energy Initiative Energy Fellow and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Jesse worked previously as the Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Breakthrough Institute. He has delivered invited testimony on clean energy innovation policy before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The International Energy Agency now projects that North America will be energy self-sufficient by 2020, with the U.S. becoming the world's largest producer of both natural gas and oil. . In 2000, shale gas accounted for only 1% of all US natural gas production. Today, it accounts for almost a quarter, and by 2035, it will be over half. The resulting low cost of natural gas has turned the US into an energy-exporting nation, has transformed states like North Dakota into boom areas and is in the process of driving coal out of business. The geopolitical, economic, and environmental ramifications of this new development are just coming into view.Countries across the globe are now looking to the United States to see if they should develop their shale gas resources. Cheaper natural gas is shifting the geopolitical power balance between the EU and Russia. China’s shale reserves are supposedly larger than those in the US, with Argentina not far behind. Countries like Mexico, South Africa and Australia could also benefit. But will the myriad risks, from increased carbon emissions to water contamination and potential earthquakes, outweigh the benefits?With the political, social and economic fallout still up in the air, The Energy Collective hosted a webcast focused on exploring what this means. Among other issues, we discussed:What are the policy roadblocks in different countries to more hydraulic fracturing? Can the opposition of environmental groups be overcome?What are the geopolitical considerations? How is OPEC reacting to this development?What does the changing landscape of fossil energy production in the U.S. portend for energy policy globally?Jane Nakano is an Energy & National Security Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Her research interests include energy security and climate change in Asia, nuclear energy, shale gas, rare earth metals, and energy and technology. Prior to joining CSIS in 2010, she was with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and served as the lead staff on U.S. energy engagements with China and Japan.Geoffrey Styles is Managing Director of GSW Strategy Group, LLC, an energy and environmental strategy consulting firm. His industry experience includes 22 years at Texaco Inc., culminating in a senior position on Texaco's leadership team for strategy development, focused on the global refining, marketing, transportation and alternative energy businesses, and global issues such as climate change. He has been quoted frequently by the Wall Street Journal and was named one of the "Top 50 Eco Blogs" by the Times of London in 2008.Mark Caine is a Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. There, he coordinates energy and climate programmes for the Mackinder Programme for the Study of Long Wave Events, a research centre dedicated to political economy, geopolitics, long-wave trends, and scenario-based thinking.Jesse Jenkins, Moderator Jesse is an MIT Energy Initiative Energy Fellow and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Jesse worked previously as the Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Breakthrough Institute. He has delivered invited testimony on clean energy innovation policy before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The bankruptcy of solar manufacturer and stimulus-loan recipient, Solyndra, sparked a national media firestorm and political debate over the role of government in funding emerging clean energy technologies. The issue rose to prominence in the presidential campaign with Mitt Romney attacking Barack Obama on the stump and in televised debates over the president's handling of stimulus funds for clean energy. Yet Obama won re-election handily and Democrats expanded their numbers in the Senate and House, seemingly giving Democrats the upper hand. Is there any chance the two sides can agree on a comprehensive national energy policy?At the same time, the International Energy Agency now projects that North America will be energy self-sufficient by 2020, with the U.S. becoming the world's largest producer of both natural gas and oil. The geopolitical, economic, and environmental ramifications of this new development are just coming into view. With the political, social and economic fallout from this yet to be considered, The Energy Collective brings you a webcast focused on exploring what this means. Among other issues, we discuss:Should we read the election as a successful referendum on the president's approach to clean energy investment? What's ahead post-Solyndra for the Administration's energy innovation efforts?What's in store in 2013 for EPA regulation of CO2?What does the changing landscape of fossil energy production in the U.S. portend for energy policy and politics in the 113th Congress?Featuring:Josh FreedJosh directs the Clean Energy Program at Third Way, focusing on the legislative, regulatory, and finance policies needed to bring about clean energy reform and address climate change. Prior to that, he was a senior staffer on Capitol Hill and served for more than a decade as a strategist for advocacy, corporate, and political campaigns.Jerry TaylorA Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, Jerry is a frequent contributor on federal energy and environmental policy to the Wall Street Journal and National Review and appears regularly on CNBC, NPR, Bloomberg Radio, the BBC, and Fox News. He has served on several congressional advisory bodies and has testified frequently on Capitol Hill regarding various energy and environmental policy matters.Bruce OppenheimerBruce is a Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University. His research primarily focuses on Congress and American political institutions. His primary current interest examines how process changes have affected the ability of Congress to develop energy policy over the past half century. He has been both an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow and a Brookings Institution Fellow and Guest Scholar.Jesse Jenkins, ModeratorJesse is an MIT Energy Initiative Energy Fellow and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Jesse worked previously as the Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Breakthrough Institute. He has delivered invited testimony on clean energy innovation policy before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The bankruptcy of solar manufacturer and stimulus-loan recipient, Solyndra, sparked a national media firestorm and political debate over the role of government in funding emerging clean energy technologies.

On September 12, The Energy Collective explored with a panel of experts the potential of carbon capture, both in the form of the nascent direct air capture industry and the more traditional carbon capture taking place at fossil fuel power generation plants, to combat the rise of greenhouse gases and accelerating climate change. We hope you'll enjoy this crucial discussion in either podcast or video form below.

On September 12, The Energy Collective explored with a panel of experts the potential of carbon capture, both in the form of the nascent direct air capture industry and the more traditional carbon capture taking place at fossil fuel power generation plants, to combat the rise of greenhouse gases and accelerating climate change. We hope you'll enjoy this crucial discussion in either podcast or video form below.

This Tuesday, we featured a fascinating panel discussing the risk of closing down several megawatts of coal fired power plants and instead relying on natural gas as a source for baseload power. Please enjoy this webinar replay in both audio and video format.