Energy Impact Podcast
The Energy Impact Podcast features world-renowned experts across international energy policy and project finance along with regular news updates from leading journalists specializing in energy innovation and business.
Ep 118: Anthony Casciano & Erika Gupta - Financial Services, Siemens
September 24, 202
1. Where Erika and Anthony grew up, respectively, as well as how their passions for sustainability came to be
2. The process of Siemens Financial Services and how they think ahead both strategically and tactically
3. A deep dive into The Decarbonization Business Optimizer (DBO) tool
4. A discussion of software and hardware technologies and how both can contribute to energy efficiency improvement and the fight against climate change
Ep 117: Vanessa Chan - Chief Commercialization Officer and Director, Office of Technology Transitions, U.S. Department of Energy
July 11, 2024
1. Vanessa’s move to the United States and her early interests in the STEM field, as well as the passion for creation that eventually led to Vanessa being a seller on QVC
2. How Vanessa was introduced to the Department of Energy and began her career there
3. A deep dive into the work of the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) and the mission behind it all
4. Innovative things the OTT has done to speed up commercialization, investing in clean energy, and the sometimes missing link that improves the likelihood of success for startups
Ep 116: Amy Harder - Executive Editor, Cipher
June 21, 2024
1. Amy’s upbringing on a cattle ranch in eastern Washington State and how this developed her understanding of energy and climate change, as well as how her interest in journalism first developed
2. What Cipher is, when it was founded, and the problem it’s trying to solve
3. What Amy things about the state of AI as a tool or supplement for clean technologies
1. Amy’s upbringing on a cattle ranch in eastern Washington State and how this developed her understanding of energy and climate change, as well as how her interest in journalism first developed
2. What Cipher is, when it was founded, and the problem it’s trying to solve
3. What Amy thinks about the state of AI as a tool or supplement for clean technologies
4. The misconceptions within the energy transition debate that stand out to Amy, specifically the questions that need to be further explored by different groups that care about the energy transition
Ep 115: Paul Ellis - Sustainable Finance Consultant and Host, The Sustainable Finance Podcast
June 13, 2024
1. Sustainable investing in the early 2000’s and what drew Paul to the space early in its growth
2. The challenges investors are looking to solve when it comes to sustainable investing
3. A deep dive into The Sustainable Finance Podcast
4. The guests Paul enjoys speaking to on the podcast, as well as how the younger generation will positively impact the importance of sustainability as a whole
Ep 114: Bryan Walsh - Editor, Future Perfect, Vox Media
June 5, 2024
1. How Bryan’s love of reading and writing translated into interests in global health, the future, and international news coverage relating to climate and energy
2. The tension between the need for reducing carbon emissions and increasing electricity demand
3. Bryan’s book and what motivated him to write it, as well as what the piece covers
4. A discussion of civilian nuclear energy and what the future might hold in regards to development
Ep 113: Jacqueline Novogratz - Founder and CEO, Acumen
May 28, 2024
1. Jacqueline’s background, an abundance of travel, and how it all lead her to a career in impact investing
2. What drove Jacqueline to begin her work tackling poverty and the first projects she chose to begin in this new space of impact investing
3. Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach initiative and what it focuses on
4. The future of investing in clean energy projects and key investment trends we might see in the coming years
Ep 112: Kate Gordon - CEO and Fmr. Sr. Advisor to the U.S. Sec. of Energy, California Forward
May 22, 2024
1. Kate’s background of many moves, tenant law, and an interest in clean energy conversations both domestically and internationally
2. How Kate ended up in the ground floor of the Apollo Alliance, the first green jobs organization in the United States
3. Kate’s transition from Apollo to the United States Department of Energy and how her experience with labor in the green transition flowed between the two
4. Working with Secretary Granholm, as well as some future-facing conversations surrounding Kate’s upcoming book
Ep 111: Leo Banchik - Director, Voyager Ventures
May 7, 2024
1. What motivated Leo to make a difference and become interested in clean energy technology
2. A deep dive into the many different types of carbon removal
3. Voyager’s investment thesis and how it resonates with Leo
4. The constantly evolving technologies of the energy transition and what we might see from them in the future
Ep 110: Michael Terrell - Senior Director for Energy and Climate, Google
April 30, 2024
1. What drew Michael into Google and the early iterations of renewable energy
2. Google’s leadership in the energy procurement realm
3. What Michael has learned about driving innovation over the years and some valuable lessons for problem-solving
4. Taking a look at advanced technology and what the future holds for energy generation
Ep 109: Charlie Donovan - Senior Economic Advisor, Impax Asset Management
April 4, 2024
1. Why everyone should care about and be invested in energy and the progression of the energy industry
2. How the energy transition may fundamentally change the industry and how this intersects with finance
3. The ways in which interest in the sustainable finance space has increased exponentially in the past decade
4. How communities will interact with new forms of clean energy being deployed and what the future holds for this form of progression
Ep 108: Zainab Gilani - Research Associate, Energy & Power, Cleantech Group
March 18, 2024
1. Zainab’s background in Physics and English and how all roads eventually led back to Energy and Power
2. How important lower costs are to various energy industries and the common challenge of supply chain
3. Investment trends in the clean energy space and the kind of research the Cleantech Group completes
4. Hopes for the future of the energy transition and how large-scale vs. small-scale companies might handle the change
Ep 107: Clay Dumas - General Partner, Lowercarbon Capital
February 29, 2024
1. An important lesson Clay learned early in his career about destinations and opportunities
2. A deep dive into Lowercase and Lowercarbon Capital
3. The idea of improving existing processes versus fundamental breakthroughs in the issue of climate change
4. A debate on the future of the energy transition and different paths to tackling climate change