California Gets To 100% Renewable Electricity. Almost.

The Energy Gang

Wood Mackenzie

Alternative Energy, Tech News, 958784, Environment, Technology, Renewable Energy, Energy, Business, Sustainability, Wind Energy, Climate Change, Cleantech, News, Solar Energy, Innovation, News Commentary

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2022

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this week's episode, the gang discuss nuclear power: is it a solution for providing energy security, or could it make the problem worse? Given that many consuming countries need to import most of their uranium, does relying on nuclear power create new sources of fragility? The US imported 86% of its uranium in 2020, from a range of countries, including Russia. What does that mean for hopes that a new generation of reactors could provide affordable and reliable low-carbon power?

Next up, it’s California’s quick peek into the future. The state’s power grid ran last weekend on – very nearly – 100% renewable energy, even if it was for less than 15 minutes. How can California, and everywhere else, get to grids that are 100% carbon-free around the clock, 365 days a year?

And then it’s a topic that is at the top of the agenda right now for everyone working in energy: the current state of the global supply chain. Renewable energy products and components from little solar cells to giant wind turbines are being affected, driving up prices and restricting availability. The gang reflects on the worries of people in the industry, and discuss some solutions that might work, and some that might make the problem worse.

Joining Ed today are Melissa Lott, the Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, and Amy Harder, returning to the show. Amy is the Executive Editor of the Cipher newsletter published by Breakthrough Energy, the network backed by Bill Gates and other investors to support investment in emissions-reducing technologies.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, and welcome to The Energy Gang, a discussion show about the fast-changing world of energy.
0:08.0	I'm Idkrux.
0:09.0	Joining me on the show today we have Melissa Lott back again.
0:15.0	Melissa is Director of Research at Columbia University's Centre on Global Energy Policy.
0:19.0	Hello, Melissa, how are you? Good to have you back.
0:21.0	What have you been doing since we heard from you last?
0:24.0	Oh man, a lot of different things, so it's good to see Ed and good to be on here today with you and Amy.
0:28.0	One of the things I've been doing just in the past two days is focusing in on my syllabus.
0:33.0	For, of course, I'm teaching at Columbia, starting in the fall on Climate Change Mitigation, which will be really interesting.
0:38.0	Going through all the literature, where would you start if you were, you know, stepping someone through mitigation has been a lot of fun.
0:43.0	And then I'm working on the final report that we have coming out of the Lancet Countdown, which is the work you know I do every year on climate change,
0:50.0	how it's impending our health and what we can do about it.
0:53.0	And every time I read through the full draft, I'm just reminded about how stark the data are and how clear it is that it's affecting our health already.
1:00.0	So that's been the past few days for me, but it's been a whirlwind, there's a lot going on right now.
1:05.0	Wow, that course sounds huge.
1:08.0	It'd be really interesting we should get energy gang listeners to send in their suggestions for what you want to be covering on your course.
1:14.0	Do you actually do post your course materials online, would be fascinating to see what you're going to teach people?
1:20.0	Yeah, no, I bet I think I can. I'll have to look into that because I'm starting it in the fall.
1:25.0	So we're kicking it off in the falls and elective course in one of the core courses across campus.
1:30.0	Well, core courses for the climate school students starting a year from now.
1:34.0	One of the things that I'm very excited about, this is something I think Columbia really does very well, is it's going to be cross-listed.
1:40.0	So master students in fourth year or so seniors in undergrad from across campus can take it.
	...

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