Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins

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Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins Podcast

Every week, Heatmap News Executive Editor Robinson Meyer and Princeton University Professor and energy systems expert Jesse Jenkins make sense of the biggest shift of our time -- navigating the energy transition away from fossil fuels. Drawing on their years of experience reporting on and researching climate change and decarbonization, Meyer and Jenkins unpack the most important issues of the week and how the impacts of climate change and efforts to address it are transforming our economy, politics, and society at large. Music by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Why Geothermal Is So Hot Right Now

    Geothermal is getting closer to the big time. Last week, Fervo Energy — arguably the country’s leading enhanced geothermal company — announced that its Utah demonstration project had achieved record production capacity. On the whole, enhanced geothermal — which borrows drilling techniques from the oil and gas industry — seems poised to become a player on America’s coming clean, 24/7 power grid.  Why is geothermal so hot? How soon could it appear — and what advantages does it have other zero-carbon technologies don’t? On this week’s episode, Rob and Jesse speak with Sarah Jewett, the vice president of strategy at Fervo Energy, which she joined after several years in the oil and gas industry. Wilson Ricks is a doctoral student of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton University, where he studies macro-energy systems modeling. Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins, a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University. Mentioned:  Fervo’s Tech Day announcement The Department of Energy’s Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Next-Generation Geothermal report Wilson’s preprint paper on flexible geothermal in Nature Energy  Is Geothermal About to Become the Solar of the 2020s? Jesse’s upshift, Rob’s upshift. -- This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by … Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com. As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com. Antenna Group helps you connect with customers, policymakers, investors, and strategic partners to influence markets and accelerate adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more. Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 8m

  2. 11 SEPT

    A Beginner’s Guide to the Interconnection Queue

    Maybe you’ve never heard of it. Maybe you know it too well. But to a certain type of clean energy wonk, it amounts to perhaps the three most dreaded words in climate policy: the interconnection queue.  The queue is the process by which utilities decide which wind and solar farms get to hook up to the power grid in the United States. Across much of the country, it has become so badly broken and clogged that it can take more than a decade for a given project to navigate.  On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Jesse and Rob speak with two experts about how to understand — and how to fix — what is perhaps the biggest obstacle to deploying more renewables on the U.S. power grid. Tyler Norris is a doctoral student at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Claire Wayner is a senior associate at RMI’s carbon-free electricity program, where she works on the clean and competitive grids team. Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins, a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University. Mentioned:  Tyler’s study on “energy only” interconnection rules Heatmap’s Matthew Zeitlin on the big problems with PJM FERC Order 2023 Advanced Energy United’s report on unsnarling the grid Subscribe to Heatmap Plus Rob’s downshift; Jesse’s upshift. -- This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by … Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com. As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com. Antenna Group helps you connect with customers, policymakers, investors, and strategic partners to influence markets and accelerate adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more. Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 9m

  3. 4 SEPT

    What 2024 Will Mean for Clean Energy — in Megatons

    You don’t need us to say it: The 2024 election will have enormous stakes for America’s climate policy and the planet’s climate. But how well can we quantify those stakes? What would a Trump presidency — or a Harris presidency, for that matter — really mean for the country’s emissions trajectory?   On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Jesse and Rob speak with Sonia Aggarwal, the chief executive officer of Energy Innovation, a climate policy think tank that operates across North America, Europe, and Asia. She was previously special assistant to the president for climate policy, innovation, and deployment under President Joe Biden, and she co-chaired the Biden administration’s Climate Innovation Working Group. She and Jesse — another top-notch modeler — dive into what the data can and can’t tell us about the election and how to think about energy system models in the first place. Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins, a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University. Mentioned:  The REPEAT Project’s annual report on U.S. emissions pathways Energy Innovation’s report: “The Second Half of the Decisive Decade” Jesse’s upshift; Rob’s upshift. -- This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by … Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com. As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com. Antenna Group helps you connect with customers, policymakers, investors, and strategic partners to influence markets and accelerate adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more. Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min

  4. 28 AUG

    How 2025 Could Reshape Climate Policy — No Matter Who Wins the Election

    It’s time to start talking about a big year for climate politics and policy: 2025. No matter who wins this fall’s elections, next year’s executive and legislative climate policy will be huge for America’s decarbonization strategy. Congress is all but guaranteed to negotiate over key parts of the country’s tax code, and whoever controls the White House will have to finalize the Inflation Reduction Act’s last few big programs.  On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Jesse and Rob are joined by Josh Freed, who leads Third Way’s climate and energy program, to game out the most likely scenarios. If Trump wins with a Republican Congress, will they repeal the Inflation Reduction Act? What if Trump wins but Democrats take the House? And what would Kamala Harris do with a trifecta? Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins, a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University. Mentioned:  Jesse’s article for Heatmap: Manufacturing Is Back, Baby The IRA’s Labor Provisions Look Like They’re Working To Win a Climate Election, Don’t Say ‘Climate’ Are Pollsters Getting Climate Change Wrong? What are the Trump tax cuts expiring in 2025? The $500 million grant for Ohio’s Middletown Works Jesse’s and Rob’s downshift. -- This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by … Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com. As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com. Antenna Group helps you connect with customers, policymakers, investors, and strategic partners to influence markets and accelerate adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more. Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 4m

  5. 21 AUG

    This Isn’t the Same Kind of Climate Election

    Democrats are gathering in Chicago this week for their quadrennial convention and to celebrate Kamala Harris’s nomination for president. This year’s convention will look different from 2020’s for many reasons — but one of them is that we’re likely to hear far less about climate change. Unlike in 2020, when President Joe Biden described global warming as one of “four overlapping crises” confronting the country, Harris has been more subtle when discussing it. So … is that a problem? Should we be freaked out? On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob and Jesse discuss the modern electoral politics of climate change. We talk about whether the electorate’s interest in climate issues has faded, how the Inflation Reduction Act could affect voting, and why a “quiet on climate” strategy might be okay. Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins, a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University. Mentioned:  Jesse on how the IRA is actually bringing back American manufacturing Rob on how housing could be Kamala’s housing policy The IRA’s labor provisions look like they’re working The Harvard Institute of Politics poll on young voters in 2024 Jesse’s upshift; Rob’s downshift -- This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by … Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com. As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com. Antenna Group helps you connect with customers, policymakers, investors, and strategic partners to influence markets and accelerate adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more. Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    58 min

  6. 14 AUG

    Why Treasury’s No. 2 Official Wants Permitting Reform

    Two years ago this week, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in clean energy and climate mitigation in American history. It contained roughly two dozen new or expanded tax credits that will — if the forecasts bear out — provide hundreds of billions of dollars in funding over the next decade. The administration is now rushing to finalize those provisions before the November election.  Perhaps no official has been more central to setting up those tax credits than Wally Adeyemo, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department. He is also the Treasury’s No. 2 official and chief operating officer. Adeyemo has led the agency’s effort to implement the climate law, overseeing a group of tax lawyers and political appointees who are critical to the legislation’s ultimate success. He joins Shift Key this week to help us kick off our second season and talk about how the effort to implement the climate law is going, what could stand in its way, and why he wants some kind of permitting reform. Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins, a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University. Mentioned:  The First IRA Tax Credit Data Is In Senator Manchin and Senator Barrasso’s permitting reform proposal Why Energy Wonks Love the Permitting Deal The Inflation Reduction Act: A Summary Jesse’s upshift, Rob’s shift. -- This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by … Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com. As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com. Antenna Group helps you connect with customers, policymakers, investors, and strategic partners to influence markets and accelerate adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more. Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min

  7. 24 JUL

    Humanity’s Most Abundant Material Is a Huge Climate Problem

    The world uses about 30 billion tons of concrete every year — more than any other material except water. It is the most ubiquitous human-made substance in the global economy. It’s also a huge climate problem. Producing cement, which is the key ingredient in concrete, generates roughly 8% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions. Cody Finke has a plan to change that. He is the chief executive officer and cofounder of Brimstone, a startup that says it can cheaply produce ordinary Portland cement — the kind used in construction worldwide — without carbon emissions. This week, Rob chats with Finke about why cement’s carbon emissions aren’t from fossil fuels, why there are fewer cement plants than you might think, and the all-important difference between cement and concrete.  This episode of Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap. Jesse Jenkins is on vacation.  Mentioned:  Brimstone There Will Soon Be More Concrete Than Biomass on Earth Projecting future carbon emissions from cement production in developing countries -- This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by … Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com. As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com. Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    44 min

  8. 17 JUL

    How to Decarbonize the World’s Biggest Ships

    Shipping is the backbone of the modern economy. At least 80% of all goods worldwide are shipped as ocean cargo, and the global economy rises and falls on the free movement of gigantic ships across the sea. But container ships and bulk carriers burn what’s known as bunker fuel, one of the dirtiest fossil fuels. The international shipping industry generates 3% of global carbon emissions, a proportion that’s projected to rise through the century.  Most proposals to decarbonize ocean freight have focused on using ammonia or other zero-carbon liquid fuels. But Fleetzero, a Bill Gates-backed startup, is trying to use the only technology that it says can get cheap enough to compete with oil: batteries. The Alabama-based company is building batteries big enough to hybridize — and, eventually, power outright — the world’s largest ships.   This week, Rob chats with Steven Henderson, the cofounder and CEO of Fleetzero and a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. They talk about Steven’s history in the oil and gas industry, why batteries will beat liquid fuels, and how to put out a fire in the middle of the ocean.  This episode of Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap. Jesse Jenkins is on vacation. Mentioned: Fleetzero The Emma Maersk, the world’s largest ship at the time of its construction in 2006 The legal and regulatory background on the Jones Act -- This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by … Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com. As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com. Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
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Every week, Heatmap News Executive Editor Robinson Meyer and Princeton University Professor and energy systems expert Jesse Jenkins make sense of the biggest shift of our time -- navigating the energy transition away from fossil fuels. Drawing on their years of experience reporting on and researching climate change and decarbonization, Meyer and Jenkins unpack the most important issues of the week and how the impacts of climate change and efforts to address it are transforming our economy, politics, and society at large. Music by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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