This week on the podcast Peter and Jackie catch up on Peter’s trip to Europe.  First, they talk about the political changes, both in Europe and closer to home with new Premiers in both British Columbia and Alberta. 

Next, they switch to the topic of energy conservation in Europe.  Did Peter see any signs that people are saving energy?  Is energy affordability and conservation a focus of the conversation? 

Finally, they talk about the oil markets.  Prices have softened since reaching over $120/B in June and, as a result, OPEC+ announced they would cut their production in early October.  President Joe Biden warned there would be consequences due to the production cut. Jackie and Peter discuss the potential actions that the United States could take.  

Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/  

 To see a transcript of this podcast, visit the link (scroll part way down the page): Catching up: Politics, European Energy Conservation and Oil Markets (arcenergyinstitute.com)

The stock markets have witnessed steep declines this year, inflation is at 40-year highs, central banks are increasing interest rates and recession fears are growing. 

To help explain what is next for the economy, Craig Alexander, President of Alexander Economic Views and Chief Economist & Executive Advisor at Deloitte Canada joins the podcast. 

Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie ask Craig:  How would you describe the rate of inflation we are seeing today? Labour shortages seem to be everywhere, where did the people go?   Do you expect a recession in the United States and in Canada? What is your outlook for Canadian housing prices? Why do equity markets suffer when interest rates increase? What policy is better for clean energy policy from an economics perspective, the American "carrots" or the Canadian "sticks"?  Deglobalization is occurring, what are the implications for the economy? Longer-term, are you feeling optimistic or pessimistic about the Canadian economy?  

Content referenced in this podcast: 

• Energyphile Vignette “Bullish About the New Energy Market”  

Please review the ARC Energy Institute disclaimer.

To see a transcript of this podcast, visit the link (scroll part way down the page): About the Economy: Inflation, Equity Markets and Recession Fears (arcenergyinstitute.com)

This week, Peter Altmaier, Germany’s former Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy (2018-2021) visited Calgary to speak at the PETRONAS International Energy Speaker Series hosted by the Centre for Corporate Sustainability at the Haskayne School of Business with the University of Calgary. 

After the Petronas Energy Speaker Series, Peter sat down with Jackie to talk about Europe’s energy crisis.  

Here are some of the questions Jackie asked Peter Altmaier: Why did Germany become so reliant on Russian gas? Did he ever fear a scenario that Russia would use natural gas as a weapon?  How significant is the loss of the Nord Stream pipelines? Has Russia shred its reputation as a reliable supplier of energy forever?  What do you expect the energy situation in Germany will be this winter? How important will clean hydrogen and hydrogen imports be for Germany in the future? What was your reaction to Chancellor Scholz’s recent visit to Canada, on the lack of East Coast LNG and the possibly of green hydrogen?   

Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/ 

To see a transcript of this podcast, visit the link (scroll part way down the page): An Interview with Peter Altmaier, Germany’s former Energy Minister (arcenergyinstitute.com)

Putin's war is being fought on many fronts. A real war in Ukraine, but also an economic and energy war in the rest of Europe. 

This week our guests are David Sheppard, FT Energy Editor based in London and Derek Brower, US Energy Editor for the Financial Times and FT Energy Source Editor based in New York.  

Here are some of the questions Jackie and Peter asked our guests: Assuming that Russia was at fault for the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, what could be the motivation? How difficult are the high energy prices for residential and industrial energy consumers in Europe now? So far, the energy war has been fought in the gas markets, but are the oil markets next? European governments are offering energy price caps and subsidies to shield consumers from high prices, is this the right approach? In June, Putin predicted that Europe will have a surge of populism that will oust the current governments. Is Italy a one off, or do you foresee government change towards more right-wing leaders in other EU countries? 

Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/ 

To see a transcript of this podcast, visit the link (scroll part way down the page):  Energy War in Europe (arcenergyinstitute.com)

Currently we have a linear economy – products are created, used and then thrown away.  In a circular economy there is no waste – after they are used, products are recycled and/or reused. 

This week our guest is Mike Werner, Lead for Circular Economy at Google.  Mike tells us about Google’s sustainability goals. 

Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie ask Mike: Google sells hardware – Nest thermostats, cell phones and so on – what happens to these products when they are no longer useable?  How does Google use digital products to help consumers make more sustainable choices? Why did Google commission papers on plastic waste? Are you optimistic that plastic waste can be reduced?  

Content referenced in this podcast:

·         Learn more about Google’s Sustainability Goals

·         “Closing the Plastics Circularity Gap”  with contributions from AFARA consulting (recently acquired by EY Canada) and Google

Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

To see a transcript of this podcast, visit the link (scroll part way down the page):A Well-Rounded Conversation with Google About the Circular Economy (arcenergyinstitute.com)

While North American natural gas prices are relatively low compared to Europe and Asia – they are still over four times greater than the typical level over the past several years. Assuming a cold winter, North American prices could spike up even higher.

This week we invite Tim Egan, President and CEO, Canadian Gas Association (CGA) to join the podcast to talk about natural gas in Canada.  

Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie ask: Is affordability a concern this winter for Canadian residential and industrial users of natural gas?   Are exports of LNG from Canada’s east coast economic? Why has central Canada’s consumption of American natural gas grown?  Will Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) or hydrogen consumption grow in Canada? What are some examples of Canadian innovation when it comes to natural gas?

Content referenced in this podcast:

·         Website with more information on natural gas and its consumption: “Fueling Canada – we can do it” 

The backlash against the ESG movement is on the rise. ‘Anti-woke’ investment funds are launching and 19 US States wrote a letter to BlackRock, saying it is putting leftist politics above investor interests and returns.  Jackie and Peter debate if the ESG backlash could change corporate behaviour around climate and the environment.  Especially when you consider that, compared with the pro-ESG movement, the anti groups currently represent much less capital. 

Next, we invite our guest Radha Curpen, Vice Chair, Vancouver Managing Partner and National Leader, ESG and Strategy and Solutions, Bennett Jones to join us to provide an update on the legal aspects of ESG for corporations.

Content referenced in this podcast:

• To receive Peter’s weekly email commentary, sign-up at Energyphile.org
• The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies paper “Global trade of hydrogen: what is the best way to transfer hydrogen over long distances?”
• Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich organized and is leading a coalition of 19 states that sent a letter to BlackRock Inc., calling out its practices of putting leftist politics above investors’ interests and returns (August 4, 2022)
• Anti-Woke’ investment fund launches to back companies that only focus on profits, Proactive (May 11, 2022)
• Anti-ESG Activist Investor Urges Chevron to Increase Oil Production, WSJ (September 6, 2022)

Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

One uncertainty about how the energy transition will play out is how prevalent battery technology will be in the future. 

Today’s lithium-ion batteries work well for short duration utility storage and electric cars, but they are not commercial for some other applications – such as long duration energy storage or heavy hauling.  Also, material supply constraints are increasing the cost of batteries and becoming a limit to growth.  

To understand the current and future state of battery technology, we welcome Dr. Rajshekar DasGupta, Chief Executive Officer of Electrovaya to our podcast.  

Electrovaya is a Canadian developer and manufacture of lithium-ion batteries that is based in Mississauga, Ontario. They are also developing proprietary solid state battery technology.

Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

This week on the podcast, Jackie and Peter discuss some recent news. First, they talk about the surprise end to summer with the United States passing into law the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).  The IRA includes $369 billion of spending on clean energy and supports the build-out of a clean energy supply chain in the United States and the EV incentives also help  free-trade partners and North American automakers. 

Next, Peter and Jackie talk about how Western Canadian natural gas prices crashed in the last few weeks of summer.  While the rest of the world is paying record high natural gas prices, the benchmark in Alberta – called AECO – was pricing near zero dollars.  Peter and Jackie talk about the price collapse and the causes.

Finally, they debate some recent news headlines.

Content referenced in this podcast:

• Energyphile Vignette of the Week “Make Hay While the Sun Shines”
• August 25, 2002 CBC reports “Chemical engineer questions Belledune hydrogen plan”
• July 29, 2022 Yard “Just Plane Wrong: Celebs with the Worst Private Jet Co2 Emissions” 

Please review the ARC Energy Institute disclaimer.

In this episode we showcase one of Peter’s Energyphile stories “Long Way Around.”

In the preamble to the story, Peter and Jackie talk about Canadian energy security for oil.  A Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for Canada’s eastern provinces would have helped during the 1970s oil price shocks, but is it still relevant today? Should the Energy East oil pipeline be reconsidered as a way to increase Canadian energy security?

The Energyphile stories are also available on numerous podcast apps, including Apple iTunes Podcasts and Spotify.

Content referenced in this week’s podcast:

• See “Long Way Around” and other Energyphile stories  
• History of Canadian Crude Oil Imports (2010 to 2021) by the Canada Energy Regulator (CER)

Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/