When we imagine what our energy transformation will look like, we tend to focus on the shiny new toys — solar panels, electric vehicles, Tesla powerwalls, and Nest Thermostats. While those products are necessary for a carbon net-zero future, they are in no way sufficient. Today on RYA, I chat with Benjamin Birnbaum, partner at Keyframe and co-founder of TeraWatt Infrastructure. Ben is consumed with the energy transition technologies that we don’t see, but are critical to fighting global warming and climate change. 

In this episode, Ben and I take a deep dive into real estate’s disconnect between the boardroom and boiler room. We also explore how New York City’s Local Law 97 addresses this challenge with a pathbreaking effort to spur the transformation of New York City real estate to cap carbon emissions. 

Tune in as we discuss:

• Ben’s career journey
• The challenges cities must address in order to meet net-zero emissions goals 
• The true costs and challenges of electrifying transportation, and why Ben and his partners started TeraWatt Infrastructure
• Biden’s ambitious infrastructure plans
• Keyframe’s new approach for funding the cleantech revolution