Supercool

Industrial heat is one of the biggest, most stubborn sources of carbon emissions—responsible for nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gases. High costs, complex retrofits, and tight margins keep manufacturers locked into fossil fuels. But what if there were a way to swap out natural gas boilers without costly disruptions or major infrastructure overhauls? That’s exactly what Brenmiller’s thermal energy storage (TES) technology offers. Chief Business Officer Doron Brenmiller explains how their heat battery—where energy is stored in crushed rocks—provides reliable, on-demand heat to seamlessly replace legacy systems. With industries from food processing to brewing embracing this approach, the shift to clean heat isn’t just possible—it’s already happening.

Show Notes

Guest: Doron Brenmiller

Company: Brenmiller Energy

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Best known as one of the industry's most efficient Bitcoin miners, TeraWulf is expanding into high-performance computing (HPC) data centers for AI. Critics slam AI and Bitcoin mining for their massive energy consumption, but TeraWulf challenges that narrative. Its operations run on 91% zero-carbon energy, mostly hydropower, proving energy-hungry computing doesn’t have to come at a climate cost.

Nazar Khan, TeraWulf’s co-founder and CTO, joins Josh to discuss building world-class AI infrastructure, the crossover between Bitcoin mining and HPC-AI, what DeepSeek’s rise signals for industry and society, and how TeraWulf is leading Bitcoin and AI into the low-carbon future.

Show Notes

Guest: Nazar Khan, co-founder and CTO

Company: TeraWulf

Video: Demolition of the 613-foot smokestack from the retired coal mine at TeraWulf's Lake Mariner site on the shores of Lake Ontario.

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Who is paying for the clean energy revolution? Today, we’re diving into the financial side of the transition—where the trillions of dollars needed to move civilization off fossil fuels and into a low-carbon future are coming from, and how these massive deals come together. Joining Josh is Britta Von Oesen, Partner and Managing Director at CRC-IB, the nation’s leading investment bank dedicated exclusively to financing the clean energy economy. CRC-IB has advised on over 350 deals worth $72 billion. Britta herself has led $15 billion in transactions and is one of the most influential leaders in renewable energy finance. She take us behind the scenes to explain how deals are structured, who’s paying, and why financing the clean energy revolution makes smart business sense. The good news? These deals don’t just cut carbon and deliver strong ROI—they also improve modern life for people and communities.

Show Notes

Guest: Britta Von Oesen, Partner and Managing Director

Company: CRC-IB

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Every day, 27 million kids ride 500,000 school buses—the largest transit system in America. And yet, this 80-year-old relic is stuck in the past: buses are late, routes are inefficient, and parents have no clue where the bus is or when it’s coming. Ritu Narayan, founder and CEO of Zum, decided to fix it. All of it.

With real-time tracking, smarter routes, and electric buses, Zum has modernized student transportation for 4,000 schools, including the school districts of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston. In Oakland, Zum introduced the nation’s first fully electric school bus fleet, slashing emissions and cutting the number of buses needed nearly in half.

Zum isn’t just about buses—it’s a tech, Human Resources, logistics, and infrastructure company rolled into one. The result? Parents can breathe, kids get to class on time, and school districts finally have a system that works.

Ritu joins Supercool this week to discuss how Zum is making school buses smart, sustainable, and better for everyone.

Show Notes

Guest: Ritu Narayan, founder & CEO

Company: Zum

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Budderfly is one of the fastest growing companies in America, with an unparalleled Energy-as-a-Service offering. For many small business owners, especially franchisees of the world's most recognizable fast food brands like Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, Al Subbloie and team offer up to 40% energy savings and no-cost upgrades of HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration equipment. Solar panels? Why not? Budderfly won’t even charge to install all of this state-of-the-art infrastructure. With an offer too good for customers to refuse, Budderfly is on its way to becoming a billion-dollar company and bringing many of the most recognizable American brands along for the sustainability journey. Yet, Al's vision for the low-carbon energy efficient future goes far beyond.

Show Notes

Guest: Al Subbloie, Founder & CEO

Company: Budderfly

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In 2009, Amit Gupta, a rising executive at Carrier, the global HVAC company, discovered a neglected technology inside the company called Aeroseal. It used aerosol particles to seal air leaks in building envelopes and air ducts—offering a simple yet powerful way to tackle a major problem: the 10% of global energy wasted due to leaks. Seeing its potential, Amit took a leap. In 2010, he left his corporate career, rebooted Aeroseal as a startup, and focused on what matters most to customers: lowering energy bills, improving indoor air quality, and creating comfortable spaces. Today, with backing from world-class climate tech investors, including Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and over 260,000 buildings sealed, Aeroseal is sealing the cracks in our energy future.

Show Notes

Guest: Amit Gupta

Company: Aeroseal

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In 2014, Gundersen Health, headquartered in La Crosse, Wisconsin, became the nation's first health system to eliminate fossil fuels, transitioning to 100% local renewable energy. Today, the high-growth Gundersen saves $5 million annually on energy, helping to control healthcare costs for its patient populations across 11 hospitals and 100+ clinics in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Gundersen merged with Bellin Health in 2022 to become Emplify Health. Alan Eber led the effort at Gundersen. Today, as CEO of Eneration, Eber's job is to show the rest of the healthcare industry how to pursue a clean, low-carbon, renewable energy future. Alan joins Josh to share the playbook. 

This episode was first published on July 17, 2024.

Show Links:

Guests: Alan Eber

Company: Eneration

Initiative: Gundersen Envision

Health System: Emplify Health

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Cities have nowhere to go but down to tap new sources of emissions-free, clean energy, harden assets against climate impacts, cut operational costs, and enhance urban life for their residents above. In this end-of-year episode, we're delving into the emergence of the underground climate economy, a Supercool trend we've identified after completing our first 20 episodes since launching in July.

Whether eliminating curbside trash pickup by sending out trash through pneumatic tubes below streets, recovering wasted heat from water sloshing through sewer pipes, or drilling down to tap geothermal energy, the fate of cities and our civilization increasingly depends on what's happening down below.

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Iowa generates enough wind power to meet 77% of its energy demand. That's great for combating climate change and financially beneficial for local farmers, towns, and the overall economy. Discover how Iowa rose to wind energy prominence. We're joined by Chaz Allen, former Mayor of Newton, Iowa, and current Executive Director of the Iowa Utility Association. We also speak with Kathy Law, a farmer turned corporate attorney and one of the leading wind energy dealmakers in the state.

Notes

Guests:
1. Chaz Allen, Executive Director, Iowa Utility Association
2. Kathy Law,  Attorney, Nyemaster Goode Law Firm

Television Segment: Chaz Allen on 60 Minutes

Data on Iowa's wind energy production: See U.S. Energy Information Agency Data Analysis by Stanford University Professor Mark Jacobson.

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Even the most innovative climate tech startups face marketing challenges. To gain traction or raise capital, they must generate brand awareness, educate the market, and build trust with prospective customers in a race against time before their funds run out. Companies that go bold in their climate communications stand a stronger chance of standing out in a "sea of same." That's the advice of this week's guest, Adam Malik, co-founder of Bloxspring, a marketing agency for visionary brands radically changing the future of our buildings, cities, and the planet.

NOTES

Guest: Adam Malik, Co-founder

Company: Bloxspring

Jaguar: Its new EV car commercial - featuring no cars

Volvo: Its new EV car commercial - cinematically leaning into its safety reputation

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