Julia Pyper has been at the top of our list since we started The World Changing Podcast in 2022. Why? Julia is known for her in-depth coverage of the clean energy transition, has a cross-party climate policy podcast, "Political Climate," and is now VP of public affairs for GoodLeap - a fin-tech company helping millions of people join the clean energy transition.

Her work has been published in HuffPost, Scientific American, and The New York Times. In this conversation, we dive into the connection between public policy and clean energy innovation, discussing how the Inflation Reduction Act opens up new opportunities for individuals to benefit from adopting clean energy technologies. Julia helps Flo (finally) understand how virtual power plants work. Greg and Julia find a surprising similarity from both of their childhoods growing up on farms.

Connect with Julia
LinkedIn
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We sat down with The Accelerator Guy! That's Ryan Kushner of course - co-founder of Third Derivative, the world's largest climate tech accelerator. For context, Third Derivative is a non-profit joint venture of RMI and New Energy Nexus and the world’s largest and most resourced climate technology accelerator. The global, 18-month accelerator program coordinates commercialization between corporate partners (Wells Fargo, Microsoft, AT&T, Berkshire Hathaway Energy), 15 venture capital partners, and their portfolio of 198 startups, who have raised over $1.5B.

We start by discussing Ryan's background and book, "Accelerate This: A Super Not Boring Guide to Startup Accelerators and Clean Energy Entrepreneurship," while exploring key themes in climate technology, startup innovation, and the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Heard of "start-up valleys of death?" Ryan knows them well. The conversation highlights the importance of refining startup pitches, the societal adoption of technologies, and the challenges of transitioning entire energy systems, including the role of nuclear energy and grid integration. Finally, we also get into our personal motivations stemming from childhood pollution experiences and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air quality, fostering a sense of optimism about a future driven by clean energy and the necessity for justice in this transition.

Referenced in this conversation:
Do Not NOT Use this Pitch Format - Medium
Volts Podcast - Learning Curves
RMI Cleantech Revolution 

Third Derivative Blog - The Power of 83

Connect with Ryan Kushner:
Ryan's Website and Full Bio 

Linkedin

When we look back, it's amazing how many common threads there are among our incredible guests. From Aston co-founder Ed McKenzie to Mark Jacobson of Stanford University, we are learning about the evolution of technology in various forms and how that impacts our energy future. It's Electric! 

Some themes discussed in this episode:
- Consensus around the critical impact of climate change on utilities
- The impact of fossil fuel emissions from power generation and transportation
- The historical context of utility companies and the evolving energy grid
- Shifts towards local energy systems 
- Challenges of achieving reliable renewable energy, potential solutions
- Parallels between decentralization in computing and power generation 

Episode Outline:

🎙️ Introduction and Answering "What's the Problem?" (00:00 - 09:32)

• Greg Robinson introduces the World Changing podcast, Flo introduces her recap episode
• Gary Rackliffe (Hitachi Energy, ABB) discusses climate change impact on utilities
• Power generation and transportation account for ~60% of carbon emissions
• Mark Z. Jacobson (Standford U., The Solutions Project) emphasizes urgency of solving climate change problem
• Wind, water, solar solution proposed to replace fossil fuels

🏭 Utility Companies and Grid Evolution (09:32 - 18:54)

• Greg explains history of utility companies as sanctioned monopolies
• Bill Nussey (Freeing Energy) discusses how energy systems required massive infrastructure and government intervention
• Shift towards small, local energy systems is more profound than realized
• Utilities are essential part of energy transition despite need for faster progress
• Energy Internet concept: connecting distributed energy production centers for efficiency and reliability

⚡ Renewable Energy and Grid Reliability (18:55 - 30:36)

• Gary Rackliffe explains challenges of 100% uptime with renewable energy
• Microgrids and redundancy discussed as solutions for reliability
• Matt Loszak of Aalo Atomics presents small-scale reactors as potential solution
• Claudio Spadacini (Energy Dome) introduces Energy Dome's CO2 battery for clean, efficient energy storage

🔬 Power Grid Evolution and Future Trends (30:36 - 41:18)

• Greg and Ed Mckenzie (Google, Microsoft) discuss evolution of power grid (Power 1.0, 2.0, 3.0)
• Parallels drawn between power grid and web evolution
• Power 3.0: Decentralized power with smarts living at the edge
• Challenge of maintaining central grid as people transition to decentralized solutions
• Importance of backup power in decentralized systems

Born and raised in a small Italian town near the Swiss Alps, Claudio Spadacini learned from an early age that electricity can spark world changing innovation anywhere. Due in large part to their access to hydropower, the first car ever built in Italy came from his small town. In step, Claudio’s first aspiration was to design race cars. While he still loves race cars, Claudio eventually transitioned his passion into engineering and sustainable energy solutions. 

In this episode, Greg and Claudio recount first meeting at COP 28 in Dubai. Claudio shares his journey from the geothermal energy sector to Energy Dome - creating the world’s first CO2 battery. He also explains his perspective on what it takes to be truly innovative in a sector. Yes, this conversation definitely exhilarated Greg and his passion for physics! We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

Outline: 
Chapter 1: Recap and Introduction to the Episode with Greg and Flo (00:38 - 04:33)
Greg and Flo Recap the interview and introduce Energy Dome as a company focused on enabling clean energy production around the clock.
The importance of energy storage for 10-12 hours is highlighted as a key missing piece in the clean energy transition.

Chapter 2: Interview Begins, Meeting Claudio at COP 28 and Energy Dome's Mission (05:02 - 08:56)
Claudio and Greg discuss meeting at COP 28 and sharing insights on clean energy initiatives.
Claudio's background in engineering and his success in founding impactful technology ventures are mentioned.

Chapter 3: Challenges in Geothermal Energy and Energy Dome's Solutions (09:17 - 14:46)
The challenges of geothermal energy as a base load power source are discussed.
Energy Dome's approach to solving these challenges and transitioning into energy storage solutions is explored.

Chapter 4: Entrepreneurial Journey and Innovation Process (15:02 - 20:07)
Claudio talks about the innovation process starting with deep knowledge and challenging the status quo.
The importance of analyzing and synthesizing information to drive innovation is emphasized.

Chapter 5: Energy Dome's Technology and Impact in the Market (22:00 - 27:43)
The discussion shifts to Energy Dome's technology and its ability to maintain efficiency on a weekly basis for energy storage.
Claudio explains the importance of stress-testing the technology and continuing to evaluate its performance in the market.

Chapter 6: Standardization, Business Model, and Finance (31:19 - 43:34)
Standardization challenges in geothermal energy projects are addressed, along with the goal of making Energy Dome's technology temperature independent.
The scalability and financeability of the business model are touched upon, highlighting the need for creating a significant impact in the market.

Chapter 7: Looking Back and Future Outlook (45:06 - 52:57)
Claudio reflects on starting a company in 2007 and the importance of thinking big and being laser-focused on goals.
The conversation ends with a call for strong teams and individuals to drive the transition away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy solutions.

Claudio Spadacini Bio and Publications:

Claudio holds a Master’s degree from the Polytechnic University of Milan in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Turbomachinery, Energy Production, and Conversion. Claudio was awarded the Sesini Award as a top graduate student and, during his career, filed 45 patents.
He's the founder and CEO of Energy Dome, a leading long-duration energy storage solutions provider. The company developed the CO2 Battery, a breakthrough technology capable of storing a large quantity of energy cost-effectively and efficiently. Energy Dome’s mission is to unlock renewable energy and make solar and wind power dispatchable 24/7.
 
An engineer by education, but most importantly, an innovator and entrepreneur by nature and experience, Claudio has founded multiple successful technology ventures in the energy sector, taking them from germinal concepts to tangible market leadership.
Prior to Energy Dome, Claudio founded and led Exergy S.p.A., which, under his guidance, has developed and installed more than 500 MWe of binary geothermal power plants; the critical element of Exergy's success is the innovative radial outflow turbine, patented and developed by Claudio himself.

He also founded Sebigas S.p.A., a company with a portfolio of over 80 plants specializing in designing, constructing and managing biogas plants worldwide. He’s also the co¬founder of Idroelettrica Cavaglio: this company built a hydroelectric power plant that holds the record for drilling the longest tunnel of its kind.

In short, all of Claudio’s new ventures are based on disruptive technologies as he boasts a strong bias toward innovations and extensive knowledge of conventional and renewable energy systems, turbomachinery, and thermodynamic processes. 

Publications
M. Astolfi, D. Rizzi, E. Macchi and C. Spadacini "A Novel Energy Storage System Based on Carbon Dioxide Unique Thermodynamic Properties.", Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Expo 2021: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, Virtual - Online, June 7–11, 2021. V004T07A002. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/GT2021-59487

“Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) Power Systems. Technologies and Applications”, Editor(s):
E. Macchi, M. Astolfi, Woodhead Publishing, 2016, ISBN 9780081005101, eBook ISBN: 9780081005118 https://doi.org/10.1016/C2014-0-04239-6.
•        D. Rizzi and C. Spadacini, “Chapter 11 - Radial outflow turbines for Organic Rankine Cycle expanders”, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) Power Systems. Technologies and Applications, Pages 335-359, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100510-1.00011-9.
•        M. Quaia, L.G. Xodo and C. Spadacini, “Chapter 14 - Geothermal energy exploitation with Organic Rankine Cycle technologies”, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) Power Systems. Technologies and Applications, Pages 473-525, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100510-1.00014-4.

Lectures/Presentations
C. Spadacini, L. Centemeri, D. Rizzi, M. Sanvito and A. Serafino, "Fluid-dynamics of the ORC Radial Outflow Turbine", International Seminar on ORC Power Systems, Brussels, Belgium, 12-14 October 2015.
C. Spadacini, M. Frassinetti, A. Hinde, S. Penati, M. Quaia, D. Rizzi and A. Serafino, “The First Geothermal Organic Radial Outflow Turbines”, Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2015, Melbourne, Australia, 19-25 April 2015.
C. Spadacini, D. Rizzi, C. Saccilotto, S. Salgarollo, L. Centemeri, "The Radial outflow Turbine Technology - Impact on the cycle, thermodynamics, machinery fluid and rotor dynamic features", International Seminar of ORC Power Systems, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7-8 October 2013.
C. Spadacini, L. Centemeri, L. G. Xodo, M. Astolfi, M. C. Romano and E. Macchi, “A new configuration for Organic Rankine Cycle power systems”, International Seminar of ORC Power Systems, Delft, the Netherlands, 22-23 September 2011.

As a kid, Matt Loszak loved to learn and perform magic tricks. The only problem? He ended up telling the audience the secret mechanism of the trick!
Today, Matt is still breaking down magic tricks, but this time, it’s the alchemy of nuclear power. Matt and his team at Aalo Atomics are working to commercialize the breakthrough Marvel microreactor developed by Idaho National Laboratory. Their goal is to deploy cheap, safe nuclear power within a few years.

Why is the Marvel Microreactor a breakthrough development?
How will Aalo Atomics scale nuclear power in the coming years?
Listen in and find out!

About Matt Loszak:
Matt studied Engineering and Physics at Queens University, then worked as an acoustical engineer for one year before quitting to spend ten years in the software startup world. Most recently, he cofounded Humi, an HR software suite that scaled up to 150 employees. His holy grail has been to return to his roots, combining engineering and physics with what he has learned from the startup world. Aalo Atomics is the result - they will be commercializing the MARVEL micro-reactor from INL, the first new micro-reactor built in the US in decades.
Matt's Twitter
Matt's Linkedin

Bill had an impressive career as a tech entrepreneur and businessman before he turned his sights (back to) energy. He started his first company in highschool - a graphics software company when personal computers were still text based. He has started and sold several tech companies. He joined one startup as CEO, grew the company to nearly $100 million in revenue, and then sold it to IBM. He then served as an advisor to the C-suite on at IBM on strategy. 

But even before all of this success, his first love was electricity and the power grid. After graduating from NC State University, Bill traveled all over North Carolina to inspect power plants - climbing down into dams and up towers - literally touching the vast infrastructure of the power grid.

So what does this technology and business guru think about the future of energy? 

Looking through the lens of his technological and business experience, he began his career transition to renewable energy with a TED talk about accelerating the shift to clean energy. Then, he created the number one ranked renewable energy podcast called the Freeing Energy podcast and, ultimately, used his research to publish a best selling book called Freeing Energy at the end of 2021 - “how innovators are using local scale solar and batteries to disrupt the global energy industry from the outside.” Bill is now a Department of Energy clean energy champion. He co-founded a company called Solar Inventions, whose mission is to commercialize a set of scientific breakthroughs for improving silicon photovoltaics. He is again a venture capitalist, but for the energy transition. 

We talk about the power of networked technologies, the monopolistic nature of current utilities and discuss parallels between the mobile phone revolution and the future of local, on-site clean power. We even get to hear Bill's personal story of what has fueled his entrepreneurial career from high school to this very day. This is a good one guys. 

Outline 

Chapter 1: Introduction

Timestamp: 00:00-01:07

Description: Introduction to the podcast and its focus on decentralized and carbon-free energy solutions. Introduces the host and producer.

Chapter 2: Bill's Background and Freeing Energy Journey

Timestamp: 01:29-06:37

Description: Discussion about Bill's background as a tech entrepreneur and his transition into the energy industry. Mention of his book "Freeing Energy" and the research journey behind it.

Chapter 3: Sparking the Journey

Timestamp: 08:29-10:28

Description: Bill shares a pivotal moment that sparked his interest in transforming lives through local energy systems.

Chapter 4: Exploring Local Energy

Timestamp: 12:56-15:37

Description: Highlights the importance of small, local energy systems and their potential to disrupt the global energy industry.

Chapter 5: Parallels with Computing Industry

Timestamp: 16:45-18:35

Description: Discusses the parallels between the electricity industry and the computing industry, particularly in terms of scalability and technological advancements.

Chapter 6: Challenges and Opportunities

Timestamp: 21:16-24:49

Description: Explores the challenges and opportunities in transitioning to decentralized energy systems, including interconnection processes and the potential for global utility.

Chapter 7: The Energy Internet

Timestamp: 25:38-27:35

Description: Introduces the concept of the "energy internet" and the need for a globally scalable tech platform in the energy industry.

Chapter 8: Transforming Lives

Timestamp: 36:28-39:31

Description: Bill shares a conversation with a utility executive that highlights the transformative power of decentralized energy systems.

Chapter 9: Fun Facts and Statistics

Timestamp: 48:38-50:47

Description: Presents interesting facts and statistics related to energy, including the impact of solar and battery technologies.

Chapter 10: Conclusion

Timestamp: 55:58-56:13

Description: Wraps up the podcast episode and encourages listeners to tune in to future episodes.

Since he first struggled with air pollution as a teenager in Los Angeles, Mark Z. Jacobson has committed himself to understanding and solving this issue. And boy, has he succeeded! Today, Mark is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University. He has published six books and over 175 peer-reviewed papers.

His research forms the scientific basis of the Green New Deal and many laws and commitments for cities, states and countries to transition to 100 percent renewable electricity and heat generation. 

In Mark’s most recent book, “No Miracles Needed,” he says we still have time to save the planet without resorting to 'miracle' technologies. Not only is there no need for carbon capture, biofuels or nuclear power, but investment in these technologies are sucking up valuable time and money we could be using to scale existing clean energy technology - wind, water and solar. We also discussed one of our favorite challenges to greening the grid, incentives. How is the Inflation Reduction Act incentivizing the development of various forms of energy and “climate tech”? Let’s find out.

References:
Mark Z. Jacobson Full CV
- Has links to Mark's breakthrough research as well as his interview on The David Letterman Show.

Reference at 01:08:32 to organizations that track government subsidies to the fossil fuel industry .
- International Monetary Fund

The Solutions Project

Outline:
1. Introduction to the World Changing Podcast (00:00-01:19)
- Podcast's purpose: deconstruct projects and products for a decentralized and carbon-free future.
- Host introduction: Greg Robinson, co-founder of Aston and producer.
- Mention of first episode of the second season.
- Guest introduction: Mark Jacobson, professor and director at Stanford University.

2. Greg and Flo Introduce Mark Z. Jacobson
2a. Mark Jacobson's Research on Fossil Fuel Elimination (01:32-05:09)
- Mention of Mark Jacobson's work in 2015 on a mathematically verifiable plan to eliminate fossil fuels.
- Research initially focused on the US and expanded to 139 countries.
- Reference to Mark Jacobson's book, "No Miracles Needed".
2b. Background of Mark Jacobson (03:24-06:30)
- Mark Jacobson's position as a professor and director at Stanford University.
- Publication of books and peer-reviewed papers.
- Involvement in the Solutions Project.
- TED talk and appearance on David Letterman's show.
- Flo discusses her favorite parts of the conversation.

4. Discussion on Climate Change and Finance (06:30-08:37)
- Mention of attending COP28 and roundtable discussion on direct air capture.
- Invitation to discuss topics Mark Jacobson has recently talked about.
- Focus on avoiding explanations of Mark Jacobson's research and papers.

5. Financial Challenges in Transitioning to Renewable Energy (08:42-22:09)
- Exploration of financial challenges in renewable energy transition.
- Emphasis on time constraints and urgency.
- Mention of a guest with expertise in power electronics and transmission lines.

6. Overcoming Barriers and Unlocking Financing (22:09-49:26)
- Addressing the need for solutions to overcome financial barriers.
- Reference to the importance of information and providing cost-benefit analyses.
- Highlighting the necessity of stakeholder engagement and community involvement.

7. Scaling Research and Engaging Stakeholders (49:27-1:14:03)
- Discussion on scaling Mark Jacobson's research across 139 countries.
- Consideration of forming a company or utilizing NGO-style mechanisms for scaling.
- Importance of engaging stakeholders and policymakers to effect change.

8. Conclusion and Call to Action (1:14:03-1:16:24)
- Acknowledgment of the need to target specific listeners and stakeholders.
- Appreciation for the conversation with Mark Jacobson.
- Closing remarks and invitation to follow the World Changing Podcast.

Note: The timestamps provided are approximate and may differ slightly from the actual timing in the transcript.

We're back and we're asking questions like “Why do environmentalists try to kill windfarms?” It’s a big, complicated world out there and we are breaking down five key challenges to greening the power grid. From geography to misaligned incentives, here’s a brief rundown of the themes we will be discussing throughout season 2. Want to learn more? Head to the Aston website to read the blog.

References: 
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/713101

https://www.astonlabs.co/news/5-key-challenges-updating-us-power-grid-carbon-free-energy

Flo asks: "Are our power utilities businesses or part of the government?" The answer is pretty murky. How did most power utilities in the US become investor owned, publicly traded companies with no competition? In this episode, Greg and I try to address these questions. We look into the history of power utilities in the U.S. and try to imagine how the current “business model” could be innovated. How we use power has changed a lot since 1882, but the companies and business models that serve us, have not. Today we have all kinds of energy consumers - large and small - depending on the power grid for anything from producing pharmaceutical drugs to powering your home air conditioning. Additionally, customers increasingly want to both consume and produce green energy (solar PV etc). Seems like we need our power grids and the businesses that run them to innovate. But what will incentivize this innovation when they have no competition? Let's discuss. 

The dream of the smart, sustainable grid. What will it take to achieve the energy grid of our dreams? We are so excited to share this conversation we had with Gary Rackliffe. Gary is a special person to talk to for several reasons. First, Gary has spent his entire 30+ year career building and designing the US power grid. Second, he is a leader in the planning and technology needed to modernize and decarbonize the grid for the future. Our biggest take away from our conversation with him is we may already have a lot of the infrastructure and technology needed to meet our future energy needs. If we add more transmission lines along side time-sensitive consumption, we could achieve a lot of our goals. What is your take away from this conversation?
Let us know!

Gary's Full Bio:
Gary Rackliffe is the Vice President for Market Development and Innovation at Hitachi Energy located in Raleigh, North Carolina.  He is an industry leader for the energy transition, grid modernization, and digital transformation of the electric power grid.  He has extensive experience leading Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS); Utility Operations Software business development, sales, and product development; Strategy and Marketing Communications for Power Grids products and systems; Regional Sales for T&D equipment; and Innovation and Strategic Initiatives for smart grid and grid modernization, the digital transformation, and the energy transition.   

Gary is a member of the Department of Commerce Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC), the DistribuTECH Advisory Committee, the GridWise Alliance Technical Council (past board member), the E4 Carolinas Innovation Council, and the IEC Smart Energy Systems Committee (SyC SE), serving as the SyC SE Technical Advisor for the IEC US National Committee.  He also chairs NEMA’s Utility Products & Systems Division Leadership Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), Texas A&M Smart Grid Center, and E4 Carolinas.

Gary holds BS and ME degrees in Electric Power Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY and a MBA degree from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer and an IEEE Senior Member.  He has co-authored a T&D planning book and has written numerous technical papers and articles.

Terms and notes for the show:

NYTimes article referenced in the introduction: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/06/12/climate/us-electric-grid-energy-transition.html

Transmission and Distribution: 
A transmission line carries electric energy from one point to another in an electrical power system. They can carry alternating current or direct current,  or a combination of both.

Transmission lines are important for moving energy around. 

HVDC:

A high-voltage direct current electric power transmission system, offers long distance power transmission, Improved integrity of renewable energy and the ability to connect different power grids. 

Solar PV: 
PV stands for photovoltaic and it gets its name from the process of converting light photons to electricity, which is also called the photovoltaic effect.  This is another way (fancier) to describe solar power.

Load versus Generation: 
Load is another word for the demand for electricity on a grid.

It's the total electricity being consumed or removed from the grid by the users of the grid.

Dispatchable power versus a Non-dispatchable power: 
These two terms refer to the ability of a power source to be controlled and adjusted, to meet fluctuating demand for electricity. 

Dispatchable power sources (currently) include fossil fuels, hydrogen, Geothermal and biomass power. 

Non dispatchable power also known as intermittent or variable resources are those that cannot be easily controlled or scheduled to match the electricity demand. Examples include solar power, wind power, wave and tidal power.

These fall into the non dispatchable category because their availability is influenced by weather conditions and natural phenomenon. 

One gigawatt:
One gigawatt is enough to power about 750,000 homes. So, three quarters of a million homes can be powered by one gigawatt.

100% uptime: 
100% uptime it's a reliability term. It is referring to perfect or near perfect reliability with no power outages.