The ZENERGY Podcast: Energy Leadership, Finance, and Technology

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On today's episode, host Karan Takhar sits down with Dan Thompson. Dan is a Principal Research Analyst covering datacenter services and sustainability at S&P Global Market Intelligence. Dan explains what datacenters are, how they have evolved over the years, the large impact they play in running the world, and how they will help take us into the future. Karan and Dan discuss the impact AI will have on datacenters and where the additional power needed to run them will come from. Then, they touch on the ways utility companies and grid operators can help and how hyperscalers contract supply. They delve into the criteria hyperscalers and datacenter developers look for when evaluating where to build new datacenters and assess what the most important considerations are for a new datacenter location and the data each facility will house. This is an immensely informative episode that we hope you'll love. Thanks so much for tuning in!

Credits:

Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, host Karan Takhar has the pleasure of speaking with Bradley Pischea, National Director of the Land and Liberty Coalition, which is part of the Conservative Energy Network. They sit down to discuss the work the Coalition is doing in advocating for clean and renewable energy policy and development from a right of center standpoint in states around the U.S. They touch on the reasons why Bradley believes clean energy became a partisan issue, how the conversation around clean energy and renewables has shifted over the years, and how the coalition uses a proactive versus reactive approach to communicating with citizens. Bradley and Karan discuss the concerns those in typically conservative communities have about the transition to clean energy in their areas and how developers can speak to community stakeholders in ways that factor in that community’s specific needs. This episode highlights the importance of listening to the needs and concerns of those who may live in places that look vastly different from your own as we all strive towards a cleaner energy future.

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Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On today’s episode, host Karan Takhar sits down with Lara Pierpoint, Managing Director of Trellis Climate, a program within Prime Coalition. Lara first gives a brief overview of how Trellis Climate came to be, shares how she and Prime Coalition Executive Director, Sarah Kearney, merged their two nonprofits to become Trellis Climate, and touches on the mission of the program. Karan and Lara touch on what types of projects Trellis focuses on and where they see that they fit in the capital stack. They discuss the gap Trellis Climate is aiming to fill in the market, how they are supporting entrepreneurs as they navigate the current political environment, and how philanthropy is stepping up and providing capital in new ways. Lara shares what criteria Trellis looks for when determining who and what to invest in and gives details about her day-to-day responsibilities.

If you’d like to learn more about Prime Coalition, you can check out their website at www.primecoalition.org.

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Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On today's episode, host Karan Takhar, sits down with Heidi Binko, Co-Founder and CEO of Just Transition Fund. They begin with an overview of JTF, the work they are doing in coal communities around the U.S., and a summary of the broader energy landscape. Then, they discuss what happens to a local economy when their coal plant shuts down and how JTF works to support these communities during a time of transition. Heidi and Karan chat about what’s driving coal out of these communities, what strategies JTF employs to reach the hardest hit communities, and what conversations they are having with community members. JTF has helped secure over $2 billion in grants and other assistance and has also aided in connecting coal communities across the nation so they can share what they have done to grow their economy. They touch briefly on federal funding, why investments such as the IRA and the CHIPS Act may not have landed with people in these communities as well as what impact the current federal funding freeze has on energy projects. Finally, Heidi shares her excitement for JTF’s 10-year anniversary. Be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for ways you can get involved with JTF or visit their website https://justtransitionfund.org/.

Resources:

•  What does 'just transition' really mean?, Canary Media, 2022

• Fossil Fuel-Producing Communities Face a 'Cumulative Burden' of Pollution, Poor Health and Job Loss in the US, World Resources Institute, 2023 

• American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears a book by Farah Stockman

Credits:

Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, host Karan Takhar has the pleasure of speaking with Alex Kizer, Executive Vice President of the EFI Foundation. They discuss his background and how his dad inspired him to get involved in the clean energy sector, as well as the mission of EFI Foundation and his role within the company. Alex mentions that during 2024 he helped design a demand-side program for the regional clean hydrogen hubs. They discuss this program, his work alongside the DOE, and how the change in administration might affect that work. Alex shares his thoughts on handling uncertainty and gives insight into what to do as the DOE and the new administration decide on their funding priorities.

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Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, host Karan Takhar has the pleasure of sitting down with Erika Reinhardt, Executive Director, Co-Founder and Board Director for Spark Climate Solutions. This is a jam-packed episode. They discuss the origin of Spark Climate Solutions, the launching of the company, and how Erika met her business partner. We learnabout the sabbatical Erika took to focus on climate more deeply and how that led into her work at Spark. We also discover how Spark sources opportunities, where the funding comes from, and how to get in touch if you’d like to receive a Spark grant. Additionally, Erika touches on the leadership and management principles she’s taken across her work in elections, tech, and climate and the advice she’d give to those just starting out in their careers. We conclude with Erika’s vision for Spark over the next 5 years.

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Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On today’s episode, host Karan Takhar has the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Vanessa Chan, Former Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of the Office of Technology Transitions at the U.S. Department of Energy and current Vice-Dean of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Chan and I speak about the genesis of the Liftoff Reports and how the mantra the DOE has – ‘private sector led, government enabled’ – encourages the private sector to invest in early-stage technologies. They chat briefly about the pathway to commercial liftoff for various technologies and the challenges that come up as those technologies aim to reach widespread adoption. Dr. Chan shares insights she’s gleaned throughout her inspiring career and the advice she would have given herself 5 and 15 years into her professional life.

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Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On today’s episode host Karan Takhar speaks with Jamila Yamani who is the Director of Climate and Energy at Salesforce. They begin by touching on the intersection of AI and sustainability, and Jamila sets the stage for us regarding Salesforce’s new platform, Agentforce. They then launch into Jamila’s day-to-day role and how Salesforce looks at tackling sustainability, including their attempt to drive down their Scope 3 emissions. They discuss the conversations they have with their suppliers and what ultimately drives Saleforce’s desire to lower their emissions. The interview is concluded with some fantastic advice from Jamila to young professionals and to her younger self.

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Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Host Karan Takhar sits down with Terry Paule, CEO of Botanical Water Technologies to discuss how he stumbled into the idea of turning fruit and vegetable waste into water, just how much water can be extracted from these fruits and vegetables, and how vital it is for communities in need. They look at the average amount of water a single person uses to drink and cook on any given day and how Microsoft has teamed up with Botanical Water Technologies to create 60 million liters of water to gift to communities as a way to offset the water they are using in data centers. Terry shares what you and I can do to help support the mission of bringing clean water and sanitation to those in need and lets us in on some staggering statistics, including how 40% of the world does not have access to clean water at any given point. If you’d like to learn ways you can help with such a pressing and important need, visit www.wegrowwater.com for more information about Botanical Water Technologies’ efforts.

Credits:

Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

This episode was recorded on November 18, 2024.

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, host Karan Takhar sits down for a chat with Founding Executive Editor of Cipher, Amy Harder. Cipher is supported by Breakthrough Energy as an education initiative focusing on reporting on climate solutions across the climate and energy fields. As Executive Editor, Amy shares what drew her to reporting on energy and climate, what her journalism process looks like, and ultimately, what her vision is for Cipher. Karan and Amy discuss how Cipher decides which topics to cover, how they are able to focus on being objective while still bringing awareness to the climate problem, and how they make difficult technical topics digestible to a more general audience. Amy gives her perspective on how President Trump’s second presidency might impact the climate field. And, finally, she shares advice for those hoping to become journalists in the climate and energy sector.

If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast yet, be sure to do so, and follow us on all the socials. New episodes go out every Thursday.

Listen to The Zenergy Podcast:

   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5HEZXoEfuDa548Ty81gBWN 

   Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zenergy-podcast-climate-leadership-finance/id1556215421

Follow The Zenergy Podcast on all the socials:  

X (Twitter): @TakharK2

   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Znrg.org

   Instagram: @zen_rgy

   LinkedIn: ZNRG

   YouTube: ZNRG – The ZENERGY Podcast

Connect with Amy:

https://www.ciphernews.com/topics/cleantech-tracker 

https://www.ciphernews.com/articles/with-donald-trump-victory-here-are-his-energy-and-climate-positions/ 

https://kffhealthnews.org/ 

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro 

1:10 - Welcome

1:50 - How outdoor hobbies impact Amy’s passion for climate

4:10 - Cross-country skiing

5:35 - What initially drew Amy to climate journalism

8:25 - Amy’s journalism process

10:30 - The importance of building trust

12:15 - Amy’s role as Executive Editor

13:30 - The process of deciding which stories are covered

16:30 - How the new administration will impact the climate field

18:50 - How will the Inflation Reduction Act be impacted

21:15 - Amy’s vision for Cipher

23:25 -  How Amy keeps track of climate developments on a global level

27:00 - Kaiser Health News

28:40 - How Cipher can be objective and bring awareness to the climate problem

31:40 - How Cipher makes complex topics relatable to a wide audience

35:55 - Shifts in the audience’s priorities over time

37:50 - Advice and insights

41:20 - How Amy’s career was shaped 

Credits:

Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios