Energy Switch

Climate change is affecting everyday lives. Record-breaking temperatures, melting ice and more frequent coastal flooding are just some of the intensifying risks communities face as the globe continues to warm. Dr. Steve Koonin, a former U.S. Secretary of Science, and Dr. Michael Greenstone, Director of the Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago, describe the impacts of climate change.

Hydraulic fracturing made gas abundant, which made it cheap. This allowed gas to replace coal in our power sector. Though gas has lower carbon emissions, it’s still not carbon free. Dr. Naomi Boness, Managing Director of the Natural Gas Initiative at Stanford University and Rachel Fakhry, Analyst for the Climate & Clean Air programs at the National Resources Defense Council.

In many countries, solar and wind are now the cheapest new generation to install, though they provide just 4% of global electricity today. Scaling up 25X would be an extraordinary challenge, but they make power without carbon. Could wind and solar one day power the world, or not? Robert Bryce, a best-selling author, and Leia Guccione, Managing Director of Carbon Free Electricity at RMI.

Renewables make power without carbon, but can they scale up? Solar and wind enjoy favorable public opinion now, but some say that once consumers realize the materials, mining and land use required for such an expansion, public opinion may turn. Leia Guccione and Robert Bryce continue the conversation about whether or not solar and wind could one day power the world.

Countries are excited about hydrogen as a way to reduce their CO2 emissions, but costs need to come down and continued technological and manufacturing developments will be required for hydrogen to compete. Dr. Julio Friedmann, a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Dr. Steve Hamburg, the Chief Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, discuss.

​​Transitioning the developed world toward lower carbon energies, and the developing world toward having enough energy, are grand and sometimes conflicting challenges. Both will cost trillions of dollars. Where will this money come from? Deborah Byers, Partner and Americas Industry Leader at EY, and Ken Medlock, the Senior Director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University, discuss.

The world is changing - and so is the world of energy. Many experts think coal, oil and natural gas will remain our largest global energy sources. Meanwhile, solar and wind become more affordable, encouraging their growth worldwide. Sec. Ernie Moniz, the 13th United States Secretary of Energy, and Dr. Dan Yergin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, discuss the new geopolitics of energy, discuss.

Nuclear proponents say we can’t meet climate goals without expanding the fleet and pursuing new nuclear technologies, while opponents say cost and time are the main issues. Will nuclear power play a role in decarbonizing the electricity sector? Dr. Arjun Makhijani, the President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, and Michael Shellenberger, a best-selling author, discuss.

If we are to meet decarbonization targets, each nuclear plant could take over a decade to permit and construct, while alternatives could be deployed in a few years. The conversation continues between Dr. Arjun Makhijani and Michael Shellenberger about whether or not expanding nuclear power will play a significant role in decarbonizing the electricity sector, in the US and globally.

Energy sustainability can be grouped into three areas: Environmental: can an energy resource operate in equilibrium with the environment? Sociopolitical: do its benefits enrich broad society? Economic: can it operate profitably to support itself. Dr. Bridget Scanlon, Senior Research Scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, and Sean O’Donnell, Partner at Quantum Energy, discuss.

Carbon-based fuels provide more than 80% of global energy. To reduce emissions will take time and money. What are the benefits of a carbon tax? Or would it be more effective to encourage carbon-reducing technologies? Dr. Billy Pizer, the Vice President of Research and Policy Engagement at Resources for the Future, and Sasha Mackler, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Policy Center discuss.

​​The oil and gas industry provides 10 million US jobs and billions to the economy. But investors are fleeing due to CO2 concerns and declining returns. Could a system built on low carbon energies replace the benefits of oil and gas? Dr. David Victor, a Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at UC San Diego, and Matt Gallagher, former CEO of Parsley Energy, discuss.