
Energy Impact Podcast
The Energy Impact Podcast features world-renowned experts across international energy policy and project finance along with regular news updates from leading journalists specializing in energy innovation and business.

Ep 91: Evelyn Wang - Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy
May 22, 2023
1. What sparked Director Wang’s interests in science and technology and how she got into the energy field
2. How innovation, discoveries, and ideas turn into real world applications
3. Examples of programs that have made the full journey from research and development to the commercial space
4. How ARPA-E encourages innovators and program directors to ponder potential policy and regulatory challenges, as well as some of ARPA-E’s goals

Ep 90: Joel Makower - Chairman and Co-Founder, GreenBiz Group
May 15, 2023
1. How Joel found his way to his current vocation and the background that led him there
2. The story of how GreenBiz came to be and the keys to creating successful professional events, as well as the learning environment they help to foster
3. The expansive topic of trust and its relation to corporations, their leaders, and the sustainability narrative
4. The positive tipping points of climate change and how we get there - What’s in need of the biggest nudge forward

Ep 89: Lissie Garvin - Foundation and Fellowship Program Director, 776 Foundation
May 9, 2023
1. How the 776 Fellowship Program came to be and Lissie’s journey to her current position as Foundation and Fellowship Director
2. A highlight of the first cohort of fellows and the impressive companies they’ve started
3. The process of choosing fellows and a glimpse into where they might take their companies and visions in the future
4. How Gen Z is impacting the road to net zero already, and how they might continue this trend in coming years

Ep 88: Sheri Givens - President and CEO, Smart Electric Power Alliance
May 5, 2023
1. Sheri’s unique background and her fascinating journey from legislation to energy
2. How SEPA works to facilitate dialog and provide their members with honest information in the spirit of collaboration
3. The ways in which SEPA collaborates with the government and complements their efforts
4. SEPA’s mission to achieve equity in the carbon free transition and the projects which support this goal

Ep 87: Brynne Kennedy - Managing Partner and Co-Founder, BCP Ventures
April 27, 2023
1. How gymnastics, liberal arts and financial analysis coalesced in the early days of Brynne’s path to BCP Ventures
2. Brynne’s founding of Topia and what it taught her, as well as her time as a 2020 Nominee for US Congress
3. A look at a few of the innovative companies BCP Ventures is currently working with
4. A summary of BCP’s thesis and how their vision is leading them into the future

Ep 86: Robert Höglund - Climate Advisor, Marginal Carbon
April 21, 2023
1. Robert’s background in communications and his motivations of problem solving and bringing about impact in the world
2. Why carbon removal is important for the broader goal of net zero
3. How voluntary first movers can make an impact in the catalyzing of new climate technologies
4. Robert’s belief in the “abundance agenda” of building great amounts of fossil-free power as fast as possible, and what this could mean for the transition to net zero

Ep 85: Ben Baker - Managing Director, Greenbacker Capital
April 21, 2023
1. Ben’s transition from liberal arts and how learning to communicate with all kinds of people helped him evolve into his current role at Greenbacker Capital
2. A choice to go back into work with renewables and how development turns into investable assets
3. A deep dive into Greenbacker’s mission and what this vision has to do with developing sustainable infrastructure
4. Ben’s two predictions for where things are headed in the renewable space

Ep 84: Tom Thackray - Programme Director for Decarbonisation, Confederation of British Industry
April 11, 2023
1. Tom’s longtime interest in politics and how it led him to the Confederation of British Industry, as well as what CBI is all about
2. What success and progress looks like through the lens of CBI
3. How the European energy crisis is currently playing a role in the energy sector, supply, and consumer opinions
4. Tom’s outlook on where the energy sector has positively progressed in the last five years

Ep 83: Guy Newey - CEO, Energy Systems Catapult
April 11, 2023
1. Guy’s journey to the clean energy space - The pathway from crime-focused journalism to Energy Systems Catapult
2. The success of renewable energy systems and the next wave of challenges that may come along with them
3. A deep dive into the recent success of Energy Systems Catapult and what they’ve been up to for the past five years
4. How to encourage consumers to join the movement to net zero

Ep 82: Rachel Kropa - Managing Director, FootPrint Coalition
April 4, 2023
1. Rachel’s varied background in biochemistry, entertainment and working with environmental nonprofits, as well as how it all came together in her current role
2. The need to address climate change on a global scale, as well as the communication and realizations that come along with this need
3. An exploration of Rachel’s work with early-career researchers
4. The next steps for the FootPrint Coalition - How science and business coalesce

Ep 81: Lily Frencham - CEO, The Association for Decentralised Energy
March 27, 2023
1. What peaked Lily’s interest in energy and climate change and how her background in communications and law eventually led her to Rarotonga and beyond
2. Lily’s arrival in London, living under the stairs, and her start at Ofgem
3. A deep dive into the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) and whether or not consumers have a choice in where their energy comes from
4. How communications, social media and technology can play a massive role in the energy sector

Ep 80: DJ Nordquist - Executive Vice President, Economic Innovation Group
March 13, 2023
1. DJ's impressive and varied background in the political, energy, and economic spaces, among others
2. A deep dive into DJ's time as the US Executive Director of The World Bank group, as well as some of her many Board Member and Advisor positions
3. A discussion of the progression of green energy and how energy is being developed and handled in varying countries
4. A quick discussion of nuclear energy and DJ's recent piece, "The World Needs More Nuclear Power," for Foreign Affairs