The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and Technology

The mission of the Maryland Public Service Commission is to ensure safe, reliable, and economic public utility and transportation service to the citizens of Maryland. Today’s guests are Chair Frederick Hoover and Commissioner Kumar Barve.

Frederick H. Hoover was appointed Chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission by Governor Wes Moore for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2023. He most recently served as Assistant People’s Counsel in the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, representing residential consumers of public utilities, retail energy suppliers and other entities before the Maryland Public Service Commission, courts and federal agencies. Chair Hoover served for more than seven years as director of the Maryland Energy Administration, responsible for coordinating energy policy for the state of Maryland. He subsequently held positions as director of both MEA’s Division of Energy Programs and Division of Renewable Energy. He is a former senior director of the National Association of State Energy Officials, where he directed the electricity policy program including the fuel and grid aspects of both transmission and distribution networks including modernization, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

Kumar P. Barve was appointed to the Maryland Public Service Commission in May 2023 by Governor Wes Moore, to fill out a term ending in June 2024. He was later appointed to a new five-year term to begin July 1, 2024. Prior to his appointment, he had served in the Maryland House of Delegates since 1991, holding leadership roles including Chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee, Majority Leader, and Chair of the Montgomery County House delegation. While in the General Assembly he worked on issues including environmental regulation, energy generation and conservation, and greenhouse gas reduction. Notably, he was the first Indian-American in the country to be elected to a state legislature.

Show Notes:

[2:31] - The mandate of the Public Service Commission is to maintain reliable, safe, affordable, essential utility services to all customers and oversee the impact.

[4:43] - Chair Hoover and Commissioner Barve describe how the Maryland Brighter Tomorrow Act aligns with the state’s overall energy goals.

[9:27] - The energy generation mix is a large complicated process.

[12:40] - There’s a greater use of digital products to control energy usage in the home. Homes have become more efficient.

[13:55] - Eventually there will be a situation where houses, buildings, and cars will be building, storing, and using energy simultaneously.

[14:40] - The United States is currently re-industrializing.

[17:58] - It is part of their responsibility to ensure that the investments that are made by the utility company are made across their distribution system.

[19:27] - Commissioner Barve describes the efforts made and the state’s legislature to aid low and moderate income individuals in Maryland.

[20:30] - Utility companies do not make money off of selling electricity.

[22:38] - Chair Hoover shares the feedback they receive when engaging with utility companies as it pertains to renewable energy.

[24:24] - This is an open and transparent process.

[26:40] - How have prices evolved over the last decade and where are they trending?

[29:55] - Both Chair and Commissioner share what excites them about the work they do.

[32:14] - Both share advice to those who are entering the industry.

Links and Resources:

• Maryland Public Service Commission Website

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast. Today, Karan speaks with Amanda Leland, Executive Director at the Environmental Defense Fund. They talk about her work at the EDF, including what inspires her to stay at the organization for as long as she has, and they discuss the advice she’d give herself at various increments throughout her career journey. They discuss the launching of MethaneSAT, the genesis of the project, and the exciting data it will soon provide. Amanda gives insight on how the EDF is navigating the uncertain political landscape, and she also shares what future breakthroughs she can’t wait to happen. They wrap up with a very fun lightning round, so be sure to stick around until the end of the episode to hear that.

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Listen to The Zenergy Podcast:

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

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

0:38 - Welcome

1:25 - Why Amanda has stayed at EDF for 20 years

3:58 - Amanda’s EDF origin story

5:54 - Advice for those working in environmentalism

8:42 - Turning points/”Aha!” moments

11:10 - MethaneSAT

16:20 - How to engage with stakeholders

19:15 - Leadership

22:15 - Tactics for managing a global organization

24:20 - How Amanda avoids jetlag, and how employees of EDF avoid burnout

27:00 - Book recommendations

30:10 - How EDF navigates political shifts

35:10 - EDF’s role in enforcing EPA rules

37:30 - Amanda’s hopes for the future

39:08 - The ocean could be more a part of the solution to climate change

43:15 - Lightning round of questions, including Amanda’s superpower, favorite historical figure, Amanda’s mantra, etc.

Credits:

Editing: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios

What does it take to scale sustainable technologies from promising ideas to world-changing solutions? That's the challenge at the heart of today's discussion on sustainable energy and climate innovation. Today, we're thrilled to have Eoin Ó hÓgáin, Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Power Sustainable, joining us.

With over 20 years of experience in the energy and climate sector, Eoin brings a wealth of knowledge from his roles at Morgan Stanley, McKinsey & Company, and now Power Sustainable. He'll share insights on the evolution of renewable energy, the challenges of scaling sustainable technologies, and the exciting innovations in areas like food waste reduction.

In this episode, we'll dive into Power Sustainable's ambitious plans to scale up investments from billions to trillions, explore the changing landscape of utilities and renewable energy, and discuss practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the sustainability space.

Get ready for an enlightening conversation that spans from cutting-edge agritech to the future of infrastructure equity. As we unpack the technologies and strategies that are shaping a more sustainable world.

Show Notes:

[02:20] - Eoin has been in the energy and climate space for over 20 years. His first foray into the sector was when he began working for Morgan Stanley.

[04:00] - After getting his MBA, he worked for McKinsey & Company mostly in the energy space.

[05:06] - There isn't a utility in the country that hasn't embraced renewables and has some type of program for storage and energy efficiency.

[06:26] - Power Sustainable is going to scale up from the billions to the trillions. This is why they're in private equity and infrastructure debt.

[08:21] - Utilities are stakeholders in the energy system. Twenty years ago there was a significant degree of cynicism about renewable energy.

[18:22] - They have a private equity strategy on the agra foods side. One of the projects they are tackling is food waste which is 8% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

[19:38] - They're working on a powder that can turn food waste into food for your plants.

[20:41] - The technologies are there, it's just a challenge to get them in the hands of people who will use them.

[22:28] - The investment teams are trying to hit a return target while having a climate sustainability impact.

[23:48] - The challenge with infrastructure equity is to supply enough capital and scale it up.

[25:07] - How the investment landscape has evolved since the founding of Power Sustainable.

[29:42] - It's exciting that we can see and feel the impact of these initiatives. There are astonishing technologies and businesses that deserve to be supported.

[30:45] - Keep end users front and center. It's unlikely a project will get to scale if people can't see the benefits for themselves.

Links and Resources:

• Power Sustainable
• Eoin Ó hÓgáin LinkedIn
  

NY Green Bank is a New York State-sponsored investment fund dedicated to filling financing gaps in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure markets. Their investments contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, energy efficiency, clean energy generation, and the mobilization of private capital in key market sectors.

NY Green Bank uses public capital to mobilize private investment into underserved green sectors, filling market gaps and advancing public climate targets, with the goal of enabling private investors to expand their sustainable infrastructure portfolios in a meaningful way. The green bank model has been active and growing for over a dozen years, with green banking institutions operating at the local, state, regional, and national levels, both as government-affiliated agencies and as independent non-profits.

Kaitlin Butler is a Vice President on NY Green Bank’s Investment and Portfolio Management team where she supports the origination, evaluation, and execution of scalable clean energy and efficiency project investments across New York State. Prior to joining NY Green Bank, Ms. Butler was on the investment team at Mobility Capital, supporting deal sourcing and execution, fundraising, and impact measurement for next-generation transportation solutions. She is also a 2021 Clean Energy Leadership Institute Fellow in the inaugural New York CELI cohort, aiming to advance the just energy transition in New York and beyond.

Show Notes:

[2:45] - Kaitlin describes what NY Green Bank is and what they are focused on.

[3:45] - Before her work at NY Green Bank, Kaitlin found herself working in investment banking.

[5:05] - One key objective of NY Green Bank from the start has been to close financing gaps.

[7:41] - Kaitlin walks us through the process of lending and financing projects and shares how they are working to close financing gaps.

[10:17] - Kaitlin shares that they are very excited about the Storage Roadmap and incentives by NYSERDA.

[12:34] - One of the ways to get started with NY Green Bank is by speaking with Kaitlin and through a portal on their website.

[14:33] - There are some exciting changes in IRA legislation that impact tax equity.

[16:50] - A great idea can come from any developer. NY Green Bank reviews all applications.

[18:32] - Every time a transaction is closed, it is published on the NY Green Bank website. Kaitlin shares what other metrics are available to view.

[20:58] - NY Green Bank is not here to compete with private capital.

[22:34] - In the climate space, Kaitlin is most excited about recent federal fund mobilization.

[24:17] - Don’t start with skills, start with values.

[25:36] - There are tons of resources and organizations to help learn climate finance and a lot of opportunities since there is so much work to do.

Links and Resources:

• NY Green Bank Website

The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and the environment. To accomplish this mission, the EPA strives to develop and enforce regulations, provide grants, study environmental issues, sponsor partnerships, teach people about the environment, and publish information to keep the public informed.

Sanjay Seth is Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor for Climate and Equity for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1, which is a 550-person unit of the EPA focused on the New England region. In this role, he supports the Regional Administrator to craft and implement policy, planning, operations, and personnel strategies across all programs, with a focus on climate change, environmental justice, and regional implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act programs.

Show Notes:

[1:25] - Sanjay shares his background and his current role at the EPA. For him, climate work is incredibly exciting but also very challenging.

[4:12] - People who have done the least harm to our climate are experiencing the most grief about its decline.

[5:43] - How do we leverage private capital, promote energy and independence, lower costs, and help communities that have been left behind?

[6:47] - There are three components to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Sanjay explains how the funds are invested in the community.

[10:08] - How is the distribution structured so communities can access these grants and funds?

[13:46] - Sanjay shares some of the recent successes experienced at the EPA.

[17:37] - How does the EPA work with communities to have an impact?

[19:37] - Assisting with technology and increasing access to grants and subgrants are some of the efforts of the EPA.

[21:47] - Working in climate is living in the space between optimism and skepticism to try to figure out how we make lasting progress.

[23:59] - Sanjay discusses some of the challenges he’s seen occur that they have worked on finding solutions for.

[26:30] - There are always going to be challenges and barriers when doing impactful work.

Links and Resources:

• Environmental Protection Agency Website