Shows
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyBrandon Oyer | Head of America’s Power & Water, Amazon Web ServicesWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan sits down with Brandon Oyer, Head of America’s Power & Water at Amazon Web Services. Brandon shares his role at Amazon and how he became involved at the company. They then discuss how Amazon is using AI to get more power onto the grid, how much demand comes from traditional cloud computing vs AI, and Amazon's plan to be net-zero carbon by 2040. Brandon shares several sustainability projects Amazon is currently involved in, and we get a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to supply a region with more power. If you enjoy to...2025-07-2439 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyJaclyn Presnal | VP, New Energy Ventures - WilliamsWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan has the pleasure of sitting down with Jacyln Presnal, VP of New Energy Ventures at Williams. Jacyln and Karan discuss how she first got connected with Williams 20 years ago, what inspired her to work in the energy field, and the advice she’d give herself back in university. She currently leads the New Energy Ventures team and shares the ends and outs of the projects her team works on. They discuss where natural gas fits into the energy transition, the lead time of gas turbines compared to demand, and how gas suppliers pl...2025-07-1730 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyHon. Andrew Wheeler | Former EPA Administrator and Current Partner and Head of Federal Affairs at Holland & HartWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today host Karan Takhar has the honor of speaking with Andrew Wheeler. Andrew was one of the EPA Administrators during President Trump’s first term and is current Partner and Head of Federal Affairs at Holland & Hart. They discuss what drew Andrew to working in environmental policy and what experiences and decisions guided him to land his role at the EPA. Andrew shares his leadership style, what it takes to lead a large organization, and the value of being present, taking questions, and listening. They then go on to discuss more current affairs and An...2025-07-1242 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyMike Kramer | Vice President of Data Economy Strategy, ConstellationWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On this episode, host Karan Takhar is joined by Mike Kramer, Vice President of Data Economy Strategy at Constellation. As the AI boom takes shape, the demand on data centers to have 24/7, reliable power is increasing. Karan and Mike discuss how nuclear power could be part of the solution to increasing this supply. They chat about how nuclear has evolved over the past few decades and where it is today as well as why it hasn’t taken off in the ways some hoped it would. They also discuss the trajectory of AI-related energy de...2025-07-0341 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDerrick Flakoll | Senior Policy Associate, BloombergNEFWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On this episode, Karan chats with Derrick Flakoll, Senior Policy Associate for BloombergNEF. They sit down for a timely conversation about the tax reconciliation bill. As you may know, the reconciliation bill (colloquially referred to as the “Big Beautiful Bill”) has passed through the House and is now being deliberated in the Senate, and it could have major effects on some of the provisions provided in the I.R.A. Derrick helps us understand what’s at stake by breaking down the bill, first giving us an overview of how the bill looks in its cu...2025-06-2638 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyC’pher Gresham | Co-Founder & Co-Organizer of DC Climate Week; Co-Founder of Gridvolve; Co-Founder of Front RowWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! As we conclude our DC Climate Week series, it seems only fitting that we end with an interview by one of the founders and organizers of the event, C’pher Gresham. C’pher and Karan sit down to discuss the genesis of DC Climate Week, how it aims to bring the DC community together for a great cause, and how it all started with a question: What does DC need? C’pher breaks down the logistics of putting together such a big event and we learn how the decentralized structure of DC Climate Week works...2025-06-1733 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDave Turk | Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. DOEWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan has the honor of speaking with Former Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy, Dave Turk. Dave and Karan reflect on Dave's time at the DOE where he led the design and rollout of some of the most ambitious clean energy policies in U.S. history. They discuss his day-to-day schedule, leadership takeaways, and the power of hiring the right people in the right jobs. They also chat about H.R.1 (commonly referred to as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’) and how the rollback efforts of the Trump administration on clea...2025-06-1243 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyAlan Young | Senior Advisor on Extractives Strategy and the World Circular Economy Forum, Circular Economy Leadership Canada and Director of MERGWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! This is the third interview in a series of interviews host Karan Takhar has been conducting at D.C. Climate Week. Today, he has the pleasure of speaking with Alan Young. Alan is the Senior Advisor on Extractives Strategy and the World Circular Economy Forum for the Circular Economy Leadership in Canada. He is also the Director of MERG (Materials Efficiency Research Group). Karan and Alan speak about the intersection of extractives and sustainability in Canada and North America, what the biggest barriers are to getting more processing capacity, and Alan provides a helpful...2025-06-0525 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFrancesco Maria Graziani | Climate & Energy Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to the United StatesWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! As mentioned on last week’s episode, host Karan Takhar recently had the pleasure of attending DC Climate Week where he sat down with several climate leaders. One of these leaders was Francesco Maria Graziani, Climate and Energy Counsellor and Delegation of the European Union to the United States. In this episode, they discuss Europe’s clean energy goals, its take on critical materials and healthier supply chains, and its transatlantic partnership with the U.S. Francesco provides insight into the drafting of the European Commission’s new renewable energy directive. They discuss how the en...2025-05-2929 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyJohn Holm | Senior Vice President of Partnership Development, Pyxera GlobalWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Karan recently had the pleasure of attending DC Climate Week where he sat down with today’s guest, John Holm. John is Senior Vice President of Partnership Development at Pyxera Global, a company aiming to solve big problems one community at a time. They discuss what drew John into this line of work and how he transitioned to Pyxera Global. Then, Karan and John chat about the company’s mission, how they have been able to engage the private sector in meaningful and effective ways, and how they are helping companies to unlock the mant...2025-05-2225 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDan Thompson | Principal Research Analyst covering Datacenter Services and Sustainability, S&P Global Market IntelligenceWelcome 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...2025-05-1543 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyBradley Pischea | National Director of the Land & Liberty Coalition, Conservative Energy NetworkWelcome 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...2025-05-0834 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyLara Pierpoint | Managing Director for Trellis Climate, Prime CoalitionWelcome 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...2025-04-2435 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyHeidi Binko | Co-Founder & CEO of Just Transition FundWelcome 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 hi...2025-04-1041 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyAlex Kizer | Executive Vice President, EFI FoundationWelcome 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...2025-04-0336 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyErika Reinhardt | Executive Director, Co-Founder, and Board Director for Spark Climate SolutionsWelcome 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 Sp...2025-03-2735 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDr. Vanessa Chan | Vice-Dean of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University of PennsylvaniaWelcome 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...2025-03-2026 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyJamila Yamani | Director of Climate and Energy at SalesforceWelcome 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 fan...2025-03-1334 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyTerry Paule | Co-Founder & CEO, Botanical Water TechnologiesWelcome 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...2025-03-0634 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyAmy Harder | Executive Editor, CipherThis 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...2025-02-2746 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyJason Hochman | Co-Founder & Executive Director, Direct Air Capture CoalitionWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan sits down with Jason Hochman, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Direct Air Capture Coalition to discuss the genesis of DACC as well as what the early days of getting the company off the ground looked like and the four pillars they operate under. They dive into how to engage with policy makers and how the inflation reduction act and infrastructure bill assist in building up the direct air capture industry. Jason walks us through a few direct air capture projects to explain exactly how this process happens and shares why it’s im...2025-02-2057 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyBen Rubin | Executive Director & Co-Founder, Carbon Business CouncilThis episode was recorded on September 25, 2024.Welcome toThe Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan has the pleasure of sitting down with Ben Rubin, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Carbon Business Council. They start off by chatting briefly about his 5,000-mile bus tour for the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit then dive into the genesis behind Carbon Business Council. Next, Karan and Ben look at the building of his team and board as well as the various work streams within the organization. They then turn toward a report CBC released that focuses on the intersection between utilities...2025-02-1341 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyAndrew Herscowitz | CEO of Mission 300 (M300) Accelerator, RF Catalytic Capital, The Rockefeller FoundationWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan sits down with Andrew Herscowitz, CEO of the Mission 300 Accelerator established by the Rockefeller Catalytic Capital at the Rockefeller Foundation. They discuss Andrew’s impressive career as well as how the M300 accelerator originated. Then, they look at what some of the biggest challenges to achieving electricity access for 300 million Africans by 2030 are and how they plan to address these challenges. Plus, they talk through blending renewable energy technologies with productive use appliances. Andrew shares how listening to those who are on the ground is key to being successful and gives his ad...2025-02-0648 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDoreen M. Harris | President & CEO, NYSERDAThis episode was recorded on November 15, 2024.
Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, host, Karan Takhar speaks with Doreen Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. To begin, Doreen shares her vision for the future and what role NYSERDA will play in achieving that vision. In addition, Doreen and Karan discuss the challenges that may arise as New York aims towards reaching their many important, renewable energy goals. They briefly chat about the South Fork Wind Project, the first commercial scale offshore wind project in the U...2025-01-3019 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyKomal Kaul | Co-Founder of Isotonik Solutions / Founder of Sam India Project / YPO Impact Network ChairWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, host, Karan Takhar has a chat with Komal Kaul, Co-Founder of Isotonik Solutions, Founder of Sam India Project, and YPO Impact Network Chair. They speak primarily about her time at the YPO Impact Network. She gives a brief overview of the network, how it works, who is involved, and shares some key initiatives she’s worked on as chair. They touch on how YPO connects with people from the communities they engage with and how they get them to attend their conferences. They talk about the evolution of social impact and business, how the...2025-01-2338 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyKate Kelly | Chief of Staff, Avalanche FusionWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On today’s episode, Karan interviews Kate Kelly, Chief of Staff at Avalanche Fusion. They begin with a brief overview of nuclear fusion and why it’s considered a potential game changer for global energy systems then discuss important metrics Avalanche Fusion has been reaching lately, the equipment they use, and how the “test, fail, fix” model used at places like Blue Origin works for them. Karan and Kate also discuss the major barriers to commercializing nuclear fusion, how the company navigates funding and investment among high costs for research, and how the public’s view of...2025-01-1643 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyJoel Armin-Hoiland | Founder & CEO, Climate Finance SolutionsWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On today’s episode, Karan interviews Joel Armin-Hoiland, Founder and CEO of Climate Finance Solutions. They start off with an overview of the work CFS is doing followed by a look into Joel’s background and the origin story behind the company. Then, they discuss what’s driven the growth of the grant funding ecosystem in recent years, what elements of a grant proposal are most compelling to funders, and how companies can position themselves well to be able to achieve a high probability of success in receiving funding. They also talk about how early...2025-01-0942 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyPaul Straub | Co-Founder and Managing Director, Wireframe VenturesWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan sits down with Paul Straub, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Wireframe Ventures. To start, Paul shares his journey to co-founding Wireframe Ventures and the learnings they had while building their very first fund. He then discusses how they were able to raise a fund at a time when clean tech 1.0 had just happened, how raising funds has evolved over time, and where the landscape of the VC climate funds is headed. Karan and Paul also talk about how Wireframe Ventures sources opportunities, what the company looks for in founders, and how they...2025-01-0238 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyKristin Barbato | Co-Founder and President of Dynamo Energy HubThanks for tuning into The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan Takhar sits down with Kristin Barbato, Co-Founder and President of Dynamo Energy Hub. They discuss the launching of Dynamo Energy Hub, how it survived the pandemic, what the company does and how they do it, and how this has evolved over time. They talk about the scale of the company, their business model, the Dynamo Deal Flow program, the various events they put on, and how to get in touch if you’re an entrepreneur or investor. Kristin gives guidance to early-stage entrepreneurs and shares the most surprising deal she’s se...2024-12-2649 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyBrian DiMarino | Deputy Director of Global Sustainability, J.P. MorganWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! On today's episode, host Karan Takhar speaks with Brian DiMarino, Deputy Director of Global Sustainability at J.P. Morgan. They discuss J.P. Morgan’s new all-electric HQ building and all its sustainability features, they talk about the power purchase agreements J.P. Morgan is making, and discuss navigating the balance of financial benefits with sustainability benefits, as well as what inspired Brian’s shift from the real estate side to the sustainability side. Then, Brian and Karan chat about exciting, new technologies J.P. Morgan is keeping its eye on, its partnership with Clim...2024-12-1946 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyMona E. Dajani | Global Co-Chair of Energy Infrastructure & Hydrogen, and Co-Chair of the Energy Sector, Baker BottsWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, host Karan Takhar speaks with Mona E. Dajani, Global Co-Chair of Energy Infrastructure & Hydrogen and Co-Chair of the Energy Sector at Baker Botts. They discuss her career journey, what drew her to the energy sector, and how she creates deal structures for large scale renewable projects. Mona then walks us through one of the most challenging and rewarding deals she’s worked on and gives advice to lawyers and developers navigating their own deals. Karan and Mona discuss the soft skills needed to do the job and how to figure out what the ot...2024-12-1227 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyPete Schork | Principal, Broadscale GroupThanks for tuning into The Zenergy Podcast! On today’s episode, Karan sits down with Pete Schork, Principal at Broadscale Group. Pete and Karan start off with a fun lightning round of questions leading into his role at Broadscale, how he sources investment opportunities, and an explanation of Broadscale’s mission: “Disruption for good.” They discuss how Broadscale balances the “disruption” part of their mission while ensuring their investments drive positive outcomes, Pete shares examples of companies they have invested in that have driven positive outcomes, including M-KOPA and Arcadia, and they talk about Broadscale’s unique model of working with c...2024-12-0547 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyJon Glass | Senior Technology-to-Market Advisor, DOE ARPA-EWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast. Today, host Karan Takhar sits down with Jon Glass, Senior Technology-to-Market Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy or ARPA-E. They discuss his role at ARPA-E and how the opportunity to work there came about as well as what inspired him to do this kind of work. Jon shares an overview of ARPA-E’s process, how companies or academics can get involved, and how much weight ARPA-E puts on which early-stage companies have the most potential to bridge the gap from bold research to commercialization. They go on to d...2024-11-281h 10
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyRob Day | Co-Founder of Spring Lane CapitalWelcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan interviews Rob Day, Co-Founder of Spring Lane Capital. Rob and Karan discuss how Rob and his partner founded Spring Lane Capital, what the process was like raising the first fund, and how the company bridges investment gaps in the market. They start of with a lighthearted lightning round of questions then continue with the origin story of Spring Lane Capital and lead into a breakdown of the types of financing rounds entrepreneurs go through. They also discuss how Spring Lane Capital blends project finance with growth capital, talk about the typical ticket...2024-11-2153 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyAmanda Leland | Executive Director, Environmental Defense FundWelcome 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...2024-11-1449 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDimitry Gershenson | CEO & Co-Founder, Enduring PlanetWelcome to The Zenergy podcast! On today’s episode, Karan Takhar speaks with Dimitry Gershenson, CEO & Co-Founder of Enduring Planet. They discuss Dimitry's time living in Kenya and India and how that shaped his perspective on how to approach climate solutions. Dimitry then walks us through the founding of Enduring Planet and the gap in the market they are filling using their unique funding model. Karan and Dimitry discuss Enduring Planet's idea of lending against grants, the average ticket size they lend, and Dimitry breaks down how federal and state grants and procurements are allotted out. He shares his thoug...2024-11-0756 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyYasmeen Shaheen-McConnell | Senior Advisor for the American Climate Corps, AmeriCorpsOn today's episode, Karan Takhar sits down with Yasmeen Shaheen-McConnell, Senior Advisor for the American Climate Corps, AmeriCorps. Yasmeen shares the origin story of the American Climate Corps and how she got involved. They speak about how the Corps recruits its members, how its structured, who can apply, and how an organization wishing to partner with the ACC can do so. Yasmeen then shares how she has been inspired during her time there and how she sees the ACC evolving in the next 5 to 10 years. They end with a lightning round of questions sure to encourage anyone wishing to...2024-10-3137 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyTristan Bel | Platform Director, URBAN-XThe URBAN-X platform provides tailor-made programming, connections and resources to early-stage founders. Founders in their portfolio tackle some of the toughest challenges that cities face today as they confront a new climate reality.
As mechanical engineer, Tristan Bel first designed packaging machines, medical equipment, and consumer goods, and then managed products and operations for a non-profit organization. He moved to New York City in 2010 to focus on innovation and early-stage entrepreneurship, co-founded Topager (urban farming) and Sitrep (urbanism studio) and grew hardware tech incubator NYDesigns into a bustling hub, selecting and coaching over 35 startups. At URBAN-X Tristan...2024-08-2931 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyQuincy Edmund Lee | Founder & CEO at Electric EraTransitioning the global car refill supply chain to electric will take decades of focused and intense work to solve the fundamental engineering challenges required to generate, store, transmit, and distribute electricity for a global fleet of electric cars. The mission is to decarbonize and electrify transportation by powering all of EV charging.
Quincy Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Electric Era, started his professional career as a mechanical engineer at SpaceX. Applying the skills he learned for spacecraft to the climate challenge here on Earth, Quincy is on a mission to make electric vehicles fast-charging, ubiquitous, and affordable...2024-08-0930 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyVivek Pathak | Global Head of Climate Business, International Finance Corporation (IFC)Vivek Pathak is IFC’s Global Head and Director of Climate Business. In this role, he facilitates business growth, provides thought leadership, new product development and facilitates all work related to climate business. He is responsible for identifying new business opportunities for climate business and facilitating the mobilization of capital into this space. Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Pathak was IFC’s Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific, leading advisory and investment operations across 18 countries, which in fiscal year 2020 reached US$4.2 billion in long-term investments, including funds mobilized from other investors. He has extensive emerging markets expe...2022-07-2826 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyWill Hackman | The Climate ExplainerWill Hackman is a conservation and climate policy expert with more than a decade of experience in campaigns and global environmental issue advocacy. Will served as a political fundraiser and campaign manager on four federal races for the U.S. House and Senate as well as a gubernatorial campaign. He then joined the public sector conservation community as a marine fisheries conservation advocate. Will developed a love for the ocean over years working as a commercial Alaskan fisherman. Will has dedicated his career to advancing public policies related to ocean and land conservation as well as energy and the...2022-07-2230 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyJohn Belizaire | CEO of Soluna Holdings (NASDAQ: SLNH)In this episode, we will be talking to John Belizaire, who is the CEO of Soluna Holdings, a company helping to shape the future of renewable energy development. Soluna Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLNH) is currently the leading developer of green data centers that convert excess renewable energy into global computing resources. Prior to starting Soluna and early in his career, Mr. Belizaire was the recipient of the Intel Scholarship Program and after receiving his computer science and engineering degree from Cornell University, went on become the lead architect for Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group. He then subsequently founded a so...2022-07-1539 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyRahul Kitchlu | Senior Energy Specialist, The World Bank GroupRahul Kitchlu is currently the Sector Leader for Infrastructure & Coordinator for the Energy Sector of The World Bank in Hanoi, Vietnam covering the fields of energy, transport, digital development and infrastructure financing. He has about 10 years of experience with the World Bank in renewable energy development, especially in Africa, and has worked in power sector reforms and finance. In this conversation, we explore his work in the Sub-Saharan region, as well as the initiative in Ethiopia. Mr. Kitchlu also elaborates on how World Bank guarantee programs operate in practice, in cases the government does not abide to power purchase...2022-07-0817 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyWilliam Brent | CMO at Husk Power SystemsIn this episode, we will be speaking with William Brent, who is the Chief Marketing Officer at Husk Power Systems, which is one of the world’s leading distributed utilities. In this conversation we discuss everything micro grids, including the opportunities and challenges to scale this innovative emerging technology.
Topics discussed in this episode:
1. Background on Microgrid Technology and Development Goals
2. Economics and Business Models of Microgrid Systems
3. Risk Appetite of Development Finance Community
4. Geopolitics of Energy and the Important Role of Microgrids in the Developing World2022-07-0139 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyLynn Abramson | President of Clean Energy Business Network, U.S. Business Council for Sustainable EnergyIn this episode, I will be speaking with Ms. Lynn Abramson, who leads the Clean Energy Business Network, which is the small business voice for the clean energy economy. CEBN elevates opportunities for small- and midsize clean energy providers through policy support, market and technology education, and business development assistance and its network spans over 6000. I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Ms. Lynn Abramson!
Topics discussed:
1. The evolution of the Clean Energy Business Network
2. Near term obstacles for the growth of the U.S. clean energy economy
3. A...2022-06-2440 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyNeil Chatterjee | Chairman of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (2017-2021)Brief Description: In this episode, we will be speaking with Neil Chatterjee, a former Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Mr. Chatterjee is a policy reformer who broke down market barriers for the entrance of new technologies, particularly for low-carbon technologies. He has been an advocate for harnessing technology to mitigate physical and cyber threats to critical energy infrastructure. Mr. Chatterjee also has experience working as a principal in government relations for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He began his career as a staff member on the House Committee on Ways and Means. Hope...2022-06-1718 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyCraig O'Connor | Head of Renewable Energy & Technology, U.S. Export-Import BankIn this episode, I will be speaking with Craig O’ Connor, the founder of the Renewable Energy Business Development Program at the U.S. Export-Import Bank that, since 2008, has generated over $2 billion in financing for renewable energy projects. We dive into the stories behind Exim’s involvement in financing some of India’s earliest solar projects and also discuss key financing terms that Exim Bank looks for when financing these projects. Hope you enjoy! 2022-06-1033 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyKartikeya Singh | Director at SED FundIn this episode we will be talking to Kartikeya Singh, a director of programs at the SED Fund, where he manages the portfolio to support energy transition efforts around the world. Mr. Singh is also a non-resident fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in the Energy Security and Climate Change Program. In this conversation, we explore different clean energy technologies and how the US and India can collaborate to help both in their pursuit of a cleaner energy future. Hope you enjoy!
Topics covered in this episode:
1. What spurred Mr. Singh's interest in...2022-06-0333 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyRick Rossow | Senior Advisor at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)In this conversation, we speak to Mr. Richard Rossow, a Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which is a leading think-tank based in Washington, D.C. Richard Rossow holds the Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at CSIS. In this role he helps frame and shape policies to promote greater business and economic engagement between the two countries.
Topics covered:
Mr. Rossow's background and what sparked his interest in international affairs
Insight into what role think-tanks such as CSIS have on policy and how they exert i...2022-05-2729 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyClaire Broido Johnson | Co-Founder of SunEdison & Board Member for the Sierra Club FoundationIn this episode we will be speaking with Claire Johnson, a co-founder of SunEdison, which at its peak had a market capitalization of $10 Billion and more than 7,000 employees. Sun-Edison is largely attributed as the pioneer of the US solar industry. In this conversation we discuss the origin story of SunEdison, the ‘solar as a service’ and ‘pay as you use model’ which it pioneered, and some of Ms. Johnson’s key learnings during it all. Hope you enjoy our conversation!
Topics covered:
1. What led Ms. Johnson to work in solar and get involved in co-founding Sun Edison2022-04-1527 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyLinda Silverman | U.S. Department of EnergyIn this conversation we will be speaking with Linda Silverman, who recently retired from the US Department of Energy after spending over 30 years with this government organization. Ms. Silverman and I discuss how the USG energy focus has evolved over time, what the process for multilateral energy events looks like, and also her experience running the world renowned solar decathlon competition. Hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation!
DOE Profile: https://www.energy.gov/eere/contributors/linda-silverman
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lssilverman/
Blog: https://lsinsights.com/blog/ 2022-04-0826 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDan Stein | Chief Economist at IDinsightIn this conversation we will be speaking with Dan Stein, the Chief Economist of IDinsight and the founder of IDinsight’s Giving Green initiative. IDinsight is a mission-driven global advisory, data analytics and research organization that helps global development leaders maximize their social impact. In our conversation we discuss what types of data help maximize climate investments and the work Mr. Stein is engaged in with regards to improving climate outcomes across several emerging markets. Hope you enjoy!2022-03-3121 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyAlexander Hogeveen Rutter | Emerging Clean Technology Lead in Developing Asia, International Finance CorporationIn this conversation we will be speaking with Alexander Hogeveen Rutter who was recently leading the IFC’s market creation efforts for energy storage and green hydrogen in developing Asia, and is now spearheading private sector development initiatives for the International Solar Alliance. In this conversation we dive into the economics of energy storage technology and whether renewable energy systems paired with storage can currently outcompete coal generation plants.
Links to referenced articles:
There is no economic case for new coal plants in India: https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/aloisipdp/21-04.htm
Coal Plant Repurposing for Age...2022-03-2527 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyRajeev Singh | Chief Technology Officer at AutoGridRajeev Singh is the chief technology officer of AutoGrid, a company which is known as a pioneer in the energy management space—and the first company that was backed by Arpa-E to pursue research in smart grid applications. Mr. Singh was AutoGrid’s first engineer, and in this conversation, we discuss AutoGrid’s work with helping grid operators integrate renewable energy. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Singh!
Topics covered in this podcast:
The story behind AutoGrid and Mr. Singh's initial attraction to the company
How AutoGrid leverages...2022-03-1723 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologySameer Shukla | World Bank Energy Head for Europe and Central AsiaSameer Shukla is the Head of Global Energy Practice World Bank for the European and Central Asian regions. Mr. Shukla's background is in finance and energy and he has been working for the World Bank for 24 years. Throughout his career, Mr. Shukla has been working to support countries in energy security and reforms and also to help them successfully manage the energy transition. In this interview, Mr. Shukla discusses the global shift towards sustainable forms of energy, and the important factors which a government must consider as it seeks to create an enabling environment. Mr. Shukla also talks about...2022-03-1125 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyRadhika Thakkar | Board President at Global Association for Off-Grid Solar EnergyIn this episode we will be speaking with Radhika Thakkar, one of the earliest employees of green light planet, a leading global provider of solar home energy products to over 45 million rural consumers that employs over 1000 dedicated individuals. Ms. Thakkar helped expand the company’s presence from India to Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin American within one year of operations, to include hundreds of channel parters in more than 50 countries around the world today. Ms. Thakkar is also the president of the board of directors of Gogla, which is the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry and re...2022-03-0438 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyManoj Kohli | Founding CEO of SoftBank EnergyManoj Kohli is the current head of SoftBank India and the former CEO of Airtel. Mr. Kohli also was the founding CEO of SoftBank Energy (SBE), and was instrumental in enabling SBE to develop 5.5 GW of solar capacity in the Indian market. In this conversation Mr. Kohli shares the story behind what propelled SoftBank to invest in this market in 2015, and how the risks have evolved over the years. This conversation concludes with great guidance to the younger generation — developed from years of experience as a business leader and mentor for countless entrepreneurs.
To...2022-02-2517 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyInderpreet Wadhwa | Founder of Azure Power (NYSE: AZRE)Inderpreet Wadhwa is the founder of Azure Power, which is one of India’s leading renewable energy development companies that has a total installed capacity of 7 GWs.
Azure power was the first renewable energy company to have an IPO and the first of any Indian energy company to list an issuance of solar green bonds in the international market.
In this conversation Mr. Wadhwa explains how he developed Azure Power into one of the most successful energy companies in India and reflects on the challenges the company was able to overcome along the way. Topics cove...2022-02-1836 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyMeagan Fallone | CEO of Barefoot College InternationalMeagan Fallone is the recent CEO and current board member of Barefoot College International, which received a Skoll foundation award for its pivotal work in helping to improve the livelihoods of rural communities across the globe. Barefoot College was founded in 1972 and now has an established presence in 93 countries across the world, with its decentralized energy applications producing 1.6 GW of renewable energy annually. In this conversation we explore Barefoot’s model and how it is able to scale to the world’s most diverse and impoverished regions. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Ms. Meagan Fallone!
2022-02-1727 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyTodeman Assan | Head of Energy Directorate, BeninTodéman F. Assan is the Head of the Ministry of Energy, Water and Mines in Benin. Benin is importantly situated in West Africa and is where the HQ for the West African Power Pool is based. In this interview, Mr. Assan discusses the West African renewable energy landscape, the challenges that have to be overcome for its development and the process of formulating solar projects across this region. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Mr. Assan!
Topics to be discussed:
[1:40] A Brief introduction to Mr. Assan
[2:40] What is th...2022-02-1021 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyGaurav Gupta | Global Managing Partner, Dalberg AdvisorsGaurav Gupta is the Global Head of Dalberg’s Energy practice, which is one of the world's top impact consulting firms. As the founder of Dalberg's Asia practice, Mr. Gupta has been a key contributor for Dalberg's growth and primarily focuses his efforts in the areas of energy access, sustainability, access to education, and poverty alleviation. In this conversations, Mr. Gupta breakdowns decentralized energy applications and provides his perspective on what he believes the future of energy to look like.
Topics covered in this podcast
1. A brief introduction of the spea...2022-01-2824 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyVaishali Sinha | Co-Founder of ReNew Power (NASDAQ: RNW)
Vaishali Sinha is a founding member of ReNew Power and president of the ReNew Foundation, which is the largest renewable energy development company in India, with more than 10 GW’s of operational capacity. In our conversation, Ms. Sinha shares what the early days of ReNew looked like, how the idea came about, and what were the key inflection points in the company's journey. Additionally, this podcast episode includes a clip of our conversation with Anand Gupta, who led ReNew’s recent acquisition efforts for Climate Connect.
Topics covered in this podcast:
[2:00] What differ...2022-01-2034 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDan Croft | Founder of Scaling Solar Program, International Finance CorporationDan Croft is a founding member of the IFC scaling solar program and was instrumental in developing and implementing IFC's so-called ‘Upstream’ strategy. He has been involved in the renewable sector since the beginning of his career, and has extensive experience advising governments and other authorities on how to form public-private partnerships in the energy sector. In this interview, Mr. Croft gives us an insight into the African solar market, what the challenges for renewable energy integration are across several African countries, and why storage will play such a key role moving forward. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Cr...2022-01-1426 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyBenson Mwakina | Director of Renewable Energy, Kenya's Ministry of EnergyBenson Mwakina is the Director of Renewable energy in Kenya, and in this capacity, Mr. Mwakina oversees all of the renewable energy initiatives in Kenya which is one of the fastest growing emerging countries located in East Africa. Kenya’s electrification has been one of the success stories, improving from an 8% rate in 2000 to now 75% in 2020. In this conversation, Mr. Mwakina walks us through the government's plans to invest further in solar energy projects and how the country plans to prop up its electricity demand. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Mwakina!
...2022-01-0625 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyAjaita Shah | Founder and CEO of Frontier Markets (Forbes 30 under 30)Ajaita Shah is a social activist and the founder and CEO of Frontier Markets, which has sold over 1 million products to customers across India’s last mile. As Ms. Shah describes it, “Frontier is going to be the Amazon of the last mile,” and in this episode, we explore what led to the founding of Frontier Markets, the initial fears, and how the model as evolved over time. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Ms. Ajaita Shah!
In case interested - transcript link here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GzKwTQ38nHohp8PPlXtUj_YKS3EPCGlQ/view?usp=sha...2021-12-3129 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyLessons From Fulbright ExperienceHi everybody! With all that is happening in India right now - in terms of the covid situation - The Fulbright ZENERGY Podcast is taking a small break
I would like to stand with those who are suffering in this pandemic and also be respectful to my guests who I often ask to share their respective episodes via social media at the time of release
Today I simply will be posting an episode of myself speaking to graduating students on the key lessons I learned through engaging in the Fulbright
Everybody take care...2021-12-1715 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyAnand Shah | Co-Founder of Ola ElectricMr. Anand Shah is the co-founder of Ola Electric, which is India’s largest electric vehicle company. As a leader on the Ola Electric team, Anand Shah helped formulate Ola Electric’s Mission Electric initiative, which seeks to put 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2021. Through this interview, we explore Mr. Shah's perspective on social entrepreneurship, the importance of energy storage and how EVs and renewable energy will shape India in the decade to come. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Shah!
Topics covered in this podcast:
[2:24] Key learnings from int...2021-12-1026 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyMeagan Fallone | CEO of Barefoot College International (repost)Meagan Fallone is the recent CEO of Barefoot College International and current board member, which is a Skoll foundation awardee for its pivotal work in helping to improve the livelihoods of rural communities across the globe. Barefoot College was founded in 1972 and now has an established presence in 93 countries across the world, with its decentralized energy applications producing 1.6 GW of renewable energy annually. In this conversation we explore Barefoot’s model and how it is able to scale to the world’s most diverse and impoverished regions. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Ms. Meagain Fallone!
Topi...2021-12-0227 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyInderpreet Wadhwa | Founder of Azure Power (repost)Inderpreet Wadhwa is the founder of Azure Power, which is one of India’s leading renewable energy development companies that has a total installed capacity of 7 GWs. Azure power was the first renewable energy company to have an IPO and the first of any Indian energy company to list an issuance of solar green bonds in the international market. In this conversation Mr. Wadhwa explains how he developed Azure Power into one of the most successful energy companies in India and reflects on the challenges the company was able to overcome along the way.
Topics covere...2021-11-2535 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Harsh Vardhan Shringla | Foreign Secretary of IndiaMr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla is India’s Foreign Secretary and Former Ambassador of India to the US. In this episode, Foreign Secretary Shringla explains how renewable energy can help India assume a stronger leadership position in the world and simultaneously help combat global warming by cutting down on carbon emissions. Foreign Secretary Shringla also articulates the potential partnerships which can be explored between the US and India in the clean energy space for the future. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Foreign Secretary Shringla!
Topics covered in this podcast:
What will b...2021-11-1814 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Taranjit Sandhu | Honorable Indian Ambassador to the USTaranjit Singh Sandhu is the current Ambassador of India to the US and former High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka. In this conversation, Ambassador Sandhu provides a historical overview of the relationship between India and the US, and talks about how the relationship has evolved over time. Ambassador Sandhu discusses the strengths of the Indian renewable energy market and what steps the government is taking to facilitate greater access for foreign investors.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ambassador Sandhu!
Topics covered in this podcast: How has the US-India relationship evolved over time? Ho...2021-11-1127 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Mukesh Aghi | President & CEO, US-India Strategic Partnership ForumIn this conversation we will be speaking with Mukesh Aghi, the current president and CEO of the US - India Strategic Partnership Forum also known as USISPF. Mr. Aghi has been at the forefront of diplomacy between US and India and in this conversation, we hear from Mr. Aghi about the opportunities and challenges for deeper collaboration between the two countries moving forward. Hope you Enjoy!
Topics discussed in this episode:
1. What led Mr. Aghi to get interested in the US-India space
2. How the idea to form USISPF came about...2021-10-2818 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Nisha Biswal | President of the US-India Business CouncilIn this conversation we will be speaking with Nisha Biswal, the current president of the US-India Business Council and former Assistant Secretary at the US State Department. Ms. Biswal has extensive experience working in the South Asian region, and in this conversation, we hear from Ms. Biswal about how the US-India relationship has evolved over the past decade, what have been some of the main challenges for establishing a free trade agreement, and opportunities for deeper economic engagement between the two countries moving forward. Hope you enjoy!
Topics discussed in this episode:
How has the US-India...2021-10-2121 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Gagan Sidhu | Director of Finance at CEEWIn this conversation we will be speaking with Gagan Sidhu, who heads the Center for Energy Finance at CEEW, one of India’s leading energy think-tanks. In this conversation, we breakdown India’s energy financing landscape: who the major players are, how the industry is structured, how much investment is being driven in currently, and what is required to attract more international investment. Hope you enjoy our conversation!
Topics covered in this episode:
How is the financing side structured? (ex: long-term debt, equity, development capital, etc.)
What role does each player have in the...2021-10-1534 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Rahul Tongia | Head of Energy Group, Brookings IndiaRahul Tongia led the Brookings India sustainability practice which recently has transitioned into the Center for Social and Economic Progress. Dr. Tongia is also a founder of the India smart grid forum and has written extensively on the system level challenges associated with the grid integration of Renewable Energy sources. In this conversation, Dr. Tongia expands on this topic, and breaks down the system levels costs associated with renewable energy integration into its various components. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Tongia!
Topics covered in this podcast:
1. How does the...2021-10-0129 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyManoj Kohli | Founding CEO of SoftBank Energy (repost)Manoj Kohli, the current head of SoftBank India and the former CEO of SoftBank Energy (SBE), was instrumental in enabling SBE to develop 5.5 GW of solar capacity in the Indian market. In this conversation Mr. Kohli shares the story behind what propelled SoftBank to invest in this market in 2015, and how the risks have evolved over the years. This conversation concludes with great guidance to the younger generation — developed from years of experience as a business leader and mentor for countless entrepreneurs.
Topics covered in this podcast:
[2:07] How will renewable energy...2021-09-3017 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Siddharth Singh | Lead India Analyst, International Energy AgencyIn this episode, we speak with Siddharth Singh, author of the “Great Smog of India” and co-lead author of India Energy Outlook 2021 for the International Energy Agency. We have a wide-ranging conversation that dives into this Comprehensive report and touch on topics including renewable energy growth and electricity demand projections, as well as some of the key factors will have a drastic impact these projections. Hope you enjoy this conversation!
Topics Include:
1. How much time is spent collecting data vs. analyzing vs. writing vs. connecting with people when compiling the India Energy Outlo...2021-09-2448 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Pallavi Bishnoi | Principal Energy Investment Specialist, Invest IndiaIn this episode, I will be speaking with Pallavi Bishnoi, who is the Principal Investment Specialist for Renewable Energy at Invest India, and helped guide ReNew Power’s 2 GW solar manufacturing investment efforts. In this conversation, we discuss the work of Invest India, how the investment process generally plays out, what incentives that states are offering to attract manufacturing investment, and the general investment climate in India's energy space. I hope you enjoy this conversation!
Topics Covered:
1. Introduction of role at Invest India
2. How Invest India facilitates investment
3. Process for investing in a...2021-09-1618 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Rajat Verma | CEO of Lohum BatteriesRajat Verma is the CEO of Lohum Batteries, which is an innovative company that focuses on the cell manufacturing and re-configuration of battery storage systems. Mr. Verma received his MS from Stanford and MBA from Harvard and is an alumnus from IIT Kanpur. In this episode we discuss the energy storage landscape, how the supply chain is structured, and the steps India must take to become a stronger player in battery development.
Topics covered in this podcast:
Are investors going to hold off on new investments considering the Covid-19 situation?
Mr. Ve...2021-09-0924 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Vibhav Nuwal | Founder of ReConnect EnergyIn this episode we will be speaking with Vibhav Nuwal, the co-founder of REConnect Energy, which is India's largest REC Trader and one of India’s largest provider of Forecasting, Scheduling and advanced analytics services to the Renewable Energy Sector. We discuss ReConnect's origins and the challenges within the REC market. Hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation!
2021-09-0324 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Rahul Walawalkar | President of India Energy Storage AllianceDr. Rahul Walawakar is currently the Executive Director and the President of the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), which is a premier alliance that focuses on the advancement of energy storage and e-mobility technologies in India. In this conversation, we will explore the initiatives the Indian government has undertaken to advance energy storage capacity in India, as well as the potential for energy storage solutions in the near and long term.
Topics covered in this podcast:
Mr. Walawalkar's journey into renewable energy and energy storage and the reason behind launching the India Energy St...2021-08-2624 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Amit Jain | Senior Energy Specialist, World Bank IndiaAmit Jain is a senior energy specialist at the World Bank India team and former Fulbright scholar with NREL. Mr. Jain worked on the India's first solar project in Gujarat, and also recently led two of the World Bank’s largest solar financing schemes—worth a total of $1.5 billion. In this conversation, we will explore the World Bank’s role in the Indian renewable energy space and how the organization acts as a facilitator of capital. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Jain and Mr. Srey!
Topics covered in this podcast:
An introduction to the sta...2021-08-2021 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyGaurav Gupta | Head of Global Energy Practice, Dalberg (repost)Gaurav Gupta is the Global Head of Dalberg’s Energy practice, which is one of the world's top impact consulting firms. As the founder of Dalberg's Asia practice, Mr. Gupta has been a key contributor for Dalberg's growth and primarily focuses his efforts in the areas of energy access, sustainability, access to education, and poverty alleviation. In this conversations, Mr. Gupta breakdowns decentralized eneryg applications and provides his perspective on what he believes the future of energy to look like.
Topics covered in this podcast
[2:38] A brief introduction of the speaker and th...2021-08-1224 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyPiyush and Vinay Jaju - Co-Founders of ONergy SolarPiyush Jaju & Vinay Jaju
Piyush and Vinay Jaju are brothers and the founders of ONergy Solar, which has won multiple awards for its work in the rural solar space. Mr. Piyush Jaju was a former investment banker and Mr. Vinay Jaju formerly worked for GE in Australia—and the combination of their experiences ultimately led to the idea of ONergy Solar. In this episode we explore the challenges that ONergy has had to overcome over the past decade and how these two brothers are able to continue to evolve in this entrepreneurial journey of...2021-08-0331 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: KVS Baba | Chairman of Indian Government Power Operations (POSOCO)KVS Baba is the chairman and managing director of the Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO), which is the Indian government organization responsible for ensuring the integrated operation of the Grid in a reliable, efficient and secure manner. In this conversation, Mr. Baba provides his perspective on the system level challenges associated with the integration of renewable energy sources. Mr Baba also discusses POSOCO's primary functions and work in the improvement of forecasting the demand for and supply of energy. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Baba!
Topics covered on this podcast:
What are...2021-07-1637 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyDan Croft | Founder of Scaling Solar Program, International Finance CorporationDan Croft is a founding member of the IFC scaling solar program and was instrumental in developing and implementing IFC's so-called ‘Upstream’ strategy. He has been involved in the renewable sector since the beginning of his career, and has extensive experience advising governments and other authorities on how to form public-private partnerships in the energy sector. In this interview, Mr. Croft gives us an insight into the African solar market, what the challenges for renewable energy integration are across several African countries, and why storage will play such a key role moving forward. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Cr...2021-07-1527 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Pramod Deo | India's Longest Serving Electricity Regulator | Former Chairman of CERCPramod Deo is India’s longest serving electricity regulator and former chair of the central electricity regulatory commission. As India’s longest serving regulator, Dr. Deo has been a pioneer in enacting policies that help improve the integration of renewable energy into the Indian energy mix. In this conversation, I ask Dr. Deo about how the Indian electricity system is structured and what the key challenges are for the system moving forward.
In this episode, we also listen to Sushanta Chatterjee, who is the chief regulatory officer of the central electricity regulatory commission, and has been serving for the la...2021-07-0922 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Baldev Singh Sran | Chairman of Punjab State Power Corporation LimitedBaldev Singh Sran is the recent Chairman and Managing Director of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, which is Punjab’s state-run and only distribution company. In his 2-year eventful stint, Mr. Sran brought down the transmission and distribution losses and worked to use resources of private thermal plants for banking of power in winters, for the state to draw in summers. In this interview, we discuss Mr. Sran’s successful undertaking, as well as clarify the concepts of fixed charge and variable charges for thermal power plants. In addition, Mr. Sran provides his views on how to improve the healt...2021-07-0229 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyGaurav Mehta - Founder and CEO of Dharma LifeOne quick note - this was one of my very first recordings - so the audio quality is not as good as it should be (recorded via phone). Please refer to the brilliant case study below to understand much of what we discussed in case you are unable to comprehend some of our conversation. Thank you!
Gaurav Mehta is the founder of Dharma Life and also a leading member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum. To date, Dharma Life has created a network of more than 16000...2021-06-2925 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Arunabha Ghosh | CEO of Council on Energy, Environment & WaterIn this episode I will be speaking with Arunabha Ghosh, the founder and CEO of the Council on Energy Environment and Water (CEEW), which has been anointed as South Asia’s leading energy and environment think-tank. Dr. Ghosh was also instrumental in the formulation of the International Solar Alliance and Clean Energy Access network, and in this episode, Dr. Ghosh discusses his beliefs on how the US can help partner with India for the global development of renewable energy. Dr. Ghosh also touches upon his belief on how to attract long-term debt financing to the rural energy market and wha...2021-06-2528 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: CP Poonacha | Managing Director of Commercial and Power Sectors, DLF GroupC. P. Poonacha, is the Head of Commercal Operations at DLF Group and the Managing Director of DLF Power and Services Limited. The DLF Group is India's largest real estate company and in this conversation, Mr. Poonacha discusses DLF’s real estate expansion plans and how renewable energy will be integrated. Further, Mr. Poonacha shows what variables need to be considered, in order for customers to more willingly and easily adopt solar energy into their porftolios. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Poonacha!
Topics covered in this podcast:
[1:50] Mr. Poonacha introdu...2021-06-1330 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Piyush Mathur | CEO of Simpa Energy | CoFounder of Clean Energy Access NetworkPiyush Mathur
Piyush Mathur is the recent CEO and long-running CFO of Simpa Energy. Mr. Mathur has been attributed to helping Simpa scale and expand to 22 more districts in 3 states, employing 700 full-time staff and 3000 village level entrepreneurs. Simpa is well-known for its unique usage of technology, which we will explore in this conversation with Mr. Mathur. In this episode, Mr. Mathur also explains the key decision components which one must evaluate prior to scaling into a new area and what he believes to be the future of the energy sector.
Topics co...2021-06-0328 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Anjali Garg | Climate Finance Specialist, International Finance Corporation (IFC)Anjali Garg is the manager of the IFC’s Lighting Asia India Program. The IFC Lighting Asia India initiative, through helping portfolio companies scale their operations, has been a key catalyzer of the rural energy access ecosystem in India. Ms. Garg has helped spearhead these efforts and in this interview, we will explore the development of the rural energy market over the past decade, and the work the IFC has engaged in, in this space. I would like to give a special thanks to Ms. Garg, who has been absolutely instrumental in enabling this interview series.
...2021-05-2828 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Kamal Lath | CFO of D.LightKamal Lath is the managing director and former CFO of D.Light, which just recently reached the 100 million rural product milestone. Mr. Lath was instrumental in helping D.Light raise 100 million dollars in funding during a difficult time, providing thus an important inflection for D.Light in its mission. In this episode Mr. Lath discusses the company's journey and many challenges they had to overcome to reach their goals. Mr. Lath concludes by providing his views on the decentralized energy landscape and the potential it has to move forward. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Lath!
2021-05-2132 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Tushar Devidayal | Founder and CEO of Devidayal SolarTushar Devidayal is the founder of Devidayal Solar, which provides innovative cooling solutions to the last mile. Mr. Devidayal was the former CEO of Devidayal Chemicals which was one of the top ten pesticide and chemical processing companies in India. In this episode, we will explore Mr. Devidayal's journey, and his motivations behind wanting to launch a solar company, after having such a successful career in the corporate space. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Devidayal!
Topics covered in this podcast:
[1:50] Mr. Devidayal provides background into a unique challenge th...2021-05-1523 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Hemant Sahai | Founding Partner at HSA AdvocatesHemant Sahai, the founding partner of HSA Advocates, which is one of India’s leading and most active law firms in the renewable energy space. In this conversation, Mr. Sahai provides insight into how the energy landscape is evolving from a legal standpoint, and how the courts have responded to instances where discoms have renegaded from contract commitments. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Sahai!
Topics covered in this podcast:
[0:09] Mr. Sahai introduces himself and his involvement in the energy sector in India
[5:35] The context around DISCOMs and their del...2021-04-0824 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Sidharath Kapur | CEO of Acme Solar HoldingsSidharath Kapur is the recent CEO of Acme Solar, which is India’s largest utility scale solar development company. In this conversation Mr. Kapur discusses renewable energy financing in India — beginning with an assessment of how much investment is required to achieve India's renewable energy targets. In this conversation Mr. Kapur breaks down a key challenge in the India solar market, which is the deficiency of long term debt financing at attractive rates. Mr. Kapur concludes by introducing a proposed concept of renewable financing obligations, which could be the key for sustaining this industry over the long term.
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The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Ashish Khanna | President of Tata Power - RenewablesOne quick note - we had some wifi connectivity issues for the first ten minutes or so - please bear with us, as the insights shared by Mr. Khanna are too good to miss. I highly recommend you listen to this audio with headphones - and then everything should smoothen out after the ten minute mark or so. Thank you and hope you enjoy!
Ashish Khanna is the President of Tata Power - Renewables, which is now India’s largest integrated power company, that has helped transform the Indian electricity landscape. In this conversation, Mr...2021-03-2522 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Saurabh Agarwal | Managing Director of Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ)In this episode we will be speaking with Mr. Saurabh Agarwal, Managing Director of Infrastructure in the South Asia Practice at CDPQ. In this role, Mr. Agarwal directs CDPQ’s infrastructure investment efforts in South Asia, and leads business development in the region. We discuss CDPQ’s decision to acquire a majority ownership stake in Azure Power and how the investment climate is involving in the Indian renewable energy space. Hope you enjoy!
Topics discussed in this podcast:
1. When you are looking for projects to invest in. How do you locate these opportunities and how impo...2021-03-1917 min
The ZENERGY Podcast: Climate Leadership, Finance and TechnologyFulbright US-India Series: Honorable Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit SandhuTaranjit Singh Sandhu is the current Ambassador of India to the US and former High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka. In this conversation, Ambassador Sandhu provides a historical overview of the relationship between India and the US, and talks about how the relationship has evolved over time. Ambassador Sandhu discusses the strengths of the Indian renewable energy market and what steps the government is taking to facilitate greater access for foreign investors. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ambassador Sandhu!
Topics covered in this podcast:
[1:42] How has the US...2021-03-1127 min