Waypoint 2
I am documenting my own journey into & through the global Energy Transition movement. Along this renewable path, I am marking waypoints to capture and share my insights with those on similar paths.
I started my renewable path at square one and I so was desperate to find informative sources to help me understand what I was getting into. To help others on similar paths, I am sharing some of the best resources I’ve found so far that are helping me ramp up on renewable energy and the larger web of related topics:
Audio Podcasts
For those that prefer audio content, I would recommend subscribing to these podcasts (at least). You should also scroll back in your favorite podcast tool/site and listen to past episodes that interest you.
The Energy Gang - Billed as a “weekly digest on energy, cleantech and the environment”, this roundtable of hosts includes Stephen Lacy and Katherine Hamilton and until recently Jigar Shah who invite guests on each episode to deliver a spot-on, informative weekly review of energy-related topics.
REWEWables A Sustainability Podcast - Created by Biostar Renewables, this podcast is available on all major platforms and provides conversation-style episodes on “everything from emerging renewable energy technologies to sustainability practices to why brands are changing the way they think.”
The Interchange - One of my favorite weekly pods is produced by Greentech Media which is part of Wood Mackenzie and features host Shayle Kann who provides “deep insights into technology, markets, projects, company financials, mergers and acquisitions, policy changes, and market data.”
Also consider: Watt it Takes, Electrify This
Books & Audiobooks
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates
I strongly recommend (and may end up buying copies for friends) this book to anyone who wants a distilled but compelling explanation of how the future of energy is invariably tied to the climate crisis.
The Grid The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future by Gretchen Bakke
An excellent and engaging history of the sprawling US electric grid and the challenges inherent in a complex but necessary national infrastructure at a time when we need to reevaluate its very purpose.
Superpower One Man's Quest to Transform American Energy by Russell Gold
This (audio) book was recommended to me based on previous titles and it reads almost like fiction - but this a true story about how a well-intentioned, renewable wind-based energy project struggled to become reality and it provides useful insight into the regional and political facets that complicate advancement in this space.