Nuclear fusion still has a long road ahead before commercial viability, but optimism — and funding — is on the rise. Surging interest in the technology has recently seen $7.1 billion raised across 50 global fusion startups. Research timelines appear to be accelerating, Steve Piper, director of energy research at S&P Global Commodity Insights, said on the podcast. Big Tech is well represented in the investor base due to growing energy demand from datacenters. Francesco Sciortino, CEO of fusion startup Proxima Fusion, said investors are looking to secure a stake in the market now. "Fusion is not something to tiptoe into," he said on the podcast.
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Carbon removal technology, markets picking up steam
In this episode of the Energy Evolution podcast we delve into the emerging field of carbon removal technologies and their role in the fight against climate change. The discussion highlights various methods, including both technology-based solutions like direct ocean capture and nature-based approaches such as reforestation. Our guests on this week's episode are Jan-Willem Bode, President, Puro.earth, and Steve Oldham, CEO, Captura. Captura is a start-up company focused on capturing carbon dioxide directly from seawater. Puro.Earth is a carbon removal registry focused on removal credits. It created the Puro Standard, which is the world's first carbon standard for engineered carbon removals. Host Eklavya Gupte asks Oldham and Bode about the economic viability and market dynamics of carbon removal credits and addressing skepticism surrounding their effectiveness and cost. The episode also explores the importance of transparency and quality in the carbon credit market, especially as demand grows from both tech companies and compliance markets.
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Buying clean energy in an age of growing electricity demand
Clean energy buyers are facing new challenges and opportunities in the face of a shift in US politics and rising demand for electricity to power energy-hungry data centers. Rich Powell, CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Association, joins Energy Evolution to talk about how his organization, representing over $15 trillion in market cap and contracts for 84 gigawatts of new clean energy, is tackling the complexities of changing energy policy, the potential repercussions of tax incentive changes, and the innovative technologies that could shape the future of our energy landscape. Powell also shares his insights on the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions-free electricity and the importance of permitting reform.
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Blackout in Spain: what we know and lessons for the future
A blackout of historic proportions on the Iberian peninsula April 28 has sparked a debate on responsibility and prevention, while the investigation into the causes is ongoing. One undeniable conclusion is that investments in grids are becoming more important, S&P Global Commodity Insights analysts Kerry Thacker-Smith and Alexandre Mace explain on this episode of Energy Evolution. Albéric Mongrenier, executive director of think tank European Initiative for Energy Security, argues that grids have become a key frontier in Europe's push for more independence and security.
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How tariff tensions are reshaping China's energy landscape
This episode of Energy Evolution examines the complex trade relationship between the US and China, with a focus on how ongoing tariff measures are reforming Chinese energy markets. Host Eklavya Gupte speaks with Ivy Yin, energy transition market specialist at S&P Global Commodity Insights, who explains how China is shifting toward a more inward-looking energy strategy by boosting domestic gas production to reduce LNG import dependency. She also talks about how Chinese cleantech manufacturers are refocusing their efforts on the domestic market amid trade uncertainties. We also interview Commodity Insights principal analyst Eric Yep, who shares his insights on how the trade duel with the US is affecting China's oil and gas imports, highlighting the role of US LNG as a possible bargaining chip in future negotiations. Adding a legal perspective, Henry Gao, a professor of law at Singapore Management University, discusses China's multifaceted trade diplomacy in an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape. Energy Evolution has merged with Platts Future Energy, and episodes are now regularly published on Tuesdays.
Interviews, analysis and reporting from S&P Global Commodity Insights on energy and commodities' transition to a cleaner future. Hosts Taylor Kuykendall and Eklavya Gupte speak with policymakers, industry professionals and SPGCI in-house experts worldwide on topics related to decarbonization, climate, emerging fuels and energy sources, and the outlook for commodity markets from oil to power to metals. The Energy Evolution podcast has merged with the Platts Future Energy podcast as of January 2025.
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