Synthetic Fuels and the 100% Renewable Grid

Listen here. Electricity grids can handle a lot of wind, solar and water resources. But what will help us get from 80% renewable energy to 100% renewable energy? The missing piece may be renewable synthetic fuels. “When we really want to decarbonize the whole electricity system, absolutely, synthetic fuels will play a key role,” says Matti Rautkivi, the director of business development and strategy at Wärtsilä. In this episode, produced in collaboration with Wärtsilä, we’re looking specifically at how to …

An Anxious Accountant’s Journey to the Top

Listen here. In 2004, Ted Gunther started a new job at a big accounting firm. He led the team overseeing transactions in newly deregulated electricity markets. On his first day, he met the “Green Book,” a thick, complex book that sets standards for derivatives, hedging strategies and contract structures. “I still remember it vividly. […] I remember the partner at the time putting that book on my desk and asking me to go ahead and read this, and I just …

The Key to Unlocking 100% Renewables

Listen here. The 100 percent renewable energy future doesn’t start with a country, state or region. It starts with a city. One power plant in a city, in fact. In Glendale, California. Glendale is a city of 200,000 people just north of Los Angeles. And in 2014, Glendale was in a tricky spot. The city’s natural-gas plant was old. The City Council faced a decision that would impact the municipality for decades to come: revamp the 252-megawatt gas plant or find local alternatives? …

Making 100% Clean Energy Goals a Reality

Listen here Countries, states, cities, utilities and corporations are all setting increasingly ambitious targets for clean energy.  There are lots of variations on the theme: 100% renewable energy, 100% clean energy, 100% carbon-free energy. They all require ambition — and lots of planning. In this episode, the first in a three-part series from Wärtsilä, we are exploring the causes and consequences of this 100% trend.  How did we get to this point where utilities and states are all committing to …

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