The Global Energy Transition Podcast

In this episode of the Global Energy Transition podcast, host Michael Buchsbaum, talks with David Schlissel, attorney and Director of Resource Planning Analysis for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) about carbon capture and storage (CCS) which got a lot of attention at the recently concluded COP28 in Dubai.

The international response to Russia’s brutal February 2022 invasion of Ukraine has altered and transformed the energy transition, in some ways accelerating the move towards wind and solar generation but also forcing countries dependent on Russian fossil fuels, particularly European nations and the European Union as a whole, to search for and secure alternative supplies. The sudden shocks of this new reality largely acerbated the already growing triple crisis of climate, energy and inflation that we continue to face. For decades renewable energy proponents have advocated for the transformation of aging or abandoned coal mines and coal power plants into green energy centers. Throughout the European Union, converting coal mines and plants into renewable energy sites became a key strategy within the new Repower EU plan adopted as a way to help speed the EU’s move away from imported Russian gas and LNG. In addition, the war has helped spur renewable development across the 27 member states to record levels. In 2022, for the first time, wind and solar reached over a fifth (22%) of EU electricity generation. According to climate think tank, Ember, record installations of new solar capacity, some 41 GW came online, helping to avoid some €10 billion in gas costs. Moreover, all that solar, plus new wind coming online, coupled with a fall in electricity usage prevented a much larger return to coal. In addition, looking ahead, Solar and wind adoption is now moving so fast, that the IEA says renewables will surpass coal’s share worldwide by 2025.  In cooperation with the NGO Europe Beyond Coal, during the summer of 2022, Podcast host Michael Buchsbaum conduced a survey of coal to wind and solar projects throughout Europe. This led him to another fresh report on this subject published by the GreenTank, an Athens, Greece-based environmental NGO that looked through this subject through a Just Transitions lens.  Therefore, for this episode of the Global Energy Transition Podcast, our host talks about this excitingly rapid uptake of new renewables and solar development on old or abandoned coal mining lands with one of the authors of the GreenTank’s report, Nikos Mantzaris.

In response to Russia’s invasion and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022, many European nations, particularly Germany, have banned Russian fossil fuels imports. For Germany this has meant not only finding new sources of liquified natural gas (LNG), but also spurred the government to establish several new LNG terminals. However, LNG, which is mainly cooled and compressed methane, represents a major source of climate-harming emissions. Germany, which had no LNG ports prior to Russia’s invasion, has now embarked on a very controversial port and terminal-construction binge, citing the need to maintain energy security. As demand for LNG rises, many of the world’s largest energy firms are raking in record profits – and exporters like the United States have been reaping the benefits.  To help us understand the changing LNG situation and to breakdown LNG’s climate impacts, lead blogger and our host, Michael Buchsbaum interviews the tireless environmental researcher and campaigner, as well as fellow Energy Transition writer, Andy Gheorghiu. 

Representing a district near several of Germany’s largest coal mines and lignite-burning power plants, Kathrin Henneberger entered the Bundestag, Germany’s Federal Parliament, on a mandate from Green voters to accelerate the clean energy transition both at home and abroad.  Long involved in the campaign to curtail global coal and fossil fuel production as well as human rights, during the summer of 2022, Henneberger traveled to Colombia, visited with front line coal, oil and gas communities and began forging a new intergovernmental climate alliance.  But with her own country struggling to phase out coal, her constituents living near the edges of Germany’s still expanding open pit mines, and the energy crisis continuing to impact us all, instead of being able to make immediate progress, Henneberger has been fighting something of a rear-guard action to at least maintain the environmental and climate gains already in place a year ago.  In this podcast, Henneberger discusses why she traveled to Colombia, what she experienced while there and shares her insights with lead blogger and podcaster, Michael Buchsbaum.  The episode can also be played on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.  For more on Colombia’s energy transition, listeners should check out the preceding podcast with Deutsche Welle correspondent, Judit Alonso as well as lead blogger, Michael Buchsbaum’s seven-part Colombian Conundrum series: https://energytransition.org/2022/10/colombia-part-1-the-global-energy-transition-podcast-season-2-episode-1/  https://energytransition.org/2022/11/colombian-conundrum-resetting-development-relationships-with-germany-and-the-world/ https://energytransition.org/2022/11/colombias-first-ever-left-green-government-shakes-up-nations-energy-sector/ https://energytransition.org/2022/10/colombian-coal-connections-german-mep-kathrin-henneberger-works-to-phase-it-out-on-both-sides-of-the-atlantic/ https://energytransition.org/2022/10/russias-war-does-not-require-returning-to-energy-colonialism-in-colombia/ https://energytransition.org/2022/10/colombian-conundrum-cleaner-energy-or-green-extractivism-poses-another-challenge-for-nations-1st-left-green-government/ https://energytransition.org/2022/10/colombian-conundrum-banning-russian-fossil-fuels-ups-global-demand-for-blood-coal/ https://energytransition.org/2022/10/colombian-conundrum-global-demand-for-its-fossil-fuels-face-pleas-for-reform/

Aftershocks from Russia’s war against Ukraine continue rippling around the world, including to the deserts and jungles of Colombia. Producing increasing volumes of oil and fossil gas, this Andean country is also one of the world’s largest coal exporters.  Long rocked by violence, civil war as well as government and industry-linked terrorism, prior to Russia’s invasion European buyers had been curtailing fossil fuel and “blood coal” imports from Colombia due linkages with human rights violations. But faced with its own energy crisis, following a personal call in April from German chancellor Olaf Scholz to Colombia’s then President Ivan Duque, more coal than ever is sailing from Latin America to European ports.  But then two months later, voters elected the nation’s first ever left-green government into power. Campaigning on a platform to accelerate their clean energy transition, ban fracking, and restrict coal mining, the economist and former Bogotá mayor and former guerilla fighter Gustavo Pedro has now assumed power.  To help us unpack how we got here and what to expect next from both Colombia, Germany and the European Union, in this episode, podcast host and lead blogger, Michael Buchsbaum, interviews Latin American expert and Deutsche Welle reporter and correspondent, Judit Alonso.  Shownotes: Click here for background information on links between Colombia’s civil war and coal and fossil fuel extraction.  Click here to read more about Scholz’ phone call to Duque. Click here to read stories and see images of how mining and development is impacting Colombia’s Wayuu indigenous people.  Click here to read more about the new government’s tax reform plans. Audio from the podcast was mixed and edited by audio expert Christian Kreymborg.