![[Episode #278] – Enhanced Geothermal Energy](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://cdn.xenetwork.org/ets/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/powerpress/ETS-PodcastArtwork-full.png)
[Episode #278] – Enhanced Geothermal Energy
In this episode of the Energy Transition Show, Dr. Emily Pope of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions explains next‑generation geothermal (enhanced geothermal systems, closed‑loop, and super‑hot rock designs) and why they could unlock over 7 TW of technical potential in the United States—enough to supply a large share of future electricity demand. She outlines how these technologies overcome the geographic limits of conventional geothermal by using deep drilling and engineered fracture or pipe networks to extract heat, and discusses the remaining technical, financing, and regulatory hurdles. Pope also clarifies the nonprofit, non‑commercial nature of C2ES and its funding, emphasizing the sector’s job‑creation potential for workers transitioning from oil and gas. The episode rounds out with news on a geothermal IPO, a record U.S. wind farm, and global energy trends.
[Episode #277] – Just Transition in South Africa
In this episode, Chris Nelder and guests Leborong Muleisi and Dr. Kenneth Creamer examine South Africa’s "just transition" from a coal‑dominated power system to renewables. They discuss the government’s push to expand wind and solar through REIPPs, the resistance from...
[Episode #276] – Electricity Reform in South Africa
In this episode, Chris Nelder explores South Africa’s sweeping electricity reforms, focusing on the creation of the South Africa Wholesale Electricity Market (SOWEM) and the unbundling of Eskom into separate generation, transmission, and distribution units. He interviews economist Dr. Kenneth...
[Episode #274] – Global Electricity Review 2026
In this episode, Ember analyst Nicholas Fulgham breaks down the 2026 Global Electricity Review, highlighting that 2025 was the first year since the pandemic when global fossil‑fuel electricity generation fell, driven by renewables outpacing demand growth. Solar alone supplied three‑quarters...
[Episode #273] – Solar and Batteries Can Power the World
In this episode, host Chris Nelder talks with Prof. Tom Brown about his simple yet powerful model showing that solar photovoltaics combined with battery storage can economically supply 90% of global electricity demand. By focusing on the sunbelt regions where...
[Episode #272] – Global Energy Crisis 2026
In this episode, host Chris Nelder and oil market analyst Rory Johnson dissect the unfolding global energy crisis triggered by the U.S.-Israel bombing of Iran, which has crippled Persian Gulf oil and gas exports. They compare the current shock to...
[Episode #271] – China Update 2026
In this episode, host Chris Nelder talks with CREA analyst Lauri Milivirta about China’s paradoxical energy trajectory: record additions of coal‑fire capacity alongside rapid growth in wind, solar, storage, and EVs, resulting in flat or falling CO₂ emissions. Milivirta explains...
[Episode #270] – View From the Energy Transitions Commission
In this episode, host Chris Nelder talks with Lord Adair Turner, co‑chair of the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC), about the commission’s role as a cross‑sector coalition that produces techno‑economic roadmaps for net‑zero pathways. Turner explains how the ETC balances diverse...
[Episode #269] – Trump’s War on the Energy Transition
In this episode, host and guest Ari Peskoe dissect President Trump’s aggressive rollback of the U.S. energy transition during his second term, detailing canceled projects, forced extensions of fossil‑fuel plants, and the weaponization of federal agencies against renewables. Peskoe explains how...
[Episode #268] – Activism 101
In this 26‑minute mini‑episode, host and guest Carter Lavin break down how everyday activists can turn climate and transportation goals into effective local campaigns. Lavin shares tactics from his new handbook, including power mapping, coalition building, and the “inside‑outside game”...
[Episode #267] – Japan: Petrostate or Electrostate?
In this mini‑episode, Chris and former IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka examine Japan’s precarious position in the global energy transition, weighing whether it should align with petro‑states, join the electrostate movement, or straddle both. Tanaka proposes a bold East Asian...