Stephen Lacey | Clean Energy Storytelling: 15 Years of Greentech Reporting | Talks at Google

TL;DR

Stephen Lacey, a veteran clean tech journalist, discusses the evolution of clean energy, the impact of audio storytelling on climate change mobilization, and the challenges and opportunities in clean tech journalism.

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] BARRY FISCHER: Thanks for joining Talks at Google. Today we are talking to Stephen Lacey, a veteran clean tech journalist and editor and a leading industry storyteller, about the intersection of energy, climate change, and business. Stephen is responsible for some of the clean tech industry's most popular journalism and commentary b... Read More

Key Insights

• 💄 Clean energy has experienced significant cost reductions, making renewable energy a more viable option than ever before.
• 💦 The clean tech industry has surpassed expectations, but there is still work to be done to make clean energy a more significant part of people's daily lives.
• 🥡 Climate change is now being taken more seriously by mainstream journalism, with a shift in tone and urgency.
• ❓ The intersection of data centers and clean energy offers opportunities for renewable energy integration and increased efficiency.
• 👶 The transition to clean energy requires investment in new technologies, partnerships, and strategic buying of renewable electricity.
• 🧑‍🏭 Telling stories that resonate with people's interests and concerns is more effective than overwhelming them with facts.
• 💁 The podcasting industry has experienced explosive growth due to improved technology, increased accessibility, and the ability to form intimate connections with listeners.
• 🏛️ Building a successful podcast requires consistency, planning, and often significant marketing investment.
• 💱 While individual behavior changes are important, solving climate change requires institutional and political change.
• 👶 Companies that are truly committed to fighting climate change must invest in new technologies and make sustainability an integral part of their decision-making process.
• 💄 Greenwashing is a common practice, and it can be challenging to differentiate between companies genuinely making a difference and those engaging in virtue signaling.
• 🥹 Public awareness and involvement in local political processes can help hold companies accountable and drive change.
• 💱 Our personal digital footprint has limited impact on climate change compared to the need for deep structural changes and political action.
• 🖐️ Nuclear power will likely play a role in the energy transition, and the focus is shifting towards next-generation technologies.
• 💁 Trustworthy journalism and investigative reporting are essential for staying informed about climate and energy-related issues.
• 📻 The podcast industry is primarily supported by ads, but diversifying revenue streams through subscriptions and live events is becoming more common.
• 🥶 The virtues of 24/7 carbon-free energy purchasing can be best messaged by showcasing achievable targets and the growing affordability and efficiency of renewable energy.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are some of the most meaningful trends Stephen Lacey has observed in the clean energy and climate change space?

Stephen Lacey highlights the significant cost reductions in solar, wind, and batteries, the shift of major utilities towards net-zero goals, and the trillions of dollars invested in climate solutions by investment banks.

Q: How has clean tech journalism changed in the past 15 years?

Clean energy technologies and climate solutions are now taken more seriously in mainstream journalism. Scientific journals now refer to climate change as a climate emergency, showing a significant shift in tone and urgency.

Q: In the "Where the Internet Lives" podcast, what were some interesting things Stephen Lacey learned about data centers and their connection to clean energy?

Stephen discovered the ability to match compute loads with the supply of renewable energy, enabling the pairing of renewable electrons with data centers. He also learned about the vast networking and complexity of data centers.

Q: What advice does Stephen Lacey have for people working on achieving Google's goal of operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030?

Stephen suggests that it will require investment in technologies that may not exist yet and partnerships with various companies to deploy solutions. It will involve investing in carbon extraction and sequestration methods and buying historic amounts of renewable electricity.

Q: How does Stephen Lacey approach storytelling when communicating with the public about solving climate change?

Stephen focuses on meeting people where they are and telling stories in ways that resonate with their interests and concerns. He believes in avoiding heavy-handed scientific facts and instead making connections to popular culture, business, or everyday experiences.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Stephen Lacey has been at the forefront of reporting on the evolution of clean tech solutions and the rise of clean energy over the past decade and a half.

• Clean energy has seen significant cost reductions, with solar costs dropping by 90% and wind costs dropping by over 80% in the last decade.

• The clean energy industry has surpassed expectations, but there is still a need for these changes to have a more significant impact on people's day-to-day lives.