A Few of Our Favorite Things in 2023
As 2023 comes to a close, we are yet again on track to mark the hottest year on record. But it wasn’t all bad news.? I invited some of my AHG colleagues to share their favorite climate tech achievements this year – things that may not have captured all the headlines but nonetheless demonstrate progress.? Ad Hoc is hiring for a senior associate, ideally based in Chicago or another of our hub cities: SF, DC, or NYC.? Thanks to our loyal Gist followers for reading and sharing our insights. We’ll be back in your inboxes in 2024!
- Jim Kapsis , CEO The Ad Hoc Group
A few of our favorite things in 2023
Annie Gilleo , Principal
What happened: In September, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $35 million in competitive prize funding for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) companies to sell directly to the federal government. The CDR Purchase Pilot Prize covers a range of pathways, including direct air capture (DAC), biomass with carbon removal and storage (BiCRS), enhanced weathering, mineralization, and carbon sinks.
Why it matters: The announcement marks the first time the US government has purchased CDR credits and will serve as a precedent for future government efforts both here and abroad. As we’ve written before, we cannot achieve our climate targets without CDR and government intervention is essential to creating a scalable market.
Anjana Agarwal , Senior Associate
What happened: Consumers Energy , a Michigan utility, committed in its Distribution Infrastructure Investment Plan to develop a wildfire mitigation plan in 2024. Similarly, in their Climate Change Resilience Plans filed in November, Orange & Rockland Utilities and ConEd noted that they had plans to complete wildfire vulnerability analyses and set up an internal wildfire review team.
Why it matters: This is evidence that wildfires are no longer just viewed as a threat by utilities in the western US; they’re becoming an everywhere issue. That said, even in the West, where catastrophic wildfires have already caused billions of dollars in damage to grids and other energy infrastructure, not every utility has a wildfire mitigation plan in place. We expect more utilities to come forward with plans, and more states to require them, as the industry transforms its thinking on the expanding scope of the threat.
Max Tuttman , Principal
What happened: This year, thermal storage emerged as a leading solution to decarbonize industrial heating. “Heat batteries,” like those made by Rondo Energy, convert intermittent electricity into high-temperature heat, store that heat in cheap materials (e.g. bricks), and then discharge thermal energy on demand to provide heat to industrial processes and power generation facilities. A handful of other startups contributed to the progress on heat batteries this year, such as Antora Energy , Brenmiller Energy and Electrified Thermal Solutions .
Why it matters: 21% of all global carbon emissions result from the generation of heat for industrial processes. Thermal batteries, with their ability to provide high-temperature heat, can address 95% of all industrial heat applications, including in traditional “hard to abate” sectors like steel and cement.
Julia Hamm , Senior Advisor
What happened: Rideshare and rental car companies began going electric in earnest. New York City passed a rule requiring all rideshare vehicles to be zero-emission by 2030. Ford launched a collaboration with Uber , offering a new lease option for rideshare drivers looking for electric vehicles. And Hertz announced that 11% of its rental fleet is now electric. The company plans for that to increase to 25% by the end of next year, though they’ve encountered some implementation challenges that may slow their progress.
领英推荐
Why it matters: Cities and companies committing to EVs for rideshare and rental cars can make a major difference in reducing emissions. An even greater value, however, is the fact that it exposes more consumers to the EV experience, which should lead to increased comfort with the technology and thus increased demand.
James Schulte , Partner
What happened: Several major utilities have now created or restructured leadership positions to achieve ambitious net-zero emissions goals. Dual-fuel utilities, like Puget Sound Energy and Xcel Energy , began integrating gas and electric planning and operations. Electric-only utilities, like The AES Corporation and ComEd , brought customer programs together with grid investments and strategy.
Why it matters: Historically, utilities have had a siloed approach to planning, which meant no one executive had the full picture. Under traditional planning methods, a utility could build a power plant or invest in gas pipes today, only to leave customers with stranded costs and unnecessary infrastructure. More integrated planning that accounts for evolving customer preferences and technologies should mean better decisions that will drive emissions and costs down faster.
News From Our Network
From Our Clients?
From Friends & Colleagues?
Jobs In Our Network
Send us your job openings in cleantech policy, startups, and utilities, and we'll put them in next month's Gist. ?