Home Podcasts Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systems
Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systems

Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systems

Energy vs Climate | Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts 123 Episodes Oct 15, 2026

Energy vs Climate is a live, interactive webinar and podcast where energy experts David Keith, Sara Hastings-Simon, and Ed Whittingham discuss the trade-offs and hard truths of the energy transition in Alberta, Canada, and beyond. Each episode features guests including scientists, policy experts, and industry leaders, exploring the forces reshaping our energy future—from breakthrough renewable technologies to the real-world impacts of climate change. The show aims to break down complex energy and climate topics for a broad audience and is produced by Amit Tandon and Bespoke Podcasts.

Episodes

Here Comes the Sun: Will Solar and Batteries Save the Day? | Special Episode With Bill McKibben
Here Comes the Sun: Will Solar and Batteries Save the Day? | Special Episode With Bill McKibben Oct 15, 2026 2504 Bill McKibben has been sounding the climate alarm since before most were paying attention, but lately he's finally feeling some optimism about solar power in particular.On September 17, renowned author, journalist, and environmentalist Bill McKibben joined us remotely at Protect Our Winters (POW) Canada's 2026 Leadership Summit. He was there to talk about his latest book, Here Comes the
Steven Guilbeault: A 'Fireside Exit Interview'
Steven Guilbeault: A 'Fireside Exit Interview' Oct 1, 2026 2759 On September 17, Ed sat down with former Canadian Environment and Climate Change Canada minister Steven Guilbeault for what we called a "fireside exit interview." Steven spent more than three decades in Canada's environmental movement, then spent seven years in federal politics, four of them running Environment and Climate Change Canada. He resigned from cabinet in November 2025 ove
(Replay) Is Canada's Electrification Bet Still Current? | With Blake Shaffer
(Replay) Is Canada's Electrification Bet Still Current? | With Blake Shaffer Sep 10, 2026 3527 This is a replay of our conversation with Dr. Blake Shaffer, an energy economist at the University of Calgary, on Canada's electrification bet. We recorded this in spring 2023, right after the federal budget's big bet on clean electricity. With AI data centres now competing for the same grid capacity electrification needs, it might be even more relevant than it was in 2023.Chapters:0:00
(Replay) Battery Storage and How to Make It Better | With Shirley Meng
(Replay) Battery Storage and How to Make It Better | With Shirley Meng Aug 27, 2026 2935 This is a replay of our conversation with Dr. Shirley Meng from the University of Chicago on battery storage. It's one of our favourite deep dives because batteries touch everything from EV range anxiety to grid scale storage, and even the whole critical minerals conversation.When we recorded this in May 2024, Shirley was predicting real solid state battery platforms by 2027 or 2028, and here
Stuck in the Middle: The Mid-Transition Crisis & the Energy System's Awkward Middle Age | With Emily Grubert
Stuck in the Middle: The Mid-Transition Crisis & the Energy System's Awkward Middle Age | With Emily Grubert Aug 13, 2026 2866 Decarbonization usually means addition: more wind, solar, EVs. But a real transition also means taking something away.We talk about decarbonization like it's a shopping list: more wind, more solar, more EVs, stacked on top of whatever's already running. But a real transition means something also has to come off the list. Fossil systems have to shrink at the same time clean systems grow,
Can Octopus Energy Wrap Its Arms Around North America? | Demand Flexibility & More With Eric Davids | BONUS
Can Octopus Energy Wrap Its Arms Around North America? | Demand Flexibility & More With Eric Davids | BONUS Jul 23, 2026 2490 Octopus Energy paid its UK customers collectively over £100,000 during a recent heat wave, not through new infrastructure, but a text message and a price signal offering demand flexibility. That caught our attention.In this episode, Ed and Sara (David sits this one out) talk with Eric Davids, Head of Strategy for Octopus Energy's US business, about redefining utility-customer relationships, h
BONUS | EvC vs The Internet: David, Sara, and Ed respond to the comment section
BONUS | EvC vs The Internet: David, Sara, and Ed respond to the comment section Jun 29, 2026 2762 They say there's no growth without feedback. This season, you've given us plenty of it.In this episode, David, Sara, and Ed do something most podcasters shouldn't do: they read the comments. Out loud and on purpose.Some feedback was positive. Some was additive. Some fell into the category we're calling "strongly suggestive." If you've ever left a comment on an Ev
BONUS | Where Should Canada’s Nuclear Energy Go From Here? | Toronto Climate Week
BONUS | Where Should Canada’s Nuclear Energy Go From Here? | Toronto Climate Week Jun 15, 2026 3949 Ed's new project, Critical Mass, starts with a deceptively simple question: if Canada decides it wants more nuclear power, can it actually deliver it? The answer turns out to be complicated.As part of the project, we're hosting four live town halls across the country. The first was recorded at Toronto Climate Week on June 5, featuring Todd Smith (former Ontario Minister of Energy, now VP
Mapping the Next Energy Shock with The Economist's Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Mapping the Next Energy Shock with The Economist's Vijay Vaitheeswaran May 14, 2026 3824 The aftershocks of the Iran war are reshaping energy markets, investment decisions, and climate politics in very different ways around the world.David, Sara, and Ed sat down with Vijay Vitheeswaran, Global Energy and Climate Innovation Editor at The Economist and 2025 Energy Writer of the Year, to discuss the shock rippling through energy markets since the war in Iran began. On one side are forces
The Nuclear Option: A Canadian Reality Check with Jason Donev
The Nuclear Option: A Canadian Reality Check with Jason Donev Apr 30, 2026 3431 Nuclear is having a global moment. But the story in Canada is a lot more complicated.David, Sara, and Ed sat down with Prof. Jason Donev of the University of Calgary for a full, unsparing look at where nuclear fits in a rapidly growing and electrifying Canadian grid.Jason is one of the clearest thinkers on energy systems in the country. He's also someone who started out opposed to nuclear and
The Hosts in the Hot Seat: Turning the Tables on Ed and Sara
The Hosts in the Hot Seat: Turning the Tables on Ed and Sara Apr 16, 2026 3294 EvC Superfan and fellow energy nerd Robert Tremblay turns the tables on Sara and Ed — asking the questions the podcast usually doesn't: how EvC started, the energy transition over the 7 seasons of the show, what's changed, and whether any of it is working.They get into their backgrounds, the EvC origin story (are the rumours about Danielle Smith true?), how the show has evolved, and what
EvC BONUS | Fire Weather: John Vaillant on the New Era of Extreme Fire
EvC BONUS | Fire Weather: John Vaillant on the New Era of Extreme Fire Apr 2, 2026 2811 Energy vs Climate X Climate Books Reviews This week we're sharing an episode from Ed's other podcast, Climate Book Reviews, co-hosted with Dr. Roger Thompson of Arizona State University. Their guest is John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast. (US and International - Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World)Many listeners will know Vaillant from his earlier book

Recommended