Ross Polk

U.S. Government supports high-quality voluntary carbon market :) This morning, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm - released an endorsement of the voluntary carbon market. It came alongside a set of principles adopted from the VCMI (Voluntary Carbon Market Integrity Initiative). Principles for Responsible Participation”, namely: ➡ Focus on High-Quality Credits ➡ Permanence ➡ Robust Monitoring, Reporting, Verification, and Validation (MMRV) ➡ Co-Benefits ➡ Emissions Reduction Priority This positive endorsement of the VCM is a strong signal that the VCM is here to stay. It acknowledges past issues and provides a clear, government-backed, path for how we should adopt and build out the VCM to protect and regenerate global biodiversity. Press Release link: https://lnkd.in/eBtjtF9c

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A New Report  Highlights Potential Strategies to Dramatically Reduce Carbon Emissions for the United States and Canada Aluminum Industry The Aluminum Association has released a groundbreaking roadmap detailing pathways to achieve significant carbon emission reductions in alignment with the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 goals. Key findings and strategies include: Significant Head Start: North America's aluminum products have a carbon footprint approximately 50% lower than the global average, thanks to the use of low carbon primary aluminum, increased recycling, and voluntary emission reduction efforts. Aggressive Targets: Achieving net zero by 2050 will require aluminum production emissions to decline by: 24% by 2030 63% by 2040 92% by 2050 (compared to 2021 levels) Projected Growth: Aluminum output is expected to increase by 80% to meet the growing demand for sustainable metal across various sectors. Key Pathways: Technology and Efficiency: Innovations like inert anode smelting and energy efficiency improvements. Alternative Fuels and Carbon Capture: Transition to green hydrogen and electrification of furnaces. Grid Decarbonization: Use of clean energy technologies supported by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Enhanced Recycling: Optimizing scrap utilization to cut emissions significantly. Investment Needed: Achieving these goals will require substantial investment—estimated at $60 billion for North America alone—to meet global net-zero climate targets in the primary aluminum production segment. Charles Johnson, president & CEO of the Aluminum Association, emphasizes the industry's vital role in the clean energy transition, noting, “Achieving these ambitious targets by mid-century will require an all-of-society approach to decarbonization. The aluminum industry won’t be able to do this alone.” This research underscores the necessity of decarbonizing the energy sector to ensure broader industrial decarbonization. The North American aluminum industry is positioned to lead globally, but collaborative efforts and significant investments are critical to meeting the net-zero targets by 2050. https://lnkd.in/e_h_5q_5 #aluminium‍ #CLEANENERGY

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The Midwest is emerging as a hub of manufacturing for EVs and clean energy technology. Midwestern states have received about $30 billion in private investment since August 2022, with Ohio ($7B), Indiana ($7.8B), and Michigan ($11.6B) ranking among the top 10 states nationally, reports Inside Climate News “This is like a new era in American manufacturing as it switches to clean energy,” says Michael James Timberlake, “and it’s not a surprise that one of the big drivers of that happens to be the place that drove the last major manufacturing boom in the U.S.” What’s it going to take to maintain the momentum? https://lnkd.in/eZGYjK2D

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Kudos to Duane Highley and the team at Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. for seizing the benefits of the #InflationReductionAct to accelerate its transition to cleaner and lower cost #renewables. Power supply to its distribution coop members will hit 50% clean next year en route to a 89% reduction in #GHG emissions by 2030 ... with new resources additions focused on #windpower, #solarpower and #batterystorage with a small amount of #gas for peaker/reliability purposes. This is very much in line with the trajectory envisaged by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) #CleanPowerRules and shows that those rules do not force a "major" change in the industry, rather they run totally with the grain of what makes economic sense, and what is happening on the ground, while of course reducing harmful pollution at the same time. A win all around for coop members and the planet. #climatecrisis #stopburningstuff c Dave Munk Alex DeGolia Keith Klesner, PE Kristen Bertuglia NRECA Jim Matheson Kent Singer Colorado Rural Electric Assn. Mark Jacobson Leah Stokes Michael E. Webber Holly Metzler Sonja Macys Will Toor Chris Hansen Lisa Tiffin Amy Robertson Alana Miller Jeffrey McManus Kendra Foley

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#fundingalert 💼Company: Aepnus Technology  💰Funding: $8Million ⚡Round: Seed 👥Investors: Clean Energy Ventures, Gravity Climate Fund, Lowercarbon Capital, Impact Science Ventures, MUUS Climate Partners, and Voyager Ventures. Aepnus Technology is committed to electrifying and decarbonising the production process of several everyday chemicals. To put it another way, their goal is to develop technology that uses electricity—ideally from renewable sources—to synthesise compounds through the electrolysis process. The money will be used by the business to quicken the development of their innovative end-to-end sodium sulphate recycling system. Lukas Hackl, Bilen Akuzum, Ph.D. Read more -https://lnkd.in/gVPdqeRc To share your startup story write us on - contact@startuprise.io #AepnusTechnology #electrifying #decarbonising #electrolysis #technology #funding #fundingnews #new #startup #startupnews #startuprise

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Going #electric at home may appear daunting and costly. However, with state and federal incentives, this shift becomes more feasible. DSIRE's (screenshot below) platform simplifies identifying available state incentives for renewable energy and efficiency initiatives. Companies like Rock Rabbit, EnergySage, Encentiv Energy, Opower, Rebate Bus, Sense, Enervee, Powerley, and others are demystifying these incentives, making them more accessible to homeowners. Learn more in Climate People's latest #1MinuteClimateSnippet: https://buff.ly/3KyG3Nz .

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Several cleantech tools/platforms were worth highlighting this week Cloover expanded embedded financing solutions to increase renewable adoption. The average household says that coming up with over $1,000 would be difficult, yet countries want high rooftop solar penetration, which often requires upfront payments. Financing for rooftop solar expands the addressable market by eliminating prohibitive upfront costs. It will be interesting to see if they get pushback from providers that make margin on high-cost loans - hopefully they can win the market from those players. Verse recently completed its $20 million Series A to provide software that helps companies reduce electricity costs/emissions. Major companies, especially tech companies, are becoming energy companies as their emissions and power needs/costs become the most significant barriers to growth. They face accelerating power demand curves from AI while their emissions commitments are fast approaching - many picked 2030 for their environmental targets because it was a nice round number that seemed far away. We expect the scramble for solutions to continue and drive usage of Verse and other solution providers. Plural Energy recently completed a raise to expand its platform, which allows investors to access renewable investments. Expect democratized access to renewable investments to be a growing trend, as most public equities only offer varied exposure, and those investments are rarely primary funding that goes towards the completion of a project. Lots of good builders in this space, like Goparity | Impact finance, providing solutions. Take a look at our latest summary of these and many other useful tools in the comments.

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Congrats to our portfolio companies — Heirloom, Charm Industrial, Vycarb, and Vaulted Deep who all made the DOE's short list of Phase 1 semifinalists! Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Pilot Prize allows companies to compete for the opportunity to deliver carbon dioxide removal credits directly to DOE. This is such an important initiative to ensure carbon credits are of a high quality, and will ultimately help restore trust in carbon markets. https://lnkd.in/drEkPd4p

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My hot take today is about a little noticed announcement the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released quietly today. It has reopened an opportunity to fund carbon dioxide transportation networks. This is a positive and a much-needed development because Cipher reporting earlier this year revealed that many of the carbon storage projects are not just dependent on securing permits but also on delivering the captured CO2. Aware of the paucity of transport networks, DOE itself noted, the U.S. will need to capture and permanently store approximately 400–1,800 million metric tons of CO2 annually by 2050 to meet its commitments. https://lnkd.in/ef7JPEgr In other top reads by my colleagues, Cat Clifford highlighted a Bloomberg article that spotlights how Holtec International, a company involved in making nuclear waste storage casks, is now looking to revitalize a nuclear plant headed for decommissioning. And Bill Spindle reported about an upcoming gathering of corporate heads of fossil fuel and tech companies. We try to stay on top of breaking news about the global developments in the cleantech and climate space and share them with you so continue reading our Top Reads and Hot Takes at Cipher News. Cheers!

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My direct air capture company, Zero Carbon Systems, announced today that we have purchased Global Thermostat and its best-in-class core technology for removing carbon dioxide from the air to fight climate change.    Zero Carbon Systems has been operating in stealth mode for four years, and over that period have developed an advanced carbon dioxide removal design offering low cost, low energy, and substantial scalability – spearheaded by a team of 25 world-class engineers. Through the acquisition of Global Thermostat we have not only added core direct air capture technology widely considered to be the best in the world, but also yet another 30+ talented scientists and engineers. I want to say how excited I am about this acquisition, and the potential of the combination of our firm’s to deliver market-leading performance.    We intend to build a 2500-ton demonstration plant in 2025/2026, a 50,000-ton commercial plant a couple of years later, and ultimately a megaton scale plant sometime around the end of the decade.    I’ll have more to say in the coming days about our plans and how we got here.   Read more in today’s press release at this link: https://lnkd.in/ejGmPqpk   #DirectAirCapture #ZeroCarbon #NetZero #CarbonNegative  

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Excellent article on the impact o regulatory change on a market segment - such as water infrastructure. The impact is significant on materials, operations and finance requirements

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Agrivoltaics offers farmers new opportunities by allowing them to integrate solar energy systems with agricultural operations. This innovative approach enables the continuation of farming activities beneath or alongside solar panels, potentially establishing pollinator habitats or grazing areas for livestock, thus creating a symbiotic relationship between renewable energy production and agriculture.

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We’ve teamed up with some of Europe’s best to research and transform Agri-PV adoption.  ☀ 🌿  Agri-PV is about creating a sustainable synergy between food production and solar energy. As land for projects becomes increasingly scarce, Agri-PV is poised to play a critical role in the expansion of solar energy all around the world. Recognizing the need for comprehensive research on agricultural crop yield, PV production, and water consumption, we at Glint Solar are thrilled to announce our collaboration with KiloWattsol, Danish Renewables, and Fraunhofer ISE. This partnership focuses on integrating photovoltaic (PV) technology with agriculture to accelerate the adoption of Agri-PV. We couldn’t be more excited and grateful to our incredible research partners! The research project directly addresses the pressing global challenges of a projected 50% increase in agricultural production and a 15% increase in water demand by 2050—both vital for sustaining the expected population of 9 billion. In addition to optimizing energy output and reducing water consumption, the project aligns with the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive, which calls for 45% of energy to come from renewable sources by 2030. For our part, we’ll be developing a specialized software tool tailored for utility-scale developers aims to provide deeper insights and support to the deployment of solar energy across Europe. We’ll keep you posted o progress! #AgriPV #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #SolarEnergy #Innovation #GlintSolar https://lnkd.in/dwreYuKQ

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🚨 LinkedIn Tip: Quality Content Shines on Saturdays! 🚨 Who said LinkedIn is just for weekdays? Our eye-opening stats reveal that even Saturday posts can soar—if the content is top-notch! Our weekly summaries have been smashing records, drawing significant engagement from Europe and North America. Clearly, compelling content knows no rest days. Keep your game strong all week, and watch as your Saturday posts captivate and engage just as effectively. If your content sparkles, so will your Saturday metrics! 🌟🚀

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I always enjoy reading Andre's Climate Substack from André Meurer. Today I learned a ton about Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH) and the HWH replacement process. TL;DR (But seriously you should read it, it's funny and packed with great advice) ➡️Efficiency: Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are significantly more energy efficient than traditional gas or electric models, offering long-term cost savings and environmental benefits. ➡️Installation: Upgrading to a HPWH can be complex, requiring electrical work and careful consideration of sizing (first-hour rating). Choosing an experienced contractor is crucial. ➡️Cost: While initial costs are higher, HPWHs pay for themselves through reduced energy bills and potential rebates. ➡️Additional Benefits: HPWHs dehumidify and slightly cool the surrounding area, which can be beneficial in humid basements. ➡️Considerations: HPWHs might be slightly noisier than traditional models and may require larger tanks to match the hot water output of gas heaters. Sign up for Andre's Climate! https://lnkd.in/e2HzZizE

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Great class session at Stanford University's ENVRES221 today led by Hannah Bebbington of Stripe who is working on the massive opportunity in carbon removal. The Frontier Climate team is developing long term incentives to create a market for permanent carbon removal with an Advanced Market Commitment structure that has more than $1B of committed capital. The Frontier team (including Stripe’s Head of Climate Nan Ransohoff) are true leaders and pioneers in this field. Frontier has contracted >350,000 permanent carbon removal tons across 32 projects since inception, and is organized with the goal to "send a strong demand signal to researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors that there is a growing market for these technologies. Importantly, Frontier aims to help create net new carbon removal supply rather than compete over what exists today." The team is truly at the frontier of the field, publishing knowledge gaps in the market (https://lnkd.in/gTXkcdTM) and encouraging growth across many potential carbon removal pathways (they have funded 6 pathways to date). Learn more about their work at http://frontierclimate.com Hannah spoke about the importance of focusing time and investment on carbon removal pathways that can come down a substantial cost curve as they scale, as well as the importance of the “yes/and” mindset as we approach climate solutions. Hannah is an alum of Stanford, and took the class years ago - it was special for me and Christoph Frehsee as the teaching team to host a distinguished alum of the class as the guest lecturer. At the end of each quarter we generally say something to our students to the effect of, "our goal is that one day some of you will come back to teach a session of this class". And today it happened. It was a terrific session, showcasing the inspiring work that is going on at Frontier. Well done, and thank you for joining us, Hannah!

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