Inevitable

Adrian Deveny, former Director of Energy and Environmental Policy for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, was a key architect of the Biden-era climate policy agenda, including the landmark Inflation Reduction Act. In this conversation, we explore Adrian's perspective on what to expect from Washington, D.C., in the years ahead, as the federal government transitions to Republican control of the executive branch and both chambers of Congress.We discuss the likely fate of the climate and clean energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act over the next couple of years and whether there are viable pathways for new clean energy policy in the near term. Given the ambitious policies rolled out in recent years, Adrian also shares insights on the "unfinished business" he sees as critical. Spoiler alert: he believes we need to more than double our policy efforts to meet U.S. emissions targets. In this episode, we cover: [3:36] Adrian’s background and  journey in the Senate[8:26] Republican trifecta’s impact on climate policy[11:47] Regulatory challenges, including Supreme Court rulings[17:48] Challenges in EPA funding and appropriations[19:53] Defending clean energy tax credits under the IRA[24:08] IRA’s impact on manufacturing and the EV supply chain[31:48] Bipartisan opportunities in geothermal, nuclear, and defense projects[45:28] Debates on permitting reform for energy projects[52:00] Future clean energy growth and market forces[55:12] Adrian’s focus on advancing federal climate policyRecommended listening: Crafting Landmark Climate Legislation Russel Kenneth DeGraffEpisode recorded on Nov 20, 2024 (Published on Jan 13, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Kathryn Bakos is the Managing Director of Finance and Resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, an applied research center within the faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Our conversation today is all about the inevitable impacts of climate change, including floods, wildfires, and heat waves in particular, as these phenomena are Kathryn's main focus. We talk about the increasing severity of each of these, the preventative efforts that individuals and communities can each take to avoid their worst effects and how risk and insurance industries are navigating these perils. And lastly, we have a conversation about why adaptation measures have seemingly lagged behind decarbonization efforts in the public consciousness about climate change. In this episode, we cover: [0:00] Overview of the Intact Centre[1:30] Canada’s climate vulnerability[2:44] Kathryn’s career path[4:00] Major risks: flooding, wildfires, heat waves[9:59] Responses to flooding: individuals, communities, industries[16:55] Updating flood maps and using AI[26:07] Wildfire risks: actions for homes and communities[34:53] Wildfire insurance and resilience challenges[37:42] Balancing adaptation and mitigation[41:28] Political will for adaptation measures[45:50] Cost-effectiveness of adaptation[46:41] Don River and Waterpark Project[48:34] Innovation in resilience technologies[51:58] Heat risks and urban solutions[58:34] Final reflections on resilience effortsResources from Intact: Three Steps to Cost-Effective Home Flood ProtectionThree Steps to a Cost-Effective FireSmart™ HomeThree Features of a Wildfire-Ready CommunityThree Steps to Cost-Effective Apartment and Condo Heat ProtectionThree Steps to Cost-Effective Home Heat ProtectionEpisode recorded on Dec 2, 2024 (Published on Jan 6, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Seyed Madaeni is the co-founder and CEO of Verse. Verse develops software that helps organizations understand, plan, and manage clean energy. Their platform simplifies the complex clean energy procurement process, enabling companies to meet their emissions goals in the most economical way possible. MCJ is proud to be a repeat investor in Verse through our venture capital funds, including participation in their recent Series A round alongside GV and Coatue. To us, Verse embodies the inevitable shift where large companies must integrate clean energy management as a core business capability.Hyperscalers have led this trend, driven by their insatiable need for electricity to power data centers—a demand that’s only growing with AI. We believe this focus on clean energy will expand across major corporations, much like the widespread adoption of IT and cloud technologies over the past two decades. But enough from us—let’s hear directly from Seyed about what he’s building with Verse.In this episode, we cover: [1:43] Overview of Verse’s mission and focus[2:05] How Seyed founded Verse[4:54] Lessons from Seyed’s time at Fluence[6:02] Insights into the buyer side of the market[10:03] Rising demand on the U.S. energy grid[13:02] Breakdown of Verse’s customer base[17:44] Challenges corporate buyers face with energy and emissions[19:14] Overview of virtual PPAs and additionality[25:14] How Verse helps buyers make energy decisions[27:28] Importance of data in pricing and forecasting[30:40] 24/7 carbon-free energy vs. carbon matching[35:00] The role of batteries in increasing emissions[38:56] How Verse is expanding its offerings[41:15] Understanding Verse’s approach[44:00] Verse’s funding history and goalsEpisode recorded on Oct 17, 2024 (Published on Jan 2, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Maria Robinson, outgoing Director of the Grid Deployment Office at the U.S. Department of Energy, joins us to share insights from her impactful tenure. Since stepping into the role in 2022, Maria has overseen $22 billion in federal funding to drive the development of new and upgraded electric infrastructure nationwide.Recorded in person at the recent Deploy conference in Washington, DC, hosted by the DOE, Maria and Cody discuss her background, the mission of the Grid Deployment Office, and the initiatives she’s championed. We also dive into the complexities of the U.S. electric grid, including transmission, interconnect queues, permitting reform, and enhancing grid resilience amidst extreme weather and climate challenges.In this episode, we cover: [4:57] Maria’s background and work with Rep. Jay Inslee[7:33] The complexity of the U.S. electric grid[10:19] Funding sources for transmission projects[11:54] Renewables’ impact on grid design[15:13] The role of NEPA in grid projects[22:37] Powering data centers and grid distribution[25:37] Interconnect queue backlogs[27:08] The benefits of reconductoring[28:15] Grid resiliency and local utilities[33:34] Maria’s vision for the next administration[35:09] Cybersecurity challenges for the grid[36:32] Federal permitting reform for transmissionEpisode recorded on Dec 5, 2024 (Published on Dec 19, 2024) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant