The Biggest, Dirtiest Secret of the Energy Industry | Ep184: Jonathan Maxwell

Could we save billions by simply reducing energy waste? How can we power the vast, energy-hungry growth of AI without sacrificing climate goals? And is Europe doomed to high energy costs and deindustrialisation? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Jonathan Maxwell, CEO and founder of Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL), for the third time on Cleaning Up. Jonathan shares his perspective on the urgent need to address energy efficiency and waste, drawing from the themes explored in his book "The Edge." Jonathan and Michael delve into SDCL's innovative approach to providing on-site energy solutions that deliver cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable power to businesses, industries, and public institutions. Jonathan explains how their focus on distributed generation and decentralised energy systems is transforming the way organisations think about and manage their energy needs. Finally, policy. Jonathan and Michael discuss the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act in the US (and the potential turmoil from recent election results), the European Union's Green Deal, how these initiatives can be further strengthened by a greater emphasis on energy efficiency and productivity, and what the West needs to catch China. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live Links:    • Cheaper, Cleaner, More Reliable - Ep14: Jo...      • Checkpoint 2023: Energy Efficiency Investm...      • How China Became a Green Finance Superpowe...      • Metals Refining - From Mining to Brining: ...   Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:35 - The Edge 04:45 - Energy Security Post 2022 10:40 - China's Green Transformation 16:30 - Primary Energy Fallacy 20:30 - Wasted Energy & Inefficiency 26:20 - No Waste Heat? 29:40 - What SDCL Does 35:00 - Locational Pricing 38:50 - Give Scotland Cheap Energy 43:20 - ESG Downfall? 45:15 - Decarbonising London by 2030 49:45 - Data Centres 54:30 - Growth of AI 58:25 - Power Usage Effectiveness 01:04:20 - EU's Expensive Energy 01:08:12 - US Climate Spending 01:10:50 - China & Electricity 01:13:20 - Outro