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Catalyst

Latitude Media's weekly interview show on the energy transition, covering the technologies, costs and investment behind clean power, the grid, fuels and decarbonization.

278 episodes · 189 hours · since 2021

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Catalyst is filed under climate & energy, supply chain & operations, startups and interviews. Its most recent episode published on , so it is still actively publishing. Listeners have left 281 ratings on Apple Podcasts, averaging 4.9 out of 5.

Latest episodes

The 10 newest episodes of Catalyst, each with a summary and chapters.

  • · 44m

    The truth about data center water usage

    Tim Shedd, founder of Ebullient Insights, explains how the shift from air cooling to single-phase direct-to-chip liquid cooling is transforming data center thermal management. He details how modern GPU racks drawing 220 kW to 500 kW+ require advanced cold plates and manifolds, rendering traditional air cooling obsolete. Shedd argues that while historical data centers used significant water for evaporative cooling, modern designs optimize for higher temperature rejection, drastically reducing water consumption and allowing for closed-loop systems. The discussion also covers the industry's need for greater transparency to address community concerns about local water usage and infrastructure impacts.

    Mechanical engineeringEnergy & climate tech
    6 chapters

  • · 37m

    ERCOT batteries: boom, bust, or rebound?

    Shayle Kann interviews Brandt Vermillion, U.S. market lead at Modo Energy, about the Texas (ERCOT) grid-scale battery market, which has grown from 200 megawatts to 17 gigawatts, causing revenue to plummet by 84% due to ancillary service saturation and energy arbitrage cannibalization. Vermillion explains that while current revenues of ~$30/kW are underwater for most projects, the influx of data center load and the retirement of aging gas plants are expected to restore volatility and revenues by 2029-2030. The conversation details how longer-duration batteries (2.5-4 hours) capture secondary price spikes during extreme weather events like Storm Fern, and how developers are using tolling agreements to bridge the gap until market conditions improve.

    Energy & climate techPricing, margins & unit economics
    8 chapters

  • · 31m

    The rush for clean, on-site power [partner content]

    Aman Joshi, chief commercial officer at Bloom Energy, explains how long interconnection queues and grid constraints are driving data centers and industrial customers to adopt permanent, on-site fuel cell power. He details why the traditional levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) model is misleading for on-site generation, arguing that total delivered cost per watt into the rack—including reliability, community acceptance, and water use—makes Bloom's solid-state fuel cells economically superior to combustion turbines. Joshi highlights that community pushback regarding emissions and water consumption is forcing major projects, such as Oracle's New Mexico deployment, to switch from gas turbines to Bloom's technology to secure permits and social license.

    Energy & climate techPricing, margins & unit economics
    10 chapters

  • · 32m

    Anduril's vision for powering maritime defense

    Dr. Andrew Nuss, head of growth and strategy for the Maritime Division at Anduril, explains the unique energy challenges of maritime defense, where water's density requires 1,000 times more energy for propulsion than air. He details how Anduril optimizes single energy systems for both propulsion and payload sensors, utilizing repackaged lithium-ion cells in pressure vessels or epoxy-potted modules to withstand deep-sea conditions. Nuss highlights the high cost and long timelines of certifying battery systems for naval use, which delays adoption of commercial innovations, and discusses the potential for surface/subsea recharging depots and the renewed interest in nuclear propulsion for high-speed commercial shipping.

    Batteries & low-power designEnergy & climate tech
    8 chapters

  • · 23m

    AMA: Fuel cells, geopolitics, and the solar growth curve

    Shayle Kann, host of Catalyst and investor at Energy Impact Partners, discusses the surprising bipartisan backlash to data center growth, noting that local community opposition has moved faster than expected. He highlights Bloom Energy's success in securing large orders for fuel cells due to favorable permitting and operational data, while arguing that U.S. solar capacity will continue to grow despite tariff challenges. Kann also predicts that massive grid capacity additions are imminent, driven by multi-year regulatory cycles that are finally accelerating.

    Energy & climate techPolicy, trade & tariffs
    6 chapters

  • · 42m

    Do data centers actually increase electricity prices? No...and yes

    Andy Lubershane, head of research at Energy Impact Partners, joins host Shayle Kann to explain the dual impact of data centers on electricity prices: they often lower local utility rates through the 'denominator effect' while driving up global grid costs via supply chain bottlenecks. They discuss how soaring demand for transformers, switchgear, and labor is inflating the cost of new generation and transmission, creating a macroeconomic pressure that offsets local benefits. The conversation also explores strategies to mitigate these costs, including load flexibility, distributed energy resources, and energy efficiency, as well as the political and public perception challenges surrounding data center expansion.

    Pricing, margins & unit economicsSourcing & supply chain
    6 chapters

  • · 47m

    What comes after the data center backlash?

    Brian Janous, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Cloverleaf Infrastructure, discusses the rapid shift in community sentiment from welcoming to opposing data center development, attributing it to the scale of modern AI facilities and a broader backlash against AI itself. He argues that while specific grievances like water use and grid impact are negotiable through transparency and community benefits, the emotional opposition to AI is harder to solve with facts alone. Janous also evaluates emerging alternatives like behind-the-meter generation, underwater data centers, and distributed edge computing, concluding that while some niche solutions may emerge, large-scale terrestrial data centers remain the dominant and most efficient model for the foreseeable future.

    Policy, trade & tariffsEnergy & climate tech
    7 chapters

  • · 40m

    The rise of metal fuels

    Richard Wang, co-founder and CEO of Voya Energy, explains how his company is replacing diesel generators with electrochemical generators powered by aluminum pellets. Wang details why diesel remains dominant due to its high energy density and low cost, but highlights its issues with emissions, noise, and permitting, particularly for data centers. He describes Voya's metal-air cell technology, which offers superior power quality, compact footprint, and zero air emissions, while leveraging low-grade scrap aluminum as a cost-competitive fuel source.

    Energy & climate techMaterials & manufacturing processes
    9 chapters

  • · 39m

    Can AI revolutionize grid operations?

    Josh Wong, CEO and founder of ThinkLabs AI, explains how utility planning is currently siloed, reliant on manual data cleaning, and stuck in a cycle of worst-case scenario studies that identify problems but not solutions. He describes ThinkLabs' physics-informed AI, which trains deterministic models on specific utility data to generate grid solutions in minutes rather than months, drastically reducing interconnection queue times. Wong argues that this technology bridges the gap between planning and operations, enabling continuous real-time analysis and closed-loop feedback to improve reliability and workforce efficiency.

    Connected products & IoTScaling production
    7 chapters

  • · 42m

    Is now the time for DERs to scale? [re-published]

    Shayle Kann and Andy Lubershane of Energy Impact Partners discuss why Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) are finally ready to scale after a decade of stagnation. They argue that while the market previously lacked the desperation for grid flexibility, current transmission and interconnection bottlenecks have created a critical need for dispatchable capacity. The conversation highlights the evolution from simple demand response to Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) aggregating thermostats, batteries, and EVs, noting that falling hardware costs and rising grid stress are finally aligning to make DERs a viable alternative to traditional infrastructure upgrades.

    Connected products & IoTPolicy, trade & tariffs
    8 chapters

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