Former Secretary of Energy - Why Clean Energy Alone Won’t Keep the Lights On (#303)
6/2/202620 min
The wind stops blowing. The sun goes down.
What happens next?
Former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz explains why the transition to clean energy may be far more complicated than most people realize.
In one of the most clear-eyed conversations about our energy future, Moniz pulls back the curtain on what it will actually take to build energy that is clean, reliable, and affordable - and why some of the hardest challenges have little to do with solar panels or wind turbines.
He reveals which emerging technologies - from hydrogen to nuclear fusion - could reshape the future of energy, why storage remains a major hurdle, and what many people misunderstand about renewable power.
What will it really take to keep the lights on in a low-carbon world?
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsLynne Thomann· Host0:00
[chime] What happens when the wind stops blowing and the sun isn't shining? Can renewable energy really power everything, or are we missing part of the story? Today, we're digging into the future of energy, what's real, what's possible, and what it'll actually take to keep the lights on. [gentle music] Hi, everyone. I'm Lynn Tolman, and this is 3 Takeaways. On 3 Takeaways, I talk with some of the world's best thinkers, business leaders, writers, politicians, newsmakers, and scientists. Each episode ends with three key takeaways to help us understand the world and maybe even ourselves a little better. Today, I'm excited to be with Dr. Ernest Moniz. He served as US Secretary of Energy and has spent decades at the center of science, innovation, and policy. He's a physicist and is also co-chair of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Welcome, Secretary Moniz, and thanks for joining 3 Takeaways again today.
Ernest Moniz· Guest1:12
Good to see you again.
Lynne Thomann· Host1:13
Great to see you. Let's start big picture. Where are we right now in the shift toward cleaner energy?
Ernest Moniz· Guest1:21
We're going a little bit more slowly than we would like towards clean energy, but I think one distinction is very important. Often, when the word energy