Journey to Zero Carbon

Having worked in the US coal industry for the past 12 years I have first hand experience with climate politics and the technology options for decarbonisation.  Now I am an independent energy commentator based in Australia.  I have started this blog for those who understand that decarbonisation is a political reality and an environmental necessity. And for those who, like me, want it to occur in a practical, low cost, low impact, humane, flexible and logical fashion.

Discussion on “is climate change real?” will be kept to an absolute minimum.  While I am sympathetic for those who are anxious about the current momentum behind rapid decarbonisation  (especially those whose livelihoods will be impacted) and while I believe some degree of opposition and scepticism is not only inevitable but healthy, this is not the forum for that discussion.

Neither is this the forum for discussing reports demonstrating the more extreme realities of climate change and the potential for catastrophic consequences.  That discussion is well catered for elsewhere.

This is a blog for people who want stay in informed with decarbonisation recommendations from the UNIPCC, developments in other countries and have an open mind on questions like;

What level of renewables can a modern grid electrical grid support?

Should we be using gas as a “bridge” fuel?

Is there an ongoing role for nuclear generation, a new role for carbon capture and sequestration or for hydrogen?   

When are electric vehicles going to replace petrol driven alternatives?

Will deep decarbonisation mean restrictions (self-imposed or otherwise) on travel, diet, procreation and recreation?

If you have read this far then you get a bit more of my background.  I graduated a long time ago with a PhD in Industrial Chemistry from UNSW.  After a range of technical and operations roles in the Aluminium industry I moved  to the US to work with Rio Tinto Energy America (120 million tons/year of thermal coal from surface mines in Wyoming, Montana and Colorado).  I held logistics, marketing and government affairs positions before becoming SVP Marketing and Government Affairs in 2009 when Cloud Peak Energy was formed via an IPO in 2009.  

Marketing meant I was accountable for thermal coal sales to the domestic US market and also to Asian customers.   US customers included most of the major utilities plus a range of mid and smaller sized generators mostly in the mid-west but extending from Washington and Arizona in the west to New York and Georgia in the East.  International customers included all of the major South Korean gencos as well as Taiwan, Thailand and China.

I was also accountable for fun stuff like developing and communicating the company’s position on climate and energy policy and dealing with industry groups and elected officials.  Overall my time in the US provided an intimate and strategic insight into the US utility industry, the lobbying and public relations efforts of the coal and fossil fuel industries as well as those carried out by environmental and climate activist groups.  Since being back in Australia I have done some lecturing and am now writing on the political, advocacy and technical realities of decarbonising a modern industrialized economy.