Consulting at the intersection of energy and climate
By combining technical expertise and strategic leadership with a deep understanding of what creates and drives social and technological change
Building Broad
Consensus
To most expediently address climate change, we need to build a broad consensus around an expanded view of solutions. We work to remove gaps in understanding, policy barriers, real and perceived investment risk, and technological barriers in order to create the possibility for technology inclusive evidence-based decision making.
News Highlights
Beautiful Nuclear: Driving Deep Decarbonisation
Our new report shows how nuclear energy helps meet all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. No other electricity generation technology can match this diversity of beneficial impacts. The report argues that the priority for preventing irreversible climate change is decarbonisation, not the creation of energy systems which are 100% dependent on renewables. It is critical to take a whole system approach to the energy transition and for evidence-based decision making. In the context of the increasing urgency to replace fossil fuels, the range of low carbon options must include nuclear.
LucidCatalyst partnered with ClearPath to develop this study, led and implemented by John Herter and Ian Woodhouse of LucidCatalyst. Eric Ingersoll provided the inspiration that energy models must realistically reflect the true costs and risks associated with each energy source. Reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require a massive infrastructure build-out of enough clean electricity generation while building the infrastructure necessary to electrify industry and transport along the way. Detailed computer models can optimize for the cheapest paths to achieve Net Zero but cannot easily account for the political feasibility and constraints ranging from local opposition to regulatory delays, supply chain issues, and workforce capacity.
Designing the terawatt transition
Read this Lloyd's Register article—Kirsty Gogan and Eric Ingersoll, Managing Directors at LucidCatalyst, examine the role the global shipbuilding industry could play in producing low-cost hydrogen as the world looks towards zero-carbon fuels.
A new ground-breaking study released by EPRI, written by LucidCatalyst, identifies potential deployment paths for using advanced heat sources for producing zero-carbon liquid fuels.
Nuclear Law: The Global Debate (IAEA)
This new book by leading experts in the nuclear industry, focuses on current issues in the field and identifies potential areas for further development. LucidCatalyst's Missing Link report is highlighted in Chapter 6 "The Challenge of Climate Change—Complete Energy Transformation: No Nuclear, No Net Zero," by Tim Stone, and also in Chapter 13 "The Humanitarian Atom: The Role of Nuclear Power in Addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," by Sama Bilbao y Leon and John Lindberg.
A report by researchers at Stanford, MIT, and LucidCatalyst demonstrates how delaying closure of the plant would reduce California’s carbon emissions, reduce dependency on natural gas, and save billions in power system costs, in addition to providing desalinated water, and low-cost clean hydrogen. LucidCatalyst's Eric Ingersoll and Justin Aborn were major contributors to this report. Read this Op-Ed by former energy secretaries Steven Chu and Ernest Moniz in the LA Times, as well as articles in The Economist, MIT News, Forbes, Bloomberg, and WNN. Furthermore, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm supports keeping Diablo open, according to Reuters. Governor Gavin Newsom may attempt to delay the closure, as reported by AP and the LA Times.
Superhot Rock Geothermal – A Vision for Zero-Carbon Energy "Everywhere"
The UK's National Nuclear Lab Unveils Transformative Nuclear for Net Zero Modelling
LucidCatalyst contributed to this ground-breaking modelling report just published by NNL demonstrating the role nuclear can play in delivering the UK’s net zero goals. This is the first time that such diverse, scalable and low-cost applications for nuclear technologies have been fully represented across the whole energy system.
Green Label for Nuclear Energy
Reason prevails — European Commission Announces Plans to Include Nuclear Energy in Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. It's a good day for humanity's prospects on this planet. Thank you everyone who helped make this happen, including 53 signatories of this open letter that we published in the Financial Times with world famous climate scientists; academics, political leaders; regulators; climate NGOs; authors; artists; and investors.
Advanced Reactors Economics and Markets
In a new paper, authors Charles Forsberg (MIT) and Eric Ingersoll (LucidCatalyst) argue that the viability of nuclear power ultimately depends on economics. They examine the key factors and markets that make projects viable.
Our landmark report: Missing Link to a Livable Climate: Hydrogen Enabled Synthetic Fuels was featured in the Sunday Times, Business Green, and World Nuclear News. This report describes how the world can still meet the Paris goals of 1.5–2°C if sufficient, low-cost, clean hydrogen and synfuels are produced to replace oil and gas in shipping, aviation, and industry. We've just issued a short "Lucid Insights" version of this report.
Clean Energy Ministerial NICE Future Initiative Flexible Nuclear Campaign Report
The LucidCatalyst team was honored to be invited to write both the NGO Foreword (with Energy for Humanity and ClearPath Foundation) as well as a dedicated chapter in the report focused on flexible advanced reactors in future energy grids and innovative new hydrogen production facilities.
Blueprint for cheaper nuclear power unveiled
The nuclear industry set out an ambitious framework to cut the cost of constructing new power stations in the UK. In a new report, a cross-industry team (including LucidCatalyst), working as part of the Government-backed Nuclear Sector Deal, set out the key factors to reduce risk and bring down costs by 30% by 2030. It shows that nuclear power is vital to achieving Net Zero by 2050, whilst creating thousands of high quality jobs and economic opportunities across the country.
Green power needs to be dense power
Financial Times – In planning how to decarbonise, policymakers should think about whole-system outcomes. They need power technologies in the mix that are scalable and dense. We are delighted that two recent LucidCatalyst studies were cited in this article by Jonathan Ford.
Large markets for advanced reactors that cost less than $3,000/kW
A study by LucidCatalyst for the ARPA-E MEITNER program is the first to derive the highest allowable capital cost for advanced reactors across four of the major power markets in the US in 2034. The study shows how advanced reactors can complement wind and solar. Together, these technologies drive down costs, reduce emissions, and improve performance in future US electricity grids.
The world must look beyond sun & wind for hydrogen
Financial Times – Decarbonising liquid fuels is an enormous challenge; too big to place all our chips on one technology. We must explore all the available options, or learn to live with fewer substitutes for ubiquitous liquid fuels. LucidCatalyst's Eric Ingersoll is cited on production costs of hydrogen as a clean substitute for carbon fuels.
We need more of our climate solutions to be Impossible™ burgers
Our OpEd, first published in Business Green: All our work is focused on urgency and scale. Our conclusions suggest that the lowest-risk pathways for a rapid transition will be to supply carbon-neutral substitutes for carbon intensive energy uses—and make them so similar that hardly anyone notices. Just like an impossible burger.
LucidCatalyst's Kirsty Gogan and Eric Ingersoll were pleased to participate at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. They represented TerraPraxis, which hosted a full-day event on Derisking the TeraWatt Transition; video is available.
Kirsty Gogan & Dr. Rita Baranwal – Deep Decarbonization Advocates / Nuclear Energy Powerhouses
Listen to this Energy Disruptors podcast or watch video of Kirsty Gogan with Dr. Rita Baranwal, former Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy, and now VP of nuclear at the Electric Power Research Institute talk energy access, decarbonization challenges and being trailblazers in the industry.
Frontier Energy's Innovation & Investment in Energy Summit – 24th June 2021
LucidCatalyst was pleased to co-sponsor and participate in this forum for those changing the face of the global energy sector, as the energy industry accelerates towards a lower carbon future.
Nuclear innovation highlighted at CEM12
Flexible Nuclear Campaign for Nuclear-Renewables Integration at CEM12
Kirsty Gogan and Eric Ingersoll presented at this side-event at the Clean Energy Ministerial 12th annual meeting in Chile.
2020 IAEA Scientific Forum
at the IAEA 64th General Conference in Vienna
LucidCatalyst's Kirsty Gogan and Eric Ingersoll were pleased to attend this conference. Kirsty Gogan talked about the importance of building a wider coalition around nuclear power and emphasized the importance of communicating about shared values. The Scientific Forum concluded that nuclear power must have a seat at the table in global discussions over energy policies to curb emissions and meet climate goals.
Flexibility in Clean Energy Systems – 11th Annual CEM Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
This NICE Future event showcases clean energy options. LucidCatalyst's Kirsty Gogan presented ideas from our Missing Link Report.
Webinar: The Role of Advanced Nuclear in Future Energy Systems
LucidCatalyst's Kirsty Gogan and Eric Ingersoll joined Rich Powell of ClearPath, Dr Rachel Slaybaugh of ARPA-E, Dr. Shannon Bragg-Sitton of Idaho National Lab, and Prof. Melissa Lott of Columbia University in this webinar.