Alexandra Harbour

Four years ago, in the thick of the COVID pandemic, Rewiring America shared their #electrification handbook. We at Energize Capital had been investing at the intersection of renewables and electrification since our firm's inception back in 2016. Rewiring America's work crystallized the electrification of everything imperative in a way we hadn't seen before; communicating complicated concepts simply. It inspired our team at Energize to start sharing our own views and thesis on, you guessed it, Electrify Everything.   Fast forward to 2024, we are 5 years into researching and writing about how to "Electrify Everything." We can decarbonize, save people and businesses money, and make the industrial economy more efficient. Critically, electrifying faster with proven technologies like solar, energy efficient devices, batteries … has an outsized impact on the Earth's carbon stock now, not 30 years from now. We think enabling technologies that help us electrify faster can unlock many proven electrification technologies. In the process, they might make a lot revenue and profit. That is a good thing.   Every year, Energize shares the latest Electrify Everything trends we can't stop talking about. We also share 30 companies advancing electrification with digital platforms that we really admire. There are 100s if not 1000s of innovators developing hardware, deeptech, software, and tech-enabled services business models to electrify everything. We love it all. Come join the movement and #ElectrifyEverything. Read on below to learn about the Electrify Everything 2024: The Top 30 Software Innovators! https://lnkd.in/euMeUMZt

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Congratulations to Tom N. and his grid-tech startup, Piq Energy, on their inclusion in this great writeup from Russell S. and Virta Ventures on startups involved in planning + siting data centers - an enormous industry. A standout fact or two: -Power consumption for AI data centers is projected to 7x by 2030, per Goldman Sachs -The interconnection queue is currently ~5 years for renewables projects - we need rapid progress in grid planning if we don't want new data projects to add more fossil-powered electricity to the grid, reversing recent progress Piq has the potential to be a key tool in this fight, using AI to simulate the grid and complete interconnection (and other grid) analyses in hours that previously took weeks via manual consultant processes. It's great to see emerging major players in the space, like Cloverleaf Infrastructure (which just announced $300M in funding to build out renewables-powered data center campuses), choosing Piq to help them execute. Proud to be a longtime advisor to Piq and Tom (who paddleboarded to Alcatraz with me and John McDowell back in March!), and looking forward to seeing the impact Piq makes on global power buildout. Congrats Tom! https://lnkd.in/gXqNUxJf

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Absolutely thrilled to welcome Eliot Brooks, Freddie Scott, William Knapp, and the entire Cocoon team to the Wireframe portfolio, and lead their pre-seed round! Steel and concrete are widely considered some of the toughest industries to decarbonize; responsible for 14%+ of GHG emissions today. The scale of these sectors -- with concrete being the second most used substance in the world after water -- makes it extremely difficult for any new technology to make a dent on operations or emissions. But with demand for building materials growing rapidly as we invest in modern cities and infrastructure, solutions that can deliver cost-effective carbon impacts in the short-term is exactly what we need. Enter Cocoon. The company's novel approach leverages existing feedstocks, flow sheets, and supply chains to produce low-carbon cement from slag, all while increasing the profitability of sustainable steel operations. More on why we're convinced that their scalable, shipping container sized system can be the winning solution for these historically hard-to-abate sectors + the progress they've made in just 15 months here: https://lnkd.in/ezzTWtaw

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Cost-effective geothermal energy has the ability to fully transition and decarbonize our grids and industrial systems - in the near term! We believe the team and technology at XGS Energy will realize this vision and we couldn't be happier to be working with them on a geothermal-powered reality.

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REDD up by 27% YOY, for 1Q2024. If you read about Carbon crisis, prices crashing, double check the source. Likely the author has an agenda that opposes Voluntary Carbon Markets(VCM) and/or anything that smells of capitalism.

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S2G Ventures’ new report, The Climate Finance Relay Race, highlights how asset owners have the opportunity to fill a critical funding gap for climate-focused innovations and how having a solid ecosystem can help them do so. I think this is an important read for anyone interested in #climate #finance. https://lnkd.in/gjtFhHPy Mike Wise Sanjeev Krishnan Jinchen Zou

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In other news, foxes think the henhouse doesn't need any guarding. The author's argument basically boils down to: 1) trust us and 2) merchant transmission development usually runs over budget or gets abandoned, resulting in higher costs to the customers. The first argument is categorically weak and problematic, but the second has some validity. There are a number of solutions to the second problem beyond right-of-first refusal, however, including higher security deposits (to prevent walking away) and various provisions that disallow cost escalation after bidding (or defined indexing provisions). I don't know how anyone can plausibly argue with a straight face that preventing competition is good for customers. https://lnkd.in/dZYExb26

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It’s so obvious what’s happening. Lines companies and regulators need to get out of the way (and react much faster than they are) to let the flow accelerate. https://lnkd.in/g9k-z-v7

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🚀 Calling all adopters of #proptech and #construction tech: real estate developers, builders, and owner-operators, and more! 🌟 Big News! I’m thrilled to announce our partnership with Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), co-administered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to accelerate cleantech adoption. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative bringing public and private industry together to drive the digitization and decarbonization of the built environment with a focus on the adoption of startup technologies by end customers. I couldn’t be more excited to collaborate closely with IN² and NREL’s incredible teams to build the industry’s first Adoption Playbook, and the impact this program will have to catalyze more sustainable innovation implementation to our built world. Led by Program Manager Sarah Derdowski, NREL's team is backed by world-class research and a history of running successful incubators. 💡 If you're a forward-thinking organization that is seeking to innovate your real estate footprint, apply today. Adopters can receive up to $250,000 in grant funding to pilot cutting-edge technologies, while startups have the chance to scale and engage with major corporations. This groundbreaking program offers incredible opportunities for both adopters and startups to drive sustainability and innovation—and we're kicking it off this month! 🌍 With our team at Overlay Build, we will design the curriculum in partnership with IN² for corporate adopters through their Adoption Playbook. The playbook will prioritize pain points, identify innovation areas, and form peer groups for implementation strategies. Overlay will also develop due diligence criteria, help to determine the top startups for potential pilots, and form internal innovation working committees that will drive change. Additionally, Overlay will build a change management strategy to ensure practical evaluation and implementation of pilot projects, helping companies with significant real estate ownership reduce construction inefficiencies, costs, and carbon footprints. 🔍This initiative addresses the "missing middle" in technology adoption of built environment solutions—let's bridge that gap together. For more information or to discuss how you can get involved, feel free to reach out to me directly. 👉 Join us in shaping the future of the built environment! Adopters, apply here today: https://lnkd.in/eCRHCXfm #Sustainability #Cleantech #Innovation #BuiltEnvironment #IN2 #OverlayCapital #DigitalTransformation #Decarbonization #ESG #NetZero

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In 2023, the largest segments in the climate tech vertical were low-carbon mobility, industry, grid infrastructure, intermittent renewable energy sources (solar and wind). 50 VC deals for climate tech companies in 2023 exceeded $150 million, and of these, nine exceeded $500 million. Companies that need a lot of capital to execute on a big vision can succeed today. #climatetech #climateVC #climate

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Are electric vehicles as green as we think? I recently joined the 'ESG Detectives' podcast to discuss the true environmental impact of EVs, from manufacturing to energy consumption. We also explored the vital role of AI and semiconductors in shaping the future of sustainable transportation. Tune in to discover the surprising realities behind this rapidly evolving industry. What are your thoughts on the environmental impact of EVs? Share in the comments below! #EV #AI #Sustainability #GreenTech #Podcast #Discussion

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Check out my recent post on why President Trump is the forcing function for us to solve the “Missing Middle” and catch the industrial Tsunami of onshoring coming to the US!

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Last week Peak Energy announced its $55M oversubscribed series A, which Xora Innovation led, joined by lead seed investor Eclipse (Greg Reichow, Ryan Gibson), as well as TDK Ventures (Anil Achyuta), TechEnergy Ventures (Alejandro Solé), Doral Energy-Tech Ventures (Roee Furman), Lachy Groom, and Tishman Speyer (David Aron). Special thanks to 🌱🤝🌍 Anil Achyuta for the original introduction.   Peak is commercializing a new standard in grid-scale energy storage systems based on sodium-ion batteries. Peak’s market is benefiting from the twin tailwinds of renewables and AI, and the company has just the right founding team to scale at "ludicrous speed".   Landon Mossburg, Co-Founder and CEO, is one of the most phenomenal team builders we have had the privilege of backing. He brings deep experience in building battery gigafactories from his prior role as Chief Automation Officer of Northvolt, where he didn’t shy away from sleeping on factory floors for months in Northern Europe.   We have a special place in our hearts for entrepreneurs who have the grit to spend 10 years+ building deep tech startups from the foundational stage to commercialization. Cameron Dales, Co-Founder, President and Chief Commercial Officer, has done it not only once, but twice, at Symyx Technologies and Enovix (current market cap $2.65B).   Liam O'Connor O’Connor, Co-Founder and COO, previously scaled major portions of Tesla’s and Apple’s supply chains, flying over 500,000 miles a year when required. Liam has a deep understanding of what it takes to build resilient supply chains in hypergrowth mode, having previously scaled from <$5B to $40B in spend over a matter of a few years.   The climate tech sector is in need of more entrepreneurs who truly understand what building on a massive industrial scale means. We couldn’t be more excited that Landon, Cam and Liam have decided to apply their talents to enabling grid-scale energy storage.

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Big week next week, we are often asked by LPs and start-ups alike, what will the impact of the election be on the #energytransition? Despite election uncertainty, the fundamentals driving #climate sector growth remain strong. In our latest piece, Energize Capital Managing Partner John Tough breaks down the #digital solutions behind the climate sector's resilience. What we're seeing: 📈 Private investment in climate tech has surged 71% since the IRA 🏭 Clean manufacturing investments are empowering communities across the country ⚡️ Grid modernization is a shared national priority 🌐 Digital solutions are stepping up to accelerate deployment and improving returns Climate investment has strengthened American manufacturing, provided jobs, and reinforced key infrastructure. Read more about why we believe the climate sector's momentum is here to stay ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dQRFE_48

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Curious about energy storage, data analytics in this field, and how the industry is evolving? I learned a lot from this conversation with Kasim Khan.

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One month left to apply!!!! Apply to NETI's Climate Tech Bootcamp Cohort 3.0, a pre-accelerator program powered by Riffle Ventures, Climate Tech Bootcamp, OHUB and Greater New Orleans, Inc. – GNO, Inc. part of H2TheFuture, a Build Back Better Regional Challenge of The Economic Development Administration. This bootcamp is a 10-week pre-accelerator program for climate tech and new energy entrepreneurs in the United States that have an interest in building in or expanding to South Louisiana. ‍ Five (5) founders from the program will pitch for a $100,000 (US) investment on the terms of their current round. Application is in the comments and here's a quick overview as well: - 📆 When: September 3 - October 31, 2024 - ⏰ Deadline to Apply: August 27, 2024 - 💻 Location: Virtual - 🆓 Cost: Free. The $5,000 per person fee is waived thanks to GNO, Inc. and The Economic Development Administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge. - 💰 Funding: Up to $100,000 US (equity investment) in current round to the top startup selected at the end of the cohort. - 🈺 Cohort Size: 25-30 entrepreneurs - 🌍 Cohort Geography: United States - 📈 Stage: We welcome applicants from multiple stages, though having a minimum viable product is ideal.

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The joining of Google Next Renew and OhmConnect signals some validation of an effort started some eight years ago. Championed by Dave Wechsler, Curtis Snyder and Jon Kaplowitz, we worked to develop a virtual power-plant by giving away XFINITY HOME connected thermostats in exchange for demand response agreements. With enough concentration this would prove to reduce consumption on demand. Unfortunately, initial success gave way to larger competing priorities. We must continue to invest in the nation's infrastructure in a way that benefits and rewards customers, improves reliability and reduces human impact on the environment. I'm eager to see how this partnership will deliver a substantial impact in energy efficiency, demand response, grid optimization, and customer engagement. It's a promising step. How do you think the merger of Google Nest Renew and OHMConnect will impact residential energy management? https://lnkd.in/ev_z2Wbz

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another great piece by Jennifer Hiller regarding AI's seemingly insatiable demand for energy. Where does this take us? I predict a growing demand for "net new" clean baseload from Big Tech (and regulators). They want more power, but they would also prefer to get it the right way. Not taking it from today's pre-existing baseload, but instead finding net new sources like new-build nukes, geothermal, and more wind/solar + storage. Let's build! Carl Hoiland Joel Edwards Jonathan Webb Patrick Maloney Shayle Kann Jigar Shah Jennifer Granholm Daniel Shugar Chris Anderson Rebecca Kujawa Obvious Ventures

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