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Climate ConfidentAuthor: Tom Raftery
Climate Confident is the podcast for business leaders, policy-makers, and climate tech professionals who want real, practical strategies for slashing emissions, fast.Every Wednesday at 7am CET, I sit down with the people doing the work, executives, engineers, scientists, innovators, to unpack how theyre driving measurable climate action across industries, from energy and transport to supply chains, agriculture, and beyond.This isnt about vague pledges or greenwashing. Its about whats working, and what isnt, so you can make smarter decisions, faster.We cover:Scalable solutions in energy, mobility, food, and financeThe politics and policies shaping the energy transitionTools and tech transforming climate accountability and riskHard truths, bold ideas, and real-world success stories Climate Confident subscribers get full access to the complete archive, 230 episodes of deep, data-driven insights. Not ready to subscribe? No worries, youll still get the most recent 30 days of episodes for free.Want to shape the conversation? Id love to hear from you. Drop me a line anytime at Tom@tomraftery.com - whether its feedback, a guest suggestion, or just a hello.Ready to stop doomscrolling and start climate-doing? Hit follow and lets get to work. Language: en-ie Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Solar Isn’t Breaking the Grid. Our Grid Is Breaking Solar.
Episode 256
Tuesday, 20 January, 2026
Send me a messageEurope doesn’t have a clean energy problem. It has a grid problem.Solar is cheap. Batteries are scaling. Demand is exploding. The system in the middle is cracking.In this episode, I’m joined by Rob Stait, Managing Director of Alight’s behind-the-meter business, to unpack why the energy transition is now being held back less by technology and more by infrastructure, regulation, and outdated thinking. Alight develops and owns onsite solar and battery systems for large energy users across Europe, using long-term PPAs to lock in savings, cut emissions, and build resilience.We dig into why waiting for cheaper solar or batteries is often the wrong call, and why businesses that move early gain a structural advantage. You’ll hear how behind-the-meter solar and battery storage bypass grid bottlenecks entirely, why blaming renewables for blackouts misses the real issue, and how decentralised generation is reshaping energy security, affordability, and decarbonisation all at once.We also explore the uncomfortable reality facing Europe’s grids, the growing role of data centres and electrification, and why microgrids are starting to look less like an edge case and more like the logical endgame of the energy transition. This is a grounded conversation about climate tech that works, emissions reduction that scales, and why net zero will be built through economics as much as policy.🎙️ Listen now to hear how Rob Stait and Alight Energy are helping turn clean energy from a grid liability into a competitive advantage.Podcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers: Anita Krajnc Cecilia Skarupa Ben Gross Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. CreditsMusic credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper
