An Interview With Mark Jacobson on the 100% Renewables Debate

Not long ago, energy nerds were pondering the feasibility of 20 percent renewables on the electric grid. Now we're long past that.

Today, the conversation is centered around 100 percent renewables economy-wide -- thanks largely to a body of work developed by Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson and his colleagues. Since 2009, he's argued that 100 percent renewables is not only feasible, it's desirable.

But as the stakes get higher, the debate gets more intense. Jacobson has picked up many high-profile supporters -- but he's also picked up a lot of critics, who believe his work is faulty and shortsighted.

That criticism came to a head last month when a group of researchers published a lengthy rebuttal to one of Jacobson's 100 percent renewable scenarios. The internet exploded with points and counterpoints and counter-counterpoints.

In this episode, we feature a lengthy interview with Jacobson. He responds directly to criticisms of the paper, sheds light on his modeling methodology, and talks about the role of his work in setting energy policy. 

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Additional reading:

• 2009 research from Jacobson outlining a 100 percent renewables plan
• 2015 study from Jacobson et al. on balancing a 100 percent renewable grid
• The rebuttal published by Clack et al. on Jacobson's modeling