Keeping it brief: 2 minutes 45 seconds, 690 words

Hi friends,

A little late this week, but here are last week’s most interesting energy news stories and opinions.

Before we dive in, the Intelis Capital team is headed to the Bay Area from February 18th-21st. We’d love to connect with some of you during our trip! Please send me an email (kevin.stevens@inteliscapital.com) if you’re interested in meeting up next month.

Data-Driven

6.8% – Despite the debut of 45 electric & plug-in hybrids in the United States last year, only 325,000 plug-in passenger vehicles were sold, down 6.8% from 2018 (LA Times)

0.8% – The oil and gas industry only devoted 0.8% of its capital investment in 2019 to clean energy according to the International Energy Agency. (The Energy Mix)

TCS: We’ve talked at length about the need to include traditional O&G firms in the energy transition. These numbers are disappointing, but we still need to encourage those firms to increase this number moving forward.

Our Latest Post

Changing it up this week and sharing a post from John Tough, Managing Partner at Energize Ventures and friend of The Charging Station.

Entrepreneurs at the Industrial Gate –Last year nearly $6 billion went into Series A, B & C start-ups within the industrial, engineering & construction, power, energy, mining & materials, and mobility segments. Venture capital dollars deployed to these sectors are growing at a 30% annual rate, up from ~$750M in 2010. And while the $6 billion figure is notable due to the growth of VC dollars invested, this early-stage investment figure still only equates to ~0.2% of the revenue for the sector and ~1.2% of industry profits.

TCS: I’m sharing this piece because I’ve seen a few tweets asking why traditional VC hasn’t traditionally invested in energy and industrials. John’s summary at the bottom perfectly explains why.

Deep Dives

Gas Exports Have A Carbon Footprint Rivaling Coal’s – Natural gas’s role in global warming is complicated. Proponents of exporting natural gas, including government officials, argue that it will help wean other countries off coal, but exporting coal leaves a large carbon footprint too. (Bloomberg)

TCS: In the short-term to medium-term, the world likely needs a fuel source for baseload power generation. NIMBYism has prevented nuclear from being that option in most parts of the world, leaving us with natural gas. We’ll have to collectively decide the trade-offs moving forward, but these types of stories create opportunities for those focused on carbon transparency and accounting.

Ditching the doomsaying for better climate discourse – “Social sciences and humanities research shows that sticking to doomsday language doesn’t help people engage with the challenges of climate change,” says Max Boykoff. (CU Boulder)

TCS: We love this take especially in a politicized world. Fear makes us sit up and pay attention but it must be coupled with action or it will paralyze us.

Switched Off

This week’s non-energy related read. 

Dear Basketball – Kobe Bryant’s love letter to basketball during his final season.

TCS: Yesterday, Kobe Bryant and his daughter tragically passed away in a helicopter crash. Kobe’s past is a complicated one, but two things about him are impossible to question: his competitiveness and his dedication to his daughters.

The world lost a legend, several people lost a hero, and a family lost a husband and father.

This newsletter is our side-hustle. We hope it equips you with data and insights on the energy sector to inform your decision-making process in the best way possible. If you have feedback, let us know!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

The Charging Station

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