OBBBA: US energy developers digest impact and timeline of federal policy changes (Ep. 215)

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed on July 4, 2025, and rewrote many of the rules associated with federal tax credits supporting low-carbon energy projects in the US. S&P Global Commodity Insights experts Anna Mosby and Conway Irwin join Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how the OBBBA may influence the development of various energy technologies and when these new rules take effect. Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Rich Africa Consultancy is a strategic advisory firm based in Namibia, specializing in natural resources law, energy policy, and sustainable investment. Since 2011, it has guided governments and businesses in unlocking value from Africa’s resource wealth through expert advice, ESG alignment and thought leadership.  Ndapwilapo Selma Shimutwikeni, founder and CEO of Rich Africa Consultancy, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss Namibia's transforming oil and gas landscape, as the country moves to first oil from its major discovery, and the role expectation management plays in achieving that milestone. Find out more about Rich Africa Consultancy 

Buildings in the United States account for about 40% of domestic energy demand and about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Increased electrification of buildings, particularly in heating, is core to policy makers realizing decarbonization ambitions. Julia Kim, a US power markets expert at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss incentives behind US building electrification and explain how the pace of heat pump adoption will reflect regional differences in incumbent heat source and state-level policy. Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Upstream operators in the Permian Basin have reduced emitted methane by 50%, or 29 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, since 2022 according to overflight data.  Importantly, this reduction has occurred at the same time as oil production has grown and reflects an improvement in the methane intensity of Permian operations. Raoul LeBlanc, vice president of upstream at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how methane management is becoming a normal part of Permian operations and technology is shifting focus from ‘find and fix’ to ‘predict and prevent.’ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Conduit Power is a Houston-based independent power producer and services platform working behind the meter to co-locate distributed gas-generation assets alongside the projects of its commercial and industrial customers. The three-year-old company, backed by Grey Rock Investment Partners, also works in front of the meter through a model that allows upstream producers in the Permian Basin to share in the upside of converting their low-value natural gas molecules to higher-value electricity. Travis Windholz, CFO at Conduit Power, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how Conduit’s modular dispatchable generation projects use natural gas to provide the reliable and fast-to-deploy power that its oilfield, data center, and other industrial clients require. Learn more about Conduit Power at: https://conduitpower.co/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Holtec International is an established company focused on nuclear energy technology, specializing in spent fuel storage, small modular reactors (SMRs), and nuclear plant decommissioning. Its Palisades Power Plant in Michigan was shut down in 2022 and is now in the final stages of restarting after becoming in 2025 the first nuclear plant in the US to return to operations from decommissioning. Patrick O’Brien, Director of Government Affairs and Communications at Holtec, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how Holtec has transitioned from decommissioning nuclear power plants to restarting them, and how the company is on track to have its Palisades Plant in Michigan up and running later this year. Learn more about Holtec International at: https://holtecinternational.com/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Carbon Catalyst is a UK-based carbon capture & storage project developer focused on a portfolio of carbon transport and storage projects within the North Sea.  Nick Terrell, executive director of operations at Carbon Catalyst, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how the pure-play carbon transport and storage company is working with partners to leverage depleted gas fields in North Sea in the development of its Poseidon and Orion CO2 sequestration projects. Learn more about Carbon Catalyst at: https://carboncatalyst.com/about-us/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Houston-based VoltaGrid is a portable energy infrastructure company that has deployed more than 1,500 MW of distributed natural gas generation capacity since its founding in 2021. Nathan Ough, VoltaGrid CEO, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys, to discuss how the fast-growing company has expanded beyond its initial focus on powering electric frac fleets in the oilfield to meeting the speed-to-power demands of energy-hungry datacenters. Learn more about VoltaGrid at: https://voltagrid.com/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

American Heat Engine invites readers to “buckle up and … take a road trip” as it embarks on a history of how hydrocarbon development and use has shaped the United States. Kent Williamson, author of American Heat Engine: Hydrocarbons and the Power of the United States, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss his motivation for writing the new book and how he’s organized the narrative around 15 “strategic hydrocarbon bridges” that mark significant inflection points and transitions for American energy. Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Ameresco designs, builds, owns, operates and maintains energy infrastructure with the stated goal of helping its customers reduce costs, enhance resilience and decarbonize operations. John Plack, Ameresco Senior Vice President of Engineering, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss why the cleantech integrator is turning its attention to geothermal and how it works with universities, hospitals and large-scale military housing to establish and expand the emerging technology. Learn more about Ameresco at: https://www.ameresco.com/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en