Alexandra Meagher

Hello! I work on Policy and Regs at Octopus Energy. Interested in energy transition and impact investment. Parent to 👧 and👶

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

Yes to having more real, nuanced, tough conversations 👇

[Ed Conway @EdConwaySky]

If you're even half interested in energy, I bet you've seen this chart. I call it The Most Hopeful Chart in the World.
The point? We're embracing renewable power MUCH faster than expected.
Hurrah!
Only problem is, this chart has an evil twin. A chart we really need to discuss
🧵

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

3 words no on wants to hear: “replacement bus service”

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

When you reframe the energy transition as a technology transition, a kind of Industrial Revolution, these stats - and their implications - are enormous.

[Assaad Razzouk @AssaadRazzouk]

This week, in China:
> World's largest offshore solar (yes, open-sea solar) project starts generating power
> World’s 2nd-largest solar plant (3GW) goes online after just 14 months of construction

Meanwhile, lots keeping talking about hydrogen and SMRs, slowing decarbonization

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

👀

[Felix Hamer • electricfelix @electricfelix]

EU subsidized fossil fuels more generously than renewables ('22)
@davidfickling is back:✍️

"Need 1 piece of absurdity? US has more restrictions on importing Malaysian solar panels made with Chinese materials than it has on importing Indian diesel made from Russian crude oil."

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

We need to stop thinking of “green growth” as being the sum of investment in and jobs from renewables and grid - and more about the green dividend that can come from lower input prices across the economy and lower household bill

[Alec Stapp @AlecStapp]

However bad you think things are in the UK, it’s worse

[Nat Bullard @NatBullard]

Solar PV.

68 years from the Bell Solar Battery (1954) to the first terawatt installed (2022).

2 years (2024) to install the second terawatt.

@GSolarCouncil

[Jesse Peltan @JessePeltan]

That dashed line is a single 600 watt solar panel per person.

Energy abundance is imminent.

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

😆🫤

[The Shovel @TheShovel]

ADORABLE! This Kid Is Dressing Up as a Coal Industry Lobbyist This Halloween in Order to Score More Handouts https://t.co/oO82PrZIMT

[Jan Rosenow @janrosenow]

Already today with the current electricity mix in the UK heat pumps reduce fossil fuel consumption 4x compared to gas boilers.

Nice visual from @ember_energy.

[Philip Steele @agile_phil]

My personal motivation for our solar install was self-consumption. The excess export I see as a bonus so I'm happy to gift that to those that can benefit from it. We've therefore launched this https://t.co/sKXUAWKg6B

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

This song is so london 💙

[Caroline Polachek @carolineplz]

ƃuıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ
sı
ɔıʇuɐɯoɹ

@charli_xcx uoy ɘvol i

https://t.co/a7TptIHP3e

[Simon Evans @DrSimEvans]

Why the IEA says peak oil* really is coming this time, in one simple chart
1/3

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

China leading the energy transition is unexpected ways…

[Dezeen @dezeen]

AIM Architecture transforms oil silos in China into community park:
https://t.co/bNejDyOiAs

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

👇 great thread. So much to learn from here on how the UK goes about the energy transition

[Sam Dumitriu @Sam_Dumitriu]

New: National Infrastructure Commission publish major report looking into the underlying causes of the UK's high infrastructure costs.

Here are some of the key insights. 🧵

[Octopus Energy @OctopusEnergy]

Watch us build a wind turbine in under 8 hours ▶️

This new turbine (we’re calling him Fat Boy Spin) is the first one to ever go up in central Berlin. #EnergyTechSummit @WIRED

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

@CalAliwell 💙💙💙

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

In particular love this line: “With technology improvements in generation, we're entering an era of energy abundance. We need to use one of our oldest technologies (price signals) to unlock the benefits of that new technology.” 🪄✨

[Jesse Peltan @JessePeltan]

8. Also, we can get a lot more out of our existing infrastructure by increasing off-peak demand.

Smart EV charging would allow us to electrify every car in the U.S. without increasing peak demand.

Smart electric water heaters can heat water when capacity is underutilized and store that water for later use.

Even smart pool heaters or driveway heaters. As long as they're not running during peaks, the cost to supply that electricity is tiny.

There are all kinds of new things that consumers can do without requiring any new grid infrastructure.

With technology improvements in generation, we're entering an era of energy abundance. We need to use one of our oldest technologies (price signals) to unlock the benefits of that new technology.

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

👇recommend this thread on some of the bonkers ways the current system works and what we can do to enable a more efficient, cheaper, greener elec system

[Jesse Peltan @JessePeltan]

1. I don't think people realize just how expensive electricity used to be.

Real electricity prices are HALF of what they were in 1960.

The "good old days" of "cheap coal" is just cheap propaganda.

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

How do you end coal? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.

🎩 H/T Hemingway for the words and @CarbonBrief for the charts

[Simon Evans @DrSimEvans]

Today is the day the UK becomes the first G7 country to completely phase out coal power

Since opening "Jumbo", the world's first coal power plant in 1882, the UK's coal plants have burned through a whopping 4.6bn tonnes of coal, emitting 10.4GtCO2 – which is more than most countries have ever released

Here's the story of how that all came to an end:

https://t.co/jOMqWjo4Vs

[Alexandra Meagher @drameagher]

This is what it looks like when fossil fuel lobbyists get sloppy…

[Rex Patrick @MrRexPatrick]

No surprise here. #auspol