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Let Me Sum Up: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Tennant Reed, Luke Menzel, Frankie Muskovic
Your regular deep dive into recent reports on climate and energy with Frankie Muskovic, Luke Menzel and Tennant Reed. Because there is too much.
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- 2 days ago1h 16m
🎶 I See Tables Of Data, Since 1952, About To Be Broken, By The Strait Of Hormuz, And I Think To Myself, What A Numberful World 🎶
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for a dissection of the latest cracks in the ECMC Federation This week our Bonus episode includes Frankie, Luke and Tennant dissecting the spicy, spicy goings on in the latest Energy and Climate Ministerial Council meeting. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to hear which state dissented from the latest communique, and wild speculation on why! — Another day, another few gigawatts of data centre proposals to ponder! Your intrepid hosts continue their burgeoning obsession - alongside the nation’s polity, big business and interest groups aplenty - on the continued hype around the growth of AI, data centres and Australia’s role in all of the above. No question it is THE hot button issue of the day, the most recent proof point being the PM has given a great big speech on it! Australian Standards will be made! Copyright and content protection is high on the list! ECMC is on the case, with an eye on energy requirements for data centres! The prospective numbers around investment are super high - but are we heading for an AI bubble deflation? And how much productivity is actually going to be delivered by the bots? One thing is for sure, this won’t be the last time LMSU convenes this corner. Our main course This week our main course is a slab of statistical delight - that’s right! - we’ve looking at the latest Statistical Review of World Energy, now in it’s 75th year! Started in 1952 by bp and stewarded for many years thereafter, these days, the baton has been passed to the UK Energy Institute with assists from Ember, KPMG, Kearney and Wattage Consulting. If you’ve never ventured into this document’s tabular depths you are in for a real treat! This globally watched, massive comprehensive account details exactly where the world’s energy is coming from, with *a bunch* of fascinating stories to unpack. When you look past the limitations of data presented as Primary Energy, it is clear that big structural shifts are underway - but the story from region to region looks very different! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: AEMO QED Q2 2026! Battery rampage continues, Data Centre connection queue swells 67%! Always quality content, 4 times a year - hop on it people! Frankie’s One More Thing is: a plug for the latest report from The Superpower Institute, ‘How Australia can break its foreign fuel dependence, complete with some handy video explainers. Luke’s One More Thing is: a back pat for Australia! Sourced from the just-released IEA Mid-Year Electricity Update 2026, showing an intriguing data point with Australia bucking the trend for wholesale electricity price spikes caused by the fuel crisis. Our saviour? Batteries! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
- 2 weeks ago1h 21m
NEM Governance May Need Work, But LMSU Governance Is Unimpeachable
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for a chat on Diesel Fuel Tax Credits! This week our Bonus episode includes Alison, Frankie, Luke and Tennant breaking down what is going on with the various pushes to remove, reform - and preserve! - diesel fuel tax credits. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. — Your intrepid welcome back super friend of the pod and sometime co-host Alison Reeve as we boot Luke out for a chat on two things LMSU’s unimpeachable governance has determined he can have no say in! First up, it’s been two laps around the sun since our deep dive into the 2024 Integrated System Plan and so into the 2026 ISP we must dive! What’s different from the last one? Well, in news that some of us energy wotchers will find comforting, this is a bit more boring than the last ISP because the central scenario is broadly pretty consistent with the last one! Data centre load hype replaces hydrogen load hype, batteries continue to eat into the role for gas but a bit more gas capacity is needed - how to finance this remains a key question! We also ponder the extent to which constraints on the ISP to reflect current government policies well into the future and reflect vastly different pictures across states is at all realistic. Our main course This Menzel-free main course is serving Big G GOVERNANCE as we tuck into Power Dynamics: Energy Governance in Australia, authored by long time climate and energy policy knower Rob Murray-Leach for the Energy Efficiency Council and RACE for 2030 CRC. It follows previous work from the EEC, ACOSS, Australian Industry Group and Property Council of Australia and contains a cornucopia of common sense ideas. Central to the reform philosophy proposed is a better balance of centralised and decentralised elements, and coordinating institutions and resources to focus on the tasks they’re best suited to. Simples, right? One more things Alison’s One More Thing is: the NSW Government’s current parliamentary inquiry into an EV road user charge and the potential for more constitutional challenges! Governments really need to decide who’s doing what here (lookin at you Commonwealth). Tennant’s One More Thing is: Blithering ballpark numbers for space-based sunshades (solar powersat and sailcraft versions!) to mask global warming, buying time for emissions reductions without spraying sulphur or diamond dust in the stratosphere.TL;DR is there are easier ways to solve climate change change guys. Frankie’s One More Thing is: a HUMUNGOUS shoutout to all the folks who have been working on and advocating for a national home energy rating system for the last two decades - it is finally here! Go check it out at https://www.homeenergyrating.gov.au/. Now let’s giddyup on mandatory disclosure please! Luke’s One More Thing is: Pauline Hanson’s National Press Club address. Compulsory viewing for climate and energy wonks concerned with understanding the seismic shifts in Australian politics and how this impacts efforts to combat climate change. And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
- Jul 2, 20261h 19m
When Is 20 More Than 100? Beats Me(thane)
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for Germany industrial decarb tour and London Climate Action Week debrief! This week our Bonus episode includes a debrief from Luke and Tennant on their recent tour of Germany looking for inspo for Australia’s industrial decarbonisation journey plus extra side BoCo on BoCo reportage of the goings on at London Climate Action Week, including the launch of #ElectrifyNow global campaign! Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. -- In an unprecedented move of late your intrepid hosts temporarily abandon Energy Crisis Corner (we’ll be back fo sho) for a look at China’s just latest and just-published Five Year Plan! On first review of the climate and energy parts, it looks to be weak on carbon and large scale renewables targets but respected Respected China Energy Watchers also argue it’s incredibly strong on the growth of storage and flexibility, and electrification? Already miles ahead of the global ambition in the new #ElectrifyNow campaign for 35% of final energy demand by 2035 - China reckons they’ll get there by 2030 at a steady cruise! Our main course The time has come! Muskovic’s Methane Musings takes to the main stage - as it was always destined to! - and we dive into the Climate Change Authority’s latest consultation paper, ‘Fossil methane: A near-term abatement opportunity’. The good folk at the CCA are being pragmatic and laying out the facts when it comes to sources of methane in Australia, but they’re zeroing in on near term abatement opportunities in the coal and gas sectors, because there’s a lot we can do! Tune in for the opening debate on GWP20 vs GWP100, why measurement and reporting could be better and what kinds of technology and policies could be looked at federally (lookin at you Safeguard) and at the state level. Consultation closes on 7 August so hop on it folks! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: Orica reaching final investment decision on the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub, with a lil’ help from the Hydrogen Headstart program! Frankie’s One More Thing is: a shoutout to Summerupperer Rowan Moorey from Springmount Advisory for alerting us to some cool stats from the IEA showing the significance of energy efficiency compared to electrification, renewables and nuclear on energy and cost savings globally in response to the global fuel crisis. Efficiency for the win! Luke’s One More Thing is: a shout out for the global electrification campaign ElectrifyNow.world launched at London Climate Action Week during a record-breaking heatwave. TL;DR is London isn’t set up for extreme heat and some innovative solutions (cushions stuffed in windows, anyone?) were being deployed across the city to keep folks comfortable. *cough* Adaptation *cough* And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net
- Jun 18, 202659 min
Don’t Cry For Gas, DCCEEW Dreamers, Exporters Will Never Leave You
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for Bonus Bonn bons! This week our Bonus episode has Frankie interrogating Luke and Tennant for some reportage of all the goings on at the Bonn intersessional talks. Overnight cross country German roadtrips! Electrification! Action agenda! Trade talk snafus! Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon for this especially sweet Boo! — In what will most-definitely-absolutely-hunge-percent be the last episode of Global Energy Crisis Corner because: We Have A Deal! Or do we? At the time of recording a ceremonial signing was in the works for Zurich on Friday so YOU Summerupperers know better than us whether Trump is leaning in on the art in this deal. Will the Strait of Hormuz be open by the time this episode drops? No tolls - just fees! Our main course Your intrepid hosts take a closer look at the Australian Government’s Domestic Gas Reservation Scheme: draft Design Framework, currently out for consultation. We track back over how exactly we got here, key design elements of the scheme and what remains to fleshed out and we reckon all this means for gas users, gas producers and that little thing called the energy transition. One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: a recommendation almost certainly made in the delirium of not enough sleep: anyone who hasn’t yet seen John Woo’s Hard Boiled should know T rates this a hard recommend.* Frankie’s One More Thing is: a reconstitution of Muskovic’s Methane Musings (complete with jingle) to telegraph our very own Climate Change Authority has released a consultation paper on abatement opportunities for fossil methane! Hop on it folks. Luke’s One More Thing is: some free BoCo from Michael Liebreich’s recent visit to Australia, including a keynote at the Energy Efficiency Council’s recent National Conference. Here’s the keynote, fireside Q&A and appearance at the National Press Club. And in light or recent announcements out of Bonn, LMSU also gives a massive shout out to Australia’s Team Electrification, led by the inimitable Anna Freeman, who’s been herding cats on the global electrification pledge launched by Turkiye in Bonn! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail! *sort of.
- Jun 4, 20261h 20m
LMSU Episode 100 Tops Up The National Podcast Reserve
Summerupperers, we’ve made it! 100 episodes in and your intrepid hosts are still banging on about the latest developments and papers in climate and energy, because, THERE REALLY IS TOO MUCH. This week the LMSU crew marked the centenary occasion by recording this episode together - in real life! - on Bidjigal and Gadigal country, where we fielded questions and provocations from you, our amazing community of listeners. A huge shout out and thanks to Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, Clare McLaughlin, Erwin Jackson, Julian Soo, Georgina Woods, Anna Hancock, Beth Richards, Alison Reeve, Carlos Flores, Anna Skarbek, Barry Sterland, Tom Quinn and the ghost of Queen Elizabeth II for calling in with your questions and well wishes! Over 100 episodes and four and a bit years, one of the best parts of doing LMSU has been hearing from all of you. Emails, shout outs on socials or encounters in the wild - hearing you've enjoyed the pod or find it useful doing the important work you do to advance climate action is why we're still in your ears, every fortnight, summing up the latest developments in climate and energy. And a very special thanks to our Super Sumerupperers who support us on Patreon. Without you, we absolutely would not be here! Your continued support means we can work with the fabulous Mark Spencer, who edits the pod, thereby saving our collective sanity and relative work life balances. If you listen to us on the regular, consider joining our Patreon and getting access to special subscriber only bonus episodes.This week, our bonus episode involves unlocking the archive and airing Episode 0 - our very first pilot episode! Walk, don’t run, over to letmesumup.net for all your LMSU needs.
- May 21, 20261h 17m
Data Centre Flex: Moderating Peak Loads To Calm Loads Of Pique
Send us a voicemail to mark Let Me Sum Up’s upcoming 100th Episode! Your friendly neighbourhood climate and energy podcast of record is about to clock up its 100th episode! Global VP for Marketing and Extortion kindly requests Summeruppers to send us a voicemail with your questions for LMSU’s intrepid hosts or favourite anecdotes from listening to the pod. All contributions welcome! — In Episode XII of Global Energy Crisis Corner the current fuel crisis might have slipped off the radar of everyday Australians because, well, it’s all been Very Much Under Control And Nothing To See Here Except Higher Than Pre-Crisis Domestic Fuel Reserves. That doesn’t stop your tired, but resilient-in-our-nerdery intrepid hosts from another serving of what-is-actually-going-on-out-there chat! The latest IEA Oil Market Report makes it clear things are still VERY BAD but the impacts have been softened by countries drawing down on their domestic reserves - particularly China. But how much longer can this last? And how is this being experienced outside rich countries like Australia that can afford to pay extra to bolster imports? This article in the Economist does a good job outlining the impacts across Asia. Buckle up for Episode XIII folks. Our main course Your intrepid hosts dive out of the fire and into the frying pan to dissect ‘Power Flexible AI Factories: A UK-First Demonsration of Grid-Responsive AI Infrastructure’, a paper from Chris Williams et al and supported by Emerald AI, Electric Power Research Institute, the UK’s National Grid and Nebius. So what does BIG AI think the solution is to managing the growth of power-hungry data centres across the globe? Unsurprisingly this paper is optimistic on the potential for data centres to operate in practice as a form of demand response, to smooth peak demand around significant events (tea kettle breaks for UEFA matches, anyone?) and reduce power consumption by up to 40%. The trial documented in the paper provides some real cause for optimism and throws out some suggestions for reform, but bigger trials and key questions - like who pays for the flex? And how about that water consumption? - still need grappling with. One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: a techno-optimist double delight! CATL deal for 60 GWh sodium-ion batteries for grid storage shows sodium is here and lithium constraints aren’t going to be a problem AND Fervo IPO - geothermal startup raises US$1.89b and market values it at $10b+ - they will have the money to get their first 500MW plant up and running this year (Cape Station, Utah). Frankie’s One More Thing is: a sneaky peak into LMSU’s post Budget analysis to alert folks to a tantalising reference to the Government’s work on a ‘market measure’ to drive demand for new Australian LCLF production (page 12 of BP1 to be precise). Watch this space! Luke’s One More Thing is: some electrification optimism percolating around the country - from the $40m funding in the Budget to help electrify Australia Post’s operations to Incat in Tasmania taking their ferries all electric! LMSU also heartily commends to Summerupperers the book ‘Power, Prosperity and Planet: Climate and Energy Policy For All’ from friend of the pod, Thom Woodroofe! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to suppo
- May 7, 20261h 25m
Santa (Marta)’s List: These Academics Know If Your Fossil Transition Policies Are Naughty Or Nice
Send us a voicemail to mark Let Me Sum Up’s upcoming 100th Episode! Your friendly neighbourhood climate and energy podcast of record is about to clock up its 100th episode! And our Global VP for Marketing and Extortion kindly requests Summeruppers to send us a voicemail with your questions for LMSU’s intrepid hosts or favourite anecdotes from listening to the pod. All contributions welcome! Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for Pre-Budget Palooza or Grab our Sector Plan Odyssey Six Pack on its own! This week our Bonus episode includes wild and semi-informed speculation on what to expect for climate and energy in this year’s Federal Budget. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. And if all you really wanted from LMSU’s BoCo bonanza of late was our six pack of sector plan coverage, you can grab that on its own too. — In a trend that shows no sign of abating, your intrepid hosts reconvene Global Energy Crisis Corner because, it’s been another two weeks and There Is Too Much. Since our last episode global oil prices are back up but local fuel prices are down. Que pasa? Government credit on import deals is subsidising fuel? Lag to global price spikes? Panic hoarding largely passed? A little bit of everything we reckon. So where does this leave us? The crisis doesn’t look like it'll be done anytime soon, time to explore efficiencies and longer term pivots to better storage and electrification we reckon! Our main course Your intrepid hosts think it’s not a bad time for countries to be discussing the transition away from fossil fuels, so cue a global summit we prepared earlier! Last week the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels was held in Santa Marta, Colombia. We unpack where the conference came from (a few COPs in the making!), who was there (lots of constituencies, about half of COP parties pushing for stronger action to phase out fossils), who was not there (the other half of COP countries less keen on faster action, a bunch of business) and what happened! We dive into the Santa Marta Action Repertoire (SMART) Summary, the academic dialogue of the conference, edited and overseen by Friedrich J. Bohn, Jesse Burton, Andrea Cardoso, Frank Jotzo, Sissi Knispel de Acosta, Kjell Kühne, Pao-Yu Oei, Annette Zou. From overcoming economic dependence, to transforming supply and demand and advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy, ideas abound and some spicy disagreement between your hosts emerges! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: the IMO Net-Zero Framework is back under discussion! The outcome was continued technical refinement work, with adoption decision not due to be re-opened til October 2026. Frankie’s One More Thing is: a hasty convening of Muskovic’s Methane Musings to plug the just-published IEA Global Methane Tracker 2026. What does it say? Frankie’s not sure but Tennant suggests there are claims Australia’s methane fugitives are *way* higher than reported. Luke’s One More Thing is: some reportage on the recent high level dialogue hosted by the IEA in Paris with Turkiye and Australia, at which some encouraging comments were made from Turkiye’s COP31 President Kurum on support for electrification and energy sovereignty… NOW? And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
- Apr 23, 20261h 9m
Trust No One (Particularly Businesses Prioritising Quarterly Profits Over Climate Action)
Grab your limited edition ‘Energy Sovereignty Now!’ t-shirts! There is now an insufficiency of energy sufficiency AND sovereignty tees in the world, but don’t worry, the LMSU merch store has got you covered! Promises made, promises kept folks - grab your limited edition t-shirt right here. Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon so you too can SafeGuarder! This week our Bonus episode unpacks the second year of data from the reformed Safeguard Mechanism with a side serve of national accounts figures. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. — Your intrepid hosts reconvene Global Energy Crisis Corner because, There Is Too Much. Since our last episode we’ve seen the PM’s performative tour de force to short up energy contracts in the region, the launch of a mass media campaign gently suggesting we Keep Calm and Take Public Transport Where You Can, one of two Australian fuel refineries ON FIRE, the Great Gas Tax Debate, the blink-and-you-miss-it-open-and-close-of-the-Strait-of-Hormuz, aaand some alarming reporting revealing the inner workings of the Trump administration’s decision to start a war with Iran. Or in other words, just a day ending in Y for 2026! Our main course This week, we read a paper from two political science researchers, Jared J Finnegan and Jonas Meckling, ‘Fighting the Future: Short Term Investors and Business Opposition to Climate Policy in which they’ scour US corporate data for answers to why some businesses oppose regulatory climate policies more frequently or intensely than others. Their focus? Not differences in company emissions intensity, already well studied, but differences in time horizon. Their conclusion? Businesses with more pressure to deliver short term results are more likely to more actively oppose climate policy. Some of this is a bit Captain Obvious, but there are a couple of gems in here, even if there’s a worrying reliance on US political donations data! Extra props must be given for the X-Files Movie reference in the title! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: the IEA Oil Market Report for April 2026 - free! Exciting! Full of uncertainty! Frankie’s One More Thing is: a reconvening of Muskovic’s Methane Musings featuring the currently open DCCEEW consultation on the 2026 National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Scheme Updates, including updates to accounting for fugitive methane emissions from coal and gas mining! Luke’s One More Thing is: two shout outs! One for sometime co-host and friend of the pod, Alison Reeve, for the paper recommendation this week, plus one for another friend of the pod, Jan Rosenow, who continues to provide on-point analysis throughout the current, and previous, crises! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
About Let Me Sum Up
Your regular deep dive into recent reports on climate and energy with Frankie Muskovic, Luke Menzel and Tennant Reed. Because there is too much.
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