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Stephen Lacey

Co-Founder and Executive Editor, Latitude Media · 43 appearances on the record.

computed by AI from the episodes · how this works → · full disclaimer →

hostjournalistfounderexecutive@Stphn_Lacey ↗LinkedIn ↗latitudemedia.com ↗

Stephen Lacey is an energy transition journalist and media entrepreneur who co-founded Latitude Media to cover climate tech and clean energy. He has created and hosted several podcasts covering the clean economy, including The Energy Gang, The Interchange, and Open Circuit.

24statements → 18claims → 15claims resolved → 67%fully supported → 3.67/5average certainty → 1.79/5average debate potential → 123said about them ↓

10 supported 3 partly supported 2 contradicted 1 not yet assessed 2 not checkable as stated how the 18 claims stand · each chip opens the sources

2 predictions · 16 assertions · 6 opinions · every statement was checked. The predictions and assertions are the 18 claims: statements the public record can support or contradict. 15 are resolved, 1 is not yet assessed, and 2 name no date, number or outcome precise enough to check. Everything else (opinions, insights, what ifs, disclosures) can never be settled by the record, so it carries no assessment.

The record, in short

What the tape says about how Stephen argues and how the claims held up. Everything they said, and everything said about them, is in the tabs below.

Their most notable supported claim

Assertion Supported
Lacey: Make Sunsets Launched Geoengineering Balloons Near Reno Following Mexico Ban
“Their first experimental launch in the Mexican state of Baja resulted in a swift regulatory response from the Mexican government, but undeterred, they were ready to run another test, and a few weeks ago, they launched some more balloons just outside of Reno, N…”
Stephen Lacey Apr 27, 2023 ▶ 2:49 The Carbon Copy: A rogue geoengineering startup sparks worry

Their most notable contradicted claim

Prediction Didn’t hold up
Lacey: UK and US to add half a terawatt of DER capacity
“So in the UK and the US alone, we're talking about a half a terawatt of capacity, distributed resource capacity, getting installed very quickly here in the next couple of years.”
Stephen Lacey Sep 24, 2024 ▶ 14:17 The state of connected DERs [partner content]

How they sound: not measured why? →

We measure speaking style by listening to the audio itself, and a fair number needs at least 2,000 words from one person on tape we have measured. There is too little of Stephen Lacey on measured tape to publish a rate. This says nothing about how they speak.

Everything Stephen Lacey said on Catalyst that made the record, most notable first. Filter by type, assessment or year in the ledger →

Prediction Didn’t hold up
Lacey: UK and US to add half a terawatt of DER capacity
“So in the UK and the US alone, we're talking about a half a terawatt of capacity, distributed resource capacity, getting installed very quickly here in the next couple of years.”
Stephen Lacey Sep 24, 2024 ▶ 14:17 The state of connected DERs [partner content]
Assertion Supported
Lacey: Make Sunsets Launched Geoengineering Balloons Near Reno Following Mexico Ban
“Their first experimental launch in the Mexican state of Baja resulted in a swift regulatory response from the Mexican government, but undeterred, they were ready to run another test, and a few weeks ago, they launched some more balloons just outside of Reno, N…”
Stephen Lacey Apr 27, 2023 ▶ 2:49 The Carbon Copy: A rogue geoengineering startup sparks worry
Assertion Partly supported
Indiana Anti-ESG Bill Could Cost State Pension Fund $7 Billion
“Just a couple of days before we are having this conversation, a financial analysis was released looking at this anti-ESG bill in Indiana, and so there's this GOP push across the country to, you know, pull public pensions out of ESG Investing. And in Indiana, t…”
Stephen Lacey Mar 8, 2023 ▶ 16:53 A theory of change for climate investing [partner content]
Opinion
Lacey: Meaningful decarbonization from advanced nuclear is still far away
“It feels to me, though, that the technology cycles are still quite long, and as a real meaningful decarbonization solution, it's still a ways out.”
Stephen Lacey Jun 23, 2022 ▶ 8:06 Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right?
Opinion
Lacey: Alternative battery chemistries must stand without lithium price spikes
“So these technologies may get a second look, but I think that, you know, they need to stand on their own absent these commodity price spikes.”
Stephen Lacey Jun 23, 2022 ▶ 22:01 Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right?
Assertion Supported
Lacey: Renewable natural gas can only meet 20% of gas demand
“Pretty much every state study and government study shows that it can only be, you know, that, that you were looking at between five and 20% Of the total gas supply. That's the amount of renewable gas that we could supply.”
Stephen Lacey Jun 23, 2022 ▶ 40:31 Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right?
Opinion
Lacey: Transmission hype outpaces the reality of difficult US construction
“Relative, the hype relative to the reality of building out transmission lines that they don't match up. And I have to, I unfortunately have to be a sell. Even though, you know, I generally support lots more transmission build out in this country. I think it's …”
Stephen Lacey Jun 23, 2022 ▶ 44:34 Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right?
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Lacey: Imperial Valley could yield 600,000 tons of lithium annually
“600,000 tons of lithium could be extracted from the valley every year, enough to completely transform the global supply chain.”
Stephen Lacey Feb 10, 2022 ▶ 8:01 The Carbon Copy: The lithium land grab in California
Assertion Contradicted
Lacey: Nearly all 2007 GOP presidential candidates favored climate action
“During the 2007 presidential campaign, nearly all the GOP candidates were aligned toward action.”
Stephen Lacey Oct 6, 2025 ▶ 0:27 Frontier Forum: A new playbook for clean energy growth
Opinion
Lacey: State energy policy focus has shifted from decarbonization to affordability
“I think we're well beyond decarbonization. Certainly decarbonization is really important for many state leaders, but the affordability and economic growth issue is front and center, as you said.”
Stephen Lacey Oct 6, 2025 ▶ 9:20 Frontier Forum: A new playbook for clean energy growth
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Lacey: Battery recycling could be a $20 billion industry this decade
“It could be a twenty billion dollar industry this decade, as environmental, geopolitical, and price volatility concerns collide.”
Stephen Lacey Jul 7, 2022 ▶ 14:14 The Carbon Copy: Get ready for the battery recycling boom
Opinion
Lacey: Market forces and national security now strongly favor battery recycling
“I think now you have a really clear economic, national security, and environmental case for battery recycling. So there's a lot of activity right now, and it's pretty compelling, and the market forces Are definitely in favor of this push for more battery recyc…”
Stephen Lacey Jun 23, 2022 ▶ 24:23 Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right?
Assertion Supported
Lacey: Tech executives signed a White House ratepayer protection power pledge
“Just yesterday, the tech executives were at the White House signing a ratepayer protection pledge promising to fund their own power, pay for grid upgrades”
Stephen Lacey Apr 6, 2026 ▶ 27:02 Frontier Forum: Why clean energy capital boomed in a volatile year [partner content]
Assertion Partly supported
NREL: US needs 28 million additional EV chargers by 2030
“This profession is currently responsible for over 192,000 machines in the U.S. NREL estimates we'll need twenty eight million more by 2030.”
Stephen Lacey May 8, 2024 ▶ 34:35 The news quiz episode!
Assertion Open · timeframe Dec 2030
Lacey: 27% of US geologists will retire by 2029
“By 2030, the U.S. Will face a labor gap of a 130,000 full-time employees in this profession. Roughly 27% of the existing workforce in the U.S. Will be retiring by twenty-twenty-nine, and there aren't enough people to take their places.”
Stephen Lacey May 8, 2024 ▶ 35:48 The news quiz episode!
Assertion Supported
Lacey: US heat pump sales topped gas furnaces by 21% in 2023
“For the second year in a row, heat pumps outsold gas furnaces in the U.S. By, in 23, by a significant margin of 21%.”
Stephen Lacey May 8, 2024 ▶ 39:34 The news quiz episode!
Assertion Supported
Lacey: Lithium prices rose fivefold in a year and Russia supplies 10% of nickel
“Lithium prices have risen fivefold since April of last year. Nickel is also a particular concern because Russia supplies 10% of the world's nickel, and that's another key component in lithium ion batteries.”
Stephen Lacey Jul 7, 2022 ▶ 3:17 The Carbon Copy: Get ready for the battery recycling boom
Opinion
Lacey: Reddit and Retail Investors Drove Tesla's Pandemic Surge
“I mean, the Tesla's rise during the pandemic had a lot to do with the Reddit community and a lot of those new armchair investors.”
Stephen Lacey Jun 23, 2022 ▶ 3:43 Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right?
Assertion Supported
Lacey: The US sells 4M heat pumps and 6M AC units annually
“We sell four million heat pumps a year in this country, and we sell six million residential air conditioning units.”
Stephen Lacey Jun 23, 2022 ▶ 12:07 Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right?
Assertion Supported
Lacey: Biden administration invoked Defense Production Act for heat pump manufacturing
“Actually, the Biden administration just announced that they're going to use the Defense Production Act to encourage production of heat pumps for residential and commercial applications, and there was a bill introduced in the Senate that would encourage manufac…”
Stephen Lacey Jun 23, 2022 ▶ 15:46 Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right?
Assertion Supported
Lacey: Lithium prices surged over 400% in 2021
“In twenty-twenty-one, prices surged over 400%.”
Stephen Lacey Feb 10, 2022 ▶ 7:38 The Carbon Copy: The lithium land grab in California
Assertion Supported
Lacey: There is only one active lithium mine in the US
“There's only one active lithium mine in the U.S.”
Stephen Lacey Feb 10, 2022 ▶ 7:45 The Carbon Copy: The lithium land grab in California
Assertion Supported
Lacey: Imperial Valley has 20% poverty rate and 85% Latino population
“One-fifth of Imperial Valley residents live below the poverty line. 85% are Latino, and many live and work on both sides of the Mexico border. This region has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state.”
Stephen Lacey Feb 10, 2022 ▶ 11:07 The Carbon Copy: The lithium land grab in California
Assertion Partly supported
Lacey: In the 1950s, Salton Sea rivaled Yosemite in tourism
“In the 19 fifties, it was a booming vacation destination. It rivaled Yosemite National Park and tourism.”
Stephen Lacey Feb 10, 2022 ▶ 2:13 The Carbon Copy: The lithium land grab in California

The other half of the tape: Stephen Lacey's own voice is left out of every number here. Other people bring the name up 123 times in 123 episodes on Catalyst. every mention, with the transcript →

Who brings them up most Shayle Kann 110Lara Pierpoint 6Tim Hade 1Sarah Golden 1Jim Kenney 1Jason Bordoff 1Emily Kirsch 1Brad Langley 1

Every mention by year

tap a year for its mentions
0025255050202120222023202420252026episodesmentions
02550202120222023202420252026episodes it came up in
000.525150202120222023202420252026episodesmentions per episode
2026 34 mentions in 34 episodes 1 per episode
2025 43 mentions in 43 episodes 1 per episode
2024 13 mentions in 13 episodes 1 per episode
2023 3 mentions in 3 episodes 1 per episode
2022 24 mentions in 24 episodes 1 per episode
2021 6 mentions in 6 episodes 1 per episode

Appearances (43)

EpisodeDateSpeaking time
Critical Capital: Senator Tillis' case for "all-of-the-above" energy Aug 11, 2026 1m
Frontier Forum: Why clean energy capital boomed in a volatile year [partner content] Apr 6, 2026 5m
Battery booms and the rise of flexibility [partner content] Mar 30, 2026 2m
Frontier Forum: How VPPs earn grid-scale trust [partner content] Mar 10, 2026 4m
A ‘rain delay’ for the energy transition [partner content] Jan 20, 2026 5m
Frontier Forum: The new power map for AI infrastructure Oct 21, 2025 6m
How insurance can narrow the valley of death [partner content] Oct 15, 2025 4m
Frontier Forum: A new playbook for clean energy growth Oct 6, 2025 8m
A former race car engineer on battery safety and supply chains [partner content] May 20, 2025 2m
Frontier Forum: Unlocking next-generation VPPs May 6, 2025 4m
What’s next for the battery storage boom? [partner content] Apr 23, 2025 2m
Frontier Forum: Future-proofing data center power infrastructure Apr 7, 2025 4m
The potential for flexible data centers Mar 27, 2025 2m
The coming robotics wave Mar 20, 2025 2m
An ode to electrochemistry Mar 13, 2025 2m
How AI is solving real utility challenges [partner content] Mar 11, 2025 2m
A skeptic’s take on AI electricity load growth Mar 6, 2025 2m
Cultivated meat’s “trough of disillusionment” Feb 27, 2025 2m
Are utilities ready to fully harness demand flexibility? [partner content] Feb 4, 2025 2m
How cyber attacks could threaten the energy transition [partner content] Dec 10, 2024 3m
Frontier Forum: Why utilities should go big on VPPs Dec 2, 2024 4m
Why climate tech startups get this one thing wrong Oct 31, 2024 2m
Frontier Forum: An energy-first approach to data centers Oct 22, 2024 6m
Giving tribes a stake in the critical minerals boom [partner content] Oct 8, 2024 2m
The state of connected DERs [partner content] Sep 24, 2024 2m
Frontier Forum: Is America’s green bank ready? Aug 13, 2024 6m
The reshoring of American solar trackers [partner content] Jul 17, 2024 1m
With Great Power: Why dynamic rates are gaining momentum May 28, 2024 1m
The news quiz episode! May 8, 2024 17m
The Big Switch: Are Batteries the New Oil? Apr 11, 2024 1m
Update: What the new Treasury rules mean for EV supply chains Dec 7, 2023 3m
EV charging on both sides of the pond Nov 30, 2023 3m
How is U.S. industrial policy affecting actual climatetech investment? Oct 12, 2023 2m
Reviving the stagnant plant based meat market Sep 28, 2023 3m
Fixing interconnection Sep 21, 2023 4m
Stopping geoengineering, by accident Sep 14, 2023 4m
The Carbon Copy: A rogue geoengineering startup sparks worry Apr 27, 2023 8m
The Carbon Copy: The great electrician shortage Mar 9, 2023 9m
A theory of change for climate investing [partner content] Mar 8, 2023 5m
Introducing: With Great Power, a show about the people building the future grid Jan 18, 2023 1m
The Carbon Copy: Get ready for the battery recycling boom Jul 7, 2022 6m
Which tech is overhyped, underhyped and just right? Jun 23, 2022 14m
The Carbon Copy: The lithium land grab in California Feb 10, 2022 9m

Played on the show (2)

Episodes where a recording of Stephen Lacey was played rather than Stephen taking part, or where the tape carries an address with nobody putting questions to them. Listed because the words are on the record, kept out of every score on this page because they were not said on this show. We read this off the tape: who was spoken to, who was asked something, who answered whom.

EpisodeDateOn tapeWhat it is
The promise and perils of sodium-ion batteries Feb 20, 2025 2m clip played
The cost of nuclear Nov 16, 2023 3m clip played
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