Insights

The Gist is the monthly newsletter of The Ad Hoc Group that covers everything at the intersection of climate tech and policy. Subscribe at the link here to have The Gist mailed to your inbox each month.

unnamed

The Ad Hoc Gist: Is the US Sabotaging the $250B Carbon Removal Opportunity?

Carbon removal is in temporary panic mode as the Trump administration injects uncertainty into this nascent market. It doesn’t need to be this way.

In this month’s Gist, my colleagues Annie Gilleo and Myron Lam argue why America should continue to “dominate” this market and not cede its jobs and technological advancements to Asia and Europe, and how states can step up to fill the temporary gap.

unnamed

The Ad Hoc Gist: The Pentagon’s Energy Transition

While it’s been a minute since I worked in the Pentagon, I still consider myself a national security professional. After all, energy is the national security issue to which I’ve committed the better part of my career.

In this month’s Gist, my colleague Joshua Grelle and I write about how the energy transition — particularly the growing demand for electricity at home and globally — is transforming our military.

In big AHG news, in partnership with our friends at Latitude Media, we announced the launch of the Power Resilience Forum, a new industry event focused on managing threats to our electric grid. Save the date and come join us in Houston on January 22-23, 2026.

c75012ce-fca7-48fc-99a8-5f275861b197

The Ad Hoc Gist: An interview with Biden’s Chief Sustainability Officer

What a difference a few months can make. We take a break from the tumult of the moment, and look back on the last four years with Andrew Mayock, President Biden’s Chief Sustainability Officer. Mayock, who left his post on January 20th, reflects on what they achieved, what might have been, and where we go from here.

In AHG news, we’re thrilled that Michael Kormos has joined us as a Senior Advisor, and Hannah McGrath and Max Davidson have joined as Associates.

Blog

Follow our blog for updates from The Ad Hoc Group.

People as Moat – Ad Hoc Expands into Search

In climate tech, we talk a lot about, well, technology. But talk with most CEOs and they’ll share that the hardest part of their job is figuring out how to hire and retain the right people. In my experience, a company’s ability to hire and effectively onboard the right people is what differentiates successful businesses from those that falter. Because, as a CEO, you can have a great vision, but if you don’t have the right people, you can’t execute it.

A Conversation with Vida and Devin

We invited two leaders, Devin Hampton, CEO of UtilityAPI, and Vida Asiegbu, principal at Energy Impact Partners, for a candid conversation on equity and representation in the energy transition.

Press

sunset glow reflected on solar panels with bangkok skyline

Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Could Slow the Transition to Clean Energy

The bank cast a wide shadow over climate tech, with half the start-ups in the sector doing business with it.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has created new challenges not just for the nation’s banking system, but also for the Biden administration’s climate agenda, following a harrowing weekend in which many major clean tech companies faced insolvency.

Read More @ Washington Post

3d rendering group of EV charging stations or electric vehicle recharging stations

Investors Putting Billions Into Climate Tech Don’t Plan to Stop

Bill Gates is worried about a dark period ahead for the global economy. “We’re going to go through a winter period for a number of years,” he warned a room full of go-getting green entrepreneurs last week, lamenting at a TechCrunch event that their success had come up against bad timing.

Read More @ Bloomberg

Hear more from our leadership on My Climate Journey and Technopolis.

Technopolis