ReFi Generation
ReFi Generation explores the new frontier of regenerative finance and the community mindset that gives local actions a global reach. We talk to experts and leaders in the field while examining how the ingenuity of ReFi can help bring environmental and humanitarian efforts into the next generation.
ReFi Generation
Ep. 23 RECs & Blockchain Tech with Nathalie Capati of Jasmine Energy
Today we get REC’d, and explore the innovative way Jasmine Energy is pairing the renewable energy credit market, aka RECs, with blockchain technology.
Nathalie brings a wealth of knowledge around the renewable energy space and is an excellent bridge between the traditional and the cutting edge. With her electrical engineer degree she has a broad set of skills, from working in energy compliance markets, installing solar & storage for Bitcoin mining operations, to building electric race car engines for Formula 1.
Nathalie’s systems engineering mindset enables her to take complex systems and synthesize them down to understandable concepts. She walks us through the nuanced ecosystem of renewable energy credits and how they represent the clean energy attributes of renewable electricity, as opposed to the physical energy itself. These energy attributes are important because they help us to know how clean grid energy actually is and holds us accountable to sustainability goals.
Jasmine Energy is a REC tracking app and marketplace for bridging renewable energy credits into non fungible tokens on a blockchain. Why blockchain you may ask? The short answer is allowing for liquidity and accountability. RECs are often a secondary revenue stream for solar developers and financiers, and are important for helping renewable energy generators hedge against the fluctuating prices of spot market electricity.
In addition, the traditional over the counter REC market is mostly all voice brokered, often using excel spreadsheets for tracking. REC brokers take a 10-20% fee, which takes away from the profit of renewable energy generators. By putting RECs onto a blockchain, it can more easily be validated when beneficiary claims are retired, reduce the aforementioned broker fees with less friction across a multitude of currencies, and protect against double counting and fraudulent credits.
In this era of environmental catastrophe, we cannot rely on humans using excel spreadsheets to solve the climate crisis. By using Jasmine Energy, we can ensure energy usage is verifiably green. I hope you enjoy.
Show links:
Jasmine Energy Website
Jasmine Energy App
Nathalie's Twitter
RE+
US Green Building Council - California
