In this episode of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Chris Skidmore unpack key insights from two major global forums, CERA Week in Houston and the Baku Global Forum in Azerbaijan. From the rise of "energy realism" to the explosive intersection of AI and energy infrastructure, they explore how hyperscalers, oil majors, and grid operators are responding to rising demand, carbon constraints, and geopolitical shifts. They also discuss what this means for climate policy, corporate strategy, and investment across regions.

In our Chasing Net Zero segment, we’re joined by Hampus Jakobsson, General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, who shares lessons from investing in early-stage climate tech. He discusses why behavioral change isn’t a viable strategy, how to back companies that win regardless of climate beliefs, and why storage, reindustrialization, and adaptation are the next big frontiers.

In Chasing Unicorns, Blaine Mathieu, CEO of Pratexo, dives into how edge computing can unlock decentralized energy systems. He explains how their platform enables industrial players to evolve at the speed of software, manage distributed power assets, and build more resilient infrastructure—all while supporting the AI-powered future.