
How companies can actually build and buy clean energy with Ever.green's Michael Leggett
From Climate Papa by Ben Eidelson
May 20, 2025 · 1h 18m · Season 1 · Episode 24
About this episode
Ben Eidelson interviews Michael Leggett about the clean energy economy and the challenges companies face in participating in renewable energy contracts.
Ben sits down with Michael Leggett —former Google and Facebook design leader turned climate entrepreneur—to explore the invisible but essential machinery behind the clean energy economy. Michael is the co-founder and Head of Product at Ever.green , a startup working to democratize access to high-impact renewable energy deals. Ben and Michael go deep into the world of renewable energy credits (RECs), power purchase agreements (PPAs), and the shifting landscape of carbon accounting. Why is it that only ~1,000 companies today participate in the kind of long-term clean energy contracts that actually help bring new solar and wind projects online? What happens when companies buy cheap, after-the-fact RECs and claim 100% clean energy? And how might emerging standards like 24/7 carbon-free energy reshape what counts as climate impact—for better or worse? Along the way, Michael shares his own journey from Big Tech to climate, how becoming a parent shaped his urgency, and why he remains (cautiously) optimistic that Team Earth can get it right—if we keep the focus on real-world outcomes and the systems and incentives that guide those outcomes. Referenced: Ever.green Rethinking Scope 2…
People in this episode
Host: Ben Eidelson
Guest: Michael Leggett
Topics covered
- clean energy
- renewable energy
- climate entrepreneurship
- carbon accounting
- power purchase agreements
- renewable energy credits
Keywords
- clean energy
- renewable energy credits
- power purchase agreements
- carbon accounting
- climate impact
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ever.green, Google, Facebook
More episodes of Climate Papa
- The Power of Noticing: Scott Loarie on Building a Global Biodiversity Movement with iNaturalist · November 24, 2025 · 44 min
- 40 years of climate economics and the practice of hope with Professor Gary Yohe · October 21, 2025 · 50 min
- Turning acres into options with Aarden AI CEO Danan Margason · October 7, 2025 · 39 min
- Stepchange Teaser: Data Centers · September 30, 2025 · 7 min
- Digital infrastructure for the EV revolution with Apoorv Bhargava, CEO WeaveGrid · July 14, 2025 · 60 min
- Climate Papa × Volts: Live with David Roberts · March 31, 2025 · 1h 27m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Climate Papa podcast page.