The rogue idea that saved a hydrogen startup

In 2022, Zach Jones learned that his technical team at Graphitic Energy was secretly working nights and weekends on an unsanctioned approach to producing clean hydrogen from natural gas. It was an approach that abandoned the technology Zach and the company had spent years developing. And Zach wasn’t happy. With investors to answer to and a pilot plant ready for construction, Zach couldn't switch gears completely to pursue an untested concept. But his team disagreed. And the months-long mutiny that followed nearly tore the company apart. In this episode, Lara talks with Zach about navigating that internal crisis, making the difficult decision to pivot technologies mid-development, and how Graphitic Energy's new approach produces both clean hydrogen and valuable graphite from the same process—eliminating the "green premium" typically associated with clean alternatives. Credits: Hosted by Lara Pierpoint. Produced by Erin Hardick. Edited by Anne Bailey and Stephen Lacey. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. The Green Blueprint is a co-production of Latitude Media and Trellis Climate. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. For more reporting on the companies featured in this podcast, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter.