New Podcast Feature: The Hidden Fossil Fuel Powering Industry

I recently joined Sumit Bose on the Net Hero Podcast to talk about one of the least visible barriers to decarbonizing heavy industry.

While many machines are labeled “electric,” the reality is that most industrial equipment still relies on hydraulic fluid (a fossil fuel) to generate force. That hidden dependency is a major reason electrification has struggled to scale in sectors like logistics, ports, construction, and manufacturing.

On the podcast, we discuss why hydraulics are inherently inefficient and difficult to electrify, and how RISE is approaching the problem differently. Beltdraulic™ replaces hydraulic oil with a fluid-free, belt-driven actuation system that delivers hydraulic-class power with dramatically higher efficiency, precision, and reliability.

This efficiency shift is critical. It reduces energy consumption, lowers battery requirements, cuts maintenance, and makes electric heavy machinery commercially viable without compromising performance. That’s what enables real progress toward net-zero industrial operations.

The episode is now live, along with a companion article: Listen to the Net Hero Podcast

You can also find the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Thanks to Sumit and the Net Hero team for highlighting the hidden systems that power heavy industry and for helping advance a more practical conversation about how we get to net zero.

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