“Bill Gates wants clean, cheap energy more than he wants to pick the next 50 years worth of presidents, even more than he wants a miracle vaccine,” reports the Breakthrough Institute. “At least that’s how he ranked his number one wish while describing climate change as the world’s greatest challenge to a rapt audience at the TED conference last week.”

Just weeks after lending his voice to a growing “innovation consensus” by writing on his blog, Gates Notes, that innovation, not just insulation, must be the focus if we are serious about “getting to zero,” Gates’ TED speech expanded on what we need to get there:

“We need energy miracles. The microprocessor and internet are miracles. This is a case where we have to drive and get the miracle in a short timeline.”

Gates emphasized the need for an energy miracle portfolio that includes carbon capture and storage and nuclear as well as wind and solar. According to CNN’s coverage of the conference (the video is not posted yet), Gates showed particular interest in the potential for nuclear waste reprocessing as a source of clean, cheap energy.

Read the full post and watch Bill Gates’ TED talk here: