In today’s episode, the Political Climate team takes us back behind the scenes of the 2024 Democratic National Convention to chat candidly with lawmakers and leading activists about some of the most pressing issues that Democrats will have to navigate after the election - no matter who occupies the Oval Office - and how they plan to tackle them. In this episode, we’ll hear from a range of experts and leaders: from Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Representative Sean Casten of Illinois to M...
Sep 06, 2024•41 min
In today’s episode – the first of a two-part dispatch – the Political Climate team takes us behind the scenes of the 2024 Democratic National Convention to chat candidly with lawmakers and leading activists about Democrats’ strategy for pitching climate policies in the lead up to November’s election. Although Vice President Harris barely mentioned climate policy in her marquee speech, clean energy advocates from the public and private sectors are championing the economic impacts of the IRA and o...
Aug 30, 2024•39 min
Exactly two years ago, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. With more than $800 billion devoted to renewables, batteries, transmission, carbon removal, EVs, and the factories to build them, the bill is America’s largest-ever investment in climate solutions. Yet the rollout of the IRA hasn’t been the smoothest. Some projects have been slow to come online, and polls show that many voters remain unaware of its impact. In today’s episode, the hosts are joined by veteran D...
Aug 16, 2024•52 min
In today’s episode — the second of a two-part dispatch — Political Climate co-host Emily Domenech takes us behind the curtain at the 2024 Republican National Convention to chat with the lawmakers championing clean energy from within the GOP. We’ll hear from members of Congress like Rep. John Curtis of Utah and Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, as well as advocates like Jason Grumet of the American Clean Power Association and Heather Reams of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. In this seco...
Aug 02, 2024•42 min
In today’s episode — the first of a two-part dispatch — Political Climate co-host Emily Domenech takes us behind the scenes of the 2024 Republican National Convention to chat candidly with lawmakers. Emily talks with Rep. John Curtis of Utah, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, as well as advocates like Chris Barnard of the American Conservation Coalition and Heather Reams of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. This first installment focuses on the incremental shift within the GOP to c...
Jul 29, 2024•37 min
Among members of Congress, few have approached climate change with the experience and diligence of Democratic California Representative Scott Peters. Peters spent decades as an environmental lawyer and Environmental Protection Agency economist prior to becoming a US Representative. Now in his sixth term, Peters has put clean energy at the top of his priority list. In today’s episode, Representative Peters joins hosts Julia Pyper and Emily Domenech to explore a range of topics: from the Supreme C...
Jul 19, 2024•46 min
The past month proved to be a dramatic one for America’s long-stagnant nuclear sector. First, on June 10, TerraPower – the company co-founded by Bill Gates – broke ground on the Western Hemisphere’s first advanced nuclear facility, in Wyoming. A week later, the Senate passed the ADVANCE Act on a vote of 88-2. (The House already passed the bill by similar margins in February.) If signed into law, ADVANCE will streamline permitting and funding policies for future nuclear projects. In today’s episo...
Jul 09, 2024•51 min
Among Republicans in Congress, few, if any, have wielded as much influence on climate and clean energy as Louisiana Representative Garret Graves. In the past few years, Graves served as the ranking member on the House Select Committee on Climate and ran the Republican Task Force on Energy, Climate, and Conservation. He also played a central role in last year’s debt ceiling negotiations, which included a bipartisan deal on infrastructure permitting reform that the Biden administration later revis...
Jun 21, 2024•45 min
In recent weeks, carbon management has found itself in the spotlight – for reasons both encouraging and concerning for its proponents. On May 28th, the DOE unveiled the semifinalists for a new funding competition for carbon removal and storage companies, as well as a plan to buy over $30 million in carbon credits from the eventual winners. The same day, President Biden also revealed new policies that aim to guide and bolster the larger voluntary carbon credit market. These moves follow Biden’s m...
Jun 07, 2024•41 min
On the heels of a climate and energy rules blitz, President Biden has announced a plan to quadruple existing tariffs on Chinese EVs – from 25 all the way up to 100 percent – and dramatically hike tariffs on Chinese solar cells, batteries, and critical minerals as well. While these numbers look huge on paper, loopholes and caveats in the policy will likely dilute their impact. On this episode of Political Climate , hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut, and Emily Domenech debate whether the tariffs ...
May 24, 2024•38 min
With six months to go until the election, President Biden has unveiled a far-reaching rules package that tackles everything from power plant emissions and air toxins, to boosting the EV industry and upgrading transmission lines. Despite their promise, many of these rules will face long rollouts and fierce legal challenges. On this episode of Political Climate , hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut, and Emily Domenech explore and debate the pathways to implementing these policies. Then they zero in...
May 10, 2024•38 min
Since the Inflation Reduction Act became law in August 2022, we’ve asked ourselves a big question: could the government and the private sector actually get this sprawling set of climate programs up and running? So far, many would answer “yes.” The IRA has already created over 170,000 jobs and supported $110 billion in new clean energy manufacturing – with a majority of that investment headed to conservative-leaning states. Now, as we head toward November’s presidential election, many Americans a...
Apr 25, 2024•41 min
After a hiatus, Political Climate is back with more news, analysis, and bipartisan hot takes on the policy and politics shaping climate solutions — in what is sure to be a defining year. Julia Pyper is joined by Emily Domenech and Brandon Hurlbut to riff on top political stories and insider scoops – from state houses, to the halls of Congress to regulatory agencies, and international climate talks. They’ll explain how those developments are driving industry decisions today. Political Climate is ...
Apr 12, 2024•5 min
After 160 episodes and five years of interviews, debates and friendly bipartisan banter, Political Climate will be taking a break starting in 2023. This will be the final episode (for now). This podcast was launched to create a forum for respectful, informative dialogue across the political divide on the policy and politics of climate and energy. Host Julia Pyper, Republican co-host Shane Skelton and Democratic co-host Brandon Hurlbut have never debated the science of climate change, but have ha...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 9 min
The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in clean energy ever made by the federal government. Among the bill’s more than 700 pages is a lesser-known provision that could play a pivotal role in transforming existing dirty energy infrastructure to serve the clean energy economy of the future. The new Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Program — also known as the Section 1706 program — gives the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office $5 billion, with the authority to provide up to...
Dec 01, 2022•44 min
The 2022 midterm elections are officially behind us. Democrats overcame historical trends to keep control of the Senate, while Republicans won a majority in the House by a surprisingly narrow margin. Ultimately, there was no red wave. There wasn’t really a “green wave” either. Democrats ushered through an ambitious legislative agenda, with President Biden signing historic bills to tackle climate change, build resilient infrastructure, and accelerate the deployment of American-made clean energy. ...
Nov 18, 2022•31 min
Many Americans are pessimistic about the U.S. election system. From skepticism around mail-in ballots and voting machines to coping with long lines and shuttered polling places, voter confidence has slumped. When it comes to climate, research shows 66% to 80% of people support major mitigation policies. But are election related barriers preventing these voter preferences from being captured at the ballot box? With the midterm elections less than a week away, we’re examining the fundamentals of t...
Nov 03, 2022•45 min
Some of the most influential people in energy policy are almost completely unknown to the public. The transition to wind, solar, and other efficient technologies has the potential to make electricity more reliable and affordable for millions of Americans. But in many cases, this shift to clean energy must first be approved by gatekeepers you’ve never heard of. In this Political Climate episode, host Julia Pyper and producer Maria Virginia Olano are joined by Canary Media Senior Reporter Julian S...
Oct 27, 2022•36 min
The midterm elections are less than a month away. Inflation, the economy, abortion access and election integrity are among voters’ top priorities this cycle, but how will they influence decisions on the ballot and, ultimately, the balance of power? And how will that outcome shape the future of climate and energy policy in the U.S.? Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut are back on the podcast to discuss what’s at stake in the 2022 midterms, the latest polling res...
Oct 13, 2022•44 min
Clean energy is known to help grow economies and reduce carbon emissions. Can it also help strengthen democracies? That may seem like a tall order for a set of technologies. But when you consider how petro-dictatorships have roiled global markets in the past year – triggering price spikes, resource shortages, and even war – making the U.S. an arsenal of clean energy could help pave the way to greater stability. Political Climate launched the “ Arsenal of Clean Energy ” podcast series to tackle t...
Sep 29, 2022•45 min
The Inflation Reduction Act has not only been signed into law, President Biden and Democratic leaders hosted a nearly full-day celebratory event at the White House last week to underscore passage of the historic bill. But the hard work of implementing the law and rolling out its $370 billion in climate and clean energy investments is only just beginning. In this Political Climate Newsflash episode, host Julia Pyper and producer Maria Virginia Olano bring you an inside look at what’s next for com...
Sep 22, 2022•21 min
California experienced a record-setting heat wave in early September that brought the state’s electricity grid very close to failure and forced tough choices on customers trying to stay cool while complying with alerts to save energy. Against that backdrop, the state legislature moved to pass a suite of climate and energy bills, a record $54 billion in new climate spending, and a plan to extend the life of the state’s last nuclear power plant — all just days after the state finalized one of the ...
Sep 16, 2022•50 min
Many of our homes use fossil fuels to keep us warm, heat our water, and cook our food. But as the U.S. moves to decarbonize, there’s a push for homeowners to switch to electric appliances and systems. Now, with the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law, there’s an enormous amount of new funding available to accelerate that transition. In this Political Climate Newsflash episode, host Julia Pyper and producer Maria Virginia Olano are joined by Ari Matusiak , CEO of Rewiring America , a non-prof...
Aug 24, 2022•29 min
The Inflation Reduction Act has been aptly labeled a “climate bill,” but in many ways it’s an “American competitiveness bill.” Building and deploying clean energy technology within the U.S. is a major focus of the $450 billion spending package, with the potential for exporting those solutions around the globe. This new investment comes amid concerns that the US has been falling behind other nations (most notably China) in global energy innovation race. On this episode of Political Climate , we d...
Aug 18, 2022•58 min
Whiplash, anyone? After many months of intense negotiations and more than one derailment, the U.S. Senate recently passed the largest legislative investment in climate action in U.S. history. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 contains an enormous amount of spending for climate protection and clean energy — $369 billion over 10 years — and is expected to put the country on a path to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030. But it’s not all good news for everyone. In order to get the ...
Aug 11, 2022•46 min
Have we entered a new era for nuclear power? Energy security needs, financial pressures, and climate concerns are driving renewed interest in nuclear power plants — particularly small modular reactors that are easier and cheaper to build. Amid growing global demand, the U.S. has an opportunity to lead in an emerging nuclear technology race. But the successful deployment of advanced nuclear projects hinges on policy support to mobilize investment and streamline construction. In the second episode...
Jul 28, 2022•41 min
How can you go solar when you can’t put panels on your roof? Don't worry, there is a way! Through shared solar arrays — a model known as community solar. In this Political Climate Newsflash episode, host Julia Pyper and producer Maria Virginia Olano are joined by Canary Media Staff Writer Alison Takemura to discuss the growing popularity of community solar. Currently there are 4.9 gigawatts of community solar installed in the United States, and big plans to grow that number exponentially over th...
Jul 20, 2022•17 min
The U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up its term last month with a series of high-profile and controversial decisions — including on the case West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. In that opinion, a 6-3 majority determined the EPA does not have the authority to regulate carbon emissions from power plants based on the “generation shifting” approach used in the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan. Conservative leaders applauded the decision for reigning in regulatory overreach, while lib...
Jul 07, 2022•38 min
As nations scramble to wean off of Russian energy, the U.S. has committed to supporting its European allies in their quest for energy security. At the same time, American consumers are confronting the highest rate of inflation in 40 years, paying more at the pump and for their utility bills than ever before. These trends have led to an increase in U.S. oil and gas production — and calls for even greater market expansion. But this shift could have serious implications for the clean energy transit...
Jun 23, 2022•51 min
Despite remarkable breakthroughs in clean energy deployment, there has been little progress made on the thorny issue of what to do with solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and other equipment when they reach the end of their useful life. Without proper recycling or reuse, these materials could do real harm to ecosystems and communities. Failure to effectively recycle could also threaten the long-term viability of a clean energy economy that is already facing strains in the supply of some raw ...
Jun 16, 2022•23 min
