This year’s annual United Nations Climate Change Conference unofficially marked a new period in global climate diplomacy. Some countries now see China as the world’s climate leader and winner of the global clean energy race. Sara Schonhardt from POLITICO’s E&E News explains how China ascended to this position and what global climate efforts could look like with Beijing at the helm. Sara Schonhardt is an international climate reporter for E&E News. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-produce...
Dec 02, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sources exclusively told POLITICO that President-elect Donald Trump is looking to revive the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day back in the White House even though no companies are trying to build it anymore. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre breaks down why Trump wants to revive the pipeline and whether his plan is feasible. Plus, FERC issued a new version of its sweeping transmission rule, and this year’s global climate talks are sidestepping a previous historic pledge. Ben Lefebvre is an energy ...
Nov 22, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Biden administration is racing to finalize $25 billion in pending loans to businesses that have vowed to build major clean energy projects across the country. It’s an effort that could cement President Joe Biden’s climate legacy months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino and Jessie Blaeser break down why a key part of Biden’s climate agenda is on the clock. Plus, Trump is looking to revive the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day back in the Wh...
Nov 21, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the federal program that aims to build an electric vehicle charging network across the country. But eliminating that program will be challenging for Republicans and his administration. POLITICO’s James Bikales breaks down why Trump can’t easily repeal the federal EV charging program. Plus, House Republican leaders laid out their biggest legislative priorities for next year, and poor countries are pushing for way more climate funding at the U...
Nov 20, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump has picked the cabinet officials responsible for shaping his second administration's energy policy: Chris Wright at the Department of Energy, Doug Burgum at the Department of Interior, and Lee Zeldin at the Environmental Protection Agency. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel, Ben Lefebvre and Alex Guillén discuss Trump's energy roster and what the nominees mean for his agenda. Plus, the White House has asked Congress for more disaster aid and there's a trillion dollar question di...
Nov 19, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump selected North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of Interior and the newly created National Energy Council. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel and Ben Lefebvre break down Burgum’s dual energy roles and what he means for the incoming Trump administration. Plus, Trump named oil industry CEO Chris Wright to lead the Energy Department, installing a vocal critic of government efforts to fight climate change as the head of the agency at the forefront of the Biden administ...
Nov 18, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act appropriated hundreds of billions of dollars in spending for climate efforts. But it's unclear how much of the money remains on the table and could be vulnerable to repeal by President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming Republican-controlled Congress. POLITICO’s Jessie Blaeser breaks down how much of the Inflation Reduction Act is in danger. Plus, a new report released by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation says extreme cold weather ...
Nov 15, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Oil and gas companies will have to pay a fee for releasing methane into the atmosphere under a new regulation from the Biden administration out this week. But the rule is likely to be clawed back when Donald Trump returns to power and with Republicans likely controlling both chambers of Congress. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down the complicated process to repeal Biden’s methane fee. Plus, AI will be used at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant and the United States will likely pledge a new t...
Nov 14, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump has picked former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down Zeldin’s history on energy and climate issues, why his selection was a surprise, and what EPA might do under his leadership. Plus, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality cannot issue binding regulations governing federal agencies’ environmental reviews. Alex Guillén is an energy reporter f...
Nov 13, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Trina Solar, one of China’s largest solar panel manufacturers, just sold its new Texas factory to Georgia-based battery maker Freyr. Trina said Donald Trump’s presidential victory wasn’t related to the sale, but the company was poised to receive nearly $2 billion in tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. POLITICO’s Benjamin Storrow and Kelsey Tamborrino explain the significance of this move and what may happen with the solar industry under the Trump administration. Plus, President-elect ...
Nov 12, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump’s White House victory has sent global climate diplomacy into a frenzy just as diplomats and Biden administration officials arrive in Baku for the COP29 negotiations. POLITICO's Zack Colman discusses how Trump will impact the goals of the climate talks. Plus, Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Neil Chatterjee said last week he gave a road map to the Trump transition team on how to implement job cuts at the agency that regulates the nation’s gas and elec...
Nov 11, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast The combination of rising energy demands and fears about climate change is fueling fresh interest in nuclear energy, and the movement is getting a boost from Big Tech. But the return to nuclear power is not just a U.S. phenomenon. In Italy, a new generation of climate conscious young people is shaking up the debate — spurred in part by an unlikely social media influencer. On POLITICO Energy, climate reporter Federica Di Sario joins POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly to introduce the Atomic Advocat...
Nov 08, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump is returning to the White House with a Republican Senate, creating an opportunity for the president-elect and his GOP allies on the Hill to gut parts of the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ signature climate law. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino and Josh Siegel discuss what a second Trump presidency means for the hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy funding. Plus, FERC on Tuesday signed off on the PJM Interconnection’s proposal to end capacity market payments for energy ef...
Nov 07, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has won the 2024 presidential election. POLITICO’s Matt Daily and Bob King break down what a second Trump administration means for energy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 06, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The 2024 elections could determine whether the United States will accelerate efforts to fight climate change or veer off course, depending on which party wins the White House and controls Congress. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel breaks down the massive climate stakes of the 2024 elections and walks us through the different scenarios. Plus, FERC rejected a proposal to allow an Amazon data center to pull power directly from a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant. Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO...
Nov 05, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tech companies are increasingly considering putting their new data centers in “excess energy regions” – areas that are typically less populated and have more power supplies than demand – as a way to take pressure off the U.S. power grid. POLITICO’s Catherine Morehouse breaks down the pros and cons of this strategy and why it has big implications for America’s power system. Plus, one of Europe’s most powerful business lobby groups is worried a second Trump presidency will punish the EU’s business...
Nov 04, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dan Brouillette, Donald Trump’s former Energy secretary, abruptly exited from his role as the CEO of the powerful Edison Electric Institute after less than a year. POLITICO’s Zack Colman and Catherine Morehouse break down Brouillette’s tense exit and fallout for him and EEI. Plus, a major renewable energy developer has canceled its plans to develop three solar projects with Hawaiian Electric, the largest utility in the state. Catherine Morehouse is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Zack Colman co...
Nov 01, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast A new POLITICO analysis found that the Biden administration has yet to distribute the majority of its allocated $33.6 billion to make the nation more resilient against hurricanes, droughts, wildfires and other disasters. POLITICO’s Zack Colman and Jessie Blaeser break down why progress has been slow, how the White House is defending itself, and what happens to the funding once the presidential election concludes. Plus, Elon Musk's electric car company is endorsing a climate policy that his polit...
Oct 31, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ landmark climate law, is playing a big role in some of this year’s most competitive congressional races, which could decide control of the House. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel and Jordan Wolman discuss how Democrats’ clean energy and climate achievements are resonating with voters in New Mexico’s 2nd District and Michigan’s 7th District. Plus, the latest offshore wind lease sale under the Biden administration earned just $21.9 million in winning bids Tuesday. Jor...
Oct 30, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast A new POLITICO-Morning Consult poll out this week shows that Democrats are struggling to sell voters on their massive energy and climate legislative achievements. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down the latest polling and how it’s a mixed bag for Democrats heading into the final days of the election. Plus, Dan Brouillette, president and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, announced he is stepping down amid speculation he would join a second Trump administration. Zack Colman covers climate chang...
Oct 29, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have spent many of the final days of their presidential campaigns in Pennsylvania and Michigan, two competitive swing states with prominent energy policy issues. Today, POLITICO Energy host Josh Siegel investigates whether their energy policy pitches are moving the needle in those states with two researchers: Chris Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, and Barry Rabe, a professor of public polic...
Oct 28, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast A new investigation by POLITICO and the nonprofit journalism group SourceMaterial reveals that Russian President Vladimir Putin is dispatching a so-called shadow fleet across the world. It’s a collection of covert ships defying Western sanctions and spreading environmental harm without consequences. POLITICO’s Victor Jack breaks down the origins of Putin's shadow fleet and how it’s spilling oil all over the world. Plus, the Biden administration finalized a long-awaited rule for a new tax credit ...
Oct 25, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Environmental Protection Agency misdirected hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for removing lead from drinking water systems, according to a new report from the agency’s inspector general. POLITICO’s Annie Snider breaks down EPA’s missteps and how it’s a blow to the Biden administration’s climate and public health efforts. Plus, the Energy Department announced it will deploy $428 million to grow clean energy manufacturing in communities affected by coal mine or power plant cl...
Oct 24, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Montana Senator Jon Tester, one of the most vulnerable Democrats this election cycle, is trying to avoid political blame after a mine company announced it was laying off hundreds of union workers last month. POLITICO’s James Bikales breaks down why Tester is being blamed for the layoffs and how it’s impacting his race. Plus, the next major move in the battle over the West’s most important river will be decided by the next president. James Bikales is the host of Morning Energy and a reporter for ...
Oct 23, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast The rise of artificial intelligence could help unlock new technologies to curb greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector – but its massive energy needs of its data centers are threatening to drive an expansion of fossil fuels. POLITICO’s Catherine Morehouse breaks down how AI could be both a blessing and a curse to the power grid. Plus, the Supreme Court says it will decide when certain EPA rules should be challenged in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals versus the regional circuits. Catheri...
Oct 22, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vice President Kamala Harris is calling for creating a national stockpile of critical minerals in an effort to bolster America’s economic and national security. POLITICO’s James Bikales breaks down what a national critical minerals reserve would look like and why some experts are skeptical. Plus, the Energy Department announced it has awarded another $2 billion toward hardening the nation’s power grid. James Bikales is the host of Morning Energy and a reporter for POLITICO. Josh Siegel is an ene...
Oct 21, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, the Supreme Court declined to block President Joe Biden’s controversial climate rule for power plants, letting the regulation take effect. However, the future of the rule is still in question from a political and legal perspective. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down the high court’s ruling and the regulation’s path forward. Plus, FERC issued a new rule stopping utilities from charging for “reactive power” in their rates in an effort to cut costs to consumers. Josh Siegel is an energy...
Oct 18, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Camila Thorndike joined Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign last month as its climate engagement director. Today, POLITICO’s Josh Siegel discusses his recent conversation with Thorndike, her new role and background, and how Harris is mobilizing voters with only a couple weeks left before the election. Plus, the Energy Department is opening up $900 million in funding to deploy small modular reactors across the U.S. Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO a...
Oct 17, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Congress has poured billions of dollars into programs to help people relocate after devastating natural disasters. But not many people in North Carolina are expected to tap into that federal funding. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down why people aren’t taking advantage of that money. Plus, an international energy agency delivered a stark warning recently: Reaching the world’s renewable energy targets will remain a distant dream without significantly more funding. Zack Colman covers climate chang...
Oct 16, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, POLITICO Energy host Josh Siegel sits down for an extended interview with Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk, who has led the agency’s permitting efforts and implementation of the Biden administration’s historic clean energy investments. They discuss the path forward for permitting reform in the next couple of months and why the administration won’t be able to meet its climate goals without more substantial reform from Congress. Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulai...
Oct 15, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
