President Donald Trump brought the leaders of OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank to the White House this week, and announced they will spend $500 billion to build AI data centers. But Trump’s photo-op moment was quickly dissed online by his Silicon Valley confidante, Elon Musk. On POLITICO Tech, E&E News energy technology editor Christa Marshall joins host Steven Overly to discuss the new AI initiative, called Stargate. Plus, all three of President Donald Trump’s nominees to lead the Department of Ener...
Jan 24, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, POLITICO Energy host Josh Siegel sits down with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) for an extended interview. They discuss President Donald Trump’s Day One executive orders, Trump’s plan to freeze a broad range of federal cash, areas for bipartisan cooperation this Congress, Lee Zeldin’s confirmation process, Democrats’ messaging failures and more. Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. Annie Rees is the managing producer for audio...
Jan 23, 2025•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Donald Trump is once again ordering the United States to withdraw from the historic Paris climate agreement — testing the limits of international climate diplomacy and inviting questions from around the world. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down what Trump’s exit from the climate deal really means. Plus, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will vote on the nominations of Chris Wright to be Energy secretary and Doug Burgum to be Interior secretary on Thursday. Zack Colman c...
Jan 22, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Donald Trump announced a flurry of executive orders and other actions related to energy after being sworn in on Monday. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre discusses the impact of those moves and what’s next on Trump’s energy agenda. Plus, President Trump tapped Republican Commissioner Mark Christie to lead FERC. Ben Lefebvre is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. Annie Rees is the managing producer for audio at POLITICO. Gloria Gonzalez is the deput...
Jan 21, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Every few years, the federal government publishes the National Climate Assessment, which chronicles how climate change is transforming and devastating the United States. But the next installment of that report could be dialed back because of the Trump administration, which wants to significantly change how the report is made. Producer Nirmal Mulaikal chats with Scott Waldman from POLITICO’s E&E News to learn more. Plus, a new document obtained by POLITICO lists a menu of items that Republicans a...
Jan 20, 2025•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast The devastating wildfires burning across Los Angeles have prompted plenty of finger pointing — and artificial intelligence is catching some of the blame. Data centers consume large amounts of water and electricity, and critics have been quick to pounce on the industry’s environmental footprint. Now, California lawmakers are looking for ways to make AI more sustainable. POLITICO’s California tech reporter Tyler Katzenberger joins host Steven Overly to discuss. Plus, Donald Trump’s picks to lead t...
Jan 17, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Energy Department, appeared to navigate through his confirmation hearing Wednesday largely unscathed. But Wright still had to contend with climate protesters, and Democrats still withheld their support as they seek a firmer commitment from him on addressing climate change. Josh Siegel, Ben Lefebvre and Kelsey Tamborrino discuss. Plus, Doug Burgum pledged to divest himself of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of shares of stock...
Jan 16, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to resume his time in the White House with an extensive set of executive actions, including those that will target energy and the environment in major ways and seek to undo many of President Joe Biden’s moves in these areas. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén unpacks what Trump is aiming to do on Jan. 20th and what the implications will be for energy and climate. Plus, the Biden administration has issued an executive order that allows for the construction of data c...
Jan 15, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for the Departments of Interior, Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency will face Senate grillings this week ahead of their confirmation votes. POLITICO’s Zack Colman explains how former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright and former Republican congressman Lee Zeldin are expected to fare in the hearings and why the paths to confirmation may vary for each. Plus, the Supreme Court has declined to take up two major clima...
Jan 14, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last year was officially the hottest ever recorded. Global temperatures in 2024 surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming since the Industrial Revolution began, a symbolic but dangerous marker of a warming planet. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down the news and why the future of U.S. climate action on both the domestic and international front appears bleak. Plus, the Treasury Department is laying the groundwork for industry to claim the new clean fuel tax credit created under Democrats’ climate l...
Jan 13, 2025•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast The devastating wildfires that are raging throughout the Los Angeles area could break California's insurance market. POLITICO’s Camille von Kaenel lays out how the state's insurance market has already been teetering on the edge of insolvency for years now and why these recent fires could accelerate its collapse. Plus, a new analysis published in the journal Science says EPA's power plant climate rule would accelerate greenhouse gas emissions reductions from the power sector by pushing coal retir...
Jan 10, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a new report released this week, the Energy Department's internal watchdog identified several issues tied to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm's electric vehicle road trip during 2023. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino breaks down the report’s findings and the reaction from DOE and Republicans. Plus, the Interior Department announced that its oil lease sale for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge generated no interest from oil companies. Kelsey Tamborrino is a reporter covering clean energy for P...
Jan 09, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump will struggle to fulfill his promise to massively increase America’s oil production, according to energy analysts. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre breaks down why Trump’s oil production promise faces challenges. Plus, Trump once again attacked the Biden administration’s latest offshore drilling move and said he would try to pull the plug on new wind power developments. Ben Lefebvre is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Nirmal Mul...
Jan 08, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Biden administration announced this week that it’s banning new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre breaks down how this move will impact America’s energy outlook and the incoming Trump administration’s policy agenda. Plus, top Republicans on Capitol Hill are still game planning how to advance Donald Trump’s vast legislative agenda, which includes energy as a central policy priority. Ben Lefebvre is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Josh Siegel is...
Jan 07, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, POLITICO Energy Editor Matt Daily previews the biggest energy stories in 2025, including the Biden administration’s final days, the year-one priorities for the incoming Trump administration, global climate action, and more. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. Annie Rees is the managing producer for audio at POLITICO. Gloria Gonzalez is the deputy energy editor for POLITICO. Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. For more news on energy and the environment, subscribe ...
Jan 06, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast A new POLITICO review shows that two of the nation’s biggest clean energy lobbying groups are strengthening their relationships with the Republican party in order to save the green policies they’ve spent years pursuing. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down the groups’ efforts, why it’s happening now and how Republicans are responding. Plus, a new report from the Department of Energy says that data centers powering the development of artificial intelligence could require nearly three times as much ...
Dec 23, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, President Joe Biden approved California’s request for stricter-than-federal vehicle emission standards – a decision that could reshape the trajectory of the American auto industry and will make it harder for President-elect Donald Trump to kill Biden’s electric vehicle transition. Mike Lee from POLITICO’s E&E News breaks down the decision along with the political and legal ramifications. Plus, meet Trump's Energy Department landing team. Mike Lee covers transportation for POLITICO’s E...
Dec 20, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many Environmental Protection Agency staffers are considering leaving their jobs because of the incoming Trump administration. POLITICO’s Annie Snider breaks down why these employees are debating whether it's time to exit and how that could affect the agency’s ability to carry out critical functions. Plus, the Biden administration has granted California permission to enforce its nation-leading pollution rules for cars and trucks. Annie Snider covers water issues for POLITICO Pro. Nirmal Mulaikal...
Dec 19, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Tuesday, the Biden administration released its long-anticipated LNG report that could make it harder for the incoming Trump administration to expand U.S. liquefied natural gas exports. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre breaks down the big takeaways from the report and the potential impact on America’s energy landscape and the incoming Trump administration. Plus, the Biden administration is poised to provide a record $15 billion loan guarantee to the California utility giant PG&E. Ben Lefebvre is an ene...
Dec 18, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, POLITICO Energy host Alex Guillén sits down for an extended interview with Chris Frey, who led EPA’s research office under President Joe Biden for three years. They discuss how a second Trump administration could impact federal science policy and lessons for the science community from Trump’s first term. Alex Guillén is an energy reporter for POLITICO Pro. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. Annie Rees is the managing producer for audio at POLITICO. Gloria Gonzalez is the d...
Dec 17, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The climate science community is bracing for Donald Trump's second term as they fear censorship, layoffs and funding cuts. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down how Trump treated science policy in his first term, the anxious mood among climate scientists right now and how they are preparing themselves. Plus, Europe’s top competition and climate official says America’s rivals are preparing to become bigger players in the clean energy space during the second Trump administration. Zack Colman covers c...
Dec 16, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration released two key climate findings this week: 2024 was the hottest year ever on record, and the Arctic tundra is now a driver of climate change. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down how NOAA’s findings could have big implications for the fight against climate change. Plus, the board of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator approved a sweeping $21.8 billion package of transmission projects to stretch across the region’s Midwest footprint. Zack C...
Dec 13, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast A bitterly divided federal appeals court upheld a ruling that Exxon Mobil must pay a record $14.25 million in fines for pollution emitted by one of its Texas oil refineries. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down the historic decision, the unusual judicial infighting involved in the case and what this ruling means for oil companies like Exxon moving forward. Plus, lawmakers unveiled three bills on Wednesday to strengthen the U.S. critical mineral supply chain and reduce reliance on adversaries such...
Dec 12, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Supreme Court justices heard arguments in a case that could limit how much federal agencies can consider the climate impacts of new infrastructure projects. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down the details of the case and how the eventual ruling could dramatically transform the National Environmental Policy Act. Plus, President-elect Donald Trump is promising that anyone who invests at least $1 billion in the United States will be rewarded with expedited permits and environmental appro...
Dec 11, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last week, federal judges began debating the legality of the Biden administration’s climate rule regulating emissions from power plants. And while the incoming Trump administration is expected to try to repeal the rule, the legal deliberations could still give us clues about future rulemaking processes and litigation affecting energy policy. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down the future of the case, what the judges are thinking, and the policy implications. Plus, Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky ...
Dec 10, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Congressional Democrats are fighting over a broadly supported bipartisan bill that aims to start to clean up hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines across the country. POLITICO’s Annie Snider breaks down the intraparty fight and what it means for the legislation. Plus, a panel of federal judges on Friday dug into EPA’s decision to base its power plant climate rule on capturing carbon emissions. Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Annie Snider covers water issues for POLITICO Pro. N...
Dec 09, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Midcontinent Independent Power Operator, which manages the power grid for 15 states, is grappling with how to meet skyrocketing power demand while keeping consumers’ bills affordable. Today, POLITICO Energy host Catherine Morehouse sits down with the grid operator’s second in command, Chief Operating Officer Clair Moeller, to discuss how MISO is planning to respond to growing grid challenges and what MISO hopes to see from the incoming Trump administration. Catherine Morehouse is an energy r...
Dec 06, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva announced this week he’d step down from his spot as the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee next Congress. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel breaks down the race to replace Grijalva and how it highlights a broader intraparty fight playing out within the Democratic party right now. Plus, the Energy Department will release the final version of its long-awaited report updating how it analyzes whether new natural gas exports are in the public interest later this mon...
Dec 05, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump is aiming to take action on his first day in office to boost the natural gas export industry, but it’s unclear how far he will go. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre breaks down what Trump is considering, industry reaction and the potential legal obstacles he faces. Plus, Senate Republicans are looking to tackle energy as one of their top priorities in a reconciliation bill within the first 30 days of the Trump administration. Ben Lefebvre is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Ni...
Dec 04, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast FERC’s policy priorities under President-elect Donald Trump will largely depend on whether current Chair Willie Phillips stays or leaves the commission. POLITICO’s Catherine Morehouse previews FERC under Trump 2.0 and how Phillips’ decision could impact the agency’s agenda. Plus, the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office makes another conditional loan commitment ahead of Inauguration Day. Catherine Morehouse is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer...
Dec 03, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
