Political Climate

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 had in-depth discussions on how to craft climate policy that’s not only effective but politically feasible. The show has spanned the most pivotal five years for climate action, culminating in the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest national investment in clean energy in history. 

In this final episode, the hosts dig into the archives to hear from some of the show’s most notable guests including Political Climate supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger, activist Greta Thunberg, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and many more. They also reflect on the rocky journey that led to this point, changes in public opinion on climate change, and the widening Overton window for climate action. 

Thank you to everyone for listening and for your support over the years. 

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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 $250 billion in low-interest loans. These loans could radically change the energy landscape. The program could fund efforts to repurpose old coal and gas plant sites to deploy clean energy projects, leveraging existing infrastructure to save on costs while delivering economic benefits to communities. 

Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut are joined by two guests to discuss this new program: Alexander Bond, deputy general counsel for climate and clean energy at the Edison Electric Institute, and Uday Varadarajan, a principal at the clean-energy nonprofit RMI. They discuss the innovative structure of the Section 1706 program, challenges the Loan Programs Office will face as it rolls out the funding, and the opportunities for the program to help clean up the U.S. electric grid. 

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: How will DOE loan out $250B to make dirty energy systems clean?
• Canary Media: What challenges will confront DOE loan program for energy retrofits?
• RMI: The Most Important Clean Energy Policy You’ve Never Heard About
• DOE: Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

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. Yet these issues got relatively little play this election cycle – for or against.

Have we entered a new era for climate politics? Could there even be room for collaboration? Or will a divided government post-election give new life to old debates? 

Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut dig into the midterm results, discuss what they got right — and wrong — in their election predictions, and break down what it all means for the future of climate policy in America. 

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Wesleyan Media Project: Advertising Issue Spotlight
• The Atlantic: Wait, Why Wasn’t There a Climate Backlash?
• Canary Media: How Democratic state wins in the midterms could rev up climate progress
• WaPo: How different groups voted according to exit polls and AP VoteCast

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

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 the democratic process: the right to vote and public trust in elections. Plus, how the redistricting process influences both electoral outcomes and policymaking – including on climate and energy issues.

Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut are joined by USC Political Science and Public Policy Professor Christian Grose to discuss his research on how to improve voter access and voting rights and reduce polarization. Grose, who serves as academic director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, also previews new polling on Proposition 30, an environmental related ballot measure in California. Finally, he explains why you should care about redistricting if you care about climate change.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Enhancing Democracy: Does Funding Elections and Opening Polling Places Cause Higher Voter Turnout?
• USC Schwarzenegger Institute Initiates Democracy Grants for Voting Access and Election Administration
• Independent Redistricting Commissions Increase Voter Perceptions of Fairness

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

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 Spector to talk about public utility commissioners — who they are, why they are so important, and how you can engage with them to help shape your own energy future.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: What are public utility commissions? A beginner’s guide
• Vox: The overlooked elections this year with big climate stakes
• Canary Media: Who should pay to help coal communities in the energy transition?
• E&E News: 5 state-level races that could alter the energy transition
• Canary Media: Hawaii surges toward clean energy

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

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 results and wild cards that could drive voter turnout. Will the Inflation Reduction Act give Dems a lift?

Plus, they discuss the failure of Senator Joe Manchin’s bill to reform permitting for energy infrastructure, and what that failure means for the buildout of both clean energy and fossil fuel pipelines. And the hosts talk about another big piece of climate news that received little coverage: the Senate’s ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol in a rare bipartisan vote.  

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Vox: The unlikely allies who sank Joe Manchin’s energy deal
• Political Climate: 'Need for Speed': Why Solving Climate Change Is About More Than CO2
• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Menendez Makes Final Push for Senate Approval of Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol
• Real Clear Politics: Latest polls

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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 tough questions on how to balance climate action with immediate energy demands, while maintaining affordable prices for consumers, promoting economic growth and enhancing national security. In this fourth and final episode of the series, host Julia Pyper sits down with Josh Freed, the head of Third Way's Climate and Energy Program, to connect the dots on these topics and how to think about the path forward. 

To round out the episode, we hear from U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on why now is a critical time for America to lead. 

The “Arsenal of Clean Energy” is made possible by Third Way, a center-left think tank championing modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US policy. Learn more at thirdway.org

Recommended content:

• Third Way: When America Leads: Competing for the Future of Clean Energy
• Third Way: The Arsenal of Clean Energy (Podcast Series)

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Political Climate is supported by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and published in partnership with Canary media. Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

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 companies and organizations on the front lines of making the promise of the IRA a reality. Cleantech industry leaders from BlocPower, Sunrun, Q-Cells, Breakthrough Energy and beyond gathered at a roundtable ahead of the White House event to discuss the road ahead. This episode features voices from that conversation. 

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: Climate law may revolutionize US cleantech manufacturing. Here’s how
• Political Climate: A new era for US energy innovation
• Utility Dive: Biden administration awards $900M to 35 states for EV charging network as automakers ramp up battery plans
• New York Times: A huge side benefit of the new climate bill

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

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 most ambitious rules to stop the sale of new gas-powered cars. 

What does this big policy push say about the state of California’s energy mix? And how is the world’s 5th largest economy planning to cope with the intensifying impacts of climate change? 

Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper and Shane Skelton are joined by Sammy Roth, staff writer at the LA Times and author of the weekly Boiling Point newsletter, to discuss how the clean energy transition is playing out in California and the lessons it can teach the rest of the country. 

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• LA Times: Repowering the West
• LA Times: Newsom enjoys his most successful legislative session yet with wins on climate, Diablo Canyon
• Canary Media: California faces big power challenges — even if Diablo Canyon stays open
• LA Times: Gov. Newsom’s plan to prevent power outages has a big downside: fossil fuels
• Grist: Drilling setbacks, net-zero, and a nuclear lifeline. Here’s what just happened in California.

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

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-profit working to electrify everything in our homes, businesses and communities. They break down the rebates, tax credits, and other programs in the climate law that will help American households go electric – and how much money consumers can save in the process.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Rewiring America: How much money will you get with the Inflation Reduction Act?
• Canary Media: Climate bill could spur ​‘market transformation’ in home electrification
• Rewiring America: The Electric Explainer: Key programs in the Inflation Reduction Act and what they mean for Americans
• Rewiring America: An overview of the climate and electrification provisions for disadvantaged communities in the Inflation Reduction Act

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

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 discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act — signed into law this week by President Biden — is poised to change the U.S. innovation landscape. With new support for laboratory research and real world project demonstrations, building out supply chains and more, we may be entering a new era for American competitiveness.

Varun Sivaram, senior advisor to U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and his managing director for clean energy, innovation, and competitiveness joins the podcast, as well as Nick Montoni, senior innovation policy advisor for the Climate and Energy Program at Third Way.

"Arsenal of Clean Energy" is made possible by Third Way, a center-left think tank championing modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US policy, including the economy, national security and climate change. Learn more at thirdway.org 

Recommended reading:

• Energizing America: A Roadmap to Launch a National Energy
• Third Way: Making DOE’s New Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations a Success
• Third Way: How to Unleash the LPO’s True Potential

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

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 support of Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, the final bill made significant cuts to the Democrats’ initial budget reconciliation plan, plus some other compromises. 

Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut discuss how climate and clean energy provisions survived the reconciliation bill roller coaster and the impact of key elements of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: Inflation Reduction Act: Follow Canary’s coverage
• Vox: The Inflation Reduction Act, explained
• Scientific American: Nearly $53 Billion in Federal Funding Could Revive the U.S. Computer Chip Industry
• Canary Media: Climate bill could spur ​‘market transformation’ in home electrification
• Canary Media: What could the climate bill do for environmental justice?

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

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 of Political Climate’s Arsenal of Clean Energy series, host Julia Pyper is joined by Alan Ahn, senior resident fellow for Third Way's Climate and Energy Program and Carol Berrigan, executive director of federal programs and supplier relations at the Nuclear Energy Institute, to discuss how inventing and deploying U.S. advanced nuclear technology can help securely decarbonize energy systems and revitalize former coal communities at home and abroad. 

"Arsenal of Clean Energy” is made possible by Third Way, a center-left think tank championing modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US policy, including the economy, national security and climate change. Learn more at thirdway.org 

Recommended reading: 

• State Department: United States Takes Next Step in Supporting Innovative Clean Nuclear Technology in Europe
• NYT: Romania Sees an Opening to Become an Energy Power in Europe
• Third Way: Revitalizing America’s Nuclear Energy Supply Chain
• CNN: This nuclear reactor could be a game changer for the climate crisis

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

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 the next decade. 

Not only does community solar put more clean energy on the grid and help states and municipalities reach their climate and clean energy goals, but it can also save people money on their electric bills. But the success of community solar projects often hinges on putting the right policies in place. 

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: What is community solar? And how can you sign up?
• Canary Media: Will California finally fix its community solar programs?
• U.S. Department of Energy: DOE Sets 2025 Community Solar Target to Power 5 Million Homes
• Institute for Local Self-Reliance: National Community Solar Programs Tracker
• Canary Media: How cities and counties can grow their clean energy profiles

Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.

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 liberals and environmentalists expressed shock and dismay at restrictions placed on rules to reduce emissions. What the Supreme Court case ultimately means for climate action is complex. There are regulations the EPA can still pursue. At the same time, a legal shadow now hangs over government agencies amid ongoing gridlock in Congress. 

To discuss the path forward, Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper and Shane Skelton are joined by Jay Duffy, an attorney with the Clean Air Task Force, who represented a diverse group of environmental and public health organizations in the West Virginia v. EPA case.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate. While you're here, please leave a review! Thank you.

Recommended reading:

• Clean Air Task Force: Supreme Court takes key tool out of EPA’s toolbox, but multiple options remain for agency to regulate climate pollution
• Canary Media: Supreme Court hamstrings federal efforts to clean up US power sector
• Canary Media: Most voters support EPA limiting CO2 pollution from power plants 
• Politico: 'We don’t have to pretend anymore': Greens ready to bail on D.C. 

Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org

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 transition. On this episode of Political Climate, we wrestle with how to walk the fine line between meeting today’s immediate energy demands, maintaining lower prices for American consumers and achieving our climate goals.

This is the first episode in a monthly podcast series we’re calling “The Arsenal of Clean Energy: Strengthening the Bonds of Clean Energy, Innovation, and Sovereignty," featuring leading economists and energy policy experts Ellen Hughes-Cromwick of Third Way, Dana Peterson of The Conference Board, and Christy Goldfuss of the Center for American Progress.

“Arsenal of Clean Energy” is made possible by Third Way, a center-left think tank championing modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US policy, including the economy, national security and climate change. Learn more at thirdway.org

Recommended reading:

• Third Way: Making the US the World’s Arsenal of Clean Energy
• Politico: To Beat Putin, Europe Needs America’s Clean Energy
• Fact Sheet: President Biden Takes Bold Executive Action to Spur Domestic Clean Energy Manufacturing
• CNBC: Inflation rose 8.6% in May, highest since 1981

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 materials, such as lithium and cobalt. 

In this Newsflash episode, host Julia Pyper and producer Maria Virginia Olano are joined by guest Emily Burlinghaus, who has been researching clean energy recycling as a fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam, Germany. As part of Canary Media's dedicated week of coverage on how to make clean energy cleaner, the three discuss opportunities and roadblocks in the emerging field of recycling renewable energy assets.

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: Recycling Renewables: A special series
• Canary Media: Why we need to recycle clean energy technologies — and how to do it
• Atlantic Council: As the US struggles to “green” supply chains, new EU battery regulation offers lessons
• U.S. Department of Energy: DOE Releases Action Plan For Photovoltaic Systems End-Of-Life Management
• The Carbon Copy: The battery recycling boom

Political Climate is brought to you by FischTank PR. From PR and digital marketing to content writing, the team at FischTank helps you develop a strategy for bringing your work not only to wider audiences, but to the right audience. To learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and services, visit fischtankpr.com

Political Climate is also brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org

The hydrogen debate has evolved over the past two decades, shifting from how hydrogen could be used in the auto industry toward its potential use in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as trucking, aviation, shipping and energy-intensive heavy industry. 

Hydrogen projects are being announced and developed all over the world. Just this week, the U.S. government committed $8 billion in infrastructure funding to build out clean hydrogen hubs across the country. But not all hydrogen is created equal. Is it really a miracle fuel for deep decarbonization or is it an over-hyped climate solution that could lock in fossil fuel use?

On this episode of Political Climate, hosts Julia Pyper and Shane Skelton are joined by Rachel Fakhry, senior advocate for the climate and clean energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, to talk through the promises and challenges of the hydrogen economy. 

Plus, the hosts talk through President Biden’s new executive order to halt the threat of new tariffs on solar panels and boost domestic clean energy manufacturing. 

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: Biden to halt solar tariff threat for two years
• NRDC: Hydrogen Beta Testing Must Ensure Climate-Alignment
• U.S. Department of Energy: DOE Launches Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's $8 Billion Program for Clean Hydrogen Hubs Across U.S.
• Canary Media: Which states will win out on $9.5B in federal clean hydrogen funding?
• Canary Media: Massive green hydrogen hub in Utah wins $504M federal loan guarantee
• Austrian World Summit 2022

Political Climate is brought to you by FischTank PR. From PR and digital marketing to content writing, the team at FischTank helps you develop a strategy for bringing your work not only to wider audiences, but to the right audience. To learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and services, visit fischtankpr.com

Political Climate is also brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org

Some of the most important news doesn’t make big, splashy headlines. That can be because developments unfold slowly or are super-wonky, or simply get overlooked in a busy news cycle. That’s why the Political Climate team is creating a new Newsflash series, a monthly episode in your Political Climate feed in which we’ll bring you a behind-the-scenes look at a news story you might have missed.

In this inaugural episode, host Julia Pyper and producer Maria Virginia Olano bring you snippets from an interview with Lisa Garcia, a regional administrator at the EPA, about the work the agency is doing to deploy funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year. It’s a huge, important topic that’s gotten far too little media coverage. As Garcia put it, “The infusion of funding for infrastructure is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: Q&A with Lisa Garcia: Getting environmental justice right at the EPA
• EPA Fact Sheet: EPA & the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
• Electrek: Biden administration kicks off $5 billion electric Clean School Bus program
• The Hill: Congress needs to support EPA’s environmental protection infrastructure

Faced with record-high gas prices, more and more American consumers are looking to dump the pump. In the first three months of 2022, electric vehicle registrations shot up 60 percent, even as the overall car market shrunk. 

EVs have experienced steady sales growth over the past decade but are still far from being mainstream. Could the combination of expensive gasoline and exciting new plug-in models see the U.S. turn a corner on mass EV adoption?

On this episode of Political Climate, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut, and Shane Skelton talk about the policies and innovations unlocking greater transportation electrification – as well as the challenges ahead. From manufacturing bottlenecks and raw material supplies to high up-front costs and political opposition, there are still bumps on the road mainstreaming EVs. Plus, the hosts make a new bet – and need your help!

Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Recommended reading:

• Canary Media: EVs can be cheaper on a monthly basis than gas-powered cars
• Canary Media: Electric heavy-duty trucks are hitting the roads in California and beyond
• Axios: Ford F-150 Lightning review: A watershed moment for electric vehicles
• Politico: The gasoline price-gouging fight to nowhere
• Political Climate: Mineral Security and Implications for the Energy Transition

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