rewiring america

Ari Matusiak is the founder and CEO of Rewiring America. 

Rewiring America is a driving force in the movement to electrify everything. As our homes transition to using heat pumps for heating and cooling, induction stoves for cooking and electric vehicles for transportation, Rewiring America has established itself as the go-to expert resource to help us navigate this transition.

Ari boasts an impressive background that informs his leadership of the organization. He has experience in affordable housing, philanthropy, and the Obama White House, where he served as a special assistant to the president and director of private sector engagement. In this role, he managed the administration's relationships with Fortune 500 CEOs, Wall Street firms, and other business leaders. He then held the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Renovate America, the largest residential energy efficiency and renewable energy financing platform at the time. He was also a co-founder and chairman of Young Invincibles, a national nonprofit focused on creating economic opportunities for young adults.

In addition to leading Rewiring America, Ari is the managing partner at Purpose Venture Group, an advisory firm and incubator focused on launching community-centered ventures to tackle climate change and economic inequality.

In this conversation, Ari discusses Rewiring America's origin story, core work, and the home electrification measures in the Inflation Reduction Act. He provides perspective on the current status of US electrification progress and how each of us can contribute to advancing Rewiring America's mission.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [03:03]: The founding story of Rewiring America
• [11:51]: Hurdles of electrifying homes
• [15:58]: Tax credits available to homeowners through the IRA
• [20:27]: Stackable rebates and tax credits through federal, state and local programs
• [22:00]: Using Rewiring America's IRA Calculator to estimate benefits
• [26:40]: Empowering people to electrify their homes and become active community guides
• [30:50]: Countering the fossil fuel lobby with local storytellers and validators
• [33:49]: Insights from Rewiring America's Pace of Progress Report on electric product adoption
• [40:31]: Challenges and solutions to boost EV adoption
• [43:04]: State of rooftop solar in the Pace of Progress report
• [44:05]: Why rooftop solar remains essential 
• [46:28]: Electrification options for renters and apartment incentives 
• [50:16]: Ari’s outlook on electrification progress over the next decade

Get connected: 

• Ari Matusiak LinkedIn
• Cody Simms X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective / Instagram

*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on Aug 24, 2023 (Published on Oct 9, 2023)

Get connected with MCJ: 

• Jason Jacobs X / LinkedIn
• Cody Simms X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube

*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at content@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

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» The Green Dragon Tavern Show is a project of The Sentinel: www.republicsentinel.com

About the Green Dragon Tavern Show

“Talking a little treason.” Veteran political operative Zach Lautenschlager and retired MLB pitcher Dennis Sarfate bring breaking news and inside commentary on American culture, politics and business. 

The Green Dragon Tavern is where Paul Revere and the Sons of Liberty gathered in Boston during the American Revolution. “Let us go to the Green Dragon and talk a little treason,” Founding Father Samuel Adams would say, tongue in cheek, according to legend. 

Today, the Green Dragon Tavern Show is where free men and women gather in defense of freedom.

Saul Griffith has an ambitious plan to save the planet. It all begins at home and it's completely electrifying!

WHO'S GONNA SAVE US? is an ABC podcast about the people who are trying to map out a better future in the face of the climate crisis. Catch up on the whole series HERE, or wherever you get your podcasts.Guests: Saul Griffith, Andrew Davies, Cameron Gardiner

Host: Jo LauderReporters: Joel Werner, James PurtillSeries Producer: Cheyne AndersonExecutive Producer (audio): Joel WernerExecutive Producer (digital): Clare BlumerSound engineer: Hamish Camilleri

In this episode, Elena and Pete speak with Alex Laskey, the Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Rewiring America. Alex gives his fresh take on the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate legislation his organization helped shape and discusses why, despite good intentions, it can be hard to get consumers to switch from fossil fuels to electric. 

Alex previously led OPower, the behavioral Energy Efficiency company he founded with Dan Yates. Under his leadership, Opower grew into a publicly traded company whose cloud-based software is used by more than half of the largest electric and gas utilities in the United States. Today, Opower, now a division of Oracle, delivers more than 6 TWh of energy savings per year and helps homeowners save more than $1B per year on their energy bills. 

0:00 - Introduction

2:05 - Career walk and origins of Opower

11:45 - Rewiring America’s origins 

18:20 - Changing the narrative around combating climate change to a “story of abundance.”

20:00 - Alex’s reaction to the Inflation Reduction Act

25:21 - Overcoming friction in decision-making to move consumers to electric

31:08 - It’s a great time to become an electrician

40:40:28 - Alex’s recommended resources

Recommended resources:

Rewiring America’s IRA Calculator

Rewiring America's Explainer on the IRA

“Smart Power” by Peter Fox-Penner

“The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Ford Motor Company, and Their Epic Quest to Arm an America at War” by A.J. Baime

“Living the Good Life: How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World,” by Helen and Scott Nearing

“Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals,” by Oliver Burkeman

Today's guest is Alex Laskey, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Rewiring America.

Rewiring America's mission is two-fold: 1) demonstrating that rapid electrification of all aspects of the American economy is the key to combating climate change, and 2) designing and promoting practical policies to accomplish it.

Before Rewiring America, Alex was the President and Founder of Opower, the global leader in cloud-based software for the utility industry. Under his leadership, Opower grew from a two-person startup to a publicly-traded company whose software is used by more than half of the largest electric and gas utilities in the world. Today, Opower is a division of Oracle and delivers more than 6 TWh of energy savings per year to help homeowners save more than $1B per year on their energy bills. Alex is a Board member of Arcadia and a longtime Director of the Conservation Lands Foundation. In addition, he was a founding Commissioner on the Energy Transitions Commission and a board member of Advanced Energy Economy.

I was excited to sit down with Alex and learn more about his climate journey. We discuss Rewiring America, the goals of the non-profit, and why energy grids and renewable power are vital to the clean energy future. Alex also walks me through his time at Opower, the unique idea that utilities can be customers, and Alex's career as a climate entrepreneur. Alex is an excellent guest.

Enjoy the show!

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded December 10th, 2021

For more information about Rewiring America, visit: https://www.rewiringamerica.org/

For more information about this episode, visit: https://myclimatejourney.co/episodes/alex-laskey

Get connected with MCJ: 

• Jason Jacobs X / LinkedIn
• Cody Simms X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube

*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at content@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.