Political Climate

Political Climate

Political Climate delivers an insider’s view on the most pressing questions in energy and climate. Through biweekly analysis and debate, the podcast explores the nuances of how policy and politics are shaping the energy transition in the U.S. and around the world. Political Climate goes beyond partisan echo chambers to bring you insider scoops and authentic conversations with voices from across the political spectrum – all with a healthy dose of wit. Tune in every other Monday with hosts Julia Pyper, Neil Chatterjee, and Brandon Hurlbut along with influential and insightful guests.

Episodes

May 25, 2026 51 mins
Permitting reform has stalled in Congress for years — but a newly appointed senator with three decades of energy industry experience and nothing to prove politically may be in a position to finally help get it done. Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) came to Washington in March with a single priority — meaningful permitting reform — and under a year to achieve it. Both Democrats and Republicans acknowledge that America’s infrastructure...
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Electricity prices are rising across America — and governors are scrambling to respond. From California to Pennsylvania to Virginia, states are experimenting with dramatically different approaches to lowering power bills: taking on utility monopolies, freezing rate hikes, reforming electricity markets, accelerating new generation, and pushing data centers to pay their own way. On this episode of Political Climate, we unpack why e...
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What if the fastest, cheapest fix for America’s power grid is hiding in plain sight? On this episode of Political Climate, we dive into grid utilization — and how to unlock the massive untapped potential of a system that operates at just ~50% capacity (as Secretary Wright noted just last month). With Ian Magruder (founder and executive director of the Utilize Coalition) and guest co-host Hillary O’Brien (managing director of clea...
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April 13, 2026 56 mins
Gas prices are spiking as the Iran war disrupts global oil markets — so will this be the moment that finally supercharges EV adoption in the U.S.? This week on Political Climate, we explore how past energy shocks have driven policy shifts aimed at greater energy diversification — and whether history is repeating itself, only with new stakes. Avery Ash, CEO of Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE), joins the show to discuss how...
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March was defined by blown predictions, resilience, wins, losses, and last-minute turnarounds—and not just in college basketball. In many ways, those same forces are shaping the energy sector today. Shane Battier—NCAA champion at Duke in 2001 and two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat—knows a thing or two about performing under pressure. Now, he’s bringing that playbook to cleantech. In this episode of Political Climate, we si...
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Energy is back at the center of politics.  From war in the Middle East disrupting oil and LNG flows through the Strait of Hormuz to AI-driven data centers sending U.S. power demand soaring, energy policy is shaping the road to the 2026 midterms.  In the first episode back from a break, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut, and Neil Chatterjee sit down with Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) and former Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA) at the Winterfes...
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2025 has been one of the most turbulent years on record for U.S. climate and energy policy. The One Big Beautiful Bill is in; the Inflation Reduction Act is out. Clean energy grants have been canceled, permits delayed, and federal priorities reshuffled. At the same time, electricity demand is surging, consumers are worried about affordability, and trade disputes are disrupting supply chains. Amid all this volatility, has the clean...
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December 9, 2025 58 mins
A hyperscaler, an energy developer, and a government official walk into a room. It’s not a joke — it’s the new reality as the U.S. scrambles to lead the global race for AI dominance. As frontier AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic push for fast, clean, and reliable energy at unprecedented scale, policymakers are racing to understand how America’s grid will keep up. In this episode, we sit down with Ann Bluntzer Pullin,...
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November 24, 2025 53 mins
Critical minerals sit at the heart of modern life—from phones and data centers to EVs, defense systems, and the power grid. Yet the U.S. remains heavily dependent on foreign supply chains for these resources that are dominated by China. In failing to develop holistic and responsible mineral supply chains the U.S. risks bottlenecks in semiconductors, defense, and clean energy. This puts both economic security and climate goals at ...
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AI is reshaping the economy — and now it’s reshaping the electric grid. The growth of AI data centers is fueling an unprecedented spike in power needs — and policymakers are scrambling for creative ways to meet it. In this episode of Political Climate, we explore two different approaches to expanding the nation’s power capacity: A novel federal initiative to fast-track large-load interconnections for data centers and other en...
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October 20, 2025 42 mins
As the U.S. government enters its fourth week of shutdown, the fallout is spreading far beyond Washington. Billions in clean energy and technology funding have been frozen or slashed — disproportionately in blue states — as the administration uses the budget standoff to push through parts of its policy agenda. How will the shutdown showdown end? Meanwhile, U.S.–China tensions are escalating once again. Beijing has announced new re...
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September 22, 2025 44 mins
When we think of the U.S.–China rivalry, headlines often focus on trade wars, Taiwan, or Artificial Intelligence. But one of the most consequential battlegrounds is undoubtedly energy, which underpins each economy. Who will invent, build, and export the technologies that power the 21st century? This week, Political Climate sits down with global energy policy expert Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sust...
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With August recess behind us, Washington D.C. is gearing up for a busy fall. For many in the cleantech space – more questions than answers loom ahead. What is the outlook for wind and solar permitting, with renewable energy projects in the political crosshairs? Will Congress avoid a government shutdown before the end of September deadline? If not, what’s at stake? The Trump administration has frozen or cancelled hundreds grants ...
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This week on Political Climate we’re live from Aspen Ideas: Climate in Chicago. We were joined by guest Greg Bertelsen, CEO of the Climate Leadership Council, and former senior director of energy and resources policy at the National Association of Manufacturers, as well as a fantastic live audience.  The "energy transition” has been underway for decades. In the United States, this shift has been supported by 20 years of policy aim...
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July 14, 2025 41 mins
Now that Congress has passed and President Trump has signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we talk about the final language and what it means for the U.S. energy sector on this episode of Political Climate.  We discuss short term implications for solar and wind developers, particularly in light of a new executive order calling for new Treasury rules to strictly enforce the repeal of renewable energy tax credits. We also ...
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June 25, 2025 59 mins
U.S. grid operators braced for a surge in electricity demand and possible power outages this week as scorching temperatures hit the eastern half of the country. Heat waves are just one of the challenges facing increasingly strained electricity systems across the country, amid rapidly growing demand from data centers and a looming shortfall in supply. On this episode of Political Climate we’re joined by Asim Haque, SVP of Governme...
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June 17, 2025 1 min
Dropping in with a quick update that Political Climate is pushing the release of our next full episode to next week. As our listeners know, the Senate is in the process of revising and releasing their version of the reconciliation bill that the House passed a few weeks ago. Senate Finance Committee text dropped Monday evening and there is a lot to unpack. While there are many things we want to talk about that aren’t directly relat...
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President Trump’s return to office has reignited a bold push for energy dominance — a sweeping agenda to supercharge U.S. energy production, slash regulatory red tape, and reestablish America as a powerhouse in global energy markets. In this episode, we dive deep into what that actually means. From a wave of recent executive orders to the high-stakes reconciliation bill moving through Congress, we explore how the administration ai...
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May 19, 2025 48 mins
If you’re tracking the world of budget reconciliation then you know it’s crunch time as House Speaker Mike Johnson works to pass a party-line megabill by Memorial Day. House Republicans have a lot on their plates as they try to make significant spending reductions while extending tax cuts and raising the debt ceiling. The fate of U.S. energy tax credits also hangs in the balance, as debate continues to rage around the GOP’s so-cal...
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April 9, 2025 3 mins
Hey Political Climate listeners, we’re jumping on to let you know that we’re taking a short recess.  The show will be back in another couple of weeks, with hosts Julia Pyper, Emily Domenech, and Brandon Hurlbut to help you understand the latest news with perspectives from across the political spectrum.  There is no shortage of activity, from tariffs to reconciliation, DOGE program cuts, and so much more. Follow Political Climate ...
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