Political Climate

Political Climate

Political Climate delivers an insider’s view on the most pressing policy 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 for the latest takes from hosts Julia Pyper, Neil Chatterjee, and Brandon Hurlbut along with influential and insightful guests.

Episodes

Unpacking a Volatile Year in Climate and Energy

December 19, 2025 • 56 mins
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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Inside the American Energy + AI Initiative

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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America's Critical Minerals Crisis

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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How FERC and Your Home Could Fast-Track AI Power

November 6, 2025 • 56 mins
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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Power Struggles: From DC to Beijing

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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US vs China: Who's Winning the Energy Race?

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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Shutdowns and Shakeups: What's at Stake for US Energy

September 8, 2025 • 51 mins
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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What an 'Unapologetic Focus' on US Competitiveness Means for Climate Action

July 28, 2025 • 59 mins
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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The Big Bill Got Done. Now What?

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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The Grid's 'All Hands on Deck' Moment

June 26, 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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BRB, Processing Senate Text

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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Unpacking Trump’s Energy Dominance Agenda

June 2, 2025 • 43 mins
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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Reconciliation Revs Up

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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In recess, back soon!

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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Unpacking the EPA’s aggressive moves on energy and climate

March 17, 2025 • 40 mins
As “Political Climate” marks the one-year anniversary of its re-launch, the deluge of energy sector news continues. In today’s episode, the hosts dig into a series of recent and contentious moves from the Environmental Protection Agency—from massive power plant deregulations and an intention to undo the 2009 endangerment finding, to the termination of $20 billion in climate grants. Which of these policies could have the most impac...
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Live from Winterfest: Rich Powell and Travis Kavulla talk GOP energy priorities

March 3, 2025 • 51 mins
In this special episode of “Political Climate,” hosts Brandon Hurlbut and Emily Domenech travel to Big Sky, Montana, to record the podcast live at the Winterfest conference. Now in its twentieth year, Winterfest brings together leaders in clean energy and finance to help move the global energy transition forward. This year the conference focused on finding solutions in a singular and difficult political moment. To help make sense o...
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High turbulence: What Trump’s first moves mean for clean energy

February 10, 2025 • 48 mins
Since President Trump took office on January 20, he has quickly enacted an expansive list of policies with immediate and dramatic impacts on climate and energy.  If you feel like you’re struggling to process these rapid-fire actions, you’re not alone. Among other pursuits, the President has vowed to “terminate the Green New Deal” and paused funding for tons of clean energy projects—from offshore wind development to Solar for All an...
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Fire-killing robots and executive orders galore

January 24, 2025 • 48 mins
Amid the ongoing fires that have plagued California this month, the conversation around mitigation and prevention has accelerated. In today’s episode, the hosts are joined by Anukool Lakhina, the CEO and co-founder of BurnBot. The company produces tank-sized robots that take in biomass, incinerate it, and extinguish it as they move. Prescribed burns are a normal part of forest management, but they typically require specific weather...
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Will Biden’s 11th-hour climate strategy have lasting impact?

January 13, 2025 • 43 mins
When President Biden departs the White House on January 20th, he will leave behind a nuanced and divisive legacy on climate and energy policy. On one hand, his Administration passed the momentous Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS and Science Act, which have collectively stimulated massive investment and jobs creation. Yet IRA funds were slow to get out the door. Americans remained unaware of i...
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Neil Chatterjee: “Make energy policy boring again!”

December 20, 2024 • 45 mins
In today’s episode, the hosts are joined by one of the most thoughtful—and occasionally controversial—voices in energy policy today. Neil Chatterjee served on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 2017 to 2021. During that time, he also served two stints as the chairman of the commission. At FERC, Chatterjee gained a reputation for his candor, as well as his divisive takes. For instance, in 2020, he embraced carbon pricing,...
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