Could Clean Energy Thrive Despite Trump Policy Changes?
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to cut support for clean power. Two guests from Bloomberg NEF weigh the likely impacts on clean energy development. --- President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to reduce federal support for clean power as soon as he takes office in January. Yet political real…
Why Electrical Grid Governance Needs Reforming
Byzantine governance structures and vested interests are slowing the greening of the U.S. electrical grid. Two grid policy experts discuss paths forward. --- The U.S. electrical grid faces declining reliability, often attributed to a rapidly evolving energy mix, surging demand, and more frequent …
Empowering Communities for Climate and Energy Justice
Carnot Prize recipient Jacqueline Patterson explores how the clean energy transition can drive meaningful progress toward energy and climate justice. --- In 2009 Jacqueline Patterson became the founding director of the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program. It was a role that Patterso…
Beyond Labor: The Expanding Scope of the Just Energy Transition
Kleinman Center visiting scholar Kirsten Jenkins explores the concept of a just energy transition, and why it must be expanded beyond its labor roots to address broad energy system injustices. --- The term “just transition” has its roots in organized labor movements, and has traditionally referre…
How Virtual Power Plants Could Strengthen the Electrical Grid
Virtual power plants can help electric grid operators address supply shortages and reliability concerns, but policy support is needed. --- The U.S. electrical grid is under growing stress, raising concern that recent widescale power outages may signal more grid challenges to come. In recent years…
How Identity Politics Shape U.S. Energy Policy
David Spence explores the rise of identity politics in the U.S. and how it has fueled bitter partisanship over the transition to clean energy. --- Throughout American history, opposing political parties have at times set aside their differences to create “republican moments”— periods of bold, bip…
Why AI Consumes So Much Energy - and What Might Be Done About It
Nvidia’s director of accelerated computing, and a Penn expert in AI and datacenters, explain why AI uses so much energy, and how its energy appetite might be curbed. --- Artificial Intelligence is taking off. In just under two years since the introduction of Chat GPT, the first popular AI chatbot, …
Exploring Electricity Pricing: Are Alternatives to Flat-Rate Plans Worth It?
Time-of-use electricity rates can save consumers money and optimize renewable power. But they can backfire if not carefully designed. --- A notable feature of the U.S. electricity system is the disconnect between the cost of generating electricity and the prices most consumers pay for power at an…
From the Archive: Michael Mann on the Lessons of Climate Past
For the month of August, we’re highlighting episodes from the 2023-2024 season of Energy Policy Now. We’ll be back with new content, and a new season, on September the 10th. Climatologist Michael Mann discusses his new book on Earth’s climate past, with insights into our climate future. --- (Th…
From the Archive: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on the Rising Prospects for a U.S. Carbon Border Fee
For the month of August, we’re highlighting episodes from the 2023-2024 season of Energy Policy Now. We’ll be back with new content, and a new season, on September the 10th. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse discusses the prospects for bipartisan U.S. carbon border fee legislation, and the need to prote…