John Kerry on Climate Diplomacy Without U.S. Leadership

Carnot Prize recipient John Kerry on what political will, markets and diplomacy mean for the next phase of climate action. --- John Kerry has served in the U.S. Senate, as Secretary of State and, most recently, as President Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. One constant over his mor…

Paying More for Less: The Rising Cost of Home Gas

As home gas use declines, rising infrastructure costs are pushing consumer gas bills higher. --- Americans are using less natural gas at home, yet their gas bills continue to rise. A growing share of those bills now reflects the cost of maintaining and upgrading gas distribution networks, even as…

Can PJM Reform Its Own Governance?

PJM is under pressure to overhaul how it makes decisions. The harder question is whether the market can reform itself, and what meaningful change would require. --- The PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest electricity market, is under growing pressure to reform the way it makes decisions. FE…

Hormuz and China’s Energy Advantage

The Hormuz crisis tests China’s energy security while highlighting its growing clean-tech advantage. --- The closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of war between the U.S. and Iran has disrupted about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows, driving up energy cos…

From the Archive: The Cost of Pulling Back from China in the EV Transition

For the month of August, we’re highlighting episodes from the 2025-2026 season of Energy Policy Now. We’ll be back with new content, and a new season, on September the 8th. John Helveston of George Washington University discusses why a U.S. pullback from China on EVs is risky, and why engagement c…

From the Archive: When the Last Mile Turns Hot: Delivery Drivers in a Warming Climate

For the month of August, we’re highlighting episodes from the 2025-2026 season of Energy Policy Now. We’ll be back with new content, and a new season, on September the 8th. An economic sociologist discusses the growing heat dangers facing last-mile delivery drivers, and why federal protections rem…

Agriculture, Energy, and the Challenge of Resilience

The modern agricultural system delivers an extraordinary abundance and variety of food at relatively low cost, thanks in part to abundant and affordable energy. Can those benefits be preserved without creating unacceptable exposure to disruption? --- Recent disruptions to food and energy markets …

Energy and the Economics of Affordability

Can the energy choices we make today influence affordability for decades to come? --- Affordability has become one of the defining issues in American politics. Rising costs for housing, healthcare, groceries, and energy continue to strain household budgets. But economist Heather Boushey argues th…

The West’s New Electricity Markets

Southwest Power Pool’s expansion into the West marks a major step toward greater regional coordination of the electric grid. --- Earlier this year the Southwest Power Pool, the electric grid operator for much of the central United States, expanded into the Western Interconnection, becoming the fi…

Is a New Era of Electricity Prices Beginning?

For years, electricity prices broadly tracked inflation. New pressures may be changing that. --- Electricity prices have become a major political issue in the United States, with policymakers increasingly focused on rising utility bills and the costs of meeting growing electricity demand. At the …