Political Climate

Voters want lower energy bills. Can Washington deliver? In the wake of the 2026 midterms, Political Climate examines what a shift in power means for clean energy, electricity prices, and the fight over data centers. Guest host Emily Chasan joins co-hosts Brandon Hurlbut and Neil Chatterjee, alongside Jeremy Harrell, CEO of ClearPath and ClearPath Action, to debate whether divided government could...

Permitting reform has brought together strange bedfellows. But can this unlikely coalition get a deal through Congress? Josh Siegel, senior energy reporter at Punchbowl News, joins hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut, and Neil Chatterjee to break down the politics of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA). The bill promises faster grid connections for all energy projects and new...

Permitting reform could reshape America’s energy future — if it actually becomes law. Will Washington close the deal on landmark bipartisan legislation? Energy project permitting sits at the center of today’s biggest debates: powering the AI boom, lowering electricity bills, competing with China, and tackling climate change. Recording together in person for the first time, hosts Julia Pyper, Brand...

AI may be reshaping more than the economy—it could be reshaping American politics. As data centers collide with rising utility bills, community opposition and the midterm elections, Democrats and Republicans are converging is some surprising areas. Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Neil Chatterjee unpack the growing bipartisan backlash, the fight over who pays for new power infrastructure, and what...

Copper prices are soaring, China still dominates the supply chain, and demand is set to explode 50% over the next 15 years thanks to AI, data centers, and electrification. So who's racing to fix America's copper problem? Endolith founder and CEO Liz Dennett returns to Political Climate for a candid update — from landing a national-security-backed Series A to launching the company's first field dep...

Concrete is everywhere—from our homes and bridges to skyscrapers and data centers. But few people realize that the cement used to make concrete is responsible for roughly 8% of global carbon emissions. If cement were a country, it would be the third largest emitter on Earth. And yet, these materials haven't changed much since the Roman Empire. Why has innovation been challenging in the concrete an...

What do a Democratic firefighter running for Congress in Montana and a Republican educator running for Senate in Louisiana have in common? They're both campaigning on climate issues—without ever saying the words "climate change." From wildfires to floods, housing to electricity, communities across America are looking for solutions that are sustainable. Environmentally, yes—but increasingly, econom...

As AI accelerates and America's energy demands surge, some of the biggest questions aren't just about technology—they're about politics. In part two of our conversation with veteran energy investor Phil Deutch, partner and co-head of energy transition at NGP, we explore where Silicon Valley, Washington, and the energy industry are finding common ground—and where tensions are bubbling. From AI data...

As America marks its 250th year, a new energy era is beginning. This week, veteran energy investor Phil Deutch, founder of NGP Energy Technology Partners,  joins us to look beyond today's headlines and toward the future of energy. We discuss where investment dollars are flowing, what current market dynamics mean for the climate, and why he believes the next chapter of American energy will be defin...

For years, America’s energy debate was largely about transition — what fuels to move away from and what technologies to build next. Now, a different challenge is taking center stage: can the United States produce enough energy to power AI, advanced manufacturing, and economic growth without sacrificing affordability, reliability, or national security? What comes first when the country needs all of...

As America marks its 250th anniversary, one question looms large: What made the United States an energy superpower — and what will determine whether it stays one? This week, Political Climate welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning author and S&P Global Vice Chairman Daniel Yergin for a sweeping conversation across two and a half centuries of American energy history. From the birth of the oil industry and...

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 acknowl...

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 P...

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...

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...

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 ep...

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...

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...

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...

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 econom...

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...

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 a...

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...

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 froz...

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 s...