Narayan Subramanian served as a legal advisor and later as the Director for Energy Transition at the White House National Security Council under the Biden administration. He dives into the evolution of the Department of Energy, discussing the complexities of funding innovative energy projects. Key topics include the challenges of federal interest in intellectual property affecting bank support for tech, and the crucial role of offtake agreements in financing. Narayan emphasizes the need for flexible government contracting to better foster innovation in the clean energy sector.
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Oppenheimer Case
Narayan Subramanian led the effort to overturn Oppenheimer's 1954 security clearance revocation.
This involved archival research, revealing a planned effort to discredit Oppenheimer for his dissenting views.
insights INSIGHT
Archival Discoveries
Researching Oppenheimer's case revealed broader authorities vested in the Secretary of Energy, originating from the Atomic Energy Commission.
This archival work proved crucial for implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
insights INSIGHT
DOE Origins
The Atomic Energy Commission, established in 1946, focused on both nuclear weapons and peaceful applications of atomic energy.
The 1973 oil crisis spurred the creation of a dedicated energy agency to address U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
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The Energy Crisis and the Transformation of American Politics in the 1970s
Meg Jacobs
This book examines the energy crises of the 1970s, particularly the oil embargo of 1973 and the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979. It details how these crises, characterized by soaring gasoline prices, shortages, and long lines, affected American politics. The book explores the responses of Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan, as well as key figures like William Simon, Donald Rumsfeld, and Dick Cheney. Jacobs argues that the energy crisis led to a mounting skepticism about government intervention, setting the stage for the rise of Reaganism and a broader shift in American political culture from liberalism to conservatism. The book concludes with the 1991 Gulf War, highlighting the failure of domestic policy that precipitated military action abroad.
American Prometheus
The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Kai Bird
Martin J. Sherwin
This biography, written over a period of 25 years, captures Oppenheimer’s life from his early career to his central role in the Cold War. It highlights his transformation into a charismatic leader at Los Alamos, the burdens of secrecy and surveillance, and the tumultuous events surrounding his security hearing. The book is praised for its voluminous scholarship and lucid insight into Oppenheimer’s complex nature and his impact on American history.
Today’s guest is Narayan Subramanian. Under the Biden administration, he was a legal advisor, and then an advisor to the Secretary at the Department of Energy (DOE). Later, he was the Director for Energy Transition at the White House National Security Council.
We’ve talked to previous guests about how to ensure government money flows fast and effectively. At the DOE, Subramanian helped ensure that a big influx of money could best be used to support innovative energy projects. If you’ve followed Statecraft a while, you know we’re very interested in how to actually deploy taxpayer dollars most effectively. Narayan played a key role in making sure that DOE could do just that.
We Discuss:
* How the DOE took its modern form
* Why don’t tools for funding R&D work for funding deployment?
* Does the federal interest in IP stop banks from supporting new tech?
* What kinds of technologies can you support with “other transactions authority”?
Statecraft 
