In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Helena Khazdozian, a senior technology manager at the US Department of Energy and program manager for the agency’s Critical Materials Institute. Khazdozian and Hayes discuss why the materials that the institute prioritizes are important to future decarbonization efforts. They also talk about supply chains, research efforts, and breakthroughs happening more broadly with other teams throughout the Department of Energy. References and recommendations: “Securing America’s Clean Energy Supply Chain” from the US Department of Energy; https://www.energy.gov/policy/securing-americas-clean-energy-supply-chain “His Dark Materials” trilogy of books by Philip Pullman, including “The Golden Compass,” “The Subtle Knife,” and “The Amber Spyglass”; https://www.philip-pullman.com/hdm “Happy-Go-Lucky” by David Sedaris; https://www.davidsedarisbooks.com/titles/david-sedaris/happy-go-lucky/9780316392457/