Adam Zurofsky, the former Director of State Policy for New York, dives into a fascinating role-play as a hypothetical president addressing America’s energy future. He explores the challenges of balancing AI growth with energy consumption while advocating for renewable energy and nuclear plants. Expect lively debates on the digital industry's demands and power sector responses, regulatory consistency for nuclear energy, and the intricate dance between climate priorities and national security. This engaging discussion sheds light on the future of U.S. energy policy!
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insights INSIGHT
Refocus On Transmission Over Broad DPA Use
The new administration will phase out broad DPA use and refocus it on transmission and interconnection work.
They will allow existing DPA projects to continue while commissioning studies to reprioritize authority.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Restore IRA-Style Tax Incentives
Reinstate Inflation Reduction Act-style tax incentives to attract private investment at scale.
Use tax code tools to spread costs broadly and shield local ratepayers from project burdens.
insights INSIGHT
AI Helped Nuclear Breakthroughs
Nuclear progress is cited as one clear bipartisan success aided by AI for design and cost reductions.
The administration plans to continue supporting SMRs and next-gen nuclear developments.
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In four years time, how might a theoretical Dem administration grapple with the expanding energy consumption and demand for AI? This is the question the second half of TRG Media and MIT Technology Review’s AI and Energy Scenario Exercises seeks to explore. Leading experts come together to role play as key actors in government, private industry, and more to simulate how public policy might take shape in the coming years. This episode contains the second and final phase of the game and a brief wrap-up from the editor in chief of MIT Technology Review Mat Honan and game designer Ed McGrady.
The Players:
US Federal
POTUS - Merici Vinton, Former Senior Advisor to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel
Security (DoD, DHS, DOS) - Mark Dalton, Senior director of technology and innovation at R Street
Energy (DOE, EPA, Interior) - Wayne Brough, Former President of the Innovation Defense Foundation and senior fellow on R Street’s Technology and Innovation team
Red State Leadership- Soren Dayton, Director of Governance at the Niskanen Center
Power generation industry
Fossil - David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University
Solar - Enock Ebban, host of “Sustainability Transformations Podcast”
Nuclear [1] - Ashley Finan, Jay and Jill Bernstein Global Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University
Investors in Al
Domestic- Josiah Neeley, R Street Institute’s Energy team advisor
International - Josh Felser, CO Founder and Managing Partner at Climatic
International (Middle East, EU, Russia, China, etc.) - Shaolei Ren, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California
International (Middle East, EU, Russia, China, etc.) - Rachel Ziemba, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Blue State Leadership
POTUS Adam Zurofsky - former Director of State Policy and Agency Management for the State of New York
Ari Peskoe - Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at the Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program
Beth Garza - senior fellow with R Street’s Energy & Environmental Policy Team
Public interest
Environmental - Brent Eubanks, founder of Eubanks Engineering Research
Domestic political - Meiyi Li, Ph.D. candidate at The University of Texas at Austin
Media - Jen Sidorova, policy analyst at Reason Foundation
Al and other Digital Industries
AI - Valerie Taylor, division director of Mathematics and Computer Science at Argonne National Laboratory
Blockchain -Erica Schoder, Executive Director and co-founder of the R Street Institute
Erica Schroder - Elliot David, Head of Climate Strategy at Sustainable Bitcoin Protocol
Other digital systems (chips, data center operations, online gaming, streaming, etc.) [1] - Ken Briggs, Faculty Assistant at Harvard University
This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.
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