Political Climate

In today’s episode — the first of a two-part dispatch — Political Climate co-host Emily Domenech takes us behind the scenes of the 2024 Republican National Convention to chat candidly with lawmakers.Emily talks with Rep. John Curtis of Utah, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, as well as advocates like Chris Barnard of the American Conservation Coalition and Heather Reams of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. This first installment focuses on the incremental shift within the GOP to change the conversation around climate change. Emily and her guests also explore the long-held belief in energy independence, and consider whether soaring demand for energy in the U.S. shifts the policy conversation.This episode of Political Climate was made possible by ClearPath Action, a conservative energy advocacy organization focused on reducing global emissions.Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, policy, and deals across clean energy and climate tech.

Among members of Congress, few have approached climate change with the experience and diligence of Democratic California Representative Scott Peters. Peters spent decades as an environmental lawyer and Environmental Protection Agency economist prior to becoming a US Representative. Now in his sixth term, Peters has put clean energy at the top of his priority list.In today’s episode, Representative Peters joins hosts Julia Pyper and Emily Domenech to explore a range of topics: from the Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down the Chevron doctrine, to his unexpectedly fruitful relationship with Republican Representative Bruce Westerman and how he believes a second Trump term could impact US energy policy.Peters, who serves on the House Energy & Commerce and Budget Committee, also digs into the details of his recent energy and climate related bills. The Fix Our Forests Act The Advanced Reactor Fee Reduction Act The SPEED and Reliability Act, which seeks to expedite the permitting process for new transmission lines The PROVE IT Act, which seeks to study the carbon footprint of twenty-odd industrial imports. Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, policy, and deals across clean energy and climate tech.Political Climate is co-produced by Boundary Stone Partners, a leading bipartisan climate change strategic advisory and government affairs firm. Their mission-driven approach combines innovative solutions with expertise in technology, finance, policy, federal funding, and advocacy. Learn more and get in touch today at BoundaryStone.com.Concerned about how the 2024 election might impact the programs, policies, and incentives that matter most to you? Let Boundary Stone Partners' Climate24 service help you navigate the political landscape with their policy navigator tool, resources, and bespoke services. Learn more at BoundaryStone.com/Climate24.

The past month proved to be a dramatic one for America’s long-stagnant nuclear sector.First, on June 10, TerraPower – the company co-founded by Bill Gates – broke ground on the Western Hemisphere’s first advanced nuclear facility, in Wyoming. A week later, the Senate passed the ADVANCE Act on a vote of 88-2. (The House already passed the bill by similar margins in February.) If signed into law, ADVANCE will streamline permitting and funding policies for future nuclear projects. In today’s episode, the hosts are joined by Boundary Stone co-founder Jeff Navin – who also serves as TerraPower’s Director of External Affairs – to explore the momentum behind nuclear’s resurgence. Later in the show, Jeff takes us behind the scenes of TerraPower’s Natrium project to highlight its challenges, and its promise.The episode kicks off with a discussion of both the recent Presidential debate and the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the wide-reaching Chevron doctrine, which gave federal agencies like the EPA the room to implement ambiguous laws as they saw fit. In Chevron’s absence, those decisions will be left to Congress and the judiciary.Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, policy, and deals across clean energy and climate tech.And listen to Climate One, a weekly podcast hosted by journalists Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious featuring discussions with climate advocacy experts on various aspects impacting climate change, from AI to inflation. You can find Climate One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Louisiana Representative Garret Graves discusses a data-driven approach to climate, championing natural gas, emotion-free emissions reductions, impacts of climate change on his state, and future energy policy. Hosts find consensus and disagreement. Graves announced he won't seek re-election.

The podcast delves into recent developments in carbon management, including government funding competitions and policies promoting carbon removal. It discusses challenges faced by the industry, such as resistance from utilities providers and concerns about scalability. The hosts share rapid-fire hot takes on the future of carbon management in 'The Mark-up' segment.

On the heels of a climate and energy rules blitz, President Biden has announced a plan to quadruple existing tariffs on Chinese EVs – from 25 all the way up to 100 percent – and dramatically hike tariffs on Chinese solar cells, batteries, and critical minerals as well.While these numbers look huge on paper, loopholes and caveats in the policy will likely dilute their impact.On this episode of Political Climate, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut, and Emily Domenech debate whether the tariffs will boost American EV and solar production, or if they add up to little more than political posturing.Then they zoom out to consider a series of new polls showing that despite the President’s wide-ranging efforts – and $1.6 trillion of funds in the IRA – a plurality of voters appear unaware of Biden’s efforts to fight climate change. The show wraps up with some rapid fire hot takes in our new segment “The Mark-up.” Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, policy, and deals across clean energy and climate tech.

With six months to go until the election, President Biden has unveiled a far-reaching rules package that tackles everything from power plant emissions and air toxins, to boosting the EV industry and upgrading transmission lines. Despite their promise, many of these rules will face long rollouts and fierce legal challenges.On this episode of Political Climate, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut, and Emily Domenech explore and debate the pathways to implementing these policies.Then they zero in on one rule in particular: an effort to streamline permitting for new clean energy projects. While the policy aims to cut down the enormous existing backlog – 2.6 terrawatts’ worth, twice the capacity of the entire U.S. grid today – critics argue it could actually slow down the permitting process for clean energy and other infrastructure projects alike.The show wraps up with some rapid fire hot takes in our new segment “The Mark-up.” Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, policy, and deals across clean energy and climate tech.

Since the Inflation Reduction Act became law in August 2022, we’ve asked ourselves a big question: could the government and the private sector actually get this sprawling set of climate programs up and running?So far, many would answer “yes.” The IRA has already created over 170,000 jobs and supported $110 billion in new clean energy manufacturing – with a majority of that investment headed to conservative-leaning states.Now, as we head toward November’s presidential election, many Americans are wondering whether a second Trump Administration could unravel much of the work that’s been done.In the first episode of the new season of Political Climate, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Emily Domenech take stock of the IRA: they discuss how it’s been received politically, the roadblocks facing implementation, and look toward the different scenarios that could unfold after the election.The show wraps up with our brand-new segment, “The Mark-up.” Subscribe to Latitude Media’s newsletter to get weekly updates on tech, markets, policy, and deals across clean energy and climate tech.

After a hiatus, Political Climate is back with more news, analysis, and bipartisan hot takes on the policy and politics shaping climate solutions — in what is sure to be a defining year.Julia Pyper is joined by Emily Domenech and Brandon Hurlbut to riff on top political stories and insider scoops – from state houses, to the halls of Congress to regulatory agencies, and international climate talks. They’ll explain how those developments are driving industry decisions today.Political Climate is a show for people who want authentic conversations from voices from across the political spectrum. Listen every other Friday to learn about how energy and climate policy is shaped within both political parties – from the people who have actually shaped it.Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

After 160 episodes and five years of interviews, debates and friendly bipartisan banter, Political Climate will be taking a break starting in 2023. This will be the final episode (for now).This podcast was launched to create a forum for respectful, informative dialogue across the political divide on the policy and politics of climate and energy. Host Julia Pyper, Republican co-host Shane Skelton and Democratic co-host Brandon Hurlbut have never debated the science of climate change, but have had in-depth discussions on how to craft climate policy that’s not only effective but politically feasible. The show has spanned the most pivotal five years for climate action, culminating in the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest national investment in clean energy in history. In this final episode, the hosts dig into the archives to hear from some of the show’s most notable guests including Political Climate supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger, activist Greta Thunberg, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and many more. They also reflect on the rocky journey that led to this point, changes in public opinion on climate change, and the widening Overton window for climate action. Thank you to everyone for listening and for your support over the years. ***Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.