Danny Cullenward, vice chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee, explores the legal and policy challenges that threaten the future of the state’s carbon cap-and-trade market. --- For more than a decade, California’s cap-and-trade program has been a key component of the state’s broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a net-zero carbon economy by 2045. Yet the future of California’s cap-and-trade program is uncertain. The program is currently authorized only through 2030, and significant debate exists over whether its administrator, the California Air Resources Board, has the legal authority to extend it beyond that date. Danny Cullenward, a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center and vice chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee, explores the political and legal questions surrounding the program’s future. He also explains how uncertainty about the program’s longevity could slow investments in clean infrastructure and limit the market’s effectiveness in driving down the state’s climate emissions. Danny Cullenward is a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center, and the vice chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee. Related Content California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/californias-low-carbon-fuel-standard/ Has Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme Taken Away a Country’s Ability to Reduce Emissions? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/has-europes-emissions-trading-scheme-taken-away-a-countrys-ability-to-reduce-emissions/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Republican U.S. congressman Bob Inglis offers a conservative perspective on climate solutions in discussion with Penn climatologist Michael Mann. --- Politically conservative and concerned about climate change? In this special episode of the Energy Policy Now podcast, Penn climatologist Michael Mann talks with Bob Inglis, former Republican Congressman from South Carolina and current executive director of RepublicEN.org, about bridging the partisan climate divide. In a wide-ranging conversation recorded live during Energy Week at Penn 2025 at the University of Pennsylvania, Mann and Inglis discuss a conservative view on climate change, how conservative messaging on climate has evolved over time, and how common solutions might be found in an era of partisan climate divide. Inglis also offers his view on carbon pricing and strategies to reign in carbon emissions in the U.S. The conversation is moderated by Sanya Carley, faculty director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Bob Inglis is a former U.S. representative for South Carolina’s 4th congressional district. He is the executive director of RepublicanEn.org at George Mason University. Michael Mann is director of the Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania. Sanya Carley is the Mark Alan Hughes faculty director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Important note on the conversation: Due to a technical problem, the first two minutes of Bob Inglis’ conversation are difficult to hear (from 5:40 to 7:40). We’ve transcribed those two minutes in the show notes, below, to make it easier to follow along. A full transcript of this and all Energy Policy Now podcasts is available on the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy website. Bob Inglis (5:40): Yeah, so for my first six years in Congress I said that climate change is nonsense. All I knew was that Al Gore was for it. And as much as I represented Greenville-Spartanburg South Carolina, that was the end of the inquiry. Okay, pretty ignorant. But that’s the way it was my first six years. Out of Congress six years, as you just heard, doing commercial real estate law again and then, had the opportunity to run for the same seat again before, our son had just turned 18, so he was voting for the first time, and he came to me and he said, dad, I’ll vote for you. But you’re going to clean up your act on the environment. His four sisters agreed, his mother agreed. New constituency, you know. So you got to respond to those people who can change the locks on the doors to your house, you know. So, very important to respond to these people. And so that was step one of a three step metamorphosis. Step two was going to Antarctica with the [House of Representatives] Science Committee and seeing the evidence in the iceberg drillings. Step three was another Science Committee trip and, um, really a spiritual awakening which seems improbable, right, on a godless Science Committee trip, because we all know that all scientists are godless. Right? Well, apparently not. Because this Aussie climate scientist was showing me the glories of the Great Barrier Reef. I could see he was worshipping God in what he was showing me. You know, St. Francis of Assisi supposedly said “preach the gospel at all times. If necessary use words.” So Scott Heron, this Aussie climate scientist who’s now become a very dear friend was doing that. I could see it in his eyes, it was written all over his face. It was in his excitement about what he was showing me. He was clearly worshipping God. So I knew we shared a world view. Forty words were spoken.  Related Content How Identity Politics Shape U.S. Energy Policy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/podcast/how-identity-politics-shape-u-s-energy-policy/ Climate Action in the Age of Great Power Rivalry: What Geopolitics Means for Climate https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/climate-action-in-the-age-of-great-power-rivalry-what-geopolitics-means-for-the-climate/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The European Union’s carbon border tariff arrives in January. An architect of the plan discusses its impact on trade, competition, and climate. --- On January 1, 2026, the European Union will launch its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)—the world’s first carbon tariff on imported goods. Designed to support the EU’s ambitious decarbonization goals, CBAM will impose a carbon fee on imports such as steel, aluminum, and fertilizers, while seeking to ensure the competitiveness of European industries. In this episode, Mohammed Chahim, the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the carbon border fee, breaks down how CBAM will work, its role in the EU’s broader climate strategy, and what it means for global trade. He also discusses how the tariff could affect exporters to the EU, including the United States, and how policymakers aim to navigate potential trade disputes. Dr. Mohammed Chahim is a Dutch member of the European Parliament and its lead negotiator for the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Related Content Has Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme Taken Away a Country’s Ability to Reduce Emissions?  https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/has-europes-emissions-trading-scheme-taken-away-a-countrys-ability-to-reduce-emissions/ Closing the Climate Finance Gap: A Proposal for a New Green Investment Protocol https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/closing-the-climate-finance-gap-a-proposal-for-a-new-green-investment-protocol/ Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on the Rising Prospects for a U.S. Carbon Border Fee https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/podcast/senator-sheldon-whitehouse-on-the-rising-prospects-for-a-u-s-carbon-border-fee/   Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aubrey Johnson, head of transmission planning for Midwest electrical grid operator MISO, explains the $22 billion effort to expand and modernize the grid for clean energy and reliability. --- Last year, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, issued its landmark Order number 1920, with the goal of spurring the development of long distance electricity transmission lines in the United States. The order came in response to a challenging reality: the U.S. will need dramatically more transmission to accommodate growing electricity demand and an expanding fleet of clean energy resources. Despite this need, very little regional transmission development has, in fact, taken place over the past decade. Yet there has been at least one place where grid planning has aggressively moved forward. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, is the electric grid operator for the midwestern U.S. and part of Canada. In December, MISO approved $22 billion dollars' worth of new transmission projects as the latest step in its ongoing effort to build a clean and reliable grid of the future. One of the leaders of that effort is Aubrey Johnson, vice president of system planning and competitive transmission at MISO. He discusses the need behind MISO’s grid expansion efforts and the unique set of challenges involved in getting more than a dozen states, each with their own unique energy policy agendas, to lend their support to these projects. Johnson also explains the range of benefits that the new powerlines will offer and challenges that could lie ahead as the lines move from the planning stage to construction. Aubrey Johnson is vice president of system planning and competitive transmission at the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Related Content: California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/californias-low-carbon-fuel-standard/ Cooling People, Not Spaces: Surmounting the Risks of Air-Conditioning Over-Reliance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/cooling-people-not-spaces-surmounting-the-risks-of-air-conditioning-over-reliance/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob Gramlich, president of Grid Strategies and expert on electricity issues, dives into the surging electricity demand driven by AI and manufacturing. He discusses how some data centers could consume as much power as mid-sized cities and the urgent need to address grid challenges. Gramlich highlights the historical context of demand growth and the complexities of modern infrastructure. He also explores innovative solutions for managing this demand and the environmental implications for decarbonization efforts, emphasizing the need for rapid renewable energy adoption.

North America’s electricity grid faces a shortfall of power. A grid policy expert explores one region’s efforts to ensure reliability and the controversies its proposals have raised.  --- In December, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, released its annual assessment of grid reliability across North America. The results were concerning. NERC, which is the organization responsible for setting grid reliability standards, reported that electricity supply is struggling to keep up with rapidly growing demand across much of the U.S. and Canada. In several major grid regions, electricity shortfalls could occur under challenging conditions within the next one to three years. On the podcast, Abe Silverman, assistant research scholar at the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute at Johns Hopkins University, discusses the threat of electricity supply shortages with a focus on one area of the grid in particular, the PJM Interconnection. PJM is the largest regional grid operator in the U.S., serving 65 million people in the eastern part of the country. PJM recently announced that it, too, could face a capacity shortage as early as 2026. To date, the grid operator has undertaken a complex set of actions to address its challenges, with more efforts on the way. Silverman explores PJM’s looming supply shortfall, and examines the steps it’s taking to shore up supply. He also explains the controversies that some of these actions have raised. Abraham Silverman is an assistant research scholar at the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and former general counsel for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Related Content The Untapped Potential of “Repurposed Energy” https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-untapped-potential-of-repurposed-energy/ An Exploration of Solar Access: How Can Tenants Benefit from Solar Financing Policies? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/an-exploration-of-solar-access-how-can-tenants-benefit-from-solar-financing-policies/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two experts discuss the challenge of keeping billions of people cool while minimizing electrical grid and climate impacts. --- Global air conditioner use could triple by the middle of this century, driving a dramatic increase in electricity demand. This growth will place additional strain on already overburdened electrical grids and lead to significant economic and environmental challenges. Yet these negative impacts might be substantially reduced if more attention were paid to cooling people, rather than the air around them. Two experts at the intersection of cooling technology and building design discuss how a paradigm shift in our thinking about how we cool ourselves could make it possible for billions of people to stay comfortable in an increasingly hot world while minimizing additional electricity demand. Dorit Aviv, director of the Thermal Architecture Lab at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design and Adam Rysanek, director of the Building Decisions Research Group at the University of British Columbia, share insights from a Kleinman Center-funded research effort into sustainable cooling. Their work focuses on the development of systems that have the potential to meet a dramatic increase in cooling demand, and do so without putting energy systems and climate into further jeopardy. Dorit Aviv is director of the Thermal Architecture Lab at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design. Adam Rysanek is director of the Building Decisions Research Group at the University of British Columbia. Related Content: Cooling People, Not Spaces: Surmounting the Risks of Air-Conditioning Over-Reliance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/cooling-people-not-spaces-surmounting-the-risks-of-air-conditioning-over-reliance/ The Untapped Potential of ‘Repurposed Energy’ https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-untapped-potential-of-repurposed-energy/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to cut support for clean power. Two guests from Bloomberg NEF weigh the likely impacts on clean energy development. --- President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to reduce federal support for clean power as soon as he takes office in January. Yet political realities may limit the extent to which incentives, such as those in the Inflation Reduction Act, may be rolled back, leaving open the possibility that the incoming president may seek surgical rather than sweeping cuts. A more fundamental question nevertheless remains: How much would reducing federal support for clean energy actually slow its growth in the U.S.? On the podcast, two experts on clean power markets and policy explore the likely scope, and practical impacts of Trump’s stated energy positions. Meredith Annex is an energy economist and Head of Clean Power at Bloomberg NEF. Derrick Flakoll is Bloomberg’s Policy Expert for the US and Canada. The two analyze the incoming administration’s plans for clean power manufacturing, project development, and trade policy. They also share their insights on how these policies might unfold and what they could mean for the future pace of clean power growth in the United States. Meredith Annex is Head of Clean Power at Bloomberg NEF. Derrick Flakoll is Bloomberg NEFs Policy Expert for the US and Canada. Related Content Closing the Climate Finance Gap: A Proposal for a New Green Investment Protocol https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/closing-the-climate-finance-gap-a-proposal-for-a-new-green-investment-protocol/ California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/californias-low-carbon-fuel-standard/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Byzantine governance structures and vested interests are slowing the greening of the U.S. electrical grid. Two grid policy experts discuss paths forward. --- The U.S. electrical grid faces declining reliability, often attributed to a rapidly evolving energy mix, surging demand, and more frequent severe weather. Yet a deeper issue lies in the fragmented governance of the grid, where conflicting visions from federal, state, and industry-level regulators hinder progress toward a clean and reliable energy future. Shelley Welton of the Kleinman Center and Joshua Macey of Yale Law School examine the tangled web of grid governance in the U.S., and highlight inherent conflicts of interest and clashes between state and federal regulatory priorities. They also explore potential pathways for governance reform. Shelley Welton is Presidential Distinguished Professor of Law and Energy Policy with the Kleinman Center and Penn Carey Law School at the University of Pennsylvania. Joshua Macey is an associate professor of Law at Yale Law School. Related Content: The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/ How Can We Improve the Efficiency of Electricity Pricing Systems? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/how-can-we-improve-the-efficiency-of-electricity-pricing-systems/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carnot Prize recipient Jacqueline Patterson explores how the clean energy transition can drive meaningful progress toward energy and climate justice. --- In 2009 Jacqueline Patterson became the founding director of the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program. It was a role that Patterson, who’s this year’s recipient of the Kleinman Center’s Carnot Prize, had expected to be short lived: she’d stay on just long enough to get the program underway. By the time she did move on 12 years later, she had made significant progress in raising understanding of the connection between environmental damage and the lived experience in some of this country’s most impoverished and vulnerable communities. As an advocate for climate justice, she has worked to address the fact that environmental damage increases the economic and health burdens on disadvantaged communities, and makes it more challenging to break the cycle of poverty and marginalization. Today Patterson serves as the executive director of The Chisholm Legacy Project, where her work empowers communities of color on the front lines of climate change, ensuring they have the resources, tools, and leadership to amplify their voices in policymaking. Her efforts focus on making the clean energy transition a genuine opportunity for justice and equity. Jacqueline Patterson is executive director of The Chisholm Legacy Project and the 2024 recipient of the Kleinman Center’s Carnot Prize for distinguished contributions in the area of energy policy. Related Content Beyond Labor: The Expanding Scope of the Just Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/podcast/beyond-labor-the-expanding-scope-of-the-just-energy-transition/ Should ‘Energy Hogs’ Shoulder More of the Utility Cost Burden? Should ‘Energy Hogs’ Shoulder More of the Utility Cost Burden?  https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/should-energy-hogs-shoulder-more-of-the-utility-cost-burden/   Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.