Volts

The problem of misinformation in the current age, argues political scientist Samuel Bagg, is not that reliably truth-producing institutions and practices don’t exist, but that people have ceased to trust them. Changing that requires something deeper than factchecking or media literacy. It’s a matter of social identity, and solving it will mean reconfiguring the social identity landscape. I talk with Bagg about that daunting conclusion and its implications for democracy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

Senator Ruben Gallego (AZ) joins me to discuss his new energy plan, which combines elements of the Inflation Reduction Act with a new focus on permitting reform and small modular nuclear reactors. We get into all of it, from the promise of nuclear energy to the role community consultation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

In this episode, Aliya Haq unpacks how her two decades in the climate movement have reshaped her view of what works. After six years working at Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy initiative, she has launched the Clean Economy Project, which will push for grid upgrades, market reforms, and innovation to make clean energy cheaper and more abundant. We wrestle with the politics of it all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

I’m joined by Brian Turner and Kathleen Staks to unpack the details of the newly authorized Regional Organization for Western Energy (ROWE), a unique “à la carte” RTO designed to unify the western US grid without trampling on state independence. We discuss the transition from the existing imbalance market to a full day-ahead market, the safeguards built into the bylaws to protect state clean-energy policies, and the politics of getting 38 separate balancing authorities to cooperate. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

Why is a deregulated state like Illinois suddenly embracing central planning? In this episode, I talk with Kady McFadden and John Delurey about the state’s decision to empower its utility commission to directly procure clean energy. We discuss why capacity markets are too slow for the current environment and their strategy of aggressively framing renewables and storage not just as green, but as the only “fast and cheap” way to protect ratepayers from price spikes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe