Energy Policy Now

An expert in electricity markets explains why market price signals alone will struggle to incentivize adequate investment in the flexible electricity resources needed for future grid reliability. -- In the 1990s the process of deregulation – or restructuring – of the U.S. electricity system began, leading to the introduction of competition to an industry that had for a century been dominated by vertically-integrated utility monopolies. Today, competitive markets produce two-thirds of the electricity consumed in the country. Yet concern has grown that these modern markets may not be up to the task of driving the types of investment needed to ensure that an ample and reliable supply of clean electricity will be available in the future. Kelli Joseph, a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center, offers a deep dive into the theory of competitive electricity markets and the role that market price signals play in driving investment in many parts of the United States. She explores the need to incentivize investment in flexible resources essential to the reliability of a grid that is increasingly reliant on natural gas and renewable generation, and discusses how electricity markets and policy might meet the challenges of the energy transition. Kelli Joseph is a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Related Content The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/ Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for and Orderly and Reliable Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/ Aligning Clean Energy Policy with Grid Reliability https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/aligning-clean-energy-policy-with-grid-reliability/ 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.edu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse discusses the prospects for bipartisan U.S. carbon border fee legislation, and the need to protect the Biden administration’s clean energy and climate achievements.--- (This episode was recorded on March 15, 2024, during Penn Energy Week) Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has a reputation as an advocate for strong climate policies in Congress. The Rhode Island Democrat gained national attention over a decade ago when he gave the first of more than 290 “Time to Wake Up” climate speeches to date on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Many of the speeches were delivered at times when the prospects were bleak for significant leadership from Washington on climate and clean energy issues. Yet the past three years have been very different. Through the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and, most pointedly, the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress has made concrete steps to grow domestic clean energy and improve the nation’s climate resilience. Recently, Senator Whitehouse reintroduced a bill that would levy the first carbon border fee on goods imported to the U.S., and effectively reward American industry for its leadership in energy efficiency and emissions reductions. On the podcast, Whitehouse discusses his plan for a carbon border adjustment. He also considers an upcoming election that will prove critical for continued progress, and that could jeopardize the full realization of recently passed energy and climate laws and the fate of the Biden administration’s related regulatory accomplishments. Related Content The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/ Advancing the Social License for Carbon Management in Achieving Net-Zero GHG Emissions https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/advancing-the-social-license-for-carbon-management-in-achieving-net-zero-ghg-emissions/ Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for an Orderly and Reliable Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/ 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 U.S. Department of the Treasury is finalizing rules that will determine which new clean hydrogen projects will receive the IRA’s generous 45V tax incentives, and whether those projects will deliver promised climate benefits. --- The Inflation Reduction Act provides a range of incentives for the development of clean energy resources in the United States. Highest profile among those incentives are hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits earmarked for new wind and solar power projects. Yet the IRA’s most aggressive incentives aren’t directed at renewables but at clean hydrogen, which is a fuel that is viewed as crucial to decarbonizing parts of the economy that aren’t readily electrified, such as steel making, air travel and shipping. Over the past few months, the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have been developing rules to define what will qualify as clean hydrogen, and what level of financial incentive hydrogen producers should receive based on the climate impact of the hydrogen they will make. Final rules are expected this year, and will ultimately determine whether clean hydrogen delivers on its climate promise. Danny Cullenward, Vice Chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee and a Senior Fellow at the Kleinman Center, explores the climate stakes surrounding the Treasury’s 45V hydrogen production tax credit. Cullenward explains the draft clean hydrogen rules, and why certain interests would like to see those guidelines relaxed. He also explores what the final rules might mean for the pace of clean hydrogen growth, and for the ability of clean hydrogen producers to thrive after the incentives expire. Danny Cullenward is a Senior Fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. He is also Vice Chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee, and a Research Fellow with the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy at American University. Related Content Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for an Orderly and Reliable Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/ Why the IRA’s Carbon Capture Tax Credit Could Increase Greenhouse Emissions (Podcast) https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/why-the-iras-carbon-capture-tax-credit-could-increase-greenhouse-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.edu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Physical attacks on critical European energy infrastructure have risen since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, threatening energy security and the pace of the low-carbon transition. --- Sabotage of critical energy infrastructure has been on the rise, most prominently in Europe, where multiple attacks have targeted subsea electric transmission cables and natural gas pipelines, including Nordstream, since the start of the war in Ukraine. These disruptions come at a time of upheaval in the energy system, as nations push forward with the construction of expansive carbon-free energy infrastructure, spanning renewable generation and electric transmission networks. Simultaneously, European countries have raced to develop new LNG import terminals and pipelines to replace natural gas that had been supplied by Russia. Yet, until recently relatively little public attention has been paid to the challenge that physical sabotage presents to energy security and climate goals. Benjamin Schmitt, a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center, explores the daunting task of protecting vast networks of often remote infrastructure from everything from hostile nations to small bands of rogue actors. He also discusses why culprits can be so difficult to identify, and how threats to energy infrastructure might undermine public support for the expansive projects needed to transition to a low-carbon energy system in Europe, the US, and elsewhere. Benjamin Schmitt is a Senior Fellow here at the Kleinman Center whose research has focused on the physical security on the energy system. Related Content Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for an Orderly and Reliable Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/ America’s Electric Power Transmission Crisis https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/americas-electric-power-transmission-crisis/ 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.

Local opposition to clean energy projects slows the transition to a low carbon energy system. A legal expert explores how a national policy of “repurposed energy” could speed things up. --- Clean energy infrastructure projects often face opposition from communities where they would be built, a fact that stands in the way of efforts to rapidly lower energy-sector carbon emissions. Alexandra Klass, a professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School, explores how “repurposed energy”, which directs clean energy projects to abandoned fossil fuel sites and marginal agricultural lands, can effectively counter local opposition and accelerate clean energy development. She also discusses key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that support the development of clean energy in legacy energy communities, and offers recommendations for policy to support repurposed energy nationwide. Alexandra Klass is the James G. Degnan professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School, and a visiting scholar at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Her recent work has focused on repurposed energy and policy recommendations to make it reality. Related Content A New Era of Policy in Solar Geoengineering https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/a-new-era-of-policy-in-solar-geoengineering/ Ammonia’s Role in a Net-Zero Hydrogen Economy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/ammonias-role-in-a-net-zero-hydrogen-economy/ The CO2 Transportation Challenge https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/the-co2-transportation-challenge/ 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.

Each fall, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy hosts a student blog competition, where students from any field of study can showcase their creativity, innovation, and passion for energy policy and sustainability. This year, we welcomed audio submissions, and we’re featuring our first-place audio blog here. This year’s winner is Benjamin Chen, a junior majoring in economics and minoring in computer science and environmental management. Ben’s winning audio blog is titled “Corporate Disclosure Law on Energy Policy”. Benjamin Chen is a junior majoring in economics at the University of Pennsylvania.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A national network of CO2 and biomass transportation infrastructure, spanning pipelines to rail routes, will be needed to support the permanent removal of atmospheric CO2. Can the network be economically built? --- In December the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory published Roads to Removal: Options for Carbon Dioxide Removal in the United States, which explores pathways to permanently remove carbon dioxide from Earth’s atmosphere. The report provides a granular, county-by-county look at the potential for atmospheric carbon to be captured and stored across the U.S., and highlights the fact that the best places for carbon to be captured, and stored, are frequently not the same. On the podcast, two report authors explore the need to develop a nationwide, multi-modal transportation network to move carbon dioxide and a related climate commodity, biomass, at scale, and potentially over great distances, to permanent geologic storage sites. Pete Psarras is a research assistant professor in chemical and biomedical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Hélène Pilorgé is a research associate whose work focuses on carbon management. The two explore the geography of carbon removal and storage, the challenging logistics of a future, multi-modal carbon transportation network, and how that network might be most economically built. Pete Psarras is a research assistant professor in chemical and biomedical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and a researcher with the University of Pennsylvania’s Clean Energy Conversions Laboratory. Hélène Pilorgé is a research associate with the University of Pennsylvania’s Clean Energy Conversions Laboratory. Related Content A New Era of Policy in Solar Geoengineering https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/a-new-era-of-policy-in-solar-geoengineering/ Ammonia's Role in a Net-Zero Hydrogen Economy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/ammonias-role-in-a-net-zero-hydrogen-economy/ Why the IRA's Carbon Capture Tax Credit Could Increase Greenhouse Emissions (Podcast) https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/why-the-iras-carbon-capture-tax-credit-could-increase-greenhouse-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.

Cary Coglianese, director of the Penn Program on Regulation, explores AI’s potential to help regulators keep pace with energy sector growth and climate-tech innovation. --- The ongoing transition to a cleaner energy system has positive implications for climate, energy security and equity. Yet the same transition poses myriad challenges for regulators, who are faced with an energy system that is more complex and distributed than ever, and where rapid innovation threatens to outpace their ability to tailor rules and effectively monitor compliance among a growing number of regulated entities. Cary Coglianese, director of the Penn Program on Regulation, discusses the role that AI can play in optimizing regulation for an increasingly dynamic and innovative energy sector. Coglianese explores the role that AI might play in the development of rules and in measuring regulatory effectiveness. He also examines challenges related to AI energy consumption and bias that must be addressed if the technology’s potential as a regulatory tool is to be realized. Cary Coglianese is director of the Penn Program on Regulation and a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Coglianese’s work discussed in this podcast includes the following papers he has published: “Deploying Machine Learning for a Sustainable Future,” “Optimizing Regulation for an Optimizing Economy,” “Regulating by Robot: Administrative Decision Making in the Machine-Learning Era,” “Transparency and Algorithmic Governance,” and “Procurement and Artificial Intelligence.” Related Content Gender Baseline Assessment of Energy Compacts https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/gender-baseline-assessment-of-energy-compacts/ How Effective Are Vehicle Exhaust Standards? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/how-effective-are-vehicle-exhaust-standards/ 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.

Ari Peskoe, director of Harvard Law School’s Electricity Law Initiative, discusses FERC’s pending reforms to the electric transmission development process in the U.S., and legal challenges they'll likely face. Description Nearly two years ago, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposed a set of regulatory reforms to speed a much-needed expansion of the nation’s network of long distance electric transmission lines. FERC’s final rules, which are likely to arrive this year, are expected to substantially update the framework under which transmission lines are planned and paid for, and pave the way for the growth of clean energy. Yet FERC’s reforms come at a time when the future of the electric grid has become the focus of fierce partisan debate, and legal challenges to FERC’s proposed rules are expected. Ari Peskoe, director of Harvard Law School’s Electricity Law Initiative, explores the need for a rapid expansion of the nation’s transmission infrastructure, and why the industry’s existing framework for transmission development has not been able to deliver the necessary pace of development. He discusses FERC’s proposed rules to govern transmission planning and the sharing of transmission costs, and how a final order might endure expected legal challenges. Ari Peskoe is director of Harvard Law School’s Electricity Law Initiative. Related Content Aligning Clean Energy Policy with Grid Reliability (podcast) https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/aligning-clean-energy-policy-with-grid-reliability/ Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ America’s Electric Power Transmission Crisis (podcast) https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/americas-electric-power-transmission-crisis/ 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.

New research raises doubt around the climate benefits of the 45Q tax credit for carbon capture and storage for fossil fuel powerplants. --- The Inflation Reduction Act earmarks billions of dollars of incentives for carbon capture and storage from coal and gas-fired powerplants. Ideally, the incentive will provide a path for fossil generators to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as the electric grid transitions to cleaner resources and to net zero. Yet recent research calls into question the climate impact of the IRA’s carbon capture tax credit, known as 45Q. The report, co-authored by a former deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy’s Office of Carbon Management, finds that 45Q could lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions by incentivizing coal and gas generators to extend their working lives and maximize their output. The result could be billions of dollars of taxpayer money spent with no climate benefit. Emily Grubert, report co-author and now an associate professor of sustainable energy policy at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, examines the costs and climate impacts of carbon capture and storage under the IRA. Grubert explains how the 45Q tax credit could lead to unintended climate impacts. She also discusses the need for robust review of proposed carbon capture projects, and strong regulatory guardrails, if 45Q and CCS are to deliver climate benefits. Emily Grubert is an associate professor of sustainable energy policy at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, and former deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy. Related Content Are Those Who Most Benefit from the IRA Aware It Exists? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/research-projects/are-those-who-most-benefit-from-the-ira-aware-it-exists-guidance-for-stakeholders-and-policymakers/ What Impact Will the IRA Have on Consumer Energy Costs? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/what-impact-will-the-ira-have-on-consumer-energy-costs/ Agricultural Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and Beyond https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/news-insights/agricultural-provisions-of-the-inflation-reduction-act-and-beyond/ 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.

Recent electric grid emergencies highlight the need for better communication, and coordination, between energy policymakers and grid operators. --- In early November the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, convened its annual technical conference on the reliability of the electric grid. In most years the conference attracts little attention beyond electricity industry insiders. But recently, and this year in particular, grid reliability has become a focus of national concern following a narrowly avoided, potentially widespread grid outage in the Eastern US last winter. A recent report from the FERC and the nation’s grid reliability regulator, NERC, warns that similar outages are increasingly likely this coming winter. At the root of reliability concerns is the energy transition itself, in which fossil fuel powerplants, and coal plants in particular, are rapidly retiring and not being quickly replaced with clean sources of power. Also concerning has been the performance of natural gas-fired generators, a large number of which have failed to operate in severe weather conditions. While these resources can provide reliable electricity supply, they won’t do so by simple chance. Detailed and deliberate grid planning, and coordination between the policymakers who set clean energy goals and the grid operators who are responsible for reliability, is essential if future reliability is to be ensured. On the podcast Kelli Joseph, a senior fellow with the KIeinman Center for Energy Policy, explores this disconnect between electricity policy and reliability. She also discusses the nation’s looming challenges to grid reliability and resilience, and how coordination between policymakers and the operators of the electric grid might be achieved. Kelli Joseph is a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and a senior fellow in electricity market design and clean energy transition with the World Resources Institute. Related Content Ammonia’s Role in a Net-Zero Hydrogen Economy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/ammonias-role-in-a-net-zero-hydrogen-economy/ Energy Transition Puts Grid Reliability to the Test (Podcast) https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/energy-transition-puts-grid-reliability-to-the-test/ The Net-Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ 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.

Brazilian economist and IPCC lead author Roberto Schaeffer examines what constitutes a “fair share” of emissions reductions under the Paris climate process, and how fairness is defined. -- This December, at COP 28 in Dubai, countries will consider the results of the first “global stocktake,” which is a global report card that compares real climate commitments and actions with the level that’s in fact needed to achieve global net zero and avoid the worst of climate outcomes. Following COP, countries will be expected to intensify their efforts to reduce their climate impacts and keep the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement in sight. As they consider their future commitments, countries will grapple with their capacity to reduce emissions, whether that level is in fact “fair” in a global sense, and what the climate implications of their efforts may be. Roberto Schaeffer, a professor of energy economics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, explores paths to deliver the dual imperatives of fairness, and maximum carbon reductions, in the global climate context. Schaeffer is a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports, and a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize. His work focuses on frameworks to maximize individual country contributions to the global climate effort. Roberto Schaeffer is a professor of energy economics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Related Content The Net Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ East Meets West: Linking the China and EU ETS’s https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/east-meets-west-linking-the-china-and-eu-etss/ Accelerating Climate Action https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/accelerating-climate-action/ 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.

A metals industry executive explores the race to develop alternative supplies of critical minerals essential to the energy transition.--- For over a century the global energy system has been dominated by fossil fuels, and governments and industry have gone to great lengths to secure reliable supplies of oil, natural gas, and coal. All along, scarcity and competition over fossil resources has been fuel for geopolitical conflict, and a root cause of energy insecurity when access to resources appears threatened or limited. Yet as the world shifts today toward clean energy technologies certain minerals like cobalt and lithium increasingly replace fossil fuels as the basis of our energy system. Accordingly, where governments once sought to gain secure supply of fossil fuels, energy security in the future will depend on access to dozens of critical minerals needed for an increasingly electrified and carbon-free energy system. Brian Menell, chief executive of critical minerals supply chain company TechMet, explores the challenges that come with dependence on resources that are by and large produced outside of the United States and, in notable cases, by countries with which the U.S. has strained diplomatic ties. Menell, whose company has received significant funding from the U.S. government’s International Development Finance Corporation, also discusses the challenges involved in developing new sources of supply, and the prospects for scaling the production of key minerals to support the pace of decarbonization. Brian Menell is Chairman and CEO of TechMet. Related Content Rare Earth Elements: A Resource Constraint of the Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/rare-earth-elements-a-resource-constraint-of-the-energy-transition/ Raw Materials Pose ESG Challenge for EV Industry https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/raw-materials-pose-esg-challenge-for-ev-industry/ 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.

Ramón Méndez Galain, this year’s recipient of the Carnot Prize, reflects on leading Uruguay to a 98% renewable electricity mix, and what the rest of the world might take from his country’s experience. --- In 2008 Ramón Méndez Galain, a particle physicist with no experience in government, was appointed Director of Energy for Uruguay and proceeded to reimagine the country’s electricity grid. In less than a decade, Méndez’s energy transition plan succeeded in freeing the country’s power sector from its growing reliance on imported oil, and achieved energy independence through a mix of 98% renewable electricity. Méndez and Noah Gallagher Shannon, a journalist who has written about Uruguay’s energy transition for The New York Times Magazine, discuss the energy crisis that forced Uruguay’s shift to clean energy and the financing structure and political accommodations that made the transition possible. Méndez also discusses his current role as head of an NGO that assists policymakers in other countries with their own energy transitions, drawing upon lessons learned in Uruguay where possible. Ramón Méndez Galain is Executive Director of Asociación Ivy and former Director of Energy for Uruguay. Noah Gallagher Shannon is a freelance journalist and author of the New York Times Magazine article on Uruguay’s energy transition, “What Does Sustainable Living Look Like? Maybe Like Uruguay.” Related Content The Prospects for Pennsylvania as a RGGI Member https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-prospects-for-pennsylvania-as-a-rggi-member/ Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ Nicholas Stern on the Role of Economics in Combatting Climate Change https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/nicholas-stern-on-the-role-of-economics-in-combating-climate-change/ 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.

Climatologist Michael Mann discusses his new book on Earth’s climate past, with insights into our climate future. --- Renowned Penn climatologist Michael Mann’s latest book, “Our Fragile Moment,” explores the history of climate change and the lessons it can provide into the trajectory of climate change today. The book is Mann’s response to the phenomenon of “climate doomism” which, Mann writes, misrepresents the paleoclimate record to promote climate inaction. In the book, Mann seeks to set the paleoclimate record straight, and discusses how human agency remains our greatest tool in preventing the worst impacts of climate change. Michael Mann is Presidential Distinguished Professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Earth and Environmental Science, and director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. He is also a Faculty Fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Related Content The Net-Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ The Prospects for Pennsylvania as a RGGI Member https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-prospects-for-pennsylvania-as-a-rggi-member/ Accelerating Climate Action https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/accelerating-climate-action/ 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.edu. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Penn economist explores the relationship between regional energy policy and oil company support for renewable power.--- In recent years there has been a divergence in the trajectories of the world’s major oil companies. The shift has been most noticeable in the case of the European oil majors, including companies such as BP and Shell, which during the past decade began to emphasize the importance of renewable energy to their futures, and subsequently built major wind and solar power businesses. American oil majors have, by contrast, generally taken a more defensive approach to the energy transition. In public statements, companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron have emphasized that their competitive advantage lies solidly in oil and gas production. What comes into focus when considering the directions of these and other oil companies is that their core approach to the energy transition may be influenced by political dynamics in the regions they call home and, ultimately, in their estimates of the staying power of fossil fuels. Arthur van Benthem, an associate professor at the Wharton School of Business, discusses the relationship between regional energy policy and the clean energy strategies of major independent and state-owned oil companies. His recent research explores the pressure that oil companies face from policymakers and financial markets to reduce their climate impacts. Arthur van Benthem is an associate professor of business economics and public policy at the Wharton School of Business. Related Content Ammonia’s Role in the Net-Zero Hydrogen Economy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/ammonias-role-in-a-net-zero-hydrogen-economy/ Can Carbon Negative Oil Be Climate Positive? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/can-carbon-negative-oil-be-climate-positive/ Saudi Arabia Confronts Its Oil Dependence https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/saudi-arabia-confronts-its-oil-dependence/ 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.

Long-distance electric transmission lines are a critical to the energy transition, yet construction of new lines has come to a near standstill in the U.S. Rob Gramlich of Grid Strategies discusses recent market and regulatory action to resurrect transmission development. --- Electric transmission line mileage will need to triple by the middle of this century to make a net-zero carbon grid a reality, according to estimates cited by the U.S. Department of Energy. Yet new transmission development has plummeted over the past decade, while efforts to spur new construction of long-distance power lines have largely come up short. Rob Gramlich, president of power sector consultancy Grid Strategies and a frequent expert witness on grid issues before Congress, discusses transmission’s critical role in making the grid of the future clean and reliable, and the reasons behind the development slowdown. He reviews the results of a recent report card analysis of transmission development activity across the country, and highlights efforts among grid operators and regulators to incentivize new development. Rob Gramlich is president of power sector consultancy Grid Strategies. Related Content Energy Transition Puts Grid Reliability to the Test https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/energy-transition-puts-grid-reliability-to-the-test/ The Prospects for Pennsylvania as a RGGI Member https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-prospects-for-pennsylvania-as-a-rggi-member/ Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ 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.

As COP 28 draws closer, climate negotiators race to finalize a financing structure to help countries that suffer climate change-related damages. --- In late November this year’s global climate conference, COP 28, will begin in Dubai. The headline issue at COP will be the global stock take, which is a country by country review of progress toward fulfilling emissions reduction pledges under the Paris Climate Agreement. Yet while much attention at COP will be focused on emissions reductions, a second issue, and one that has long been critical to developing nations, will finally and concretely share the limelight. The issue is that of loss and damage finance, or financial support for countries that sustain damage resulting from a changing climate. In Dubai negotiators are expected to endorse a financing framework, and purpose-built fund, to explicitly address the recovery needs of countries impacted by climate change. Michael Franczak, a research fellow at the International Peace Institute, explores loss and damage finance and the race to deliver a formal finance mechanism in time for COP28. He also explains why the issue of loss and damage finance has been so contentious, and discusses innovative means to provide loss and damage funding on the scale that’s needed. Michael Franczak is a research fellow at the International Peace Institute and author of the recent IPI report, “Financing Loss and Damage at Scale: Toward a Mosaic Approach.” Related Content COP 27 and Climate Finance: Renovated Debates, Same Old Dilemmas https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/news-insights/cop27-and-climate-finance-renovated-debates-same-old-dilemmas/ COP27 Dispatch: Why Loss and Damage Finance Is Critical to Small Island States https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/cop27-dispatch-why-loss-and-damage-finance-is-critical-to-small-island-states/ 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.edu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

California is set to present its strategic plan to scale an offshore wind power industry based on unconventional floating wind technology. --- In late June the California Energy Commission will submit its strategic plan for the development of offshore wind energy to the state’s legislature. The plan is the culmination of two years of efforts by California to jump start its offshore wind industry and help the state reach its goal of 100% carbon free electricity by the year 2045. Yet California’s offshore wind ambitions are also a bet on floating offshore wind technology that is required by the state’s deep ocean waters. The technology has scarcely been applied anywhere in the world, and it presents infrastructure and economic hurdles that could complicate the state’s offshore wind efforts. Tim Fischer, Executive Director for Global Wind with Ramboll, a Danish offshore wind consultancy and engineering consultant to California effort, and Joe Rand of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, discuss the challenges of quickly scaling floating wind power to meet California’s energy goals. They also consider the challenges of connecting large amounts of renewable energy to the on-shore grid, taking into account the need to balance infrastructure development with community priorities. Related Content Ammonia’s Role in a Net-Zero Carbon Economy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/ammonias-role-in-a-net-zero-hydrogen-economy/ The Economics of Building Electrification https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/ Scaling Private Finance for Global Solar Growth https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/scaling-private-finance-for-global-solar-growth/ 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.

Nick Rohleder, Energy Policy Now’s former editorial assistant and current climate entrepreneur, discusses the challenge of managing the investment risk inherent in emerging clean energy technologies. --- Last year, $1.1 trillion dollars were invested globally in carbon-free energy technologies and infrastructure. This volume of investment marked a significant milestone, as the first year in which money directed to clean energy equaled investment in the global oil and gas industry. Yet rising clean energy investment masks a critical barrier to the deployment of climate technologies and infrastructure, many of which are new and relatively unproven. As low-carbon solutions are rushed to market to meet urgent climate challenges, they carry inherent technology and implementation risks that can create a disincentive to investment, in particular for investors that are not accustomed to weighing such risks. Nick Rohleder, a Penn alumnus, former editorial assistant to Energy Policy Now, and now a climate entrepreneur, discusses the nature of climate technology risk and why it poses a barrier to investment. He also looks at how commercialization and technology risks can be managed with the goal of accelerating the deployment of climate solutions. Nicholaus Rohleder is co-founder of Climate Commodities and Climate Risk Partners. Related Content The Prospects for Pennsylvania as a RGGI Member https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-prospects-for-pennsylvania-as-a-rggi-member/ Ammonia’s Role in a Net-Zero Hydrogen Economy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/ammonias-role-in-a-net-zero-hydrogen-economy/ 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.edu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report examines the economic and climate impacts of Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, now stalled in court. --- The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, was the first major carbon market to be established in the United States. Since its inception in 2009, RGGI has contributed to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector in a market that now spans 11 eastern states. Yet RGGI has recently seen its expansion stalled in Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s largest emitters of carbon dioxide, and a state where the struggle over the future of the energy industry, and the roles to be played by fossil fuels and clean energy, has been particularly intense. Authors of a recent report on expected economic and climate impacts of Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI discuss their findings, and explore the political and legal battles that are now taking place over the market’s future in the state. That future may ultimately lie in the hands of a newly elected governor who inherited RGGI from his predecessor, but who has yet to publicly commit to the market’s development. But first, a state court must render its decision on the legality of Pennsylvania’s participation in the RGGI market. Angela Pachon is research director at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Maya Domeshek is a research associate at Resources for the Future. Their recent report, “The Prospects for Pennsylvania as a RGGI Member” is a joint publication of the Kleinman Center and Resources for the Future. Related Content The Prospects for Pennsylvania as a RGGI Member https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-prospects-for-pennsylvania-as-a-rggi-member/ East Meets West: Linking the China and EU ETS’s https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/east-meets-west-linking-the-china-and-eu-etss/ Net-Zero Nevada: From Pledge to Action https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/net-zero-nevada-from-pledge-to-action/ 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.

A geographer explores the impact of location on worker opportunity and equity in the clean energy economy. --- The Inflation Reduction Act earmarks hundreds of billions of dollars for clean energy and the development of jobs in the clean energy supply chain, construction and operations. Critically, the law also acknowledges that the transition to clean energy presents a generational opportunity to address labor inequities that are rooted in race and gender, as well as the often overlooked element of geography. Nikki Luke, an assistant professor of Geography at the University of Tennessee, explores how state-level labor policies have contributed to geographic labor inequities that, if they persist, could limit access to quality jobs across the new energy economy. She also looks at local models to support inclusivity, and the role of organized labor in the energy transition. Nikki Luke is an assistant professor of Geography at the University of Tennessee. Related Content Gender Baseline Assessment of Energy Compacts https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/gender-baseline-assessment-of-energy-compacts/ Energy Transition and Opportunity in the Oil Patch https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/energy-transition-and-opportunity-in-the-oil-patch/ Organized Labor Sees Promise in Transition to Clean Energy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/organized-labor-sees-promise-in-transition-to-clean-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.

Princeton University researchers have launched a global survey aimed at spotting and eliminating practical barriers to a net-zero carbon future. Description Much work needs to be done, very quickly, if if a net-zero carbon economy is to become reality by the middle of this century. Yet, the fact is that the current rate of investment in clean energy technology and today’s pace of clean infrastructure deployment lag well behind what will be needed to reach the mid-century goal, and limit climate change impacts. On the podcast, two researchers from Princeton University discuss their work to identify key bottlenecks to the acceleration of the energy transition in the areas of finance, workforce mobilization, and related challenges through a recently launched global survey into barriers to achieving net-zero. They also take a deep dive into a series of critical shifts that, if they take place, hold the promise of delivering an accelerated rate of decarbonization toward the 2050 goal. Elke Weber is a Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, and Professor of Energy and Environment at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Chris Greig is a Senior Research Scientist at the Andlinger Center and former energy industry executive. Related Content Accelerating Climate Action https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/accelerating-climate-action/ The Net-Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ Ammonia’s Role in a Net-Zero Hydrogen Economy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/ammonias-role-in-a-net-zero-hydrogen-economy/ 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.

PJM Interconnection is in a race to shore up electric grid reliability as the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy accelerates. --- In February PJM Interconnection, the largest wholesale electricity market in the US, published a report that points to the very real possibility that electricity supply in the market could fall short of the level needed for reliable grid operation in just five years. The potential shortfall is tied to the pace of the energy transition, in which fossil fuel generators, and coal plants in particular, are retiring faster than they can be replaced by new clean and renewable generation. The report has led to a flurry of activity in PJM, as its members rush headlong into a process to reform the way the market manages, and values the reliability that generators bring to the electricity system. Abe Silverman, Director of the Non Technical Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition program at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, explores efforts underway in PJM to revise market rules to ensure that supply meets demand at all times, including during extreme weather events that have recently threatened the reliability of the grid. The resource adequacy challenges to be addressed are immensely complex, and extend beyond the fundamentals of energy technology to encompass the diverse economic and environmental priorities at play in the market and, more broadly, across the nation. Abe Silverman is Director of the Non Technical Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition research and policy program at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. He is former General Counsel for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Related Content Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ Massive Shift toward Solar Power Begins in Largest U.S. Electricity Market https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/massive-shift-toward-solar-power-begins-in-largest-u-s-electricity-market/ The Economics of Building Electrification https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/ 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.

A senior climate diplomat discusses scientific, economic, and diplomatic barriers to rapid global decarbonization. --- In March the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the final volume of its Sixth Assessment report on progress toward addressing climate change. The findings of the report aren’t encouraging, and point to an acceleration of climate impacts and continued growth in fossil fuel use. Possibly the most candid assessment of the report’s findings came in a statement from the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Gutierrez, who stated that developed countries must reach net zero by the year 2040, well ahead of declared targets, if hope is to remain of minimizing climate risks. In the podcast Simon Sharpe, Director of Economics for the UNFCCC Climate Champions and author of a newly published book, “Five Times Faster,” discusses his experience as one of the United Kingdom’s senior climate diplomats, and the frustrations, and alarm, that accompany the less than adequate pace of emissions reductions to date. Sharpe discusses his book’s exploration of the scientific, economic and diplomatic realities that have prevented rapid progress toward a net-zero global economy, and offers suggestions for constructive collaboration to accelerate the transition to cleaner forms of energy. Simon Sharpe is Director of Economics for the UNFCCC Climate Champions, and a Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute. 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.edu Related Content The Net Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ Nicholas Stern on the Role of Economics in Combating Climate Change https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/nicholas-stern-on-the-role-of-economics-in-combating-climate-change/ Have We Reached Peak Carbon Emissions? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/have-we-reached-peak-carbon-emissions/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research examines the relationship between climate change-related events and returns on green investment, and why returns for green stocks might lag those of brown. --- At first look it would seem to make sense that, as climate concerns grow, green investments would outperform investments in dirty industries. To put this into an energy context, as policymakers require more renewable energy to be deployed, and as investors flock to companies with low climate impacts and risks, the value of those companies would substantially increase, rewarding investors through higher returns. Yet recent research suggests that this assumption may not be true. Or, at least, that the story isn’t as clear cut as one might intuitively expect. Luke Taylor, a professor of finance at the Wharton School, explores the drivers of green returns. In new research, Taylor and coauthors look at the past decade of returns on ESG portfolios, and at how environmental policies, and investor demand for all things green, combined to influence returns on green stocks. Luke Taylor is a professor of finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His recent research paper is “Dissecting Green Returns.” 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.

New research looks into the coping mechanisms that families use to navigate energy insecurity, as a guide for policy-based solutions. --- The number of American households experiencing energy insecurity spiked during the COVID pandemic in 2020, as growing unemployment and falling incomes made it difficult for more households to balance utility bills with other financial demands. Yet the rising incidence of energy insecurity, and the often short-term focus of assistance to keep families financially afloat, belies the reality that energy insecurity is often a chronic challenge that predates acute financial crises, and persists long after. Sanya Carley, director of the Energy Justice Lab at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, discusses the nature of household energy insecurity, and novel research into the coping mechanisms that families experiencing energy insecurity use to juggle often competing needs of energy, food, and healthcare. Carley also talks about existing public policy measures to address energy insecurity, and the need for new types of data to underpin effective policy action. Sanya Carley is director of the Energy Justice Lab at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a visiting scholar at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Related Content Gender Baseline Assessment of Energy Compacts https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/gender-baseline-assessment-of-energy-compacts/ Opportunities to Equitably Expand Bikeshare: Learning from the Covid-19 Period https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/opportunities-to-equitably-expand-bikeshare-learning-from-the-covid-19-period/ Barriers to Energy Efficiency Adoption in Low-Income Communities https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/barriers-to-energy-efficiency-adoption-in-low-income-communities/ 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.

A working paper from WRI, the International Solar Alliance and Bloomberg Philanthropies examines the essential role of private finance in scaling solar power development.--- A recent working paper from the World Resources Institute, the International Solar Alliance and Bloomberg Philanthropies finds that $1 trillion must be invested into solar energy by 2030 if global warming is to be kept within the limits of the Paris Climate Agreement. Yet global investment in solar today is just half of what will be required. Massive amounts of financial capital, much of it private, must be available to ramp up solar development, particularly in developing regions of the globe where political and economic risks may otherwise present barriers to investment. Laura Van Wie McGrory, WRI’s Global Engagement Lead for Scaling Up Solar and a co-author of “Our Solar Future: Roadmap to Mobilize USD 1 Trillion by 2030,” explores strategies to de-risk solar investment and scale private capital toward the $1 trillion goal. Laura Van Wie McGrory is Global Engagement Lead for the World Resources Institute’s Scaling Up Solar initiative, where she coordinates efforts to mobilize investment for global solar power. Related Content: Kenya’s Clean Energy Transition Gets a Boost from Solar Power https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/news-insights/kenyas-clean-energy-transition-gets-a-boost-from-solar-power/ Regulating Utility-Scale Solar Projects on Agricultural Land https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/regulating-utility-scale-solar-projects-on-agricultural-land/ Harvesting the Sun: On-Farm Opportunities and Challenges for Solar Development https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/harvesting-the-sun-on-farm-opportunities-and-challenges-for-solar-development/ 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.

Judy Chang, former Massachusetts undersecretary of Energy and Climate Solutions, discusses the need to educate consumers on the imperative to cut building emissions. --- Residential and commercial buildings account for nearly a third of climate warming greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Yet efforts to reduce the climate footprint of buildings have become political lightning rods. Local regulations requiring new homes to be fully electrified often encounter fierce pushback, while at least 20 states have moved to outlaw local bans on natural gas connections in new homes. Politics aside, business and home owners may have little awareness of their building’s climate footprint, and often lack the time and motivation to explore alternatives like electric space and water heating. Judy Chang, former Massachusetts undersecretary of Energy and Climate Solutions, discusses the political, economic hurdles to cutting the climate impact of buildings. She also examines the role that consumers will play in efforts to decarbonize, and the need to educate consumers on the imperative to cut building emissions. Related Content The Net-Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ The Economics of Building Electrification https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/ Net-Zero Nevada: From Pledge to Action https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/net-zero-nevada-from-pledge-to-action/ 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.edu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Poneman, former U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary and current CEO of Centrus Energy, explores resurgent interest in nuclear power a decade after Fukushima. --- Growing concern over energy security and climate change has revived interest in nuclear power in some of the world’s most energy-intensive economies. In Japan, nuclear generators that closed following the 2011 Fukushima disaster are reopening, while Germany has extended the operating life of the country’s remaining nuclear facilities. And in the United States recent legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, earmarks billions of dollars to support economically struggling nuclear power plants and the development of next-generation nuclear technology. Yet the future of nuclear energy remains far from certain as challenges around cost, complexity, and spent fuel disposal persist. Daniel Poneman, chief executive of nuclear fuel supplier Centrus Energy and former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, discusses the political and market dynamics underpinning the nuclear industry’s resurgence in developed economies. He also examines the potential for small modular reactor technology to deliver economic, and carbon free, electricity in the future. Related Content The Net Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ Can Nuclear Hit Its Stride in Africa? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/can-nuclear-hit-its-stride-in-africa-power-to-the-people-evaluating-nuclear-as-a-bridge-to-sustainable-energy-in-africa/ 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.

Scott Moore, author of China’s Next Act, discusses China’s global role in energy technology and sustainability. --- China is indispensable in the global effort to address climate change and speed forward the transition to clean energy. Yet the country, which leads the world in both energy consumption and the manufacture of clean energy technologies, finds itself engaged in increasingly tense diplomatic and economic relations with the world’s developed economies, its key partners in addressing shared global challenges. The degree to which these tensions frame China’s relationship with much of the world, and the degree to which China acts as a collaborative, or a competitive force in addressing global challenges, has implications for the global energy system and quality of our environment. Scott Moore, Director of China Programs and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future, explores how China’s state-directed economic system, and the country’s economic ambitions, influence global efforts to advance energy technology and the energy transition. Related Content The Net-Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ East Meets West: Linking the China and EU ETS’s https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/east-meets-west-linking-the-china-and-eu-etss/ The Not-So-Rare Earth Elements: A Question of Supply and Demand https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-not-so-rare-earth-elements-a-question-of-supply-and-demand/ 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.

Berkeley economist Meredith Fowlie explains why the drive to electrify everything in American homes is at odds with electricity rate setting practices, and explores pricing reforms to deliver rapid and equitable electrification. --- “Electrify everything” has become a mantra of decarbonization, and it’s one of the key strategies to reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Yet the process of electrifying everything from home heating to transportation creates challenges for the electricity system, which will need to grow to accommodate renewable energy and rising demand for power. This raises a fundamental question: How can society make costly investments to grow the supply of power, while keeping the cost of electricity low enough that electrifying everything remains an attractive proposition for all consumers? Meredith Fowlie, an energy and environmental economist at the University of California, Berkeley, explains why existing frameworks for setting consumer electricity prices can be at odds with the need to rapidly decarbonize. She also explores potential solutions to ensure that electrification happens rapidly, with costs and benefits that are equitably shared among households at all income levels. Related Content Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ What Impact will the IRA Have on Consumer Energy Costs https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/what-impact-will-the-ira-have-on-consumer-energy-costs/ The Economics of Building Electrification https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/ 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.

As energy industry growth shifts to the clean sector, oil and gas industry workers seek their paths forward. --- The past three years have been a particularly volatile period for the oil and gas industry. The sector has been impacted by the Covid pandemic, during which energy demand crashed and the price of oil contracts briefly went negative. More recently, oil and gas prices reached peaks in response to the war in Ukraine and the tightening of energy supply. In addition to this volatility, growing pressure to reduce dependence on fossil fuels raises the prospect that the industry will face not only customary market uncertainty going forward, but also eventual structural decline for its fossil-based products. Katie Mehnert, an ambassador with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Equity in Energy Initiative, takes a look at the challenges that an evolving energy market landscape and anxiety over the future role of the oil and gas industry bring to the industry’s workers and their communities. Mehnert, who is CEO of Ally Energy, a Houston company that seeks to increase equality in the energy industry, also discusses efforts to promote diversity through the energy transition. Katie Mehnert is CEO of Ally Energy, an ambassador with the Department of Energy’s Equity in Energy Initiative, and a member of the National Petroleum Council. She formerly held senior management positions with BP and Shell in Houston, Texas. Related Content Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ Scaling Green Hydrogen for a Global Market https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/scaling-green-hydrogen-for-a-global-market/ How Coal Maintains Its Political Hold on West Virginia https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/how-coal-maintains-its-political-hold-on-west-virginia/ 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.

Andrew Hoffman, dean of Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine, explores the intersection of climate change, agricultural sustainability, and food security. --- Experts from the University of Pennsylvania are on the ground at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In this special series from Energy Policy Now, they share their observations from the global climate conference and insights into key issues under negotiation. Andrew Hoffman, dean of Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine, discusses COP27’s focus on the global food system, and the pressures that climate change is placing on food production. He also highlights research at the School of Veterinary Medicine into the intersection of sustainable agriculture and food security. Andrew Hoffman is dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. 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.edu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt has been called the “implementation COP”. Yet concern exists that the COP process may be ill suited to putting climate plans into action. --- Experts from the University of Pennsylvania are on the ground at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In this special series from Energy Policy Now, they share their observations from the global climate conference and insights into key issues under negotiation. Koko Warner, manager of the UNFCCC’s Vulnerability subdivision, explains why COP27 in Egypt has been declared the “implementation COP.” She also examines why implementation – the process of putting into practice the mitigation and adaptation plans developed during past global climate meetings – presents a challenge for the COP framework. Koko Warner is a visiting fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House. She is the manager of the UNFCCC’s Vulnerability subdivision, and is a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth and Sixth Assessment reports. 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.

Food waste is a major driver of climate change, and a cause of food insecurity. UPenn’s Steven Finn highlights the challenge and solutions discussed at COP27. --- Experts from the University of Pennsylvania are on the ground at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In this special series from Energy Policy Now, they share observations from the global climate conference and insights into key issues under negotiation. Steven Finn, affiliated faculty in Penn’s Organizational Dynamics program, discusses the role that food waste plays in driving climate change, and in contributing to the global challenge of food insecurity. Steve also examines the growing focus on food security within the COP framework, and innovations that seek to reduce the food system’s environmental impact while meeting the demands of a growing global population. Steven Finn is affiliated faculty in the Organizational Dynamics program at the University of Pennsylvania, and Vice President of Food Waste Prevention at Leanpath. 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.edu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Moore, Director of the Penn Global China Program, discusses China’s perspective on loss and damage finance, and the country’s future role in the Paris climate process. --- Experts from the University of Pennsylvania are on the ground at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In this special series from Energy Policy Now, they share observations from the global climate conference and insights into key issues under negotiation. Scott Moore, Director of the Penn Global China Program, discusses China’s role in global climate negotiations in an era of tense U.S.-China relations. Scott explores China’s role in getting loss and damage finance included in this year’s COP agenda, and the tensions created by China’s position as both a developing country and major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Scott Moore is Director of the Penn Global China Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Scott’s work focuses on China, climate change, and international relations. He is the author of the recently published book, China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future. 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.

Three experts on cities discuss the efforts of urban communities to navigate climate change. --- Experts from the University of Pennsylvania are on the ground at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In this special series from Energy Policy Now, they share their observations from the global climate conference and insights into key issues under negotiation. Eugenie Birch, Bill Burke-White, and Mauricio Rodas of the University of Pennsylvania explore the challenges that climate change, and effects ranging from extreme heat to flooding, present to cities in an era of rapid urbanization. They also discuss how cities are acting in concert to address climate impacts. Eugenie Birch is the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Chair of Urban Research and Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design. Her recent work focuses on global urbanization. Bill Burke-White is a Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and an expert on U.S. foreign policy, multilateral institutions, and international law. Mauricio Rodas is a Visiting Fellow with the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House. From 2014 to 2019 he was the mayor of Quito, Ecuador. 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.

New research explores ways to measure countries' success in adapting to climate change.--- Experts from the University of Pennsylvania are on the ground at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In this special series from Energy Policy Now, they share their observations from the global climate conference and insights into key issues under negotiation. Allison Lassiter of the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design discusses the role of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in the Paris Climate process, and research that seeks to measure the success of national efforts to address climate risk. Allison Lassiter is an assistant professor in city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design. Her research focuses on adapting water systems to climate change and measuring the impacts of sustainability 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.edu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Loss and damage finance has made it onto the official COP agenda for the first time at Sharm El-Sheikh. An expert on small island states discusses why the issue has been so contentious. --- Experts from the University of Pennsylvania are on the ground at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. In this special series from Energy Policy Now, they share their observations from the global climate conference and insights into key issues under negotiation. Stacy-ann Robinson, a visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House, provides a brief history of loss and damage finance in global climate negotiations, and why the issue has taken so long to become an official part of the COP negotiating agenda. Stacy-ann Robinson is a Lightning Scholar with the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House. Her research focuses on the human, social, and policy dimensions of climate change adaptation in Small Island Developing States. 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.ed 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.

New research from Resources for the Future quantifies the Inflation Reduction Act's expected impact on clean energy development, energy costs, and emissions. --- The Inflation Reduction Act provides hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of incentives for clean energy, and is a key part of the U.S.’s effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. New research from Resources for the Future examines the extent to which the IRA may in fact incentivize the development of wind and solar power, and contribute to the Biden Administration’s goal of achieving 80% clean energy by the end of this decade. Dallas Burtraw, a senior fellow with Resources for the Future, discusses the IRA’s potential to accelerate clean energy development, and its financial costs, or benefits, to consumers. Burtraw also explores the new law’s expected environmental and health impacts, and potential barriers that may limit the IRA’s ability to realize the full scope of expected benefits. Dallas Burtraw is a Darius Gaskins senior fellow at Resources for the Future Related Content Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ The Economics of Building Electrification https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/ Impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act on Rare Earth Elements https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/news-insights/impacts-of-the-inflation-reduction-act-on-rare-earth-elements/ 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.

West Virginia’s coal industry has out-sized influence in the state’s politics, and in Washington. But the industry’s power has come at a cost to West Virginians. --- The state of West Virginia has made headlines over the past year on the high profile of its senior senator, Joe Manchin, who has been the swing vote in the Senate on major energy legislation. Most dramatically, Manchin’s last-minute deal with Senate Democratic leadership in July allowed for the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act that provides billions of dollars in tax incentives for wind and solar power. Yet in negotiations Manchin blocked provisions that are central President Biden’s clean energy and climate agenda, while gaining concessions to the fossil fuel industry that holds so much political sway in his home state. James Van Nostrand, author of Coal Trap: How West Virginia Was Left Behind in the Clean Energy Revolution, examines how the coal industry succeeded in shaping West Virginia politics and, by extension, came to influence national energy policy. Van Nostrand, a professor of law at West Virginia University, also examines how coal’s political influence has left West Virginia ill prepared to benefit economically from clean energy as the market for coal declines. James Van Nostrand is Director of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at West Virginia University College of Law. Related Content Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ Coal Communities Seek Their Post-Coal Future https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/coal-communities-seek-their-post-coal-future/ Electricity Storage and Renewables: How Investments Change as Technology Improves https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/electricity-storage-and-renewables-how-investments-change-as-technology-improves/ 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.

Green hydrogen hubs are being developed in some of the world’s most remote locations, to serve growing clean energy demand in Asia, Europe and the U.S. --- Alicia Eastman, President of Intercontinental Energy, discusses the nascent global market for green hydrogen and her company’s development of more than 100 gigawatts of hydrogen production hubs along coastal deserts in the Arabian Peninsula and Australia. Eastman explores the economic and policy factors, including the Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S., that are driving the market for green hydrogen, which has the potential to serve as a substitute for fossil fuels in hard-to-decarbonize industries including steel and cement production, aviation and shipping. She also talks about the challenges that the development of green hydrogen infrastructure can present to local communities, and efforts to include these communities in project governance. Alicia Eastman is President of Intercontinental Energy. She is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Related Content Regulating Utility-Scale Solar Projects on Agricultural Land https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/regulating-utility-scale-solar-projects-on-agricultural-land/ Balancing Act: Can Petrochemicals Be Both Emissions Free and Zero-Waste? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/balancing-act-can-petrochemicals-be-both-emissions-free-and-zero-waste/ Europe Maps Out Its Hydrogen Energy Strategy (Podcast) https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/europe-maps-out-its-hydrogen-energy-strategy/ 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.

A former senior U.S. diplomat to Saudi Arabia explores the kingdom’s effort to end its dependence on oil revenue, and the relationship between Saudi Arabia and global efforts to decarbonize. --- Saudi Arabia is the world’s leading exporter of oil. Yet it is also a country that is in the midst of an ambitious drive to end its dependence on oil revenue as the foundation of its national economy. Saudi Arabia’s effort to economically diversify follows a decade of oil market volatility that has added to a host of economic and political challenges faced by the ruling Al Saud family. Looking ahead, the global effort to move away from fossil fuels, and address climate change, could make Saudi Arabia’s overreliance on oil ever more risky. David Rundell, former Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Saudi Arabia and author Vision and Mirage, Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads, explores the kingdom’s efforts to diversify away from oil. Rundell also discusses Saudi Arabia’s perspective on the global effort to decarbonize, and America’s tense relationship with its longtime energy ally. Related Content East Meets West: Linking the China and EU ETS’s https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/east-meets-west-linking-the-china-and-eu-etss/ Leveraging Clean Energy to Alleviate Regional Water Stress https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/leveraging-clean-energy-to-alleviate-regional-water-stress/ Have We Reached Peak Carbon Emissions? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/have-we-reached-peak-carbon-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.

A prominent advocate for indigenous rights in Canada sees promise in clean energy. --- The Canadian province of Alberta is home to the Oil Sands, a vast subarctic region that is rich in crude oil, and which has been a focus of controversy for decades over the environmental and climate impacts of the fossil fuel mining that takes place there. Melina Laboucan-Massimo, a prominent indigenous rights advocate and member of the Lubicon Cree Nation, discusses her community’s ongoing struggle to overcome the impact of environmental, health and cultural damage from surrounding Oil Sands development, and the potential for clean energy to empower First Nation communities. Melina Laboucan-Massimo has for more than a decade been an activist on behalf of indigenous communities that have been impacted by the development of fossil fuels. Her television program, Power to the People, explores the role that clean energy is playing in building energy independence among First Nation communities. Melina is the co-founder of Indigenous Climate Action, a Climate Fellow at the David Suzuki Foundation, and the founder of Sacred Earth Solar. Related Content Renewable Energy and Indigenous Communities https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/events/renewable-energy-and-indigenous-communities/ Barriers to Energy Efficiency Adoption in Low-Income Communities https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/barriers-to-energy-efficiency-adoption-in-low-income-communities/ 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 United States’ electricity regulator has proposed two major electricity market reforms that could speed the pace of renewable energy development. --- In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of proposed clean energy projects in the United States. In fact, the amount of clean energy that’s waiting in line to connect to the nation’s electric grid is greater than the total installed generating capacity on the grid today. The prospect of so much clean energy in waiting is a bright spot in the larger effort to decarbonize and address climate change. Yet proposed clean energy, and actual clean energy, are two very different things, and the fact is that a number of policy barriers stand in the way of turning so many clean energy proposals into reality. Shelley Welton, a Presidential Distinguished Professor of Law and Energy Policy with the Kleinman Center, discusses proposed policy reforms from the nation’s electricity regulator, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, that aim to remove these barriers to the greening of the electric grid. Welton looks at rules that seek to speed the process for connecting clean energy to the grid, and ensure that the grid is ready to handle all that new clean power. She also discusses the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that narrows the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, and implications the ruling might have for the FERC’s ability to regulate on issues relating to climate change. Shelley Welton is a Presidential Distinguished Professor of Law and Energy Policy with the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and the Penn Carey Law School. Related Content A Dangerous, Even if Expected, Opinion on Climate https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/news-insights/a-dangerous-even-if-expected-opinion-on-climate/ The Economics of Building Electrification https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-economics-of-building-electrification/ Massive Shift toward Solar Power Begins in Largest U.S. Electricity Market. https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/massive-shift-toward-solar-power-begins-in-largest-u-s-electricity-market/ 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 fossil fuel industry is investing billions of dollars into projects that will use carbon dioxide captured from the air to produce more oil. What will be the climate impact? --- In April the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified carbon dioxide removal as an essential tool in the global effort to achieve net zero carbon emissions. One technology-based type of carbon dioxide removal known as direct air capture (DAC) has the potential to reduce net carbon dioxide emission by billions of tons per year. Yet DAC’s high cost raises concern around if and when the technology might be scaled to meaningfully address climate change. Recently, the fossil fuel industry has committed more than $1 billion to support controversial projects that will use captured CO2 to increase production from oil wells, through a process known as enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Pete Psarras, a research assistant professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, dives into the controversy over the use of captured CO2 as a tool for low-carbon oil production. He discusses research that examines whether the combination of DAC + EOR might lead to net climate benefits or damages, and explores frameworks for effective governance of the technology. Pete Psarras is a research assistant professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. His work focuses on carbon dioxide removal and carbon capture. Related Content How Will Energy Dollars in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Be Spent? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/how-will-energy-dollars-in-the-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-be-spent/ Achieving Net-Zero Emissions in The State of Michigan. https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/research-projects/achieving-net-zero-emissions-in-the-state-of-michigan/ A Primer on Carbon Dioxide Removal https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/a-primer-on-carbon-dioxide-removal/ 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.edu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An expert in international trade policy discusses the Biden Administration’s use of the Defense Production Act, and tariff restrictions, to build a competitive US solar supply chain. --- In early June the Biden Administration invoked the Defense Production Act in an effort to rebuild America’s domestic solar energy manufacturing supply. Simultaneously, the Administration announced that it will prohibit for two years new tariffs on imports of solar cells from four Southeast Asian countries that are under investigation for illegal trade practices involving their solar industries. Through these complementary policies, the Administration aims to accelerate solar power development in the US in the near term, and ultimately to displace solar imports and strengthen US energy security. The policies are controversial, and have implications for domestic industry and the pace of decarbonization, and the rule of law. Robert Scott, Senior Economist and Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Research at the Economic Policy Institute, offers a closer look at the Defense Production Act and its potential to spur the development of a robust solar supply chain in the US. Scott examines the policies and trade dynamics that led to China’s dominance in the global solar supply chain, and how the DPA and related trade and industrial policies might create the foundation for a competitive domestic solar manufacturing industry. Robert Scott is Senior Economist and Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Research at the Economic Policy Institute. Related Content East Meets West: Linking the China and EU ETS’s https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/east-meets-west-linking-the-china-and-eu-etss/ The Not-So-Rare Earth Elements: A Question of Supply and Demand https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-not-so-rare-earth-elements-a-question-of-supply-and-demand/ China’s Energy and Climate Balancing Act https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/chinas-energy-and-climate-balancing-act/   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.

Advanced Energy Economy’s Leah Rubin Shen discusses energy spending priorities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. --- In November President Biden signed into law the signature legislation of his Presidency to date, the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill includes more than $100 billion dollars in funding for clean energy technology, infrastructure and climate preparedness, making it the most significant federal commitment to clean energy and climate to date. Leah Rubin Shen, a policy director with Advanced Energy Economy, discusses spending priorities for energy-focused dollars in the infrastructure bill. Leah also explores the limitations of infrastructure bill funding, and state and federal spending priorities that AEE is advocating for. Advanced Energy Economy is a national business association that advocates for clean energy and transportation on behalf of U.S. technology and clean energy companies. Leah Rubin Shen is a policy director with Advanced Energy Economy. Related Content Leveraging Clean Energy to Alleviate Regional Water Stress https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/leveraging-clean-energy-to-alleviate-regional-water-stress/ Organized Labor Sees Promise in Transition to Clean Energy https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/organized-labor-sees-promise-in-transition-to-clean-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.

Two experts on mining industry governance explore environmental and social challenges around the mining of cobalt, a critical material in EV batteries, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. --- This is the third episode in our series that explores governance challenges surrounding the transition to clean energy. The International Energy Agency forecasts that electric vehicles could account for a third of the global new car market by the end of this decade. While the prospect of a growing fleet of EVs is good news for the climate, the emergence of electric vehicles raises its own set of sustainability challenges. One area of notable concern surrounds the raw materials that are used in EV batteries, which may be sourced from regions of the world where environmental and social governance are weak. This reality runs counter to the sustainable promise of the clean energy transition and has raised concern among clean technology companies, EV manufacturers, and ESG-minded investors. David Manley and Hervé Lado of the Natural Resource Governance Institute explore the environmental and human realities surrounding the production of one such material, cobalt, which is an essential element in the lithium-ion batteries that power most electric vehicles. The majority of cobalt is produced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an impoverished and environmentally sensitive country that has attracted attention as demand for cobalt has grown. Manley and Lado discuss efforts to improve oversight of the cobalt value chain, and what’s potentially at stake for the clean energy transition, and economies that are dependent on raw materials production, should ESG concerns not be adequately addressed. David Manley is a senior economic analyst with the Natural Resource Governance Institute. Hervé Lado is NRGI’s West and Central Africa regional manager. Related Content Governing Net-Zero Emissions Targets https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/governing-net-zero-emissions-targets/ Governing the Promise and Peril of Emerging Climate Technologies https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/governing-the-promise-and-peril-of-emerging-climate-technologies/   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.