Having served in several senior energy and environmental policy positions in the House of Representatives, Senate, EPA, and the White House—including most recently as special assistant to President Trump on energy and environmental issues—Michael Catanzaro knows both energy policy and the complicated politics behind it. The Atlantic’s Rob Meyer, a journalism fellow at EPIC, recently interviewed Catanzaro, who is now president of the consulting firm CGCN Group and a policy fellow at EPIC. The two talked about how a potential Biden administration might think about climate and energy policy, what to look for in a second Trump administration, and what steps Congress could take on these issues.

Off The Charts Energy Podcast

A Conversation with Former Energy Advisor to President Trump Michael Catanzaro

As the former chief economist for the California Air Resources Board, Emily Wimberger has spent her career at the intersection of critical energy and environmental issues, ranging from air pollution to fuel economy to carbon markets. The Atlantic’s Rob Meyer, a journalism fellow at EPIC, recently interviewed Wimberger, who is now a climate economist at the Rhodium Group and a policy fellow at EPIC. The two talked about the challenges of decarbonization, including the economics and politics surrounding fuel economy standards, where Jeff Bezos should spend the $10 billion he’s promised to the climate fight, and how a second-hand Honda Civic led her to a career in environmental economics.

The Challenges of Decarbonization: A Conversation with Former CARB Economist Emily Wimberger

On November 6th, EPIC and The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts convened a conversation about energy geopolitics and their economic implications, with a specific focus on the lessons learned from the Abqaiq attack. The event featured Robert McNally, the president of The Rapidan Group and a former senior director for international energy at the White House National Security Council; Suzanne Maloney, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director for Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution; and Harris Public Policy Professor Ryan Kellogg, an EPIC affiliated scholar who studies the economics of oil markets. The event was moderated by Robinson Meyer, EPIC’s Visiting Fellow in Journalism and a reporter for The Atlantic.

Oil, Security and Geopolitical Risk: Lessons from the Saudi Oil Attacks

In an era of divided government, there has been concern over Congress’s ability to reach compromise and pass legislation. With Democrats in the majority in the House of Representatives and Republicans in control of the Senate and the White House, progress has been limited. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is one of only five women Republican Senators and is considered by many to be a key leader for forging compromise in this environment. Senator Murkowski has time and again made headlines for key votes on everything from healthcare to climate policy.

A Conversation with Senator Lisa Murkowski

The U.S. energy landscape is rapidly changing. As the cost of wind and solar power drops, allowing these energy sources to compete against coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, pressure is mounting to develop an electric grid that can sustain more renewables and deliver their power to more homes and businesses throughout the country. In the book “Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform American Energy,” Wall Street Journal reporter Russell Gold chronicles Michael Skelly’s mission to improve the U.S. electric grid by building a network of transmission lines to connect solar and wind hotbeds to areas of the country where demand for energy is high. Experts in the field broadly agree that this grid integration is the key to unlocking the clean, affordable grid of the future. The book provides deep insights on the challenges of achieving such a system and the opportunities ahead. Recently, EPIC’s Director Michael Greenstone sat down with Russell Gold to talk about “Superpower,” the characters and lessons it details, and the future of the U.S. electricity grid.

Powering the Future: The Challenges of Building a 21st Century Electric Grid

As director of the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and senior climate advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kate Gordon spends a great deal of time thinking about how states can build climate resiliency into their growth plans. We talked with Gordon about mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in one of the country’s largest, most diverse, and most proactive states. Gordon, a co-author of the Fourth National Climate Assessment’s chapter on adaptation, detailed ways California is boosting its economic growth while becoming better able to weather the wildfires, sea level rise, and other climate impacts already affecting the state.

Building Climate Resiliency into State Planning: A Discussion with Kate Gordon

Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently announced a roadmap for the state to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040. At the same time, he signed a suite of legislation to decarbonize the electricity sector, expand energy efficiency programs, and more. Much of the responsibility for delivering these goals will fall on the shoulders of Will Toor, the executive director of the Colorado Energy Office. Toor joined us to talk about these clean energy efforts and others, including work to get more electric vehicles on the road and to reduce emissions from various sectors.

One State’s Push Toward 100% Clean Energy: A Discussion With Colorado Energy Director Will Toor

A series of extreme weather events, reports warning of the dire consequences of unmitigated carbon emissions and grassroots activism have propelled climate change to a level of importance in Congress not seen in nearly a decade. Axios Energy Reporter and inaugural EPIC Journalism Fellow Amy Harder sat down with freshman Congressman Sean Casten (D-Ill.), a former clean energy entrepreneur and scientist, and EPIC Director Michael Greenstone, during the Congressman's visit to EPIC in late May. The group discussed climate and energy policy solutions, the politics of energy and climate change, defining innovation and more in this edition of 'Off the Charts.'

Energy and Climate Policy: A Discussion With Rep. Sean Casten

On May 29th, Congressman Sean Casten (D-Ill.) joined Axios’ Amy Harder to discuss the outlook for climate and energy policy in the current Congress, as well as the broader outlook for renewables in the United States.

Unpacking Climate and Energy Policy in the 116th Congress

To explore the ability of non-federal actors in the U.S. to mitigate climate change, the Phoenix Sustainability Initiative hosted a conversation with Chris Wheat, director of strategy and city engagement for the American Cities Climate Challenge at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to a packed auditorium in the Saieh Hall for Economics on the University of Chicago campus. EPIC’s Amir Jina, an assistant professor at the Harris School of Public Policy, moderated the discussion.

Can Cities and States Solve the Climate Crisis?

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS)are perhaps the best-known state-level policy for addressing climate change, requiring that a certain percentage of a state’s electricity come from renewable sources. New research by EPIC Director Michael Greenstone on the cost and effectiveness of RPS served as the catalyst for an expert panel discussion with EPIC’s 2018-19 Policy Fellows, Melanie Kenderdine and McKie Campbell, moderated by Axios Energy Reporter and EPIC Journalism Fellow Amy Harder.

The Economics And Politics of Renewable Portfolio Standards

Climate change is a complex subject to cover at any time, let alone at a time in history when basic science is undermined and criticized. How have reporters and media organizations changed how and how often they cover climate change? To what extent are those shifts reflective of changes in policy and politics, science and society’s perception of the issue? ‘Off the Charts’ host Jeff McMahon tackles these issues and more with Axios energy reporter and EPIC journalism fellow Amy Harder.

Covering the Climate: How, and Why, the Beat Has Changed

EPIC Director Michael Greenstone sat down with Anne Pramaggiore, senior executive vice president and CEO of Exelon Utilities, to discuss the rapidly changing landscape for utilities.

The Future of the Utility Business: A Conversation with Anne Pramaggiore

Innovation in clean energy is often said to be a critical component to successfully reducing greenhouse gas emissions. History suggests, however, that more R&D spending doesn't always result in lower emissions. How can policymakers make the most of every R&D dollar? What's politically possible in Washington? And what technologies should we be watching for? Recently, Axios energy reporter and EPIC journalism fellow Amy Harder discussed this topic at a dinner in downtown Washington, DC. She was joined by EPIC Director Michael Greenstone; EPIC policy fellow McKie Campbell, a managing partner of BlueWater Strategies and former staff director for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; and Rich Powell, executive director of the ClearPath Foundation, which works to advance conservative policies that accelerate clean energy innovation.

Making the Most of Investments in Clean Energy R&D

U.S. climate policy is in a state of significant uncertainty. Over the past year, federal policy has lurched backward through a series of regulatory rollbacks aimed at easing emissions limits on power plants, vehicles, and industry. Yet, in spite of this shift at the national level, policy in California—the world’s fifth largest economy—has grown more ambitious. Over her 40 year career, California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols has played a pivotal road in developing and implementing the state’s environmental and climate policy agenda. What have been the major successes and challenges for California’s climate policy? What lessons can California offer the nation and world? And how will the state move forward at a time of significant uncertainty at the federal level? Nichols sat down with EPIC Director Michael Greenstone to discuss these questions and more. The discussion, hosted by EPIC and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, was moderated by Juliet Eilperin, senior national affairs correspondent for The Washington Post. It was part of a two-part series on the lessons national and global policymakers can glean from California’s climate policies.

U.S. Climate Policy at a Crossroads: A Conversation with Mary Nichols

At the Energy Policy Institute, we love our charts. That’s why we’re bringing you analysis of today’s top trends and policies grounded in the latest evidence off the charts.

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Off The Charts Energy Podcast

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