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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A Conversation with Former Energy Advisor to President Trump Michael Catanzaro
47:33
47:33
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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 …
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Challenges of Decarbonization: A Conversation with Former CARB Economist Emily Wimberger
42:47
42:47
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42:47
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 economis…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Oil, Security and Geopolitical Risk: Lessons from the Saudi Oil Attacks
57:00
57:00
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57:00
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…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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A Conversation with Senator Lisa Murkowski
1:16:00
1:16:00
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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 Senat…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Powering the Future: The Challenges of Building a 21st Century Electric Grid
50:39
50:39
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50:39
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…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Building Climate Resiliency into State Planning: A Discussion with Kate Gordon
32:23
32:23
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32:23
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 div…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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One State’s Push Toward 100% Clean Energy: A Discussion With Colorado Energy Director Will Toor
39:14
39:14
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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 sho…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Energy and Climate Policy: A Discussion With Rep. Sean Casten
39:39
39:39
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39:39
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-I…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Unpacking Climate and Energy Policy in the 116th Congress
51:42
51:42
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51:42
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.By Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago & UChicago Podcast Network
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Can Cities and States Solve the Climate Crisis?
1:09:01
1:09:01
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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 o…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Economics And Politics of Renewable Portfolio Standards
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37:54
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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 EPI…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Covering the Climate: How, and Why, the Beat Has Changed
36:34
36:34
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36:34
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 th…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Future of the Utility Business: A Conversation with Anne Pramaggiore
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45:27
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45:27
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.By Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago & UChicago Podcast Network
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Making the Most of Investments in Clean Energy R&D
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31:26
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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 watch…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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U.S. Climate Policy at a Crossroads: A Conversation with Mary Nichols
31:20
31:20
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31:20
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 m…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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How Consumers Respond to the Changing Energy Landscape: From Energy Conservation to Microgrid
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In this two-part episode, host Jeff McMahon explores a pair of University of Chicago studies on consumer energy behavior. First, McMahon sits down with EPIC’s Koichiro Ito, an assistant professor at Harris Public Policy, for insight on what motivates consumers to conserve energy. Does simple encouragement work? Or do prices need to rise for them to…
From lead pipes in Flint, Michigan, and toxic sites in East Chicago to severe hurricanes and flooding in Texas, Miami and Puerto Rico, environmental and climate disasters pack a hard punch on low-income communities and communities of color. Earlier this year, EPIC’s Mark Templeton, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School and director of…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Energy Policy and Politics: A Conversation with Jennifer Granholm
52:16
52:16
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52:16
Over the past 15 years, Jennifer Granholm has played an outsized role in U.S. energy policy and politics. From 2003 to 2011, she served as Governor of Michigan, a period during which she navigated her state through the worst U.S. economic crisis since the great depression, and one that she saw as an opportunity to diversify Michigan’s industrial ba…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Clean Power Plan to CAFE: the Outlook for Regulatory Policy at EPA
37:04
37:04
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37:04
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has touted a “back-to-basics” agenda for the agency – giving states more control over their air quality compliance, and prioritizing cleanup of toxic Superfund sites, lead-tainted drinking water systems and abandoned mines. He’s done this while attempting to roll back efforts from the previous administration such as f…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Emissions Trading Programs: The Recipe for Success
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32:17
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32:17
As China prepares to introduce a national emissions trading program this year, what can global leaders learn from other carbon markets? 'Off the Charts' host Jeff McMahon discusses the United States' first mandatory carbon market, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), with Sue Tierney, who served as assistant secretary for policy at the U.…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Fracking Debate: The Pros, Cons, and Lessons Learned from the U.S. Energy Boom
56:31
56:31
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56:31
Hydraulic fracturing is perhaps the most important innovation in the energy system in the last half century. As a result of this innovation, U.S. production of oil and natural gas has increased dramatically. This has led to abruptly lower energy prices, stronger energy security and even lower carbon dioxide and air pollution emissions by displacing…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Role of Transmission in a Renewable Energy Future
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27:53
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As we move towards a smarter electric grid that incorporates more renewable energy sources, the importance of an intelligent transmission network is becoming increasingly apparent. Why isn’t it happening faster? What role do storage and microgrids play? ‘Off the Charts’ host Jeff McMahon talks with Ed Krapels, the CEO of the transmission and microg…
America’s hydraulic fracturing boom created a need for more ways to transport oil and natural gas around the country. But as the need for more energy infrastructure has increased, so has local opposition. While most are familiar with the battles surrounding the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines, there is opposition to new projects in many states…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The U.S. Shale Boom: Payoffs for the United States and Impacts on Global Oil Markets
22:25
22:25
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22:25
The United States is producing more oil than ever before and starting to export it abroad, all thanks to the shale oil boom. This boost in production has led to greater economic payoffs for the United States than energy independence ever would, wrote Harris Public Policy's Ryan Kellogg recently in Forbes. Kellogg sat down with 'Off the Charts' host…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has played an important role in the Trump administration, rejecting a proposal from the Department of Energy to subsidize coal and nuclear plants and largely staying true to its independent roots. Recently, EPIC’s Steve Cicala, an assistant professor at the Harris School of Public Policy, got the chan…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Future of Energy Infrastructure in the U.S. and Implications for Clean Energy
1:37:28
1:37:28
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On the heels of the Trump administration’s call for massive infrastructure spending, EPIC hosted three experienced leaders in government and industry to talk about the future of energy infrastructure.Former FERC chairman Jon Wellinghoff, CEO of the transmission developer Anbaric Ed Krapels, and a VP from pipeline operator Kinder Morgan Allen Fore d…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Fight Against Climate Change Is Happening In The Courtroom
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35:11
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35:11
One year in, President Trump’s climate policy agenda has largely focused on rolling back any progress started by his predecessor—from suspending a rule to limit methane leaks from oil and gas operations on federal land to beginning the process of repealing the Obama Administration’s signature climate change regulation, the Clean Power Plan, and wit…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Conservative Case for Tackling Climate: Jim Connaughton, former chair, WH Council on Enviro Quality
35:44
35:44
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35:44
What is the conservative case for confronting carbon emissions, and the path forward in the current political climate? What environmental achievements are possible under the Trump administration? Our host Jeff McMahon talks with Jim Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and director of the White House Office of E…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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A Conversation with Tommy Beaudreau, former Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Interior
1:28:30
1:28:30
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The Trump Administration has undertaken efforts to expand fossil fuel development on federal lands by lifting a moratorium on new coal leasing, scaling back certain protections on federal lands, and moving to open up new areas for offshore drilling. At the same time, the Administration is moving to alleviate regulatory burdens on industry operation…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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A Conversation with Bill Brown, CEO of NET Power
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A Conversation with Bill Brown, CEO of NET Power by Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago & UChicago Podcast NetworkBy Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago & UChicago Podcast Network
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Exclusive: A Conversation with Former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz
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36:19
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EPIC Director Michael Greenstone talks with former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz for an insiders look into his life, the climate threat, and the need for energy innovation in this special edition podcast.By Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago & UChicago Podcast Network
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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There’s an App For That: The Role of Data Transparency in the War on Pollution
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Over the past two decades, rapid economic growth powered by cheap, conventional energy had fueled an incredible increase in Chinese living standards lifting millions out of poverty. Yet today, China is grappling with a new challenge: the environmental costs of that growth, most commonly experienced through dangerously high levels of air pollution t…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Renewable Power and the US Grid: Reliability & The Future of ‘Baseload’ Power
51:20
51:20
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The U.S. Department of Energy recently proposed a rule that would subsidize the ailing coal and nuclear industries, arguing that these sources of electricity are needed to ensure grid reliability as renewable fuels gain market share. Critics of the proposed rule say it is an unnecessary bailout of uncompetitive and dirty energy sources, and that re…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The True Cost of Climate Change: Reinforcing Inequality?
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40:47
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As India, Niger, and the southern United States grapple with historic flooding, new research is illustrating the inclusive costs of climate events and whom they affect the most. A changing environment – via floods, droughts, or storms – affects residents indiscriminately, yet it is the economically disadvantaged who struggle to adapt and recover. T…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Do Investments In Energy Efficiency Deliver?
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29:50
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A new study by EPIC's Fiona Burlig is the latest of several studies to show the projected savings from energy efficiency investments far outpace the actual returns. 'Off the Charts' guest host Jeff McMahon talks with Burlig to unpack the challenges.By Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago & UChicago Podcast Network
During the campaign, Trump promised to roll back regulations that reduce carbon emissions in the power sector and put laid-off coal workers back on the job. Can he meet those promises?For more, read these Forbes pieces by EPIC's Steve Cicala and Mark Templeton:Who's Waging The War On Coal? Not The Government: www.forbes.com/sites/ucenergy/20…ent/#2…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Despite Low Oil Prices, Shale Oil Production Is Flourishing. Is This The New Normal?
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43:19
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43:19
The common wisdom in oil circles used to be that as oil prices collapsed so would shale oil production. To date, that hasn’t happened. U.S. shale has been incredibly, unexpectedly, resilient, with major implications for everything from oil prices and transportation technology to climate change and geopolitics. With oil prices again flirting with $5…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Should States Subsidize Nuclear? The Economics And Implications On Our Grid
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33:24
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Carbon emissions are down 30 percent thanks in large part to an increased use of natural gas and a near doubling of renewable generation. But amid these positive developments has emerged an unexpected casualty: America’s fleet of nuclear power plants. Plant owners are threatening to shut down unless they receive subsidies. And last week, New York a…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Hot Temperatures Have Huge Implications—And They May Only Get Worse
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28:56
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The U.S. is in the midst of a major heat wave. The heat index has topped 100 degrees F for much of the country for the past week. And the U.S. is not alone. Record temperatures are being recorded in India and Southeast Asia. Bottom line: The world is well on its way to a record-shattering year for global temperature. This is more than just a meteor…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Next Revolution in Energy: Consumer Data?
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30:47
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A massive amount of data is collected every day about how we use energy. But, that information isn’t made widely available to the innovators and entrepreneurs who could use it to help households improve energy efficiency—namely, because of privacy and other concerns. How can the legal barriers be removed to unleash this data?…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Special Edition — International Climate Progress: A Conversation with Connie Hedegaard
36:07
36:07
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Connie Hedegaard, the former EU Commissioner for Climate Action, played a key role in international climate talks. She joined EPIC’s Senior Fellow and former White House National Security Director for International Climate Policy Pete Ogden for a conversation on the road to Paris, from Paris and much more as part of an EPIC event and live recording…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Powering Growth: Will India be the Next China or Carve a New Path?
28:03
28:03
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28:03
Coal powered China's rapid growth and the growth of other developed countries. Now, seeing the trade-offs, India serves as a test case for the future of development. Will India go with coal? Or will it blaze a new trail for emerging economies to follow?By Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago & UChicago Podcast Network
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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Cementing the Paris Climate Accord: What’s Needed In Obama’s Last Months
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46:19
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As negotiators meet in Bonn, Germany, this week to iron out some of the details of the Paris climate agreement, EPIC’s senior advisor and former White House National Security Director for International Climate Policy Pete Ogden discusses what the Obama administration is feverishly working to get done during its final months.Read Pete's piece in For…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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How Going Local Is Hamstringing the Clean Energy Transition
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28:23
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28:23
For decades, electricity generation has been thought of as a local issue. But this antiquated view is holding back the nation's transition to clean energy. Steve Cicala, from the Harris School of Public Policy, explains why in a discussion with host Sam Ori. Read Steve's piece in Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ucenergy/2016/05/12/how-going-loc…
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Off The Charts Energy Podcast


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The Clean Power Plan, Uncertainty and the Impact on Business
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Earlier this year, the Supreme Court halted implementation of the central component of the Obama Administration’s climate strategy: The Clean Power Plan. The action is just one of many policy and market factors causing high uncertainty in the energy industry. What impact is all this uncertainty having on traditional and nontraditional energy busine…