Is Louisiana the political canary in the coal mine?

Nov 20, 2025 | Blog, Energy Transition Policy & Policymaking, Framing and the Energy Transition Debate, Partisanship, Elections and the Energy Transition

The 2025 elections put some wind in Democrats’ sails. What they portend for stronger climate policy isn’t clear just yet, since the winners focused on energy affordability first and foremost.  Meanwhile, for those of us who seek stronger climate policy,...

Between a Blackrock and a Hard Place

Nov 15, 2025 | Blog, Democracy and Transitions to Authoritarianism, Energy Transition Policy & Policymaking, Partisanship, Elections and the Energy Transition

The world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, is caught in a tug-of-war between combatants on both sides of the climate and energy fight. Its travails reflect an intensifying partisan divide over renewable energy and climate risk. And it illustrates the importance of...

Will negative partisanship kill another popular bipartisan energy initiative?

Nov 5, 2025 | Blog, Energy Transition Policy & Policymaking, Partisanship, Elections and the Energy Transition

Seven years ago I wrote a piece for The Regulatory Review called “Energy Policy’s Orphaned Good Idea.” It argued that the only reason why the 1935 Federal Power Act didn’t authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to permit interstate transmission...

Having learning conversations (rather than lobbying conversations)

Oct 31, 2025 | Blog, Energy Transition Policy & Policymaking, Framing and the Energy Transition Debate

Given the Supreme Court that we have, the United States’ transition to authoritarianism can only be stopped at the ballot box. But inside ideological media bubbles there is a disconnect between how people vote and how they feel about our descent into a more...

Can we count on A.I. to solve the energy problems it is exacerbating?

Oct 18, 2025 | Blog, Energy Transition Policy & Policymaking, Framing and the Energy Transition Debate

Amid the chaos and constant alarm that is MAGA GOP governance, the news from the World Meteorological Association (WMO) about the large increase in atmospheric carbon didn’t get a lot of press attention. But it is worrying to anyone who understands climate...

Private vs Public Provision of Energy Services

Oct 6, 2025 | Blog, Energy Transition Policy & Policymaking

U.S. electric customers are facing sharp rate increases, and they are not happy about it. Climate change is part of the problem, but most of it boils down to market forces: too much projected demand for the projected supply. Those supply and demand projections, in...