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Volts is a podcast about leaving fossil fuels behind. I've been reporting on and explaining clean-energy topics for almost 20 years, and I love talking to politicians, analysts, innovators, and activists about the latest progress in the world's most important fight. (Volts is entirely subscriber-supported. Sign up!)

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Site URL: www.volts.wtf/podcast

Feed URL: api.substack.com/feed/podcast/193024.rss

Posts: 12

Followers: 2

Trump's big bill: How bad is it and what comes next?

Published: July 11, 2025 16:03

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.volts.wtfIn this "What the F is Happening" episode, I'm joined by Jane Flegal and Jesse Jenkins to perform a wake for the Inflation Reduction Act after the passage of the GOP's "Big…

A closer look at Montana's housing "miracle"

Published: July 9, 2025 16:02

In this episode, I talk with Montana state senators Forrest Mandeville (R) and Ellie Boldman (D) about the bipartisan housing reforms their state has passed over the last two legislative sessions — reforms so sweeping YIMBYs have dubbed them the "Montana…

PG&E tries to prove that a big utility can innovate

Published: July 4, 2025 16:02

PG&E, California's notoriously troubled utility, is trying to prove it can innovate, so I invited Quinn Nakayama, head of its new GRiD program, to explain how. We discuss its strategy of publicly outlining its problems to attract partners and its shift…

Can data centers be good grid citizens?

Published: July 2, 2025 16:12

The frantic buildout of AI data centers is threatening to overwhelm electric grids, but what if they could be part of the solution? I chat with Jeff Bladen of Verrus, a company designing data centers to be "good grid citizens" from the ground up. We…

Reducing the climate impacts of food and farming

Published: June 27, 2025 16:02

In this episode, I chat with fellow energy nerd-turned-ag-reporter Michael Grunwald about agriculture’s climate impact. We explore the folly of biofuels, the promise of meat alternatives, and the central importance of increasing yields. While we can…

The fight to build faster in California

Published: June 25, 2025 16:02

In this episode, I'm joined by two of California's leading housing champions, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Senator Scott Wiener, to discuss their bills to reform the state's notorious environmental review law, CEQA. We explore how a well-intentioned…

Rep. Mike Levin reflects on the Republican budget bill

Published: June 20, 2025 16:02

In this episode, Rep. Mike Levin and I discuss the “Big Beautiful Bill” that raises energy bills, kills 830,000 jobs, and gifts China the next industrial revolution. We unpack the fossil-fuel cash behind the carnage, the paradox of red districts cutting…

A win for transit-oriented development in Washington state

Published: June 18, 2025 16:02

Washington state just passed one of the strongest transit-oriented development bills in the nation, and in this episode, I talk with Rep. Julia Reed and Alex Brennan from Futurewise about how they got it done. We discuss why building more housing near…

Sen. Martin Heinrich on the fight over clean energy in the Senate

Published: June 13, 2025 16:12

On June 4, at a Canary Media event in Washington, DC, I sat down with Senator Martin Heinrich to dissect the GOP’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” — a sledgehammer aimed at the Inflation Reduction Act, public-lands protections, and US science. We talk about…

Making electric motors better

Published: June 11, 2025 16:02

In this episode, I'm digging into the surprisingly overlooked world of electric motors with Ankit Somani of Conifer, a startup aiming to revolutionize these unsung workhorses of the energy system. We explore their ambitious approach to making motors…

A journey from clean-energy wonkery to influencer fame

Published: June 6, 2025 16:02

In this episode, I talk with Taylor Krause, who went from working on hydrogen policy at RMI to finding a quantum physicist husband and unexpected fame on Netflix's Love Is Blind. We unpack her surreal journey from clean-energy wonk to popular influencer…

How to reduce the impact of mining

Published: June 4, 2025 16:02

In this episode, I chat with Johanna Wolfson, co-founder of Azolla Ventures, about their unique philanthropic-backed VC model tackling the tough problem of sustainable mining for the clean energy transition. We explore the promising tech Azolla is backing…