Political Climate Political Climate

Since the Inflation Reduction Act became law in August 2022, we’ve asked ourselves a big question: could the government and the private sector actually get this sprawling set of climate programs up and running?
So far, many would answer “yes.” The IRA has already created over 170,000 jobs and supported $110 billion in new clean energy manufacturing – with a majority of that investment headed to conservative-leaning states.
Now, as we head toward November’s presidential election, many Americans are wondering whether a second Trump Administration could unravel much of the work that’s been done.
In the first episode of the new season of Political Climate, hosts Julia Pyper, Brandon Hurlbut and Emily Domenech take stock of the IRA: they discuss how it’s been received politically, the roadblocks facing implementation, and look toward the different scenarios that could unfold after the election.
The show wraps up with our brand-new segment, “The Mark-up.” 
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After a hiatus, Political Climate is back with more news, analysis, and bipartisan hot takes on the policy and politics shaping climate solutions — in what is sure to be a defining year.
Julia Pyper is joined by Emily Domenech and Brandon Hurlbut to riff on top political stories and insider scoops – from state houses, to the halls of Congress to regulatory agencies, and international climate talks. They’ll explain how those developments are driving industry decisions today.
Political Climate is a show for people who want authentic conversations from voices from across the political spectrum. Listen every other Friday to learn about how energy and climate policy is shaped within both political parties – from the people who have actually shaped it.
Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

After 160 episodes and five years of interviews, debates and friendly bipartisan banter, Political Climate will be taking a break starting in 2023. This will be the final episode (for now).
This podcast was launched to create a forum for respectful, informative dialogue across the political divide on the policy and politics of climate and energy. Host Julia Pyper, Republican co-host Shane Skelton and Democratic co-host Brandon Hurlbut have never debated the science of climate change, but have had in-depth discussions on how to craft climate policy that’s not only effective but politically feasible. The show has spanned the most pivotal five years for climate action, culminating in the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest national investment in clean energy in history. 
In this final episode, the hosts dig into the archives to hear from some of the show’s most notable guests including Political Climate supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger, activist Greta Thunberg, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and many more. They also reflect on the rocky journey that led to this point, changes in public opinion on climate change, and the widening Overton window for climate action. 
Thank you to everyone for listening and for your support over the years. 
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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.
Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in clean energy ever made by the federal government. Among the bill’s more than 700 pages is a lesser-known provision that could play a pivotal role in transforming existing dirty energy infrastructure to serve the clean energy economy of the future. 
The new Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Program — also known as the Section 1706 program — gives the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office $5 billion, with the authority to provide up to $250 billion in low-interest loans. These loans could radically change the energy landscape. The program could fund efforts to repurpose old coal and gas plant sites to deploy clean energy projects, leveraging existing infrastructure to save on costs while delivering economic benefits to communities. 
Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut are joined by two guests to discuss this new program: Alexander Bond, deputy general counsel for climate and clean energy at the Edison Electric Institute, and Uday Varadarajan, a principal at the clean-energy nonprofit RMI. They discuss the innovative structure of the Section 1706 program, challenges the Loan Programs Office will face as it rolls out the funding, and the opportunities for the program to help clean up the U.S. electric grid. 
Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.
Recommended reading:

Canary Media: How will DOE loan out $250B to make dirty energy systems clean?


Canary Media: What challenges will confront DOE loan program for energy retrofits?


RMI: The Most Important Clean Energy Policy You’ve Never Heard About


DOE: Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment



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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.
Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

The 2022 midterm elections are officially behind us. Democrats overcame historical trends to keep control of the Senate, while Republicans won a majority in the House by a surprisingly narrow margin.
Ultimately, there was no red wave. There wasn’t really a “green wave” either. Democrats ushered through an ambitious legislative agenda, with President Biden signing historic bills to tackle climate change, build resilient infrastructure, and accelerate the deployment of American-made clean energy. Yet these issues got relatively little play this election cycle – for or against.
Have we entered a new era for climate politics? Could there even be room for collaboration? Or will a divided government post-election give new life to old debates? 
Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut dig into the midterm results, discuss what they got right — and wrong — in their election predictions, and break down what it all means for the future of climate policy in America. 
Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.
Recommended reading:

Wesleyan Media Project: Advertising Issue Spotlight


The Atlantic: Wait, Why Wasn’t There a Climate Backlash?


Canary Media: How Democratic state wins in the midterms could rev up climate progress


WaPo: How different groups voted according to exit polls and AP VoteCast



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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.
Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

Many Americans are pessimistic about the U.S. election system. From skepticism around mail-in ballots and voting machines to coping with long lines and shuttered polling places, voter confidence has slumped. When it comes to climate, research shows 66% to 80% of people support major mitigation policies. But are election related barriers preventing these voter preferences from being captured at the ballot box?
With the midterm elections less than a week away, we’re examining the fundamentals of the democratic process: the right to vote and public trust in elections. Plus, how the redistricting process influences both electoral outcomes and policymaking – including on climate and energy issues.
Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut are joined by USC Political Science and Public Policy Professor Christian Grose to discuss his research on how to improve voter access and voting rights and reduce polarization. Grose, who serves as academic director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, also previews new polling on Proposition 30, an environmental related ballot measure in California. Finally, he explains why you should care about redistricting if you care about climate change.
Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.
Recommended reading:

Enhancing Democracy: Does Funding Elections and Opening Polling Places Cause Higher Voter Turnout?

USC Schwarzenegger Institute Initiates Democracy Grants for Voting Access and Election Administration

Independent Redistricting Commissions Increase Voter Perceptions of Fairness

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Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it’s the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.
Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.