Ten Across Conversations

Ten Across
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Ten Across Conversations examines pressing issues impacting communities along the U.S. Interstate 10 corridor. From Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles, California, this region provides a compelling and comprehensive window into the major challenges and opportunities of the 21st century in their most extreme. Join founder and executive director, Wellington “Duke” Reiter, as he chats with subject experts bringing unique insights and new ways of thinking to reveal our collective capacity to create a more resilient future. For more information about the Ten Across Initiative visit www.10across.com.

  1. 1D AGO

    Part Three: Oil Wars, Nuclear, and AI — Can Texas Power America's Future?

    As conflict in the Persian Gulf threatens global oil supplies and artificial intelligence drives unprecedented demand for electricity, Texas is in a race to unlock the full potential of its diverse and deregulated grid. The path it chooses may arguably shape the U.S. economy and global energy markets.   In this third episode of our series on Texas water, energy, and growth, host Duke Reiter is joined by UT Austin professor, author, and global energy consultant, Dr. Michael E. Webber and president of the Texas Nuclear Alliance, Reed Clay to discuss:   How the U.S.-Israel-Iran war has sent the world reaching for U.S. oil and natural gas and what this means for TexasHow Texas came to lead the nation in renewable energy generation in the years following Winter Storm Uri, despite the rhetoric What makes Texas a leading contender in the U.S. for a nuclear energy renaissanceWhy surging AI-driven energy demand could accelerate the clean energy transition, not slow it down   Relevant Articles and Resources   “US LNG exports break record high as Middle East war disrupts global supply” (Reuters, April 2026)   “A Texas City Faces Water Crisis as Big Oil and Gas Use Most of It” (Truthout, March 2026)   “Is the US headed toward an electricity crisis of its own making?” (Canary Media, January 2026)   “Texas’ power grid weathered another winter storm. Is it ready for the future?” (Texas Tribune, January 2026)   “Trump, atoms, AI and the Texas data center gusher” (Politico, January 2026)   “New U.S. nuclear power boom begins with old, still-unresolved problem: What to do with radioactive waste” (CNBC, November 2025)   “Texas renewable energy grid defies Trump’s claims on solar and wind” (Power Technology, July 2025)   The Timeline and Events of the February 2021 Texas Electric Grid Blackouts (University of Texas at Austin)   Final Report on February 2021 Freeze Underscores Winterization Recommendations (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)   Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts   Part One: Can Texas Drought-Proof Its Economic Miracle?   Part Two: Does Texas Have the Water to Support an AI Boom?   Credits  Host: Duke Reiter Writer and producer: Taylor Griffith Editor: Kate Carefoot Research and support provided by: Rae Ulrich, Kelly Saunders, Maya Chari, and Sabine Butler   About our guests Reed Clay is president of the Texas Nuclear Alliance. Prior to that, Reed was the Chief Operating Officer of Texas under Governor Greg Abbott and the founder of the government affairs consulting firm Crestline Group. He is also an experienced litigator and founding partner of Clay Scott LLP, with prior experience in the U.S. Department of Justice and Texas Attorney General’s Office.   Dr. Michael E. Webber is the Sid Richardson Chair in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Cockrell Family Chair #16 in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to that, Michael served as CTO of Energy Impact Partners and Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, a global energy company. Michael has authored or co-authored more than 600 publications, including the book “Power Trip: the Story of Energy” and “Thirst for Power: Energy, Water, and Human Survival,” both of which, were developed into award-winning documentaries.

    33 min

  2. MAR 12

    Part Two: Does Texas Have the Water to Support an AI Boom?

    Texas has emerged as a frontrunner in President Trump’s push for U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence and is poised to become the nation’s top data center market. With data centers rapidly scaling across Texas, the state is emerging as a bellwether for the nation—highlighting how rapid, resource intensive AI-driven growth can outpace infrastructure planning and strain limited resources.   In this second episode of our series on how present choices in water, energy and growth will shape the future in Texas, host Duke Reiter is joined by water policy expert Dr. Margaret Cook of the Houston Advanced Research Center and Texas Monthly contributor Christopher Collins to explore:   Why state-level water policy may struggle to keep pace with rapid industry changes   How energy and water demands are conjoined in data infrastructure How state and local legislators can support transparency in data center development How unregulated competition between industries and communities over constrained resources can go wrong   Relevant Articles and Resources  “A Conservative Cowboy Town Embraces the AI Revolution” (Texas Monthly, February 2026)    “Thirsty Data and the Lone Star State: The Impact of Data Center Growth on Texas’ Water Supply” (Houston Advanced Research Center, January 2026)   “How Americans view data centers’ impact in key areas, from the environment to jobs” (Pew Research Center, March 2026)  “Texas regulators will ask data centers to begin reporting their water usage” (KXAN, March 2026)   “Texans are demanding their local governments push pause on data centers. Can they?” (KWTX, February 2026)   “Questions about electricity, water use swirl Stargate data center in Abilene” (Abilene Reporter News, October 2025)   Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts   Part One: Can Texas Drought-Proof Its Economic Miracle?   AI Series: Balancing AI Infrastructure Resource Demands   Credits Host: Duke Reiter Written and produced by: Taylor Griffith Edited by: Kate Carefoot Research and support provided by: Rae Ulrich, Kelly Saunders, Maya Chari, and Sabine Butler   Guest Bios:   Christopher Collins is a freelance writer, editor, and Texas Monthly contributor based in Abilene, Texas.   Margaret Cook is vice president of water and community resilience at the Houston Advanced Research Center and the author of a new white paper, entitled “Thirsty Data and the Lone Star State: The Impact of Data Center Growth on Texas’ Water Supply.” With a doctorate in civil engineering, a masters in environmental and water resources engineering, and a bachelors in civil engineering, she is among the first in the state of Texas to quantify and recommend legislation for addressing current and projected data center water demands.

    29 min

  3. FEB 5

    Part One: Can Texas Drought-Proof Its Economic Miracle?

    Everything’s bigger in Texas, including a water crisis. According to the Texas Water Development Board, population and industrial demand could outpace existing supply by 7 million acre-feet by 2070—an amount equal to the current annual water demand of the entire state of Arizona.   Last November, Texas voters approved the largest investment in water infrastructure in the state’s history: $20 billion over 20 years. But is this enough to address current needs and ongoing rapid growth?   In the first part of our series on how present choices in water, energy and growth will shape the future in Texas, we’ll explore:   How cities like Corpus Christi are facing impossible trade-offs between the needs of industry and residents  Why a 100-year-old “Rule of Capture” is sparking battles over groundwater exports   -       Whether Texas can balance its booming $2.7 trillion economy with the inescapable realities of water constraints         Why is this relevant for the Ten Across region and the NationThis episode features conversations with Texas State hydrologist Robert Mace, Texas 2036 policy director Jeremy Mazur, and real estate broker and water law professor Charles Porter.   Relevant Articles and Resources   “Inside the Fight for Texas’s Most Precious Resource” (Texas Monthly, September 2025)   “Running Out: Texas’ water — and the path forward” (The Texas Tribune Staff, September 2025)   “Texas tried to address its water crisis in the ‘60s. A new proposal echoes that historical debate” (Texas Standard, April 2025)   “The Impossibly Expensive Plan to Save Texas’s Water Supply” (Texas Monthly, April 2025)   Assessing Texas’ Water Infrastructure Needs (Jeremy Mazur, Texas 2036)   “Drawing Straws” (Texas Monthly, July 2012)   Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts   Understanding Groundwater Risks in the Southwest with Jay Famiglietti   The Future of Water is Here: Are We Ready?   Credits Host: Duke Reiter Written, produced, and edited by: Taylor Griffith  Episode concept provided by: Kate Carefoot  Research and support provided by: Rae Ulrich, Kelly Saunders, and Sabine Butler   About our guests Robert Mace is the executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and professor of practice in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at Texas State University. He previously worked at the Texas Water Development Board for 18 years, rising to become the Deputy Executive Administrator for Water Science and Conservation. He holds a B.S. in geophysics, M.S. in hydrology and a Ph.D. in hydrogeology.   Jeremy Mazur is the director of Infrastructure and Natural Resources Policy at Texas 2036. During the 88th Texas Legislature, he supported policy expanding Texas’s financial strategy for developing water infrastructure, establishing regulatory frameworks for hydrogen energy, and, among other initiatives, incentivizing regional solutions for water utilities. He is currently leading a scenario-based assessment of how different energy portfolio pathways contribute to state economic growth, regional water market development, and responses to extreme weather.   Charles Porter is a leading Texas water rights authority, real estate broker and author of multiple books including Water Rights and Policies in the United States. He serves on the National Association of Realtors Board of Directors, has testified as expert witness over 600 times, and successfully sponsored legislation requiring groundwater conservation district disclosure in all Texas residential real estate transactions.

    27 min

  4. JAN 30

    SERIES TRAILER | Artificial Limits: Water, Energy, and Growth in Texas

    Ten Across Conversations returns next week with a limited series, a three-part narrative look at key intersections of water and energy in Texas.   What does a severe statewide drought, ambitious industry buildout, and rapid population boom tell us about the future in this part of the country and beyond?   Join us over the next three episodes as we take you from the halls of the Texas legislature, where policymakers are working to secure vulnerable infrastructure and resources across the state, to the Big Country and west where residents watch the land transform into colossal data centers feeding the race to support AI.   We will explore how these stories connect—how decisions made in the Oval Office are reshaping Texas water, energy and infrastructure policy, how people are navigating changes, and how decisions made here reflect the interests of the Ten Across region and the country at large. Episode one is available February 5th.   Series release schedule    February 5th: A look at Texas’s efforts to drought-proof economic and population growth   February 19th:  Meeting direct and indirect water needs tied to data centers   March 5th: Big tech demands are reshaping the Texas grid and energy landscape   March 19th: A regional analysis of water, energy, and the future of tech along the I-10

    3 min

  5. 12/19/2025

    2025 Ten Across Podcast Year in Review

    This 2025 Ten Across podcast year in review takes a deep dive into the critical issues shaping the future of the Interstate 10 corridor.   We’ve curated a series of interview clips and reflections that will examine contemporary U.S. climate, economic, and governance-related concerns as presented along this transect. From rising risks in insurance markets to the shifting responsibilities for disaster recovery, we’ll examine the urgent need for proactive solutions.   Some of the key questions we tackle include:         Can insurance remain affordable and accessible in an era of escalating climate risks? As disaster recovery moves to state and local levels, do these agencies have the capacity to handle increasing demands? On the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, what lesson have we learned and how are they shaping our adaptation efforts today?   Tune in for a thought-provoking recap and discussion that offers valuable insights into how we can better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of climate change.   Featured podcasts by order of appearance in this recording:    10X Convergence: The Region’s Experts Convene to Address the Insurability Crisis   The Future of Insurability: New Approaches and Mindsets   Mississippi River Mayors Coalesce to Address Shared Climate Risks Why the Ten Across Geography Needs FEMA with Dr. Samantha Montano   Extreme Heat Has Only Just Begun: How Prepared is the U.S.?      Katrina’s 20th: Vann R. Newkirk II on What We Owe Climate Disaster Survivors Today   Katrina’s 20th: Jeff Hébert on Community Recovery and Resilience   Credits Host: Duke Reiter Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler

    29 min

  6. 12/11/2025

    End of the Sunbelt Boom? Climate, Cities and the Next Population Shift

    Economic and social science research suggests climate risks are beginning to inform where people choose to live, raise families, and invest, foreshadowing the decline of a near 75-year trend of domestic migration to the Southern U.S. This is the focus of urban planner and trusted climate adaptation scholar Jesse M. Keenan’s new book, North: The Future of Post-Climate America.   As the costs of environmental risks to homes, communities and livelihoods become insupportable in the most vulnerable areas of the country, many who are able will gravitate to regions where life can be relatively stable and secure.  North is a comprehensive assessment of trendlines and evidence that suggest how this migration will occur—and how leaders can ensure equity and continuity as American populations shift.   Drawing on his extensive background in climate adaptation research, Keenan offers strategies for locations that will be sending people and those that will receive them. He concludes North with a fictional description of what America could look like near the end of this century, when many climate impacts are expected to mature.    In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and author Jesse Keenan discuss implications for the Ten Across geography, which is among the most climate-vulnerable regions in the country.   Relevant Articles and Resources   North: The Future of Post-Climate America   “Zillow deletes climate risk data from listings after complaints it harms sales” (The Guardian, December 2025)   “America’s Home Insurance Affordability Crunch: See What’s Happening Near You.” (The New York Times, November 2025)   “As millions face climate relocation, the nation’s first attempt sparks warnings and regret” (Floodlight, September 2025)   “Snow Belt to Sun Belt Migration: End of an Era?” (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, July 2024)   “Climate-proof Duluth? Why the city is attracting ‘climate migrants’” (MPR News, October 2021) “Want to Escape Global Warming? These Cities Promise Cool Relief” (The New York Times, April 2019)   “The Rise of the Sunbelt” (Edward L. Glaeser and Kristina Tobio, May 2007)   Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts   How the 10X Region Can Plan for Climate Migration with Abrahm Lustgarten   Credits Host: Duke Reiter Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith Music by: Pearce Roswell, Out To The World, Johan Glössner Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler   About our guest Jesse M. Keenan is the Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning and Director of the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Tulane University. His research spans design, engineering, finance, and policy, with service to U.S. government agencies, international organizations, and major corporations. Widely published and cited, Jesse’s work has shaped climate policy, financial regulation, and concepts like climate gentrification. He is the author of North: The Future of Post-Climate America, which is available in bookstores on December 17.

    44 min

  7. 12/05/2025

    The Hard Decisions Ahead for Lower Basin Colorado River States

    Despite more than two years of intense negotiations, the Veterans Day deadline to agree on the allotment of reduced water supplies under the Colorado River Compact passed without a consensus. If the seven states divided into the upper and lower basins of the river cannot put forward a joint proposal by February 14, the federal government will institute its own plan—which will likely result in appeals to the Supreme Court.   Since the first federal shortage declaration in 2021, Arizona has volunteered to accept the largest cuts in shares of Colorado River water. Given that a third of its overall water demand has relied on the river’s supply, leaders in the state are anxious to conclude the current negotiations so that their long-term planning for alternatives can proceed.   The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is a 330-mile manmade canal built to transport Arizona’s portion of Colorado River water across the state. Approved for federal funding by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, CAP is an outstanding example of the infrastructural might that has often been required for cities in the Ten Across region to thrive. The urban boom that began in Phoenix and Tucson in the 1980s and 90s would not have been possible without CAP water.   In this episode Duke Reiter and Terry Goddard, CAP Board president and former Phoenix mayor, discuss how the state has weathered uncertainties surrounding growth and water security in the past, and how leaders need to step up to meet the present moment...and the future.   Relevant Articles and Resources   “Former Phoenix mayor: Embrace bad news” (AZ Central, April 2015)   “40 Years of Central Arizona Project Water Use” (Kyl Center for Water Policy, December 2025)   “’Dream’ of desalinating water to boost Arizona’s supplies moves ahead with vote” (AZ Central, November 2025)   “The Peirce Report, Revisited: Greater Phoenix Grows Up” (Greater Phoenix Leadership)   1987 interview with Neal Peirce on PBS Horizon   Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts   Latest Deadpool Projections Inject New Urgency into Colorado River Negotiations   Understanding Groundwater Risks in the Southwest with Jay Famiglietti   Checking in on Tense Colorado River Negotiations with Anne Castle and John Fleck   Credits Host: Duke Reiter Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith Music by: Gavin Luke and Pearce Roswell Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler   About our guest  Terry Goddard served as Arizona attorney general from 2003 to 2010, addressing major issues, including the fallout from the mortgage crisis, border security, and consumer and environmental protections. While mayor of Phoenix from 1984 to 1990, Terry conceived and presided over the Phoenix Futures Forum, the largest city visioning process in the U.S., measured by the number of citizen participants and scope. He was also elected president of the National League of Cities in 1988. Today, Terry is serving his third term as president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board, which oversees the Central Arizona Project.

    37 min

  8. 11/14/2025

    10X Convergence: The Region's Experts Convene to Address the Insurability Crisis

    In October, stakeholders representing an unusual combination of sectors — public, private, academic, non-profit and journalism — gathered with insurance industry experts at the 10X Convergence in Jacksonville, Florida, to explore solutions to unsustainable insurance and disaster recovery costs throughout the Interstate 10 region. Insurers continue to cancel homeowners policies across California, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida as exposure to accelerating billion-dollar disasters undermines carriers’ ability to pay out claims while remaining solvent. The industry crisis has begun to spread northward, where a widening Tornado Alley sees growing impacts from property-damaging storms.   This is a complex, all-hands-on-deck issue. Insurance practices and building standards have not adapted to the realities of climate change, and have neglected potential to be of powerful mutual support to one another. On the whole, 10X Convergence participants were clear that viable solutions will require a combination of applied climate and economic research with proactive governance and communications strategies, and that this must be matched by industry willingness to innovate its systems of underwriting and community development.   In this podcast, Ten Across journalists Maya Chari and Taylor Griffith take you through the problems and potential solutions discussed by the diverse group of experts at the 10X Convergence.   Relevant Articles and Resources   VIDEO: 10X Convergence Event Wrap Up   “It’s harder to get home insurance. That’s changing communities across the U.S.” (NPR, November 2025)   “They survived the hurricane. Their insurance company didn’t.” (Grist, November 2025)   “Insurance for Physical Climate Risk Management: Lessons from History” (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, August 2025)   “Next to Fall: The Climate-Driven Insurance Crisis is Here—And Getting Worse” (Senate Budget Committee, December 2024)   Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts   The Future of Insurability: New Approaches and Mindsets Carolyn Kousky on Using Insurance Models to Drive Positive Change   Checking in with Dave Jones on California’s Insurance Outlook   Credits Hosts: Maya Chari and Taylor Griffith Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith Music by: Out To The World, Marten Moses, Lennon Hutton, and Pearce Roswell Research and support provided by: Duke Reiter, Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler   Guest Bios (in order of appearance):   Steve Bowen is the Chief Science Officer and meteorologist at Gallagher Re.   Adam Reeder is a civil-structural engineer and principal investigator at CDM Smith.   Juliet Rogers is the president of Blue Cottage at CannonDesign.   Laura Phillips-Edgecombe is the duPont Fund principal for public spaces and executive on loan to the City of Jacksonville, Florida.   Clint Noble is a member of the City of Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board and professional geologist with CDM Smith.   Dr. Quinton White is founding executive director of the Marine Science Research Institute and professor emeritus at Jacksonville University.   Alex Harris is the lead climate reporter for the Miami Herald.   Pete Nelson is the communications director for the Gulf Research Program at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.   Dave Hondula is the director of the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation at the City of Phoenix.   Casi Callaway is the founder and president of Activate Build Connect.   Eric Corey Freed is the director of sustainability at CannonDesign.   Sarina Beges is the associate director of philanthropy and social innovation at the Aspen Institute.   Ashantae Green is the sustainability manager for the City of Jacksonville, Florida.

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Ten Across Conversations examines pressing issues impacting communities along the U.S. Interstate 10 corridor. From Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles, California, this region provides a compelling and comprehensive window into the major challenges and opportunities of the 21st century in their most extreme. Join founder and executive director, Wellington “Duke” Reiter, as he chats with subject experts bringing unique insights and new ways of thinking to reveal our collective capacity to create a more resilient future. For more information about the Ten Across Initiative visit www.10across.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Ten Across
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Ten Across
  • Show Website
    Ten Across Conversations

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