Volts

Volts: a newsletter focusing on clean energy and political matters. With climate change progressing rapidly and the state of US politics in disarray, the outlook can seem bleak. However, amidst these troubling trends, there is a silver lining: the shift from fossil fuels to clean, carbon-free energy is not only happening but is also speeding up each day.

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Volts community thread #18

3 days ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

1. 🎤 We’ve got two excellent live events coming up! As always, we’ve set aside a handful of free tickets for paid subscribers. Register your interest via this form; you’ll hear from Sam in the next few days if you’ve won tickets!The first is here in Seattle. On May 20, at the 9Zero Climate Innovation Hub (the same place I did the Climate Papa podcast), I’ll interview Jigar Shah on stage about the difficulties Washington state is facing in financing its ambitious climate policies.
Trying to bring geothermal heat pumps to scale

6 days ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

In this episode, I chat with Kathy Hannun of Dandelion Energy about ground-source heat pumps, which are twice as efficient as air-source units but still more expensive up front. Dandelion has designed its own drills and heat pumps, and with a new 1,500-home partnership with a developer in Colorado, it’s looking to scale up and bring costs down.
How is public transit doing in the US?

1 week ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

In this episode, I’m joined by consultant Jarrett Walker to take the pulse of US transit in a world of empty downtown office towers, surging weekend ridership, and the tech elite’s dream of transit without strangers. We unpack the myths that plague buses, reveal why Canada’s transit abundance should be our model, and map the policy battles that will determine whether US transit systems shrink or soar.
The coolest new home electrification widget

1 week ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

I catch up with Span CEO Arch Rao to discuss the company's expansion from consumer panels to the utility-focused Span Edge which can be used to create a true distributed power plant. We discuss why this is key to accelerating electrification and examine how the system works to respect consumer choices while managing grid constraints.
The governor of Illinois discusses decarbonization in the era of Trump

2 weeks ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -48:02Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. In this episode, I speak with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, one of the depressingly few Democratic leaders showing real fight in the face of Trumpism.
Me, on the Climate Papa podcast

2 weeks ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

In this episode, the tables are turned: I'm the guest of the Climate Papa podcast, interviewed by host Ben Eidelson. We discuss the nested fractal puzzle of decarbonization, the critical importance of the grid and urban land use, and why now is the most exciting time to jump into climate work. Plus, I share some thoughts on parenting and avoiding tech-bro culture as the climate space evolves.
What's up with hydrogen-electric aviation?

3 weeks ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

My guest, Val Miftakhov of ZeroAvia, argues that hydrogen fuel cells paired with electric motors are the key to decarbonizing aviation. We discuss why he prefers his solution to sustainable aviation fuels or batteries, the challenges and misconceptions around supplying and refueling with hydrogen, and the tech roadmap from today's small retrofits to tomorrow's large jets. (PDF transcript)(Active transcript)David RobertsOkay, hello, everyone.
What the F is happening? Part 2

3 weeks ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -15:24Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. I talk to Emily Pontecorvo (Heatmap) and Jeff St. John (Canary Media) to grapple with the latest Trump administration moves impacting climate and energy policy.
How is decarbonization going in the UK?

3 weeks ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

In this episode, I dive into the UK's decarbonization journey with Lucy Yu of the Centre for Net Zero. We discuss how the UK has become a world leader in offshore wind while lagging in heat pump adoption, why electricity market reform is essential to prevent gas from setting electricity prices, and how community ownership models overcome NIMBY resistance to wind projects.
What in tarnation is going on in Texas?

4 weeks ago | volts.wtf | David Roberts

I'm joined by “Texas Doug” Lewin to unpack the fascinating contradictions of a state that inadvertently became the nation's renewable energy powerhouse through a free market electricity system that its politicians now seem bent on strangling. Bills before the legislature would require solar and wind developers to also build gas plants, impose extreme setback requirements only on renewables, and potentially cripple the state's economy just as data centers drive unprecedented demand growth.