We talk to two expert journalists about what’s next for the U.S. Department of Energy programs and green energy during the second Trump administration.

In the first half of the episode, you’ll hear the rest of my conversation with Ivan Penn from the New York Times. Then in the second, I’ll be joined by USC Journalism Professor of Professional Practice Christina Bellantoni to contextualize the politics and policies that could impact the electric future.

Lastly, we’ll get an update from Kristi and Jerry in Shadow Mountain.

You can follow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@usc_electricfutures⁠⁠:

Electric Futures is an original podcast from the University of Southern California, hosted by me, Charles Zukoski, the Vivian Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and the former USC Provost. This series was executive produced by Allison Agsten, the director of USC’s Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication.

USC Annenberg professors Mallory Carra and Megan Donis are our lead producers. Natalie Lopez and Spencer Cline are our associate producers. Rebecca Torres is our production assistant. This episode was edited and sound designed by Spencer Cline.

Our cover art is by Kim Ly. All music and sound effects used with express permission under unlimited blanket license authority from Epidemic Sound.

It’s January 20th, 2025. Donald Trump’s second term as president. He signs a slew of executive orders, including one called “Unleashing American Energy.”

This order rolled back about a dozen climate change initiatives enacted by Joe Biden’s administration in 2021. Clean energy funding and programs set by 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act…were now halted.

Also hanging in the balance is the Department of Energy’s projects. That includes the one we visited in Menifee during a previous episode, and two other programs we’ll explore in this episode.

How do they work? Why is their role in the energy transition so important? And what’s at stake for these other communities during the second Trump Administration?

You can follow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@usc_electricfutures⁠⁠: https://www.instagram.com/usc_electricfutures

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Electric Futures is an original podcast from the University of Southern California, hosted by me, Charles Zukoski, the Vivian Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and the former USC Provost. This series was executive produced by Allison Agsten, the director of USC’s Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication.

USC Annenberg professors Mallory Carra and Megan Donis are our lead producers. Natalie Lopez and Spencer Cline are our associate producers. Rebecca Torres is our production assistant. This episode was edited and sound designed by Spencer Cline.

Our cover art is by Kim Ly. All music and sound effects used with express permission under unlimited blanket license authority from Epidemic Sound.

We take you through the science of microgrids with UCLA’s Rajit Gadh, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and founding director of Smart Grid Energy Research Center. How does it work exactly? And is it really the technology we’ve been waiting for all along?

We’ll find out.

You can follow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@usc_electricfutures⁠⁠: https://www.instagram.com/usc_electricfutures

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Electric Futures is an original podcast from the University of Southern California, hosted by me, Charles Zukoski, the Vivian Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and the former USC Provost. This series was executive produced by Allison Agsten, the director of USC’s Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication.

USC Annenberg professors Mallory Carra and Megan Donis are our lead producers. Natalie Lopez and Spencer Cline are our associate producers. Rebecca Torres is our production assistant. This episode was edited and sound designed by Spencer Cline.

Our cover art is by Kim Ly. All music and sound effects used with express permission under unlimited blanket license authority from Epidemic Sound.