Though today’s energy transition is often framed as new, it follows patterns we’ve seen before. Cutler Cleveland of Boston University’s Institute for Global Sustainability explores the historical context of today’s shift.

---

Today’s shift to carbon-free power is commonly called “the energy transition,” yet the label can suggest that this is the first, or only, transformation of its kind. Throughout history, societies have moved from one dominant energy source to another, with each transformation bringing profound economic, social, and environmental change.

On the podcast, we explore how today’s energy transition compares to those of the past, while noting that—despite decades of investment and policy support—we’re still in the early stages of moving toward a net-zero carbon system. Why is this transition taking so long? Why does it feel more politically and socially charged than previous ones? And are our current anxieties about energy jobs, community impacts, and planetary livability really new?

Cutler Cleveland, associate director of Boston University’s Institute for Global Sustainability, brings a historical lens to energy systems and explores what makes this moment in energy history both familiar and unprecedented.

Cutler Cleveland is a professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Boston University, and associate director of the university’s Institute for Global Sustainability.

Related Content

Subsea Sabotage: Protecting Energy Infrastructure from Hostile Aggression https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/subsea-sabotage-protecting-energy-infrastructure-from-hostile-aggression/

Impact of Solar Lighting Kits on the Lives of the Poor https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/impact-of-solar-lighting-kits-on-the-lives-of-the-poor/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of clean energy projects are waiting to connect to the grid. How many will make it through, and will it be soon enough to keep the grid reliable?

---

Electricity demand in the U.S. is rising fast, fueled by the rapid growth of AI data centers and other power-hungry technologies. At the same time, many fossil fuel power plants are retiring, putting added pressure on the grid to maintain reliability.

To meet this challenge, clean energy and battery storage projects are lining up to connect to the grid. The queue now holds more than twice the capacity of all power plants currently in operation.

But getting these projects online is proving difficult. The interconnection process, which evaluates and connects new power projects to the grid, has become a major bottleneck. It is overwhelmed by the sheer number of proposed projects and further slowed by permitting challenges, supply chain delays, and uncertainty around federal incentives. Reforms to the interconnection process are underway, but it is yet to be seen whether they will move quickly enough to make a difference.

RMI’s Sarah Toth Kotwis explores the technical and regulatory barriers to bringing new energy online, and what it will take connect new energy projects quickly and reliably.

Sarah Toth Kotwis is a senior associate on the Clean Competitive Grids team at RMI.

Related Content

The Untapped Potential of ‘Repurposed Energy’ https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-untapped-potential-of-repurposed-energy/

The Future of Electricity Demand in the AI Era https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/podcast/the-future-of-electricity-demand-in-the-ai-era/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BloombergNEF’s Derrick Flakoll discusses the outlook for U.S. clean energy development under the House version of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

---

On May 22, the House of Representatives passed its version of what President Trump has dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping budget package addressing taxation, federal spending, and the debt ceiling. Now headed to the Senate, a revised version is expected to emerge by early July.

The House bill proposes deep funding cuts to programs like Medicaid and extends the Trump-era tax cuts from 2017. For the clean energy sector, however, the most consequential provisions are those targeting the Inflation Reduction Act. As written, the legislation would significantly curtail tax credits for renewable energy projects and the domestic manufacturing base that supports them. Incentives for electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure, as well as battery storage, hydrogen, and nuclear power would also be sharply reduced or eliminated altogether.

Derrick Flakoll, U.S. Policy Expert at BloombergNEF, examines what this could mean for the future of clean energy in the United States. BloombergNEF recently released an analysis projecting the impacts of the House bill on clean energy growth and investment. Flakoll outlines the report’s findings, including the resilience of clean energy markets without IRA tax credits, which sectors face the greatest risks, and how the proposed “Foreign Entity of Concern” provisions could further complicate project development.

He also considers how the Senate might alter the legislation and whether any of the IRA’s clean energy incentives are likely to remain intact.

Derrick Flakoll is Policy Expert for the United States and Canada at BloombergNEF

Related Content:

Has Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme Taken Away a Country’s Ability to Reduce Emissions? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/has-europes-emissions-trading-scheme-taken-away-a-countrys-ability-to-reduce-emissions/

Can California’s Emissions Market Survive Past 2030 (Podcast) https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/podcast/can-californias-emissions-market-survive-past-2030/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As renewable power grows, land use decisions will influence its environmental impact.

---

Decarbonizing the electric grid will require a dramatic expansion of renewable energy by mid-century, and significantly more land dedicated to clean power. But where and how that buildout occurs will shape whether the environmental benefits of renewables are fully realized or come at a high cost to ecosystems, farmland, and communities.

Grace Wu of the Spatial Climate Solutions Lab at UC Santa Barbara and Jonathan Thompson, research director at Harvard Forest, examine the tension between rapid renewable energy expansion and conscientious land use. Wu, who has co-authored recent reports on the environmental impacts of clean energy siting policies, explores strategies for minimizing impacts while ensuring energy remains reliable and affordable. Thompson, whose research quantifies the effects of land use on forest ecosystems, discusses the push-and-pull dynamic unfolding in Massachusetts, where solar development has resulted in real losses of forests and farmland, and where new siting models are emerging.

The two also explore how incentives and regulations influence land use decisions, and how policy can reduce land impacts while supporting clean power development.

Grace Wu is an assistant professor in the Environmental Studies program at the University of California Santa Barbara and leads the university’s Spatial Climate Solutions Lab.

Jonathan Thompson is senior ecologist and research director at Harvard Forest.

Related Content

Has Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme Take Away a Country’s Ability to Reduce Emissions?

https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/has-europes-emissions-trading-scheme-taken-away-a-countrys-ability-to-reduce-emissions/

The Untapped Potential of ‘Repurposed Energy’

https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-untapped-potential-of-repurposed-energy/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As electrical grid operators move to fast-track gas projects, consumer and environmental advocates raise red flags.

---

The U.S. electricity grid is undergoing a dramatic transformation. As coal plants retire, wind, solar, and battery storage now dominate the pipeline of new power projects. Yet in recent months, some policymakers and grid operators have called for a new wave of natural gas plants to meet rising electricity demand from AI data centers and industrial growth.

Supporters argue that gas offers a fast, reliable solution. Critics see a costly, backward-looking move that undermines long-term climate and affordability goals. Too often missing from this debate is the voice of the consumer—the people ultimately footing the bill.

This episode explores the consumer perspective on our rapidly evolving grid with two guests with deep experience at the intersection of grid policy and public interest. Patrick Cicero is the former consumer advocate for Pennsylvania. John Quigley is a senior fellow at the Kleinman Center and former secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection. Together, they discuss what the energy transition means for ratepayers—and the policies needed to ensure a clean, reliable, and equitable grid.

Patrick Cicero is chief counsel at the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project and former consumer advocate for the state of Pennsylvania.

John Quigley is a senior fellow at the Kleinman Center and a former secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Related Content

Has Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme Taken Away a Country’s Ability to Reduce Emissions?

https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/has-europes-emissions-trading-scheme-taken-away-a-countrys-ability-to-reduce-emissions/

Fossil Foolishness

https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/blog/fossil-foolishness/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, chair of global food security research network CGIAR, on adapting agriculture for climate and food security.

---

Global agriculture changed dramatically during the 20th century as small, traditional farms were replaced by large-scale, monoculture farming in many parts of the world. This shift led to a dramatic increase in food production, helping to feed a global population that today exceeds 8 billion.

Yet the revolution in agriculture has created a new set of challenges. Modern farming is more resource-intensive than ever, requiring substantial investments in machinery and a heavy reliance on chemical inputs like synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. These shifts have introduced new economic risks for farmers, who can struggle to keep up with rising input costs and volatile markets. Meanwhile, the widespread cultivation of bulk cash crops has often come at the expense of soil health, crop diversity, and the nutritional quality of the food we grow and consume.

On the podcast, Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda—professor of agriculture at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, cattle farmer in Zimbabwe, and board chair of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)—discusses current efforts to make agriculture more resilient and sustainable. These include the revival of traditional crops, regenerative soil management techniques, and innovations aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Sibanda also examines how such practices can support environmental and climate goals while improving farmer livelihoods and strengthening long-term food security.

Lindiwe Majele Sibanda is board chair of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

Related Content

Cooling People, Not Spaces: Surmounting the Risks of Air-Conditioning Over-Reliance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/cooling-people-not-spaces-surmounting-the-risks-of-air-conditioning-over-reliance/

Closing the Climate Finance Gap: A Proposal for a New Green Investment Protocol https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/closing-the-climate-finance-gap-a-proposal-for-a-new-green-investment-protocol/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ambitious climate policies may overlook practical constraints. Kleinman Center Visiting Scholar Niall Mac Dowell explores what deliverable paths to net zero might require.

---

The Earth’s average temperature surpassed the 1.5°C threshold for the first time in 2024—a milestone driven in part by El Niño, but also a stark warning about our broader climate trajectory. While temperatures may moderate slightly in 2025, the world remains far from taking the decisive action needed to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change.

The obstacles to meaningful progress are complex, spanning economics, politics at local and global levels, and questions of technological scalability. The good news is that these are solvable challenges. Yet, despite our collective capacity, we’ve struggled to overcome the headwinds that continue to slow decisive climate action.

On the podcast, Niall Mac Dowell, visiting scholar at the Kleinman Center and professor of Future Energy Systems at Imperial College London, takes stock of where we are now. His work focuses on the transition to a low-carbon economy, with recent research exploring the feasibility of clean energy development projections and the role negative emissions could play in achieving net-zero goals. He shares his perspective on what it will take to move more decisively toward a sustainable energy future.

Niall Mac Dowell is Professor of Future Energy Systems at Imperial College London.

Related Content

Has Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme Taken Away a Country’s Ability to Reduce Emissions? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/has-europes-emissions-trading-scheme-taken-away-a-countrys-ability-to-reduce-emissions/

Closing the Climate Finance Gap: A Proposal for a New Green Investment Protocol https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/closing-the-climate-finance-gap-a-proposal-for-a-new-green-investment-protocol/

Climate Action in the Age of Great Power Rivalry: What Geopolitics Means for Climate https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/climate-action-in-the-age-of-great-power-rivalry-what-geopolitics-means-for-the-climate/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danny Cullenward, vice chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee, explores the legal and policy challenges that threaten the future of the state’s carbon cap-and-trade market.

---

For more than a decade, California’s cap-and-trade program has been a key component of the state’s broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a net-zero carbon economy by 2045.

Yet the future of California’s cap-and-trade program is uncertain. The program is currently authorized only through 2030, and significant debate exists over whether its administrator, the California Air Resources Board, has the legal authority to extend it beyond that date.

Danny Cullenward, a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center and vice chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee, explores the political and legal questions surrounding the program’s future. He also explains how uncertainty about the program’s longevity could slow investments in clean infrastructure and limit the market’s effectiveness in driving down the state’s climate emissions.

Danny Cullenward is a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center, and the vice chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee.

Related Content

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/californias-low-carbon-fuel-standard/

Has Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme Taken Away a Country’s Ability to Reduce Emissions? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/has-europes-emissions-trading-scheme-taken-away-a-countrys-ability-to-reduce-emissions/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.