38 episodes
Volts, page 2
by David Roberts · English
Volts is a podcast about leaving fossil fuels behind. I've been reporting on and explaining clean-energy topics for almost 20 years, and I love talking to politicians, analysts, innovators, and activists about the latest progress in the world's most important fight. (Volts is entirely subscriber-supported. Sign up!) www.volts.wtf
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He helped Uruguay decarbonize. Can he help other countries do the same?
Ramón Méndez Galain explains how Uruguay shifted from drought-prone hydropower plus expensive imported oil to a mostly renewable, low-emissions power system, and how his nonprofit (Asociación Ivey)…
19 Aug 2026 · 1h 2m · 21 chapters
Can public EV chargers be as reliable as gas stations?
Whether public DC fast EV chargers can reach “gas station” reliability and become a pleasant, amenity-rich experience; includes IANA’s “public charging 2.0” model and the economics/operations behind…
14 Aug 2026 · 1h 2m · 25 chapters
Another bipartisan housing miracle, this time in Idaho
Idaho’s 2025–2026 bipartisan housing reforms, shaped by an interim land use and housing study committee, aimed at cutting construction costs and speeding approvals.
12 Aug 2026 · 1h 2m · 19 chapters
Grid cybersecurity: how big is the threat & what should we do about it?
Grid cybersecurity risk assessment for a more software- and power-electronics-dependent U.S.
7 Aug 2026 · 1h 12m · 25 chapters
What should state policymakers do about data centers?
What state policymakers should do to manage data center development—balancing promised investment/tax revenue against risks to ratepayers, communities, and the grid.
5 Aug 2026 · 1h 3m · 27 chapters
Best of July 2026
“Best of July 2026” highlight reel from Volts, featuring short segments from multiple episodes about utility governance and elections, grid data use, land value taxes, electrification policy…
2 Aug 2026 · 46m · 15 chapters
Silicon anodes for batteries unlock greater energy density and faster charging times
The episode explains why silicon anodes could replace graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries, boosting energy density and enabling much faster charging.
31 Jul 2026 · 46m · 24 chapters
Should we feel good about the trajectory of clean energy post-Trump?
Whether clean energy progress after the Trump era should be viewed optimistically, using MIT modeling to compare the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) plus Biden power-plant rules versus a post-Trump…
29 Jul 2026 · 1h 28m · 32 chapters
The US is terrible at building public transit. Here's how to get better.
The U.S. public transit delivery system is dysfunctional—slow, expensive, and compliance-focused—leading to transit projects that cost far more than international peers.
22 Jul 2026 · 1h 8m · 24 chapters
Making sense of the data center backlash
The rapid backlash against data centers in the U.S., including what’s driving it (trust, PR failures, local impacts), how it’s shaping politics (state moratoriums, gubernatorial campaigns), and what…
20 Jul 2026 · 1h 1m · 22 chapters
Spreading the good news about electrification
Electrification as a bipartisan, affordability-first strategy for decarbonization, lower energy costs, cleaner air, jobs, and grid innovation; how to educate state legislators and spread…
15 Jul 2026 · 1h 3m · 20 chapters
Want less sprawl and more urban infill? Try a land value tax!
The episode argues that current U.S. property taxes (taxing both land and buildings together) penalize development and reward leaving land vacant or underused, contributing to sprawl and surface…
10 Jul 2026 · 1h 10m · 21 chapters
Forcing utilities to justify their distribution-system spending
Minnesota’s regulated utilities treat distribution spending as “non-discretionary” engineering/maintenance, with limited regulatory scrutiny, even though distribution is now where two-way power and…
8 Jul 2026 · 1h 8m · 22 chapters
A key Arizona race will test clean energy's electoral power
The episode explains how clean-energy groups won control of Arizona’s Salt River Project (SRP) utility board by targeting a tiny, landowner-only electorate, and how they plan to scale that approach…
1 Jul 2026 · 55m · 24 chapters