This week we talk about a very pertinent topic: How will the local electric grid accommodate the data center boom? When power grids tend to operate on close to maximum capacity, even a modest increase in demand demands significant investment. Where will those investments come from, and where will they go?

In this week's episode we discuss bitcoin backed municipal debt issuance in New Hampshire with Les Borsai & James Key-Wallace. There has been a wave of states embracing digital currency in debt issuance with legislation introduced in 32 states as of now. We discuss the mechanics, the partnership with the state and private firms, and the potential landscape going foeward.

Welcome back to the Public Money Pod, the first episode for 2026. In this episode we interview Professor Erick Guerra from the University of Pennsylvania. We discuss the transportation infrastructure which involves building, maintaining, and rebuilding an ever expanding road and highway network that has to be financed.

In the episode before thanksgiving we interview Mike Twitty, Pinellas County Property Appraiser. We talk about the different technological tools that have been employed in the Pinellas County to make the property tax process much more transparent, especially for new home owners. We also discuss the sentiment of lawmakers in Florida to property taxes and possible future outcomes.

In episode 11 we continue with the IG series with the former inspector general of the Department of Interior and the Chair of the Counsel of the Inspectors General Mark Greenblatt. We dive into topics such as the differences in IG's at local an d state level and IG's in federal positions and the evolution of IG's role in government as well.

In this episode we discuss public procurement system current and how AI affects these essential public services with Solomon Kingston. Solomon is the Interim Chief Cooperative Procurement Officer of NASPO, a non-profit dedicated to helping state governments improve their public procurement practices nationwide.

In the ninth episode of the Public Money Pod, we talk to the Inspector General for the City of Chicago, Deborah Witzburg about keeping public agencies accountable to the tax payers. Previously, she served as the City’s Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety, overseeing independent, objective evaluations and reviews of Chicago’s police and police accountability agencies, and also served as OIG’s chief investigator for the Public Safety section, leading efforts to screen and review closed police disciplinary cases, as well as OIG’s Associate General Counsel for Public Safety

Ricky Hernandez is the Chief Financial Officer for the Tucson Unified School District and In this episode we look at ESSER funding as well as ESAs or "Empowerment Scholarship Accounts". We examine the implications of the school vouchers, which came about after the pandemic, on city budgets.

In our latest episode we discuss property taxes with Professor Christopher Berry from Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. The differences between the levy and rate systems and how data analytics can be used to improve accuracy in property valuations.

This week Jordan Haedtler discusses FIAR plans as an insurance tool against events caused by the climate crisis. We examine how FAIR plans are used in different states over the years and how new legislation may affect them. Recommendations from the report "Insurers of Last Resort: Why Today's FAIR Plans Need a Redesign to Address the Home Insurance Crisis." show how FAIR plans can be better regulated to keep up with the changing scope of how they may be used.