The Current

Can Democrats save the Build Back Better plan? Supreme Court politics and other legislative priorities are taking up precious time in the legislative calendar before the midterms, but President Biden and Democrats remain hopeful that components of BBB can pass. EEI’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Eric Grey, sits down with Brad to discuss what vehicles are available to pass the energy components of that bill. 

In our first episode of 2022, Brad talks about nuclear energy with Beverly Marshall, Vice President of Governmental Affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). Nuclear energy is at an inflection point, as policymakers and companies increasingly rely on its potential to decarbonize the economy and meet ESG goals. Bev talks about recent developments in nuclear and how federal and state action are poised to expand its role in America’s electricity market.

This week, Brad sits down with Lon Huber, Vice President of Rate Design and Strategic Solutions at Duke Energy. Lon and Duke Energy recently entered into The South Carolina Solar Choice Settlement. The settlement – and the proceeding that led to the settlement’s outcome – was unique compared to others. Lon lays out how parties were able to put aside differences and formulate an innovative rate design for DERs.

We all grew up hearing “think globally, act locally” when it comes to environmental issues. Who is better positioned to do that than our own mayors and local officials? This week, we have the honor of being joined by the mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Melvin Carter, who has pushed building code updates and transportation electrification projects in his city. Mayor Carter discusses those and other ways that local leaders can fight climate change while protecting low-income residents. 

This week, we’re celebrating National Drive Electric Week by sitting down with Dan Bowerson, Senior Director of Energy and Environment at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. Dan shares with us the car industry’s perspectives on the electric vehicle (EV) landscape, what needs to happen on the policy and consumer levels to accelerate EV deployment, and how the automotive and electric power industries can work together. 

Congress returns from the August recess with an eye toward passing the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, which received overwhelming bipartisan support in August, and the more controversial $3.5 trillion budget. This week, Brad sits down with Capitol Hill expert Bob Russell, Partner at the Simmons & Russell Group, to help break down the infrastructure bill, budget reconciliation, and the politics surrounding both.

From expanding cleaner energy resources to enhancing grid reliability, state policymakers are at the center of shaping how electricity is generated and delivered. Tim Fox, Vice President & Research Analyst at ClearView Energy Partners, sits down with Brad this week to walkthrough the different policy approaches red and blue states are implementing toward the electric power industry. 

July 10 is Lineworker Appreciation Day. To celebrate the men and women who brave the elements in and around hazardous conditions to keep the power on, Brad sits down with three guests to discuss the training and day-to-day work that confront lineworkers and the ways the trade is evolving and diversifying. Joining Brad is a panel of experts on the trade:

• Shannon Skinner – Foreman with NV Energy and President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 396 in Las Vegas
• Eppie Martinez – Leads training at the IBEW and is Executive Director of the National Utility Industry Training Fund
• Missy Henriksen – Executive Director at Center for Energy Workforce Development

Lineworkers are essential to delivering energy to homes and businesses. We hope you will join us in thanking our nation’s lineworkers for their dedication to powering our lives each day by signing our petition here. 

On this week’s episode, The Current sat down for our very first interview on the social media platform Clubhouse to discuss the February winter storms that struck the South. Texas electricity consumers were particularly hit hard, with millions of Texans going without power in freezing temperatures for days. It could have been worse. The grid was just minutes away from being wiped out. The storm renewed focus on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and its failure to prepare for and respond to the disaster. Ed Hirs, Distinguished Professor of Economics at the University of Houston and a bona fide expert on energy markets, sits down with Brad to discuss what happened and how to prevent this disaster from happening again. 

Cyberattacks are expanding and becoming ever more sophisticated, and the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline in May highlighted the scale to which these attacks can penetrate critical infrastructure and upend millions of Americans’ lives. Joining Brad this week to discuss the attack and what policymakers – and companies – need to be doing to prevent and respond to cyberthreats is former Texas congressman and cybersecurity expert Will Hurd.