With electricity prices on the rise, the future of our power grid is attracting a lot more attention. Surging demand is at the center of the story, but the power sector is also grappling with supply chain bottlenecks and aging infrastructure – all while trying to balance capacity growth with reducing emissions.

This isn't just a technical challenge. Energy affordability and equity are reshaping debates about energy policy, permitting reform, and climate goals. 

So, what’s really behind rising prices? What are the best ways to balance the need to build capacity with the interests of communities? What role can research play when it comes to steering energy policy? And what lessons can Texas teach us about all of these concerns?

Today on the show, Jason Bordoff speaks with Michael Webber about the costs of energy; the challenges of permitting reform; and the need to build more energy faster.

Michael Webber is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He's the author of multiple books on energy, including Power Trip and Thirst for Power, both of which were adapted into award-winning PBS documentary series. In addition to his academic post, Michael previously served as CTO of the venture fund Energy Impact Partners, and as chief science and technology officer at ENGIE.

Note: This conversation was recorded in early December.

Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O’Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

From the affordability crisis and the data center boom, to the US government’s campaign to reinvigorate the Venezuelan oil market, energy is dominating headlines in unusual ways. 

And that’s all happening against a backdrop of upheaval in federal energy policy, which started on day one of the second Trump administration. As we begin the new year and head into midterm elections, there’s a dizzying number of crucial energy policy issues at play.

So what issues are shaping US climate and energy policymaking in 2026? How might upcoming court rulings change things? As high utility bills persist, how is the public responding to changes in energy policy? And what stories or trends are not being told amid all of these important energy storylines?

Today on the show, Bill Loveless speaks with reporters Maxine Joselow and Josh Siegel about covering energy and climate policy, and what key stories and trends they’re covering in 2026.

Maxine Joselow is a reporter for The New York Times where she covers climate policy from Washington D.C. Before joining The Times Maxine covered climate change and the environment for The Washington Post. Earlier, she was a reporter at E&E News.

Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO, where he focuses on Congress. He also hosts the POLITICO Energy podcast. Previously, he covered the energy beat for the Washington Examiner where he wrote the Daily on Energy newsletter.  

Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O’Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

Great power competition—particularly between the United States and China—is intensifying. This rivalry is reshaping everything from technology supply chains and energy security to the future of artificial intelligence. 

This is happening at a time when US relations with India and Europe are under strain,  largely due to policy uncertainty and the administration’s new trade strategies.

So how should the US navigate this new era of great power competition? How do we balance economic competitiveness with security and energy objectives? Where do critical technologies like AI and clean energy fit into this geopolitical chess match? And what can cooperation, dialogue, and diplomacy do to address all of these issues? 

Today on the show, Jason Bordoff speaks with Anja Manuel about the state of global competition and the critical intersection of energy and national security.

Anja is a co-founder and partner at Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, a strategic consulting firm. She's also the executive director of the Aspen Strategy Group and the Aspen Security Forum, one of the premier bipartisan assemblies for foreign policy in the United States. Previously, Anja served as special assistant to the undersecretary for political affairs in the U.S. Department of State. She's the author of "This Brave New World: India, China, and the United States."

Note: This episode was recorded in mid-December and does not reflect the most recent events in Venezuela. 

Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O’Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

Early on January 3, 2026, the United States apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and removed Maduro from power. Maduro was transported to New York, where he now faces federal charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. 

The situation in Venezuela remains highly fluid, as does the US policy response. President Trump has signaled a dramatic expansion of US objectives. He has suggested the US will be “running” the country during a transition and is seeking direct access to Venezuela’s massive oil reserves. 

In Caracas, interim President Delcy Rodríguez condemned the operation but has expressed a willingness to negotiate. Meanwhile, the role of democratic opposition leader María Corina Machado remains unclear.

Venezuela possesses the largest oil reserves in the world and these developments raise important questions for global energy markets at a time of ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. What’s the future of Venezuelan oil? And how might US sanctions and foreign policy decisions reshape energy flows in the region and beyond?

Today on the show, Jason Bordoff speaks with three leading experts at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Luisa Palacios, Richard Nephew, and Daniel Sternoff, about the recent events in Venezuela and their wide-ranging implications. 

Luisa previously served as chairwoman of Citgo Petroleum Corporation, the US refining arm of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA. Richard formerly was the US deputy special envoy for Iran among several other government roles focused on sanctions and foreign policy. Before joining the Center, Daniel led Energy Aspects’ executive briefing service.

The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA is closely following recent US actions in Venezuela and their impact on geopolitics, policy, and global energy markets. Follow us @ColumbiaUEnergy for more insights and updates. See all of our coverage here.

Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O’Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.