Show notes
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribeLast week’s election was a blue wave all the way down the ballot: Democrats took the House and Senate, went from 16 state trifectas to as many as 22, flipped utility commissions, and rejected data centers almost everywhere. Caroline Spears of Climate Cabinet, which won more than 100 of its 120-plus races, joins me to sort through the statehouses, PSCs, and ballot measures. Then we ask the harder questions of whether these new majorities can actually bring down costs and what it all means for climate and energy policy.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction02:20 – How Climate Cabinet’s races went04:31 – The national results and historic firsts07:21 – Trifectas 1: which states flipped12:25 – Trifectas 2: Pennsylvania and going big18:21 – Trifectas 3: North Carolina, redistricting22:47 – Regulators 1: Georgia’s new majority26:09 – Regulators 2: Arizona and Louisiana28:32 – Regulators 3: Texas Railroad Commission32:22 – Undervoting and other down-ballot wins38:05 – Data centers 1: the ballot-box backlash40:27 – Data centers 2: is clean energy next?45:09 – Ballot measures 1: Michigan and Colorado49:13 – Ballot measures 2: Ann Arbor, Eugene, AZ55:56 – Housing and transit1:01:44 – How states can cut energy bills1:08:46 – Quick fixes, lasting fixes, and EVs1:13:11 – Looking ahead to 20281:20:14 – Final thoughts
