Volts | David Roberts | Substack

Volts

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!)

1:04:14

How to keep people cool without making the planet even hotter

RMI's Ankit Kalanki on why fixing the way we test air conditioners is the secret lever to slashing global cooling emissions.

Jun 24 • David Roberts

54:18

America's flagship automaker enters the home energy market

Aseem Kapur joins me to explain how GM plans to turn its massive EV fleet into a distributed virtual power plant.

Jun 19 • David Roberts

1:00:05

Can the UK stay the course with its climate plans?

UK Climate Minister Katie White on navigating the decarbonization challenge amidst rising energy prices and political headwinds.

Jun 17 • David Roberts

1:11:58

Why is NERC so worried about data centers?

How massive AI & crypto loads are threatening grid stability, and what Colin McCormick and Doug Bryan say we must do to fix it.

Jun 10 • David Roberts

1:12:23

This oil shock won't be like the others

Kate Mackenzie and Tim Sahay break down why global inflation and Chinese manufacturing mean the old fossil fuel playbook no longer works.

Jun 5 • David Roberts

1:12:10

Are plug-in DERs going to spark a grid revolution?

James McGinniss on the rise of permissionless, plug-in energy storage and why it will eventually outcompete the utility-scale kind.

Jun 3 • David Roberts

1:39:38

Giving clean electricity a political voice of its own

Investor Steve McBee discusses a new effort to give the clean electrification sector more political muscle & swagger.

May 29 • David Roberts

1:06:29

A limited defense of Biden's everything-bagel industrial policy

A conversation with Betony Jones.

May 27 • David Roberts

1:06:20

How to phase out residential gas equitably

Panama Bartholomy and Kristin George Bagdanov explain why neighborhood-level "chunky decarbonization" is the key to a fast and fair transition.

May 22 • David Roberts