Petrostates vs Electrostates: The Fight for the Future of Energy
In this episode of Energy Matters, Claire and Dan explore the growing divide between petrostates and electrostates. From tensions in the Strait of Hormuz to rising electricity demand and China's rapid clean energy expansion, they examine how geopolitics and energy systems are colliding. The question is simple but urgent: are we investing in the future, or holding onto the past?
10 Mar 2026
Energy and Turmoil: Iran, Oil Prices, and the Future of Nuclear Power
Global conflict is once again colliding with global energy markets. In this episode of Energy Matters, Claire and Dan examine how escalating tensions involving Iran could disrupt the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG flows. If shipping through the region is interrupted, oil prices could rise sharply and gasoline prices could climb across the United States.
The conversation then turns to nuclear energy. Dan shares insights from a recent visit to Fukushima on the 15th anniversary of the disaster and explains Japan's unusual plan to redistribute radioactive waste across the country after 2046. Claire and Dan also discuss the economics of nuclear power today, including the massive cost overruns at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia and the growing debate over whether nuclear power can compete with rapidly falling solar prices.
3 Mar 2026
Buildings at the Center of the Energy Transition
Buildings account for roughly one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and up to 80 percent in major cities. In this episode of Energy Matters, Claire speaks with Véronique Bugnion, co-founder and CEO of Clearly Energy, about how building performance standards, electrification, and grid design are reshaping the role of buildings in the clean energy transition.
They discuss the difference between electrification and true decarbonization, how cities like New York and Washington, D.C. are enforcing emissions targets, and why large buildings must evolve from passive energy consumers into dynamic participants in the grid. The conversation also explores the interaction between climate policy and grid constraints, and what it takes to build and fund a woman-led energy startup in a rapidly changing industry.
As power demand rises and cities pursue aggressive climate goals, buildings may prove to be one of the most important levers in transforming the energy system.
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