Growing Impact

About Growing Impact

Growing Impact explores cutting-edge projects of Penn State researchers and scientists who are solving some of the world's most challenging energy and environmental issues.

Publisher

Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment

Category

science · science · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Feb 2021

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

59 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Plastic recycling with coal

   Plastic recycling is difficult for a simple reason: Plastics are designed to last. Penn State researchers are testing whether tiny particles of Pennsylvania anthracite coal can absorb laser light and deliver targeted heat to break polymer bonds. If successful, the approach could use less energy, require less sorting, and make more types of plastic easier to recycle.

2. 

   1 Jul 2026

   Resilient power grid planning

   As electricity demand grows and becomes harder to predict, power grid planners face a difficult question: how do they build for a future shaped by extreme weather, renewable energy, and the rapid rise of data centers? A new research project is developing tools to help planners identify the most important risks without having to model every possible future. The work could help utilities make better long-term infrastructure decisions while reducing the chances of costly overbuilding or major power outages.

3. 

   1 Apr 2026

   Managing India's groundwater crisis

   India is the world's largest groundwater-based economy, with more than half its 1.5 billion population depending on agriculture for their livelihoods — making groundwater depletion a critical threat. Researchers are investigating the Atal Bhujal Yojana, a $500 million World Bank–supported national program that takes a community-led, "inside-out" approach to groundwater management. But can village committees manage this resource sustainably and equitably? And what happens when the program is cut short?

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

21,358

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

75

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

32

Contact Growing Impact

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.