Inside the DOE: Understanding the Role of the US Department of Energy in the Energy Transition
(Climate Now) “We’ve built an entire industrial economy around a set of energy sources, and we’re now thinking about diversifying way beyond that. And that’s a big set of changes.” What will it take to diversify our energy economy, and how do we actually do it? That is the remit of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), according to Kate Gordon, senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy.
In this week’s podcast, Ms. Gordon joins us to discuss how the DOE is structured today; how they’re working with states, local governments, and tribes to reduce energy consumption and support an equitable clean energy economy and the new industries that come with it – like hydrogen and carbon removal; and what major pieces of legislation are driving the DOE’s energy transition work – and how.
Key Questions:
What role does the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) play, historically and today?
How is the DOE supporting deployment of clean energy technologies?
How are the climate mitigation objectives in recent US legislation (the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act) getting implemented, and what is their real-world benefit?
FEATURING:
Kate Gordon
Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy
HOSTED BY:
James Lawler
Climate Now Host
From the oil crisis to the climate crisis, Kate Gordon, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, joins Climate Now to discuss the history of the US Department of Energy and how it has evolved to meet the “energy moment we’re in.”
Darren Hau joins as a co-host for our news segment, This Week in Climate News, at the top of the show.
Interview highlights:
- Kate begins by giving an overview of the DOE: how it operates, its history, and its role in the current energy transition.
- She discusses the 4 major pieces of legislation that have helped move the needle for clean energy:
- American Rescue Plan
- CHIPS Act (The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act of 2022)
- The Infrastructure Bill
- The Inflation Reduction Act
- Kate then talks about the DOE programs for communities, particularly low-income communities, to help them participate in the “new energy economy,” such as:
- Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Plan)
- Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
- Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG)
- and more! READ MORE; includes transcript
