California’s Energy Nightmare, “energy privilege,” and resisting oppression

On this week’s Power Hour, Alex Epstein interviews Ron Stein, author of Energy Made Easy and Just Green Electricity, about the decline of California’s energy system.

On the show they discuss:
- How much oil California uses and where it comes from.
- The decline of California energy production and the rise of imports from the Middle East.
- Where California’s electricity comes from–hint: a lot of it isn’t from California.
- How California is shutting down 4 reliable power plants with no replacements on the horizon.
- How California’s regressive oil and electricity policies his poor and middle class Californians the hardest.
- How California can change its energy future.

On the podcast Alex also answers two listener questions: one about “energy privilege” and one about the role of reliable, low-cost energy in fighting oppression.

At the end of the second question Alex discusses how modern, high-powered communication systems are valuable for fighting many kinds of oppression, but how the current social media model is dangerously suppressive of open intellectual debate.