Breaking America's Energy Policy Gridlock

Across America, energy policy is often driven by short-term politics over long-term planning. Despite record-breaking U.S. oil production in recent years, partisan battles continue over fossil fuels and climate action.

States like North Dakota illustrate this tension perfectly. Rich in both oil and wind resources, they navigate between traditional energy production and renewable development. But nationwide, critical energy infrastructure faces roadblocks—from pipelines stalled by local opposition to transmission lines needed for clean energy expansion.

So what will it take to develop a nonpartisan national energy strategy? How do we balance immediate economic needs with climate goals? And as electricity demands grow while the power grid faces new challenges, what will it take to develop an energy strategy beyond the politics of four-year election cycles?

This week host Bill Loveless talks with Heidi Heitkamp about crafting enduring energy policies that serve both economic and environmental goals.

Heidi served as a U.S. senator from North Dakota from 2013 to 2019, becoming the first woman elected to represent the state in that chamber. Before her time in the Senate, Heitkamp served as North Dakota's attorney general and state tax commissioner. Today, she is director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and works with the university's Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth.

Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Erin Hardick, Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive producer.