Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations4 Juni 2025

Who Pays for AI Power? (w Cat Clifford of Cipher)

Get full show notes, bonus content, and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth!

“More clean energy. More affordable energy. That dual mandate is the real challenge.”

In this episode, Richard Delevan talks to Cat Clifford, senior reporter at Cipher News, about what happens when data center demand collides with outdated policy, broken infrastructure, and an AI arms race nobody can afford to lose.

We go deep into Cat’s reporting on:

AI’s Ballooning Electricity Appetite

– Why AI is driving the biggest spike in electricity demand in a generation

– The paradox of AI as a climate solution—if it’s powered cleanly

– The unknowables: how big, how fast, and how chaotic?

The Nuclear-Tech Bromance

– Why big tech is cozying up to small modular reactors (SMRs)

– Who’s bankrolling the nuclear revival—and who might get burned

– The role of always-on baseload in the age of AI factories

Geothermal’s Promised Land

– Advanced geothermal’s bipartisan political appeal

– Why it’s ideal for U.S. energy dominance—but underfunded

– Will Congress rewrite the tax credit rules in time to matter?

Texas, Tariffs, and Transmission

– What just happened in the Texas Legislature—and why it matters beyond Texas

– How tariffs whiplashed investor confidence in solar and AI supply chains

– Why permitting reform—and grid expansion—are stuck

Politics, 2026, and the Price of Power

– What voters will care about: the cost of energy

– Who pays to keep the lights on in the AI age?

– What the fight over IRA tax credits tells us about the Senate’s climate future

Quote of the Episode:

“If the U.S. is serious about the AI race, solar and storage are the only near-term way to meet demand. Everyone’s going to have to compromise.”

Further Reading:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(174)

Pope Leo vs AI: Can Popes Move Markets?

Full details on wickedproblems.earth! Professor Federica Genovese of Oxford, Professor Lorenzo Crippa of Strathclyde, and veteran journalist Dave Vetter join host Richard Delevan to discuss Magnifica ...

23 Maj 38min

Everybody Wants to Rule a Warmer World: Arthur Snell on his new book, Elemental

Former British diplomat Arthur Snell is about to publish a book that explains how climate is rapidly changing the geographic assumptions on which geopolitics is built. Buy it now — Elemental: The New ...

8 Mars 46min

Renewables as Reistance in Ukraine. w Svitlana Romanko of Razom We Stand

For ad-free listening, articles, and newsletter go to wickedproblems.earth and sign up.On Wicked Problems, host Richard Delevan interviews Svitlana Romko, founder of Razom We Stand, at the Laudato Si ...

26 Feb 39min

A Perfect Storm: Dana R. Fisher & Green Party CEO Harriet Lamb

“Wicked Problems,” hosted by Richard Delevan, returns after a long hiatus and links escalating repression - newly including climate activists - with a high-stakes by-election in Greater Manchester. It...

24 Feb 54min

Rumble in the Jungle COP

Full show notes, transcripts, and more at wickedproblems.earth Welcome to Belém, where the world (with some notable exceptions) has gathered to talk about saving the Amazon as if it weren’t already on...

10 Nov 202540min

Trump nukes Net Zero Shipping

Full show notes and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earthShipping is one of those things that’s just supposed to work. Post-Titanic, we created a set of rules that currently are looked after by th...

6 Nov 20251h 26min

Laurie Laybourn on Overshooting 1.5°C

Bonus content at wickedproblems.earth Overshoot, a new four-part documentary series from climate strategist and Wicked Problems alum Laurie Laybourn—goes further than nearly anyone has before. And he ...

21 Okt 202543min

Touch the Feckin' Grass. w Bishop Martin Hayes, Jane Mellett, Eamon Ryan

Discussing the Irish contingent at the Raising Hope conference and the future of faith and climate action -Bishop Martin Hayes of Kilmore; former Irish environment minister and Green Party leader Eamo...

21 Okt 20251h 8min