This episode of The IR thinker examines the United States’ dependence on fossil fuels and its contested path towards a green energy transition with Paul Saunders, focusing on the role of subsidies, regulatory frameworks and partisan politics in shaping policy choices. The discussion explores trends in renewable energy investment, the modernisation of the electricity grid, energy storage, and the continuing significance of nuclear power in balancing fossil fuels and renewables at home and abroad.
Paul Saunders is President of the Center for the National Interest and a member of its board of directors, as well as Senior Advisor at the Energy Innovation Reform Project, where he previously served as President. His expertise spans United States foreign and security policy, energy security and climate change, and relations with Russia, Japan and South Korea; he served as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs in the George W. Bush administration, with responsibility for transnational issues including energy and climate, and has long experience in congressional and think tank policy advising.
Publications:
Russia’s Global Energy Role: War, Sanctions, and the Energy Transition
Meet the CRANKs: How China, Russia, Iran and North Korea Align Against America
Restoring America’s Nuclear Energy Leadership and Exports
Content
00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Dependence on Fossil Fuels in the USA and Green Energy Transition Plans
07:52 - Energy Transition as a Topic in the US Presidential Election Campaign
10:38 - The Role of Subsidies for Fossil Fuel Industries in Energy Transition
13:26 - Trends in Subsidies for Fossil Fuel Industries
18:00 - Implications of Fossil Fuel Energy for Other Parts of the World
21:42 - Investments in Renewable Energy in the USA
26:50 - The Influence of State and Federal Governments on Energy Policies
30:39 - US Energy Regulations and Market Reliance
37:07 - US Energy Storage Facilities
43:40 - Modernisation of the US Electricity Grid for Integrating Fossil Fuels and Renewables
48:29 - The Role of Nuclear Energy in Balancing Fossil Fuels and Renewables
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