How to make rooftop solar power as cheap in the US as it is in Australia episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 28, 2026 · 1H 8M

How to make rooftop solar power as cheap in the US as it is in Australia

from Volts · host David Roberts

Rooftop solar costs nearly three times as much in the US as it does in Australia, largely due to the "paperwork tax" imposed by thousands of fragmented local jurisdictions. I talk with Nick Josefowitz of Permit Power and solar veteran Andrew Birch about how to slash these soft costs through automated permitting and standardized interconnection. We discuss how these bureaucratic fixes could unlock dirt-cheap energy for American families without the need for subsidies. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 28, 2026

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How to make rooftop solar power as cheap in the US as it is in Australia

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