US Energy Security and the Green Transition — Paul Saunders

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 SaundersPaul 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 TransitionMeet the CRANKs: How China, Russia, Iran and North Korea Align Against AmericaRestoring America’s Nuclear Energy Leadership and ExportsContent00:00 - Introduction02:15 - Dependence on Fossil Fuels in the USA and Green Energy Transition Plans07:52 - Energy Transition as a Topic in the US Presidential Election Campaign10:38 - The Role of Subsidies for Fossil Fuel Industries in Energy Transition13:26 - Trends in Subsidies for Fossil Fuel Industries18:00 - Implications of Fossil Fuel Energy for Other Parts of the World21:42 - Investments in Renewable Energy in the USA26:50 - The Influence of State and Federal Governments on Energy Policies30:39 - US Energy Regulations and Market Reliance37:07 - US Energy Storage Facilities43:40 - Modernisation of the US Electricity Grid for Integrating Fossil Fuels and Renewables48:29 - The Role of Nuclear Energy in Balancing Fossil Fuels and RenewablesFollow & Further ResourcesSubstack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/X: https://x.com/irthinker_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.