Policy Frontier

We discuss the war in Iran, energy markets and the UK energy transition.Frankie is Senior Energy and Climate Analyst for the UK at Ember, where he leads policy analysis and research aimed at accelerating the transition to a clean power system. His work involves detailed electricity system analysis, renewable integration, energy security, and the role of data in shaping effective policy decisions. He is active in public discussions on weather-driven generation patterns, grid dynamics, and how the UK can meet its net zero goals.

In this episode, I’m joined by Advait Arun, a climate finance and energy infrastructure analyst whose work looks at how capital markets underpin large-scale technological and industrial transitions. He currently works with the Center for Public Enterprise, a nonprofit think tank which designs public finance programs for local and state housing, energy, and transportation authorities. His latest report, Bubble or Nothing, evaluates some of the the shaky financial assumptions behind the AI investment boom and the resulting data center buildout. His analysis is widely read for its technical precision and refusal to rely on speculative narratives. He has also written about public-sector project finance, derisking geothermal and nuclear energy, and federal lending programs.He previously worked in the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Sustainable Infrastructure, where he helped implement the Just Energy Transition Partnerships and monitored global climate-aligned infrastructure investment strategies. He graduated from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service with a degree in international political economy. Today we discuss Bubble or Nothing and what it means for investors, for regular Americans, and for policymakers.

In this first episode I interview Rebecca. Rebecca is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Cambridge, where her research focuses on international women's organisations in colonial North Africa. She is also a Gates Scholar. Prior to returning to academia, she worked in gender security and foreign policy in Washington DC, most recently as assistant director of the Women and Foreign Policy program at the Council of Foreign Relations. She remains interested in the historical roots of contemporary thinking on gender and security on has published recent articles in Global Security, Global Studies Quarterly and Gender and History on women and American diplomatic history. She has an MA from Georgetown University in security studies, and the BA from Wellesley College in international relations. In this episode of Policy Frontier we explore Rebecca's work uncovering the work and legacy of Puffer Morgan, an early 20th century thought leader in security and disarmament, exploring the long though underappreciated history of women's involvement in security policy. We further discuss the role of women in terrorist groups, and the implications of their participation, as well as the ongoing importance of diversity in the security community.