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Columbia Energy ExchangeAuthor: Columbia University
Columbia Energy Exchange features in-depth conversations with the world's top energy and climate leaders from government, business, academia and civil society. The program explores today's most pressing opportunities and challenges across energy policy, financial markets, geopolitics, and climate change as well as their implications for both the U.S. and the world. Language: en Genres: Business, News, News Commentary Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Aliya Haq and Rich Powell on Energy Affordability and the New Congress
Tuesday, 10 November, 2026
Affordability was one of the key issues that drove US voters to the polls last week, and the resulting message for the newly elected Congress is clear: driving down costs is job number one. As part of that, energy affordability has become the most politically consequential issue in US energy policy. But energy affordability is wrapped up in many other issues, from the Iran war to surging energy demand and an aging electric grid. So what can lawmakers do to address today's energy affordability crisis while also making durable improvements to the resilience and security of the US power supply? Today on the show, Bill Loveless speaks with two keen observers of US energy policy, Aliya Haq and Rich Powell, about Democrats' sweeping wins in the Senate and the House and what the results tell us about the political environment for energy policy over the next two years. They discuss the push to pass The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act in the lame-duck session of Congress, the tension between oversight and legislating, and the voter backlash against data centers. They also cover quick grid fixes like reconductoring and the clean firm technologies both parties could support. Aliya Haq is president of the Clean Economy Project, a nonprofit focused on accelerating clean energy. She previously led US policy and advocacy at Breakthrough Energy and served as federal climate policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Rich Powell is CEO of the Corporate Energy Buyers Association. Previously, he led ClearPath, a conservative organization advocating clean energy policies. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff, Bill Loveless, and Daniel Sternoff. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Dara Diamond, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.
