Rephonic
Artwork for Shift Key

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer

Heatmap News
Decarbonization
Climate Change
Inflation Reduction Act
Electric Vehicles
Renewable Energy
Clean Energy
Energy Transition
Trump Administration
China
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Data Centers
Energy Policy
Natural Gas
Climate Policy
Solar Energy
Paris Agreement
Rooftop Solar
Electricity Prices
Fossil Fuels
Tesla

Every week, Heatmap News Executive Editor Robinson Meyer and a guest make sense of the biggest shift of our time -- navigating the energy transition away from fossil fuels. Drawing on their years of experience reporting on and researching climate change and decarbonization, Meyer and his partners unpack the most important issues of the week and how the impacts of climate change and efforts to addr... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes145Founded3 years ago
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Latest Episodes

Every few years, the Pacific Ocean’s surface waters become especially warm near the equator, a climatic phenomenon known as El Niño.

El Niño is a normal part of the climate system, but even in a normal year, it can trigger extreme weather around the... more

At this point, when you hear “venture capitalist,” you probably think of … software. Or artificial intelligence. Or cryptocurrency.

The Engine Ventures, which spun out of MIT a few years ago, is different. It tries to fund what it calls “tough tech,... more

The Democratic Party’s climate and energy policy is at a difficult moment. Over the past year and a half, the Trump administration has attacked solar and wind energy, started an inflationary war, and repealed key parts of the Inflation Reduction Act.... more

There’s really one one good thing that could happen this year in Congress for clean energy: permitting reform. If lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal on the country’s permitting system, they could make it easier to build solar, wind, and transmission... more

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Recent Guests

Martin Heinrich
Senator, Ranking Member of Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
U.S. Senate
Episode: Permitting Reform, Data Centers, and More With Senator Heinrich and Secretary Granholm
Daniel Palken
Former Capitol Hill staffer, director of infrastructure for energy and permitting at Arnold Ventures
Arnold Ventures
Episode: What a Permitting Reform Deal Could Look Like
Scott Wharton
CEO of Tandem PV
Tandem PV
Episode: What a Permitting Reform Deal Could Look Like
Peter Reinhardt
CEO and co-founder of Charm Industrial
Charm Industrial
Episode: What Barbecue Sauce Has in Common With Carbon Removal
Scott Warden
CEO of Tandem PV
Tandem PV
Episode: What Barbecue Sauce Has in Common With Carbon Removal
Yanai Yedvab
CEO and co-founder of Stardust
Stardust
Episode: The Company That’s Raised $60 Million to Geoengineer the Planet
Lily Bermel
Visiting fellow at the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy; former climate policy advisor at the State Department; on John Kerry's climate diplomacy team
Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy / State Department / Biden administration
Episode: The New Paper Arguing Biden’s Power Sector Emissions Cuts Are Largely Intact — Even Under Trump
Mike Schroepfer
Founder of Gigascale Capital, former Meta CTO
Gigascale Capital
Episode: Why Meta’s Longtime CTO Is Investing in Climate Tech
Rory Johnston
Oil market researcher, author of Commodity Context Newsletter
Commodity Context Newsletter
Episode: How China Saved the World From Trump’s Energy Crisis

Hosts

Robinson Meyer
Host of Shift Key (founding executive editor of Heatmap News)
Jillian Goodman
Deputy Editor, Heatmap News

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 290 ratings
  • Useful insight into power markets

    I’m starting out as a state government lawyer in public utility law with a focus on electricity, and the recent episodes and summer school episodes have been a useful entry point into the worlds of energy science, policy, and markets.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JHPAOCA
    United Statesa year ago
  • Educational and interesting

    Great episode on electricity markets. Especially the commentary on gamifying real time pricing.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    unsatisfied customer #99
    United Statesa year ago
  • Educational and Entertaining

    Robinson and Jesse do an excellent job of both keeping me informed about climate change topics while they also entertain with an enjoyable, candid conversation.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    katycryts
    United Statesa year ago
  • Spiritual?

    Environmentalist are actually “concrete” observers. They see habitat loss and point it out. When very few others are able to recognize it, they may have words of condemnation, but they are seeing the forest, not just the trees.

    You don’t have to belittle people who care about life more than you, and for longer than you, to make your point.

    Are you saying Rachel Carson was too spiritual in pointing out the scientific effects of DDT?

    Truth is, human animals don’t want to burn calories physically... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    WilderLead
    United Statesa year ago
  • A serious, detailed, and engaging podcast

    If you are interested/concerned about environmental challenges and how they fit into American/global society, this is the podcast for you. The hosts go into detail on techno/economic factors for the climate transition and how it relates to us as consumers. The episodes are engaging and serious, a rarity in today’s « attention at any cost, even the truth » media environment. Thanks guys for a great podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PhillyMattR
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is praised for clear explanations and engaging hosts, though some episodes face criticisms about pacing or depth on certain topics.
Guests are well-chosen experts that deepen understanding of decarbonization and grid challenges.
Listeners appreciate the data-driven, nuanced discussion of energy policy and market dynamics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What Barbecue Sauce Has in Common With Carbon Removal
Q: Who are Charm's customers and how is the market pricing carbon removal and corporate demand evolving?
Customers are corporate voluntary buyers and banks; demand is diversified across many buyers with long-term off-takes, and expansion is influenced by policy credits like 45Q as well as broader market mechanisms.
What Barbecue Sauce Has in Common With Carbon Removal
Q: What does a gigaton-scale Charm removal system look like and where does biomass come from?
Gigaton-scale would involve scaling biomass supply from wildfire fuel loads, forest thinning, agricultural residues, and other feedstocks, with a logistics and capital ecosystem to manage large volumes near injection sites.
What Barbecue Sauce Has in Common With Carbon Removal
Q: Could you just give us the intro on Charm and what bio-oil is?
Bio-oil is produced from biomass by pyrolyzing plant material to create a liquid mixture, which is then injected into abandoned wells for permanent carbon removal, providing a liquid carrier for the sequestered carbon.
Permitting Reform, Data Centers, and More With Senator Heinrich and Secretary Granholm
Q: What would a practical path forward for permitting reform look like this Congress?
There's a path to yes in negotiations, but the White House has been a wildcard; the goal is to get a tangible product out of this Congress even if imperfect, and to use AI and smarter processes to speed permitting without compromising NEPA and historic preservation requirements.
Permitting Reform, Data Centers, and More With Senator Heinrich and Secretary Granholm
Q: What stood out about how the Department of Energy has been operating and what you'd like to see improved?
There was a smart team that had to leave, but the administration created momentum around clean energy; the challenge lies in policy speed and communication, plus reducing the time to implement tax credits and projects while maintaining accountability and ensuring projects are felt on the ground.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Shift Key

What is Shift Key about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show provides in-depth analysis of energy systems, climate policy, and the economics of the clean-energy transition. Across episodes, the hosts and guests dissect market dynamics, regulatory reforms, grid planning, and technology trends—from EVs and storage to carbon removal and geopolitics—with a data-driven, policy-forward lens. Noteworthy is the consistent pairing of rigorous, analytical discussion with accessible explanations, plus frequent guest experts from academia, industry, and government that help illuminate complex decarbonization pathways. Listeners likely include policy professionals, engineers, researchers, and industry executives seeking practical context for energy transitions and regulatory impacts.

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Which podcasts are similar to Shift Key?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Shift Key:

1. Open Circuit
2. Volts
3. Catalyst with Shayle Kann
4. Energy Empire
5. Columbia Energy Exchange

How many episodes of Shift Key are there?

Shift Key launched 3 years ago and published 145 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Shift Key?

Recent guests on Shift Key include:

1. Martin Heinrich
2. Daniel Palken
3. Scott Wharton
4. Peter Reinhardt
5. Scott Warden
6. Yanai Yedvab
7. Lily Bermel
8. Mike Schroepfer

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