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
Fossil Fuels
Tesla
Electricity Prices

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 weeklyEpisodes140Founded2 years ago
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Latest Episodes

For more than 30 years, a heterodox group of scientists have proposed injecting sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight away from Earth, thereby cooling the atmosphere and reversing climate change.

But actual research into the ide... more

Wait, is the climate policy landscape … in better shape than it looks?

Just over a year ago, President Trump passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It repealed many of the Biden administration’s most aggressive climate policies, including tax credit... more

It has been a hard few years for climate tech. But we recently got a bright spot: Earlier this month, Gigascale Capital announced it had raised $250 million to build the physical infrastructure driving decarbonization. That was notable in part becaus... more

When Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year, experts projected oil prices would go to $200 a barrel. But then… they didn’t. In fact, while gasoline prices rose in the United States, and Europe and Asia suffered higher costs, the resulting... more

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Recent Guests

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
Hannah Bebbington Valori
Head of Frontier, on Frontier's founding team
Frontier
Episode: Anthropic and the Future of the Buzzy Carbon Removal Buyer's Club
Peter Hubbard
Current Georgia Public Service Commissioner and former renewables developer
Georgia Public Service Commission
Episode: The Other, Other Big Race in Georgia This Year
Josh Parker
Nvidia's Head of Sustainability since 2023
Nvidia
Episode: Nvidia’s Case for Why AI Will Cut Emissions
Ann Carlson
Shirley Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law at UCLA
UCLA
Episode: How Los Angeles Cleaned Up the World’s Air Pollution
Kate Logan
Director of the China Climate Hub and Climate Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute
Asia Society Policy Institute
Episode: This Year’s Beijing Auto Show Has a Lesson for Trump
Jason Bordoff
Founding director of the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University
Columbia University, Center for Global Energy Policy
Episode: What’s Truly Baffling About the Strait of Hormuz Energy Crisis
Meghan O'Sullivan
Mentioned as frequent collaborator in a discussion about energy policy (not appearing)
Harvard/Safer energy policy discussions
Episode: What’s Truly Baffling About the Strait of Hormuz 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 286 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.

Why Meta’s Longtime CTO Is Investing in Climate Tech
Q: Can you give me an example of what you have in mind there?
Two or three examples across the spectrum include solar as the obvious clean choice, Salcoa's neodymium supply chain in Alameda, and the broader concept that simpler, cleaner, cheaper hardware tends to scale better, enabling domestic manufacturing and lower costs in the long run.
What Has All This Back-and-Forth Climate Legislating Bought Us?
Q: What are the biggest unknowns going forward about how OBA will interact with technology policy and industry incentives?
There are questions about how OBA intersects with emerging technologies like carbon capture, clean hydrogen, and advanced nuclear, as well as the role of industrial decarbonization and the design of carbon pricing mechanisms that could shield or burden domestic industry, with optimism about data centers and AI-driven deployment but caution about shorter credit lifetimes and policy timing.
What Has All This Back-and-Forth Climate Legislating Bought Us?
Q: So what does this mean for our understanding of emissions and the long-term trajectory with IRA and OBA?
The guests explain that emissions reductions were likely much higher with IRA than under OBA, but even with OBA, emissions are still projected to decline; the interaction between policies and rising demand means the trajectory is complex, with some reductions achievable but not as steep as with IRA in place.
The Other, Other Big Race in Georgia This Year
Q: What surprised you most about being commissioner so far?
The biggest surprise is how dependent commissioners are on staff for hard analysis, while the commissioners themselves can form conclusions and suggestions; there is a tug between relying on staff and asserting independent direction.
Anthropic and the Future of the Buzzy Carbon Removal Buyer's Club
Q: How do you view government role in a future carbon removal market?
We see government-driven demand as essential to scale, through mechanisms like compliance markets, direct procurement, or expanded tax credits, while ensuring technology de-risking and affordability so a broad set of technologies can compete.

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. Volts
2. Catalyst with Shayle Kann
3. Open Circuit
4. Energy Empire
5. Energy Gang

How many episodes of Shift Key are there?

Shift Key launched 2 years ago and published 140 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. Lily Bermel
2. Mike Schroepfer
3. Hannah Bebbington Valori
4. Peter Hubbard
5. Josh Parker
6. Ann Carlson
7. Kate Logan
8. Jason Bordoff

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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