Rephonic
Artwork for Volts
Renewable Energy
Clean Energy
Climate Change
Inflation Reduction Act
Electric Vehicles
Data Centers
Solar Energy
Energy Efficiency
California
Batteries
Energy Storage
Distributed Energy Resources
Decarbonization
Geothermal Energy
Electrification
Hydrogen
Heat Pumps
China
Wind Energy
Solar Power

Volts is a podcast about leaving fossil fuels behind. I've been reporting on and explaining clean-energy topics for almost 20 years, and I love talking to politicians, analysts, innovators, and activists about the latest progress in the world's most important fight. (Volts is entirely subscriber-supported. Sign up!) www.volts.wtf

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes438Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Tech NewsNewsPolitics

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Artwork for Volts

Latest Episodes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.volts.wtf

Volts published eight conversations in July on subjects with nothing obvious in common: an Arizona utility board election, Minnesota smart meters, land value taxes in Spokan... more

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

Materials in lithium-ion battery cathodes have continuously evolved since the 1990s, but anodes have stubbo... more

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) established substantial tax credits for wind and solar power. Trump’s One... more

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

America once led the world in building transit and now leads the world in what transit costs, roughly three... more

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Recent Guests

Will Poff-Webster
Director of Infrastructure Policy at the Institute for Progress
Institute for Progress
Episode: The US is terrible at building public transit. Here's how to get better.
Stephanie Pollack
Senior Fellow in the MIT Mobility Initiative and Consultant on Transportation Policy
MIT Mobility Initiative
Episode: The US is terrible at building public transit. Here's how to get better.
Arnab Pal
Head of Deploy Action, nonprofit focused on easing barriers to clean energy deployment in the US
Deploy Action
Episode: Making sense of the data center backlash
Chris Lee
Hawaii State Senator, environmental advocate and president of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators
Hawaii State Senate; National Caucus of Environmental Legislators
Episode: Spreading the good news about electrification
Greg Miller
Co-founder and director of the Center for Land Economics
Center for Land Economics
Episode: Want less sprawl and more urban infill? Try a land value tax!
Kitty Klitzke
City council member pushing for Spokane's adoption of land value tax
Spokane City Council
Episode: Want less sprawl and more urban infill? Try a land value tax!
Sydnie Lieb
Assistant Commissioner of Regulatory Analysis, Minnesota Department of Commerce
Minnesota Department of Commerce
Episode: Forcing utilities to justify their distribution-system spending
Pete Wyckoff
Vice President for Policy, Evergreen Action (formerly Deputy Commissioner for Energy, Minnesota Department of Commerce)
Evergreen Action
Episode: Forcing utilities to justify their distribution-system spending
Charlie Fisher
Co-founder/leader of ACCE (Arizona's for a Clean Economy)
ACCE
Episode: A key Arizona race will test clean energy's electoral power

Host

David Roberts
Host of Volts; leads interviews and discussions

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • Poor explanations, unfortunately

    Well… what can I say?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Werder Bremen Ultra
    Germany4 days ago
  • Simple explanations to help understand the complexity of energy

    I recently became re-energized about working in the energy industry. This podcast has been incredible in getting me up to speed with the latest developments.

    Thank you for the simple explanations and the ability to understand in depth the complex politics and how they are shaping energy markets today.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    L Gandhi
    United States3 months ago
  • Good news

    My son and graduate school is studying international relations and recommended your podcast to me to understand the global electricity market ; since then I’ve been hooked on your podcast and really enjoy the uplifting and practical stories you bring. Thank you

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KIM KIRN
    United States3 months ago
  • Something’s Changing

    About 5 years ago, I remember living with a conservation mindset. Don’t forget to turn the lights off. Monitor you home’s electricity usage (and read those letters from PG&E telling you your performance relative to your neighbors!) And then something changed. Maybe it was buying an EV, or installing solar on our roof. But this mindset of “don’t use the precious electricity!” is disappearing . Sure, data centers have ripped open the reality of how much electricity we need, but maybe they came abo... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LauraSJ
    United States4 months ago
  • Love this podcast

    I loved your latest podcast interview with climate activist Pete Sikora. I am from NY and losing my patience with Gov Hochul regarding clean energy matters

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sunnycreek
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

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

The host fosters calm, rigorous conversations with experts across sectors.
Thoughtful guests and approachable depth that educates without oversimplifying.
High-quality, deeply informed debates on energy policy and technology.
Strong emphasis on real-world impact and policy design that could move the needle on decarbonization.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#129
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#201
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#204
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#226
France/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#54
Colombia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#76
India/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Want less sprawl and more urban infill? Try a land value tax!
Q: What are the main legal or administrative barriers to implementing a split-rate or land value tax, and how might cities approach overcoming them?
Barriers include uniformity clauses and assessment practices; however, by exempting building value or adding targeted exemptions, jurisdictions can achieve revenue-neutral shifts that apply more to land, with careful coordination with assessors and state laws.
Want less sprawl and more urban infill? Try a land value tax!
Q: How do land value taxes interact with upzoning and transit investments, and are they complements or separate levers?
The guests explain that land value taxes and upzoning are complementary tools; upzoning increases land value, and a land value tax can help capture that windfall to fund public goods while encouraging more intensive development.
Want less sprawl and more urban infill? Try a land value tax!
Q: Tell us briefly about your history with land use and how you came to find out about this and why it appealed to you.
Greg and Kitty share long involvement with Spokane's infill efforts and Georgist economics, highlighting how policy experimentation and practical constraints shaped their exploration of land value taxes as a way to curb sprawl and promote redevelopment.
Making sense of the data center backlash
Q: Dave, what's driving the data center backlash and how might it be addressed?
A conversation about how public trust, regulatory incentives, and local community benefits influence acceptance, with emphasis on better messaging and concrete actions like investments in batteries and grid upgrades.
A key Arizona race will test clean energy's electoral power
Q: Which parts of the SRP playbook do you think transfer to a statewide ACC race?
They discuss disciplined targeting, education about the ACC's regulation of utilities, and a model of raising awareness about rate increases, with adaptation to a larger, more competitive electoral environment including broader media reach and candidate-specific outreach.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Volts

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

This show consistently covers the clean-energy transition from multiple angles—policy, technology, finance, and real-world deployments. Episodes frequently feature conversations with researchers, policymakers, startup founders, and industry leaders about grid modernization, electrification, climate finance, and the economics of decarbonization. A standout is its willingness to push beyond headline topics, exploring practical pathways, governance, and market design that could unlock broader adoption. Listeners can expect deep dives into grid utilization, price signals, industrial electrification, and the intersection of technology with policy, all grounded in concrete case studies and expert commentary.

Where can I find podcast stats for Volts?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Volts. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Volts and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Volts get?

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What are the audience demographics for Volts?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Volts, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Volts have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Volts has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Volts?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Volts:

1. Catalyst with Shayle Kann
2. Shift Key with Robinson Meyer
3. Open Circuit
4. Energy Empire
5. Energy Gang

How many episodes of Volts are there?

Volts launched 6 years ago and published 438 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Volts?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Volts?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Volts from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Volts?

Recent guests on Volts include:

1. Will Poff-Webster
2. Stephanie Pollack
3. Arnab Pal
4. Chris Lee
5. Greg Miller
6. Kitty Klitzke
7. Sydnie Lieb
8. Pete Wyckoff

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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