Columbia Energy Exchange

Permitting reform—to allow for faster approvals on new projects—is one thing that both climate advocates and energy developers have wanted for a long time. With demand for power climbing, the pressure to act is as strong as it has been in years. Now, a new effort is on the table. Last month, leaders of the Senate's two main energy and environment committees reached a bipartisan agreement on the most significant permitting overhaul in decades. At its core, the bill would make it easier to build energy infrastructure across the board. It would shorten the window for legal challenges, tighten environmental review deadlines, strengthen federal authority to approve interstate transmission lines, and restrict the government's power to revoke permits once they're issued. Reactions have been mixed. Industry groups and unions have welcomed the bill, while some environmental and climate groups have raised concerns. And with supporters hoping for a Senate vote right after the November elections, the clock is ticking. So what's actually in the bill? How might it speed up energy project build-out and streamline development? What are some of the objections to the bill and how does it address key environmental review processes? And what does the bill, and the disparate reactions to it, tell us about where U.S. energy policy is headed in the future? In this episode Jason speaks with Daniel Palken about the core provisions of Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, and the major objections to it. Daniel is the director of Infrastructure for Energy and Permitting at Arnold Ventures. Before that he worked in the US Senate, most recently as a professional staff member for the Committee on Energy & Natural Resources and prior to that as the senior policy advisor to Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado for energy, climate, and minerals issues. 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.

Global gas markets, especially in Europe, are approaching winter under serious pressure. With storage inventories lagging behind historical averages and shipping disruptions from the Middle East threatening key liquefied natural gas flows, many nations find themselves deeply exposed. The supply shocks from both the Russia-Ukraine war and now the Strait of Hormuz closure have revealed vulnerabilities in a market that is more interconnected than ever, but also more geopolitically complex. With less global LNG supply and growing sensitivity to weather, the case for new security frameworks is getting stronger, built on closer international cooperation, new reserve mechanisms and greater market flexibility. Where does the global gas market stand right now? How much LNG is actually moving through the Strait of Hormuz? What are European countries doing to prepare for the winter? Is Russian gas coming back on the table? Will renewed concerns about energy security spur a faster transition away from gas and toward clean energy? And how do China and the rest of Asia factor into this high-stakes calculus for global supplies? On today's show—Anne-Sophie Corbeau, Ira Joseph, and Tatiana Mitrova. All three are research scholars at the Center on Global Energy Policy and have deep expertise in geopolitics and energy markets. They joined host Jason Bordoff to discuss the global gas market, what's behind the looming European supply crisis this coming winter, and how the markets—and European leaders—are responding. They played out some scenarios regarding supply and demand going forward and the role that Asian markets, global geopolitics, coal, renewables, and electrification could play. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff, Bill Loveless, and Daniel Sternoff. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Dara Diamond, Doug Halsey, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping travels to Washington for a state visit with President Trump, their second face-to-face meeting this year. Energy is likely to be high on the agenda, particularly the fallout from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. One of the more surprising developments since Iran largely closed off the Strait of Hormuz has been how little damage it's done to China's economy. Analysts widely expected the disruption—given China's heavy reliance on Gulf crude—to hit hard. The data tells a different story. What happened? How much of this outcome is owed to the country's careful planning, diverse energy sourcing, or demand reduction? And what does all of this say about the ways energy security is shifting—and perhaps being redefined—in China? Today on the show, Bill Loveless speaks with Erica Downs and Michal Meidan about how China has responded to the biggest oil shock in history, and what it reveals about the future of energy security. Erica Downs is a senior research scholar at CGEP, where she focuses on Chinese energy markets and geopolitics. Michal Meidan leads China Energy Research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Read their post, How China Is Managing Lower Oil Imports, on the Center on Global Energy Policy's blog, Energy Explained. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Dara Diamond, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

It's been a tumultuous year for Venezuela, marked by political upheaval and deadly earthquakes. Then, in late August, the Trump administration announced a deal for over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves—and a 35% stake in North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP). The move could turn a little-known private company into one of the world's largest corporate holders of oil reserves. But NABEP wasn't the only headline. In the same week, Chevron pledged $7 billion to double its Venezuelan production, Italian major ENI moved forward on a massive oil field agreement, and GE Vernova signed on to rehabilitate the country's crippled electric grid. All told, Venezuela signed deals covering more than 150 billion barrels of oil resources—an unprecedented scale-up for a sector starved of investment for over two decades. Yet for all the fanfare, basic questions remain unresolved. What are the terms and legal basis for the deal? What does direct US government equity in Venezuelan oil actually mean for American energy security and gas prices at the pump? And where does this deal fit in the long energy history between the US and Venezuela—is this a genuine turning point, or just the latest swing in a cycle of investments and setbacks that hasn't delivered lasting progress for ordinary Venezuelans? Today on the show, Jason Bordoff speaks with Luisa Palacios and Bob McNally. Luisa is an adjunct senior research scholar here at the center, where she also served as CGEP's head of research. Before joining CGEP, Luisa was chairwoman of Citgo Petroleum Corporation, the US refining arm of Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA. Bob is the founder and president of Rapidan Energy Group, an independent energy consulting and market advisory firm. From 2001 to 2003 he served on the White House National Economic Council as special assistant to President George W. Bush. And in 2003, he was the senior director for international energy on the National Security Council. His 2017 book, Crude Volatility: The History and the Future of Boom-Bust Oil Prices, examines the history of oil price swings.

Energy abundance means different things in today's global context than it did even a decade ago. It is about expanding electricity access while meeting rising energy demand. It is about navigating geopolitical fragmentation, limited government support, and shifting development priorities. And it is about leveraging new technologies to deliver reliable power at scale. But the challenge is not just technological. It is institutional and financial. Many low- and middle-income countries face high capital costs, limited access to financing, and policy frameworks that struggle to keep pace with growing demand. Solving this challenge is a priority for both the Center on Global Energy Policy and The Rockefeller Foundation. That's why this past spring the two organizations launched a high-level panel to advance "universal energy abundance," an idea that positions reliable, affordable energy as a cornerstone of economic growth, industrialization, and opportunity in emerging and developing economies. So what does it take to move from energy scarcity and toward energy abundance? Can international institutions, governments, and investors come together to mobilize the scale of investment required? And how can emerging economies balance the urgency of expanding energy access with the need for affordability, reliability, and sustainability? Today on the show, we're revisiting a conversation that Jason Bordoff had back in April with Rajiv Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, about the high-level panel and its goals. Rajiv has led The Rockefeller Foundation since 2017. Prior to that, during the Obama administration, he led the US Agency for International Development as its administrator. He also served on the National Security Council, at the US Department of Agriculture, and held leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

It started last year as a pressure campaign at sea, with the United States seizing tankers as part of what President Trump called a "total and complete blockade" of vessels carrying Venezuelan crude subject to US sanctions. It crescendoed on January 3, when US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, bringing him and his wife to New York on narcoterrorism charges. Since Maduro's removal, confusion remains over whether—and to what extent—the US is controlling the country's oil sector. But one thing is clear: despite holding the world's largest oil reserves, Venezuela is producing at a fraction of its former levels, and its path to recovery is anything but certain. A national tragedy has only added to the instability. In June, twin earthquakes claimed more than 5,000 lives. While the country's energy infrastructure did not sustain significant damage, the quakes exposed deep fault lines in the country's political leadership and served as a stark reminder of an already long-standing humanitarian crisis in the region. So what's the state of the energy sector and energy investments in Venezuela? How has the global energy crisis changed the calculus for prospective energy developers? What role is the Trump administration playing in the sale of Venezuelan oil? And where is oil production headed? Today on the show, Jason Bordoff speaks with Luisa Palacios about the state of the Venezuelan energy sector, efforts around creating new policies to boost oil production, and the impact of the June earthquakes. Luisa is an adjunct senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University, where she previously served as head of research. Before joining CGEP, Luisa was chairwoman of Citgo Petroleum Corporation, the US refining arm of Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

As the demand for power surges across the US, the debate over how to build energy infrastructure has reached a fever pitch. And while both sides of the aisle broadly agree that the current permitting process is broken, turning that consensus into actual ​legislation remains a challenge. So how do we define permitting reform, what does meaningful progress actually look like, and where do we stand today? Alan Armstrong is keenly focused on those questions. After spending his entire career in the energy industry, he was sworn into the US Senate in March, representing Oklahoma. (Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt appointed him after Markwayne Mullin resigned to become US secretary of Homeland Security. Per Oklahoma law, Armstrong cannot run for reelection.) Senator Armstrong spent 15 years as CEO of Williams Companies, one of the largest natural gas infrastructure firms in North America. He is also the former chair of the National Petroleum Council and a founding member of Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future. Last week, Jason Bordoff spoke with Senator Armstrong about his legislative focus: permitting reforms aimed at streamlining energy buildouts. They discussed a bill that the senator has sponsored, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act of 2026, as well as the broader wave of reform efforts drawing bipartisan attention. The senator reflected on his time at Williams and how that informed his view on permitting policy. They discussed the role of judicial review, the power dynamic between federal and state regulators, and how growing energy affordability concerns are adding new pressure to pass meaningful permitting reform. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

For years, the energy transition was discussed as a shift that would happen in steady, predictable increments. But the last 24 months have shattered that illusion. Energy providers now face extreme industrial volatility—where companies tasked with building the future of clean energy are also grappling with multi-billion dollar losses, supply chain fragility, and a sudden, massive surge in power demand. As the president and CEO of Siemens Energy, Christian Bruch sits at the epicenter of these contradictions. The company is a global giant, responsible for a massive portion of the world's power generation and transmission infrastructure. Yet, even a company of this scale has not been immune to the existential challenges of the modern energy market. In 2023, its wind division, Siemens Gamesa, suffered major technical and financial setbacks. Since then, Siemens Energy has staged a significant turnaround. Its wind business is back on track and Siemens Energy is seeing unprecedented demand for its gas turbines and grid technology, driven largely by demand from data centers to power artificial intelligence. All of this makes the company a useful lens through which to understand where the global energy system is headed as energy infrastructure providers sprint to keep up with the world's thirst for electricity. What does the "speed to power" mean for the pace of decarbonization? And how is the role of an energy CEO changing in a world where industrial strategy and geopolitics are now inseparable? Today on the show, Jason Bordoff speaks with Christian Bruch about the opportunities and challenges that Siemens Energy is facing today, from surging electricity demand and growing infrastructure investments, to geopolitical headwinds and supply risks. Christian is the president and CEO of Siemens Energy as well as the president and CEO of Siemens Energy Management. Earlier in his career, he worked for more than 15 years at the Linde Group, a global industrial gases and engineering company, where he held a number of leadership roles. He started his career with the German energy company RWE Group, rising to head of research and project development at RWE Fuel Cells. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.