Your Antidote to the Politics of Fear
From Energy Thinks with Tisha Schuller by Tisha Schuller
April 2, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
In this episode, Tisha Schuller discusses the emergence of a politics of fear around AI, data centers, and energy, and the need for leaders to present an optimistic vision for the future.
Planning your 2026 leadership event? Order The Myth and The Moment for your team. ( Reach out for bulk pricing.) What you’ll get in this solo episode of Energy Thinks Fear works—up to a point. So even before we found ourselves amid a war in the Middle East and an energy crisis, a fear-driven politics was forming in reaction to AI, data centers, and energy buildout. Why? Because fear is politically easy for both the left and the right. But you—the successful energy leader—want much more than scoring easy political points. Your challenge: Offer an alternative vision to the demagoguery. And then connect that vision to your stakeholder communities, to give them a path out of the fear. Both of these things are true: * Fear will be the default politics around AI, data centers, and energy infrastructure growth. * Leaders must offer a vision of the future—complete with that infrastructure—that communities will actually champion. In this solo episode , I work through: * Why a politics of fear is emerging around AI, data centers, and energy * What it takes to offer a credible, optimistic vision of the future rooted in innovation and real-world outcomes * Why communities—not just…
People in this episode
Host: Tisha Schuller
Topics covered
- politics of fear
- leadership
- energy infrastructure
- AI
- community engagement
- optimistic vision
Keywords
- politics of fear
- leadership event
- energy crisis
- optimistic vision
- community engagement
- AI
- data centers
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: AI, data centers, energy
Books & works: The Myth and The Moment
Places: Middle East
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