Happy Halloween Eve!
Does it feel extra exciting that Halloween is on a Saturday? I’m happy for the kids who won’t have to wake up to go to school the next day and the parents who don’t have to regulate early bedtime. As for me, I’m thinking about trying out one of these Yellowstone National Park pumpkin carving stencils. (Or rather, I’m trying to talk myself into being that ambitious. I’ll probably end up with a very basic triangle eyes, nose, and toothless grin.)
Also, the best Halloween candy is undeniably Resses’s Peanut Butter Cups. (Disclaimer: this message is not sponsored by Reese’s.)
This week’s must read: Scary stuff
In the spirit that we need policy to be bipartisan in order for it to be durable and that, having been in this field for more than 25 years and having seen the pool of climate-focused GOP lawmakers shrink, this Politico article—Conservative climate movement faces a blue wave wipeout—felt appropriately timed for a Halloween Eve newsletter.
From our friend Alex Flint, founder of Alliance for Market Solutions and expert on all things Capitol Hill, who was interviewed for the story:
“It is very unfortunate that Republicans who are constructive on climate will lose — not because of that issue, but because it’s a wave election,” Alex said. “It is one of the issues Republicans use to differentiate themselves in swing districts, which also means it is vulnerable to races where swing districts are swept out.”
But the silver lining, from former Rep. Carlos Curbelo:
“You’ll lose some members, but at the same time, a lot of the members that survive, or even Republicans who get elected in more competitive districts, will also take the message that it’s important to take a broad approach and just be very pragmatic and forward-leaning when it comes to embracing all kinds of energy development.”
As Alex put it later in the article: “Climate policy cannot seesaw back and forth between the two parties.”
Big Clean Energy
Clean energy is not just supported by environmentalists; American corporations are eager to procure clean energy and the Corporate Energy Buyers Association is there to help them do it. With a vibrant membership that includes the world’s largest companies advocating for market reforms that enable buyers to access clean power, CEBA is on the front lines of today’s energy sector. Today’s guest, Sarah Mihalecz, VP for Energy Transactions, leads CEBA’s efforts to prepare buyers, ready markets, and accelerate transactions that enable deployment of emerging clean energy technologies. Prior to joining CEBA, Sarah led sustainability for North America at Tata Sons. She previously advised Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and other organizations on sustainability strategy, emissions management, and environmental performance through roles at Deloitte Consulting, ICF Consulting, and GHD Consulting. She also served as Sustainability Coordinator at the World Bank.
If you’re new to CEBA or interested in the business case for clean energy systems, you won’t want to miss this episode. We talk about procurement, Carbon Capture and Storage, and the hot topic on the street, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, aka, the Senate permitting reform bill.
Coming up next week, my conversation with RMI (formerly the Rocky Mountain Institute) research analyst Ryan Shea on the subject of heat pumps and some recent findings about their efficiency in colder climates.
And in two weeks, post-election analysis from none other than Alex Flint.
Bob visits the University of Georgia
What I love most about this photo of Bob Inglis addressing an undergraduate class at the University of Georgia is actually the photo below with the students looking raptly at the “palm cards” we revamped for 2026 and beyond. Each card provides a message about why we are engaged in this effort to grow a community of right-of-center free market climate policy advocates.
Invite him to your event and you, too, can get an in person look at our famous palm cards!
Ford’s forthcoming EV truck
Last week on the podcast, we heard from Josh Turner about how he fell in love with his Ford F150 Lightning only to find out that the EV charging network needed help, which he then sought to do through his company PowerUp.
Earlier this year, we hosted Ford Motor Corp’s Evan Belson as part of our webinar series. The deputy general counsel talked to us about Ford’s future vision for EVs.
These two engaging conversations merged in my brain this week upon reading this Canary Media story about Ford’s latest truck model, which will cost under $30k and have bidirectional charging.
Innovation at work!
To everyone who inquired about my bike ride, I actually did 50 miles, a first for me! My legs are still recovering!
Have a great and safe Halloween! See you in November!