Musk takes a chainsaw to 'energy dominance'

Open Circuit

Elon Musk built Tesla with help from government loans and carbon credits. Today, he's swinging a chainsaw at the very agencies that launched his empire — while directly undermining President Trump's "energy dominance" agenda.

In this episode of Open Circuit, we examine the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency's indiscriminate cuts. When these cuts hit nuclear security teams and grid operators at the Bonneville Power Administration, officials had to hastily reverse course. What are the real-world impacts to critical infrastructure?

We also explore how a sweeping executive order could restructure federal energy regulation. FERC — traditionally an independent, technical body — will now require White House approval for decisions. How could it slow down decisions and impact electricity markets?

And at EPA, officials are attempting to claw back $20 billion in legally committed green bank funding, prompting a federal prosecutor to resign rather than pursue what she saw as a baseless investigation. What does the EPA's approach tell us about the administration's lack of strategy?

Then we turn to Texas, where market forces are telling a different story. Despite a $5 billion subsidy program for gas plants, developers are walking away. French energy giant Engie recently abandoned two projects, citing equipment shortages and rising costs.

Meanwhile, clean energy is thriving without subsidies. Solar and batteries set new performance records last year, with zero-carbon power now providing 47% of Texas electricity. What does Texas tell us about the role of gas in the new era of load growth?

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Credits: Co-hosted by Stephen Lacey, Jigar Shah, and Katherine Hamilton. Produced and edited by Stephen Lacey. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand.