Real Solutions to Runaway Energy Demand

By Ed D'Agostino | September 27, 2024

We are wrapping up our energy series today with Mark Mills, Executive Director of the National Center for Energy Analytics. Mark is also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a faculty fellow at Northwestern University, and a partner in Montrose Lane.

It just so happens that Mark and I both began our careers in manufacturing plants before American manufacturing largely moved overseas. Today, that megatrend is coming full circle, as rising labor costs in China and an increased focus on resiliency persuade businesses to bring manufacturing and production back to the US. I see this as a positive for North America, and advances in automation will make our manufacturing even more productive.

But this boom in reshoring, or “repatriation” as Mark calls it, requires massive amounts of energy. Where will it come from? That is the focus of our interview today. Mark and I also discuss the limits of solar and wind power, the second power grid that few talk about, and why efficiency gains in energy-hungry appliances may be close to their limit.

You will also hear:

How the US can avoid the bad outcomes Europe has seen from its poor energy policies

The overlooked connection between solar cells and coal

Why Microsoft is behind the reopening of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant

AI/data centers’ effect on energy demand (it’s even bigger than you might think)

Why Mark believes the Inflation Reduction Act makes energy more expensive

Watch my interview with Mark Mills by clicking the image above. A full transcript of our conversation is available here.

Thanks for reading and watching.

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