Podcast appearances and mentions of Michael E Webber

As conflict in the Persian Gulf threatens global oil supplies and artificial intelligence drives unprecedented demand for electricity, Texas is in a race to unlock the full potential of its diverse and deregulated grid. The path it chooses may arguably shape the U.S. economy and global energy markets.  In this third episode of our series on Texas water, energy, and growth, host Duke Reiter is joined by UT Austin professor, author, and global energy consultant, Dr. Michael E. Webber and president of the Texas Nuclear Alliance, Reed Clay to discuss:  How the U.S.-Israel-Iran war has sent the world reaching for U.S. oil and natural gas and what this means for TexasHow Texas came to lead the nation in renewable energy generation in the years following Winter Storm Uri, despite the rhetoric What makes Texas a leading contender in the U.S. for a nuclear energy renaissanceWhy surging AI-driven energy demand could accelerate the clean energy transition, not slow it down  Relevant Articles and Resources  “US LNG exports break record high as Middle East war disrupts global supply” (Reuters, April 2026)  “A Texas City Faces Water Crisis as Big Oil and Gas Use Most of It” (Truthout, March 2026)  “Is the US headed toward an electricity crisis of its own making?” (Canary Media, January 2026)  “Texas' power grid weathered another winter storm. Is it ready for the future?” (Texas Tribune, January 2026)  “Trump, atoms, AI and the Texas data center gusher” (Politico, January 2026)  “New U.S. nuclear power boom begins with old, still-unresolved problem: What to do with radioactive waste” (CNBC, November 2025)  “Texas renewable energy grid defies Trump's claims on solar and wind” (Power Technology, July 2025)  The Timeline and Events of the February 2021 Texas Electric Grid Blackouts (University of Texas at Austin)  Final Report on February 2021 Freeze Underscores Winterization Recommendations (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)  Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts  Part One: Can Texas Drought-Proof Its Economic Miracle?  Part Two: Does Texas Have the Water to Support an AI Boom?  Credits Host: Duke ReiterWriter and producer: Taylor GriffithEditor: Kate CarefootResearch and support provided by: Rae Ulrich, Kelly Saunders, Maya Chari, and Sabine Butler  About our guestsReed Clay is president of the Texas Nuclear Alliance. Prior to that, Reed was the Chief Operating Officer of Texas under Governor Greg Abbott and the founder of the government affairs consulting firm Crestline Group. He is also an experienced litigator and founding partner of Clay Scott LLP, with prior experience in the U.S. Department of Justice and Texas Attorney General's Office.  Dr. Michael E. Webber is the Sid Richardson Chair in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Cockrell Family Chair #16 in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to that, Michael served as CTO of Energy Impact Partners and Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, a global energy company. Michael has authored or co-authored more than 600 publications, including the book “Power Trip: the Story of Energy” and “Thirst for Power: Energy, Water, and Human Survival,” both of which, were developed into award-winning documentaries.

There is plenty of blame to go around for the Texas power outages this past winter. But what role, if any, did deregulation have? In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank's Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds visit with two leading policy experts for their insights: Dr. Michael E. Webber, chief science and technology officer at ENGIE and Josey Centennial Professor of Energy Resources at The University of Texas, and Paul Griffin, executive director of Energy Fairness and former senior government affairs advisor for Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association

Earth911 talks with Roger Duncan and Dr. Michael E. Webber of the University of Texas at Austin. They are the authors of The Future of Buildings, Transportation, and Power. We discuss the profound changes in the ways we travel and the places we work or live that will occur as we build a sustainable economy. Listen in to hear the political, social, and economic opportunities and challenges that will emerge as electricity displaces internal-combustion engines and fossil fuel power generation.Duncan and Webber describe a world in which cars and buildings are “sentient-appearing” systems that learn and adapt to their users. How should the U.S. prepare for a smart, networked environment? We talk about their advice for President-elect Joe Biden and his administration about the transformation of education and policy necessary to provide widespread prosperity in the sustainable era. They are techno-optimists who believe technology can wring immense efficiencies out of the current, wasteful economic system, which will fund new green jobs and companies capable of supporting everyone’s basic needs. We also explore how information technology can continue to grow in importance without creating more new CO2 emissions than its saves.We also talk through the sudden changes in behavior caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, which has accelerated the adoption by companies of sustainable practices. After three decades, the digital transformation of society has leaped forward because of the pandemic as people stay home and work remotely, organize and manage services, such as home grocery delivery and new retail experiences, and rethink their relationship to work.Check out The Future of Buildings, Transportation, and Power to learn more about what we can expect in the future of sustainability and the ways we live. You can also find them at webberenergygroup.com.

As the administration continues to push hard against immigration, esteemed professor Dr. Michael E. Webber of the University of Texas at Austin recounts his experience with immigrants in academia and why he believes that continuing to welcome immigrant students, researchers, and professors is key to American prosperity.

This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Todd Moss, executive director of the Energy for Growth Hub and a nonresident fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. Moss has years of experience expanding access to energy around the world, particularly in Africa. Here, Raimi and Moss discuss the current strategies that countries, companies, and international organizations are implementing to expand access in Africa; how COVID-19 is affecting these efforts; and the intersection between expanding energy access and mitigating climate change. References and recommendations: "Power Trip: The Story of Energy" show on PBS; https://powertripshow.com/ "Power Trip: The Story of Energy" book by Michael E. Webber; https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/michael-e-webber/power-trip/9781541644380/ "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/220290/between-the-world-and-me-by-ta-nehisi-coates/

A global tour of energy – the builder of human civilization and also its greatest threat. Energy is humanity's single most important resource. In fact, as energy expert Dr. Michael E. Webber argues in Power Trip, the story of how societies rise can be told largely as the story of how they manage energy sources through time. In 2019, as we face down growing demand for and accumulating environmental impacts from energy, we are at a crossroads and the stakes are high. But history shows us that energy's great value is that it allows societies to reinvent themselves. Power Trip explores how energy has transformed societies of the past and offers wisdom for today's looming energy crisis. There is no magic bullet; energy advances always come with costs. Scientific innovation needs public support. Energy initiatives need to be tailored to individual societies. We must look for long-term solutions. Our current energy crisis is real, but it is solvable. We have the power. Michael is based in Paris, France where he serves as the Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, a global energy & infrastructure services company. Michael is also the Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources at the University of Texas at Austin. His expertise spans research and education at the convergence of engineering, policy, and commercialization on topics related to innovation, energy, and the environment. His latest book Power Trip: the Story of Energy was published May 7, 2019 by Basic Books with a 6-part companion series in development for PBS. His first book, Thirst for Power: Energy, Water and Human Survival, addressed the connection between earth's most valuable resources and offers a hopeful approach toward a sustainable future. Recorded 11 February 2020

In his book “Power Trip: The Story of Energy,” professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Michael E. Webber describes how the rise of the world’s most successful societies can be told largely through the story of how they managed the energy sources to them. “Power Trip” explores how energy has transformed societies of the past and offers wisdom for today's looming energy crisis. We examine how the history of one kind of power is intrinsically linked with another, in this edition of “Leonard Lopate at Large” on WBAI.