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PODCAST

Electric Futures

University of Southern California

Featured by the LA Times, La Opinión, and NPR! Electric Futures is an award-winning podcast series from the University of Southern California exploring lesser-known stories of the energy transition, from the perspectives of the people most impacted by the changes that transition will bring. In Season 2, former USC Provost and current professor Charles Zukoski explores community projects that generate and store their own energy, bypassing the electric grid – and blackouts. What happens now that

science

All Episodes

00:48:05

Your Community, Electrified | Episode 4: Where We Go...

Electric Futures ·

2025/06/25

We talk to two expert journalists about what’s next for the U.S. Department of Energy programs and green energy during the second Trump administration. In the first half of the episode, you’ll hear the rest of my conversation with Ivan Penn from the New York Times. Then in the second, I’ll be joined by USC Journalism Professor of Professional Practice Christina Bellantoni to contextualize the politics and policies that could impact the electric future. Lastly, we’ll get an update from Kristi and

en-us

00:29:13

Your Community, Electrified | Episode 1: Shadow Mountain

Electric Futures ·

2025/06/25

We’ll take you to the Shadow Mountain housing development in Menifee, California. It’s an experimental community outside of Los Angeles where 200 all-electric homes produce and store their own energy, and contribute to a community microgrid. Is this the future of new homes in California and beyond? Could this community demonstrate a better solution to fire protection? With climate change driving more frequent incidence of extreme fire conditions, can these technologies enable safer

en-us

00:42:44

Your Community, Electrified | Episode 2: The Tech...

Electric Futures ·

2025/06/25

We take you through the science of microgrids with UCLA’s Rajit Gadh, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and founding director of Smart Grid Energy Research Center. How does it work exactly? And is it really the technology we’ve been waiting for all along? We’ll find out.You can follow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@usc_electricfutures⁠⁠: https://www.instagram.com/usc_electricfutures-----Electric Futures is an original podcast from the University of Southern California, hosted by me, Charles

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00:21:17

Your Community, Electrified | Episode 3: It’s All...

Electric Futures ·

2025/06/25

It’s January 20th, 2025. Donald Trump’s second term as president. He signs a slew of executive orders, including one called “Unleashing American Energy.”This order rolled back about a dozen climate change initiatives enacted by Joe Biden’s administration in 2021. Clean energy funding and programs set by 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act…were now halted.Also hanging in the balance is the Department of Energy’s projects. That includes the one we visited in Menifee during a previous episode, and two other

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00:01:55

Season 2 Trailer | Your Community, Electrified

Electric Futures ·

2025/06/02

Brief description: Before fires scorched Los Angeles in January of 2025, the Electric Futures team began exploring a new neighborhood in Southern California that was built with climate disasters in mind. This community and other building projects like it generate and store their own energy, bypassing the electric grid – and blackouts. What happens now that federal support for these initiatives is starting to dry up? Can America still electrify? Our host, Chip Zukowski, finds out in Your Community,

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00:28:43

Building a Green Chicago - A Collaboration with "Home...

Electric Futures ·

2024/05/29

The Electric Futures team recently collaborated with the independent media outlet "Feet in Two Worlds" to highlight stories around the nexus of immigration and climate change. Here's an episode from our friends at the "Home Interrupted" podcast.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/electricfutures/message

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00:29:35

Valle de Litio | Episodio 7: Una Época de Cambio

Electric Futures ·

2024/02/27

Este episodio fue hecho especialmente en Español para explicar en resumen la investigacíon hecha por el ex-rector y profesor de ingeniería química y sciencias materiales, Charles Zukoski. En esta temporada hemos explorado el potencial de la industria de litio para la transición energética en el Valle Imperial, California.¡Queremos escuchar de tí! ⁠Por favor responda esta breve encuesta⁠⁠. Las transcripciones de los episodios en inglés y español están disponibles aquí. Si desea leer más sobre los

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00:00:30

A Message from our host, Charles Zukoski

Electric Futures ·

2024/02/26

Host Chares Zukoski wants to thank you for listening to the show and let you know about an exciting paid survey opportunity. We want to hear from you! Please take this short survey⁠. Thanks again for listening. We hope you enjoyed Season 1. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/electricfutures/message

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00:32:56

Lithium Valley | Episode 1: The White Gold Rush

Electric Futures ·

2024/01/24

We’ll get to know Imperial Valley, an area that is home to nearly 180,000 people located in Southeastern California, 200 miles from USC. This community is located at the heart of the Lithium boom. Some have referred to this as a white gold rush because of the enormous demand for lithium as a major component in the batteries that power electric vehicles and so much else in our everyday lives. Change is coming to Imperial Valley and its communities. But given this industrialization, can the Valley

en-us

00:32:49

Lithium Valley | Episode 2: The Tech Behind the Scenes

Electric Futures ·

2024/01/24

There’s a big demand for the batteries but it’s a challenge in how to gain access to all the lithium needed for the electric vehicles that are flooding the streets of the world. There's a new way to access the lithium in the brines — but don’t call it mining. In this episode we will explore this chemistry and more… We want to hear from our listeners! Please take this short survey. Episode transcripts in English and in Spanish are ⁠available here⁠. If you’d like to read more about the topics

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00:34:15

Lithium Valley | Episode 3: Transforming a Small Town...

Electric Futures ·

2024/01/24

We will look at how Lithium extraction is expected to boost the local economy and the trade-offs associated with the growth of this industry. The community is preparing - with cautious optimism. In the face of diminished flows in the Colorado River, memories are haunted by past hype. We want to hear from our listeners! ⁠Please take this short survey⁠. Episode transcripts in English and in Spanish are ⁠available here⁠. If you’d like to read more about the topics covered in this podcast, please check

en-us

00:29:28

Lithium Valley | Episode 4: Whose Health? Consider...

Electric Futures ·

2024/01/24

We’ll look at how Lithium extraction in the Imperial Valley may potentially impact the environment and health issues in the area. What health and ecological changes can the community expect? What bargain does the community accept as they venture into this natural resource extraction industry? We want to hear from our listeners! ⁠Please take this short survey⁠. Episode transcripts in English and in Spanish are ⁠available here⁠. If you’d like to read more about the topics covered in this podcast,

en-us

00:43:08

Lithium Valley | Episode 5: From the Twitch of...

Electric Futures ·

2024/01/24

We explore concepts of land use and value systems that play out in the Imperial Valley as it is increasingly industrialized and how traditions and cultures are at play as members of the community make decisions about their futures. We want to hear from our listeners! ⁠Please take this short survey⁠. Episode transcripts in English and in Spanish are available here. If you’d like to read more about the topics covered in this podcast, please check out our ⁠additional resources document⁠. You can follow

en-us

00:53:22

Lithium Valley | Episode 6: The Sum of It All

Electric Futures ·

2024/01/24

In our final episode of the season, we discuss how efforts to slow global climate change are impacting the Imperial Valley, bringing anxiety and opportunity to those who live there. We want to hear from our listeners! ⁠Please take this short survey⁠. Episode transcripts in English and in Spanish are ⁠available here⁠. If you’d like to read more about the topics covered in this podcast, please check out our ⁠additional resources document⁠. You can follow us on Instagram at

en-us

00:01:46

Season 1 Trailer | Welcome to Lithium Valley

Electric Futures ·

2023/11/29

Electric Futures is a new podcast series from the University of Southern California exploring lesser-known stories of the energy transition, from the perspectives of the people most impacted by the changes that transition will bring. Season 1 invites listeners on a journey to California's Imperial Valley with former USC provost and Vivian Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Charles Zukoski. The Imperial Valley is an agricultural area east of San Diego and bordering Mexico

en-us

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