We talk to Carrie Zalewski, former Chair of the Illinois Commerce Commission and current Vice President of Transmission and Electricity Markets at American Clean Power Association. Together with our Regulatory Director, Sean Moriarty, she talks about connecting renewable energy to the grid, the importance of reliability and affordability when it comes to energy, and why state utility commissions are cool.

You’ll hear the words “PJM” and “MISO” in this episode. These are grid operators. PJM covers all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia in the mid-Atlantic. MISO covers all or parts of 15 central states.

• American Clean Power Association - Read more about the work of the American Clean Power Association to power a stronger, cleaner economy.
• Climate and Equitable Jobs Act - Learn about the 2021 Illinois law aimed at easing costs for energy customers and reducing emissions.
• “Costs to build gas plants triple, says CEO of NextEra Energy” - Read more about Carrie’s mention of the time it takes to build a gas turbine while discussing the need for speed.
• Tracking Transmission Reform - Learn about why transmission reform is a critical aspect of climate response and what’s at stake, and check out what’s being said about transmission in the media.

Judge Doug Nazarian of the Appellate Court of Maryland speaks with his former law clerk, Kat O’Konski, about career paths in state government and state energy regulation. Together, they discuss Judge Nazarian’s past experience regulating utilities as Chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission and his path to the bench, offering unique insights for law students and professionals alike.

• Appellate Court of Maryland - Read about the structure and role of the court.
• Maryland Public Service Commission - Learn about the Maryland Public Service Commission, including the current commissioners.
• Judicial Clerkship Guide - Check out this guide to state court judicial clerkships.
• National Association of Regulatory Utilities (NARUC) Careers - Learn about career opportunities in public service commissions.

In this episode of Recharged with the State Impact Center, Tiernaur Anderson (the Center's former Digital Media Manager) sits down with Director of Storytelling and Engagement at Project Drawdown Matt Scott. Matt shares his personal journey into climate storytelling, inspired by his own life experiences. This episode discusses the transformative role of storytelling in advancing climate solutions and how Project Drawdown’s initiative, Drawdown’s Neighborhood, uses personal narratives to inspire action. Matt emphasizes the importance of uplifting underrepresented voices in the climate space, highlighting stories from Black, Indigenous, and queer communities. This episode also explores how storytelling can empower decision-makers and influence climate policy, especially at the community level.

Legal professionals and advocates will find valuable insights on how they can approach climate justice issues in a way that centers both community voices and actionable policy outcomes. A key takeaway of this episode is that individuals’ stories can be powerful tools in shaping climate policy.

Matt Scott - Visit Project Drawdown’s website to learn more about Matt Scott and his work.

Project Drawdown - Visit Project Drawdown’s website to learn more about their work.

Drawdowns Neighborhood - Learn more about Project Drawdown’s short documentary series, Drawdowns Neighborhood, hosted by Matt Scott.

Pattrn - Learn more about the Weather Channel’s streaming network Pattrn, which Matt discusses during the episode.

Drawdowns Neighborhood San Francisco Bay Area video series - Watch Project Drawdown’s full video series of stories from San Francisco Bay Area climate heroes.

Drawdown, The Book - Check out Project Drawdown’s book on climate solutions.

Global Solutions Diary - Learn more about Project Drawdown’s Global Solutions Diary and how you can get involved and share your story.

What is a State Attorney General - Learn more about State Attorneys General, written by Tiernaur Anderson.