Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

mkirchner@commonwealthclub.org

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CLIMATE ONE ENCORE - Dead Heat: The Danger Of Home Power Shutoffs

July 03, 2026

Summer is here, temperatures are rising — and so are electric bills. That also means many people are facing a severely overlooked issue: power shutoffs. According to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2024 utility companies disconnected U.S. households from electricity more than 13.4 million times due to a customer’s inability to pay. When that happens, people can’t turn on their lights, keep food refrigerated, or cool down the home. And regulations preventing shutoffs...

CLIMATE ONE: When Your New Neighbor Is… a Data Center

June 26, 2026

Across the country, developers are racing to build huge new buildings to house computers to fuel the AI boom, creating an explosive demand for new energy. While some hyperscalers seek renewable energy, others are turning to fossil fuels. But concerns around high electric bills, air and noise pollution and water depletion have generated widespread community pushback against these giant facilities, and it seems opposing data centers is a bipartisan issue. Many cities and states are working to r...

Theo Baker: Uncovering Power and Money at Stanford University

June 22, 2026

While just a freshman reporter at The Stanford Daily, Theo Baker reported on accusations about Stanford’s president that culminated in his resignation. For his investigative reporting, he became the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious George Polk Award. Now, Baker comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to tell a story of money and power and excess for teenagers at Stanford—slush funds, shell companies, yacht parties. He arrived at Stanford impressed with the atmosphere—and the strat...