The Economics of Energy, Fabrication in Academia
On this midweek supporters-exclusive episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff (subbing for Mike Baranowski) is joined once again by political scientist Michael Levy to go down a pair of deep policy and academic “rabbit holes” that they couldn’t fit into the main weekend show.
The guys start by analyzing German energy giant RWE’s $1.22 billion settlement with the Department of the Interior to abandon three offshore wind projects off the coasts of California, New York, and Louisiana. Trey shares research on an economic deep dive, explaining why onshore wind is cheap and competitive with natural gas, even unsubsidized, while offshore wind suffers massive upfront capital costs and low returns. The hosts then debate whether the administrations’ buyouts represent a pivot away from expensive energy or a lawless executive intervention that distorts the market.
Next, they discuss the resignation of Jason Arday, who after capturing headlines in 2023 as the youngest Black professor in the history of the University of Cambridge, likely engaged in unethical practices. The guys examine the substantive allegations against Arday, including over 100 passages in his 2015 doctoral thesis, and his false book publications on his CV. The pair also discuss the institutional reluctance to investigate high-profile scholars and how such high-profile misconduct is weaponized by bad-faith actors against other Black academics.
They finish with rants and recommendations. Michael’s rant takes aim at President Trump’s obsession with putting his name on public institutions and offers a hilariously satirical slate of official Trump legacy projects. Trey pushes back on lukewarm critical reviews to recommend the newest season of Ted Lasso. Trey praises the show for proving that prestige television doesn’t have to all be dark and bleak.
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