Federal energy office illustrates the perils of fluctuating budgets and priorities

When presidential administrations turn over, funding levels and project priorities change. A look at one specific government office demonstrates how these shifts in direction waste time and money.

Christelle Khalaf, Associate Director, Government Finance Research Center, University of Illinois Chicago • conversation
June 24, 2025 • ~11 min

Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

The small blue Energy Star label has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the US.

Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
June 12, 2025 • ~10 min

From watts to warheads: Secretary of energy oversees big science research and the US nuclear arsenal

The Energy Department has a dual mission with a heavy science focus and manages large, expensive programs, many of which are behind schedule and over budget.

Margaret E. Kosal, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Jan. 12, 2025 • ~12 min

The nuclear arms race's legacy at home: Toxic contamination, staggering cleanup costs and a culture of government secrecy

Nuclear weapons production and testing contaminated many sites across the US and exposed people unknowingly to radiation and toxic materials. Some have gone uncompensated for decades.

William J. Kinsella, Professor Emeritus of Communication, North Carolina State University • conversation
Aug. 1, 2023 • ~10 min

How a government-linked foundation could speed the spread of new clean-energy technologies

Similar arrangements already support the National Park Service, the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies.

David M. Hart, Professor of Public Policy, George Mason University • conversation
Oct. 7, 2020 • ~9 min

Looser standards for showerheads could send a lot of water and money down the drain

The Trump administration is trying to roll back a regulation that requires showerheads to conserve water and saves owners an average of $70 and nearly 3,000 gallons of water yearly per showerhead.

Robert Glennon, Regents Professor and Morris K. Udall Professor of Law & Public Policy, University of Arizona • conversation
Sept. 2, 2020 • ~8 min

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