Electricity prices are rising. Energy demand is growing. State lawmakers are looking for answers.

In this presentation, Lee Schalk explains to Heartland's 16th International Conference on Climate Change how the Affordable, Reliable, Clean Energy framework is being used to rethink energy policy across the country. He discusses state-level reforms, grid reliability, affordability rankings, and why many lawmakers believe energy policy should focus on practical results rather than political slogans.

While most Americans are focused on inflation, housing, and interest rates, another challenge is quietly building in the background: electricity demand is exploding.

In this presentation, Heartland Institute President James Taylor argues that AI, data centers, and economic growth are pushing the grid toward a major test just as reliable power plants are being retired. At Heartland's 16th Annual International Conference on Climate Change, he examines the rising cost of electricity, the future of the power grid, and why he believes affordable, reliable energy should become one of America's top priorities.

The next economic boom may depend on whether we can keep the lights on.

While many states are doubling down on renewable energy mandates, Louisiana is taking a different approach.

Representative Jacob Landry explains to Heartland's 16th International Conference on Climate Change why his state passed the Affordable, Reliable, Clean Energy Security Act, how it elevates natural gas and nuclear power in energy planning, and why he believes affordable electricity is essential for economic growth, manufacturing, and the AI revolution.

His argument is simple: energy policy should be judged by results, not slogans.

America is once again betting big on nuclear power.

But will this nuclear renaissance be different from the last two?

Energy historian Robert Bradley Jr. takes the audience of Heartland Institute's 16th International Conference on Climate Change through the rise of commercial nuclear power, the role of government subsidies, the economics of reactor construction, and the challenges facing today's push for small modular reactors and new nuclear projects.

Summer has arrived in Europe a little early this year and alarmists in the media say it’s unprecedented, dangerous, all because of climate change. But what if it is not our fault? What if it’s not all that unusual? We will sweat the details.

On Episode #203 of The Climate Realism Show, we will also cover some of the Crazy Climate News of the Week, including a comeback for coal power, bringing science back to court decisions, and wondering what Mr. Wizard would say about climate change today.

Join Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and special guest Chris Martz LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Participate in the show by leaving your comments and questions in the chat.

Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

More and more, parents and government agencies are preventing kids from doing things like walking home from school on their own. It’s clear that this kind of helicopter parenting is bad for kids’ development, we discuss where the line between child safety and independence is, and whether government should even have a say.

Bernie Sanders, in classic socialist form, is looking to nationalize AI. His argument is that human content was used to train the models, so the public should share in the profits made from that data. This will appeal to a lot of people, but getting government involved is rarely a net-benefit to the public. On the other hand, some major models appear to already have an even stronger bias against organizations like The Heartland Institute than we previously realized.

On UNHINGED: The murder of Harry Nowak shows us all that DEI is deadly.

The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Donald Kendal will talk about all of this and more on Episode #539 of the In The Tank Podcast.

Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.

Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

SHOW NOTES

1. UNHINGED: DEI becomes deadly
https://thefederalist.com/2026/06/03/henry-nowaks-murder-is-the-logical-conclusion-of-black-lives-matter/
https://x.com/europa/status/2061555027261497774

2. Free Range vs Cage Kids
https://heartland.org/opinion/cultural-chaos-and-our-kids/
https://blakemoore.house.gov/imo/media/doc/promoting_childhood_independence_and_resilience_act.pdf

3. Nationalize GPT?
We will also discuss Keely's experience with Claude
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5906140-sanders-ai-ownership-wealth/


4. Countdown to 1776: The First Siege of Charlestown
https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/siege-of-charleston--1776

Heartland Institute's President James Taylor argues that many of the claims driving climate lawsuits would struggle to survive the same evidentiary standards applied in other areas of law.

In this energetic presentation, he explains why climate models are becoming central to courtroom battles, why legal standards matter, and why he believes the strongest case against climate alarmism isn't political, it's evidentiary.
From the EPA to the courtroom, this is a look at the next major battle over climate policy.

Hear this and more from Heartland's 16th Annual International Conference on Climate Change!

Danielle Carl brings the argument to the Heartland Institute's 16th Annual International Conference on Climate Change that the future of the climate debate may be decided not by politicians or activists, but by judges.

She explains how the strengthened Federal Rule of Evidence 702 is changing the legal landscape and why she believes climate models, attribution studies, and expert testimony should be tested against real-world observations and certified data.

Willis Eschenbach, speaking to the Heartland Institute's 16th International Conference on Climate Change, presents a surprisingly simple climate model based on thermodynamics and the Constructal Law, the idea that natural systems evolve to maximize the flow of energy.

The model closely matches observed temperatures, heat transport, and climate behavior while producing a much lower climate sensitivity than many mainstream projections. Along the way, he explores thunderstorms, cloud feedbacks, heat flow from the tropics to the poles, and why he believes today's climate models are missing one of the most fundamental principles in nature.