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Robert Bryce

Robert Bryce is an author and journalist.

Series

3 Whisky Happy Hour6 episodesHubwonk2 episodesThe Ricochet Podcast1 episode

Recent Episodes

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Clamoring for Power

Within a week of Spain boasting its success at wiring up the grid with renewable energy sources, it was lights out for the whole Iberian Peninsula. Who could've predicted such an outcome? Today's guest is Robert Bryce, author of A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations and a Substack well worth a look. Robert provides a little refresher course on energy grids and explains how Green hubris threatens to overheat our whole system. Plus, James, Steve and Charlie delve into a few developments on the administration's run-ins with the judiciary; they welcome progress on America's mineral deal with Ukraine, take a few swipes at Harvard's report on campus anti-semitism, and declare this week's winner on Twitter. - Sound from this week's open: Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez addresses the blackout of the Iberian Peninsula.
Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeJames LileksSteve Hayward
Organization
Ricochet

April 2025

3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

The Three Whisky Happy Hour, with Special Guest Robert Bryce

Friday was cap and gown day for Steve at Pepperdine's commencement for the School of Public Policy class of 2025, while John Yoo is on the road somewhere at an undisclosed location, so Steve and Lucretia kick around a couple of seemingly unrelated stories about the Amish (the ultimate opt-out community) and the latest Supreme Court argument involving human nature and the right of parents to opt-out from public school nihilism. And even though John was absent, instead of beating him up we praised his New York Post article on how and why Trump should prevail at the Supreme Court over what might be called the onslaught of Lawfare 2.0. And then as a change of pace we offer Steve's recent conversation with energy journalist extraordinaire Robert Bryce (whose Substack is very much worth following). Bryce always has a way of explaining the often eyes-glazed-over numbers of the energy world, but in this interview he extends himself into a one-man DOGE, revealing who is the number-one leftist advocacy group fattening at the federal funding trough.
Host:
Steve Hayward
Organization
Ricochet

November 2023

Hubwonk
Hubwonk

Powering Earth’s Unplugged: Overcoming Barriers to Electricity Benefits Billions

Joe Selvaggi talks with energy journalist Robert Bryce about his views on the benefits and barriers to bringing cheap, abundant electricity to the nearly 4 billion people without access. Guest: Robert Bryce is a Texas-based author, journalist, podcaster, film producer, and public speaker. Over the past three decades, his articles have appeared in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, National Review, Field & Stream, and Austin Chronicle. Bryce has published six books. His first book, Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron, received rave reviews and was named one of the best non-fiction books of 2002 by Publishers Weekly. His second book, Cronies: Oil, the Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America’s Superstate, was published in 2004. His third book, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of “Energy Independence," published in March 2008, was favorably reviewed by more than 20 media outlets. The American magazine called Gusher “a strong and much-needed dose of reality.”
Host:
Joe Selvaggi

February 2023

Hubwonk
Hubwonk

Cooking Without Gas: Stove Ban a Plan or Conspiracy Theory

Joe Selvaggi talks with reporter and author of six climate policy books Robert Bryce about his investigation into the statements made by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner about the safety of gas cooking and the origins of the movement that asserts that such appliances could be and should be banned. Guest: Robert Bryce is a Texas-based author, journalist, podcaster, film producer, and public speaker. Over the past three decades, his articles have appeared in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, National Review, Field & Stream, and Austin Chronicle. Bryce has published six books. His first book, Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron, received rave reviews and was named one of the best non-fiction books of 2002 by Publishers Weekly. His second book, Cronies: Oil, the Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America’s Superstate, was published in 2004. His third book, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of “Energy Independence,”published in March 2008, was favorably reviewed by more than 20 media outlets.
Host:
Joe Selvaggi

June 2022

3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

A Rant About Biden’s Energy Policy, with Robert Bryce

When it comes to energy, is the Biden administration simply stupid, or blindly ideological? Yes—we should embrace the power of "and," because these possibilities are not mutually exclusive. Indeed the Bidenistas appear to be both dumb and ideological. Yesterday I ran into energy expert extraordinaire Robert Bryce—we're at a murky gathering at an undisclosed location—and we sat down for a hearty rant about the derangements of the Biden regime, but on the wider scene how fast reality has finally asserted itself with the prospect of electricity shortages this summer, and the rapid return of coal. And electric cars? Fuggetaboutit. Bonus: we share our favorite recession indicators, which includes chairs, and the number of strippers in North Dakota.
Host:
Steve Hayward
Organization
Ricochet

May 2021

3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

Robert Bryce on Pipelines, Windmills, and Grids, Oh My!

With this episode of the Power Line Show, I'm returning to what I call "Power Line Classic" format, featuring interviews and conversations with interests thinkers, writers, and doers. I took a hiatus from this format last year while I was working on my book, and using the Three Whisky Happy Hour format as a substitute because "Lucretia" does all the work (except for selecting my whisky), but don't dismay—the 3WHH format will continue every week as before, so now you'll get two Power Line shows to choose from every week. To mark the end of hiatus I am delighted to have back on Robert Bryce, who is one of only a small handful of writers who understands the world of energy and can write about it lucidly. He recently produced a terrific study on the rural backlash against wind energy for the Center of the American Experiment entitled "Not In Our Back Yard: Rural America Is Fighting Back Against Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects." In this conversation we range widely from this study to the "tale of three pipelines" (Keystone, Colonial, and Nordstream 2), energy in the developing world, and the sorry spectacle of the Texas blackouts this winter.
Host:
Steve Hayward
Organization
Ricochet

April 2020

3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

A Question of Power, with Robert Bryce

This special mid-week edition offers an alternative to the all-virus/all-the-time coverage currently smothering all other topics right now, this time featuring Robert Bryce talking about his brand new book A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations. The book is a companion to his documentary film Juice: How Electricity Explains the World that will be available on streaming services in June. (For the moment, check out the YouTube trailer below.) The American public at large tends to take electricity for granted since our supply and grid is so reliable, but in fact its sources and distribution are complex. In our conversation Robert and I break down a lot of energy basics, debunk some favorite "green" energy myths, review the main problem of electricity (that it is hard to store electrons in sufficient quantity), and look over where nuclear power stands today. Gregg Easterbrook had a terrific review of A Question of Power in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, which subscribers can read here.
Host:
Steve Hayward
Organization
Ricochet

June 2018

3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

Killer Tomatoes and the Electricity Grid

What could the cult-camp classic "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" have to do with the electricity grid? A lot, as it turns out, and Steve Hayward ponders this gonzo crossover topic with three experts on energy policy, Lynne Kiesling of Purdue University, author Robert Bryce, and author/activist Tisha Schuller. Not only does this episode feature killer garden produce, but it also has Steve Martin references. Who says energy policy wonkery can't be fun!
Host:
Steve Hayward
Organization
Ricochet

July 2016