Checking back in with Greenlight America

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribeOn this episode, recorded live at Climate Week NYC, I talk with Matt Traldi. He’s the founder and CEO of Greenlight America, which finds the local meetings where clean energy’s fate is being decided and recruits supporters to attend. Traldi argues that siting and permitting approvals turn on who shows up, and that local partners, conservative groups included, outperform outside advocates. We discuss how to measure impact, recent wins and losses, blue-state resistance, data center backlash, and Greenlight’s growth.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction02:09 – What Greenlight does and why Matt started it04:41 – How Greenlight finds the decisions that matter07:27 – Growth, and the tax credit deadline sprint13:38 – Who shows up to local hearings19:39 – Winning in conservative communities22:35 – Bodies in the room, measuring impact, and win rates27:46 – Losses, wins, and “there is no bag”32:44 – Blue-state obstacles and organized opposition36:31 – When data center backlash spills over onto clean energy42:31 – Which projects Greenlight won’t back45:38 – Lessons from housing and growing an organization50:17 – Audience Q&A: disinformation and state permitting reform54:39 – Audience Q&A: developers and elections59:30 – Audience Q&A: funding local groups and designing community input