Episode Summary
Executive Summary: This Volts best-of episode highlights two big September themes: how to communicate clean energy without alienating audiences, and how machine learning is changing geothermal exploration. Leah Cuspa argues that economic security and energy reliability usually outperform abstract climate appeals, while climate messaging works best for specific audiences. Zanskar’s founders describe using models and field testing to discover a large blind geothermal resource in Nevada and steadily improve discovery rates over time.
Main Topics: Clean energy messaging and audience segmentation (Priority: 5/5): Leah Cuspa of Good Power explains that effective climate/clean-energy communication depends on audience motivation, with economic security, bills, jobs, and reliability often outperforming generalized climate framing. Whether to lead with climate or economics (Priority: 5/5): The discussion centers on a contested communications strategy: climate framing can mobilize some audiences, but for many others it is less effective than immediate personal benefits like lower costs and reliable power. Energy security and political persuasion (Priority: 4/5): Cuspa emphasizes that energy security, grid reliability, and American competitiveness resonate in rural and conservative regions where renewables are being built. Machine learning for geothermal discovery (Priority: 5/5): Zanskar’s Carl Hoyland and Joel Edwards describe using probabilistic models plus field exploration to find new conventional geothermal resources, including a blind site in Nevada. Discovering the Big Blind geothermal site (Priority: 5/5): The conversation recounts how Zanskar found a genuinely blind geothermal resource with no prior wells or surface signs, then drilled into a commercial reservoir at depth. Model improvement through iterative exploration (Priority: 4/5): The Zanskar team explains that model performance has improved as they collect more data and refine model architecture, though discovery remains uneven and streaky.
Key Arguments: Messaging should start with what people immediately care about—utility bills, gas prices, job security, and healthcare—not with climate ideology. Climate can still be useful, but mainly for audiences already receptive to it, especially younger voters; it should be used strategically rather than universally. For conservative and rural audiences, energy security, grid reliability, and domestic competitiveness are often stronger frames than climate. Clean energy jobs and visible local benefits can make renewables more relatable and persuasive. Zanskar’s approach combines predictive modeling with field validation; models alone are insufficient without drilling and exploration. Their early models were weaker than expert human judgment, but model quality has improved and in some cases now outperforms legacy exploration approaches. Discovery rates are non-linear and streaky, with periods of multiple successes followed by slower stretches, reflecting uncertainty in exploration work.
Data Points: Americans living paycheck to paycheck: Almost 70% - Cuspa cites this as the core reason economic-security messaging resonates. Young people under 35 who rated climate as top voting issue in 2024: 8% - Cuspa uses this to justify climate-first messaging for a subset of the audience. Example utility bill: $859 - A Pennsylvania family featured by Good Power described an $859 utility bill and choosing which bills to pay. House district referenced: Pennsylvania 10 - Cuspa says the utility-bill example comes from Scott Perry’s Republican district. Discovery timing for Big Blind: End of 2023 - Initial discovery of the blind geothermal site in Nevada. Depth to commercial reservoir conditions: Around 2,000 to 3,000 feet - Zanskar reports encountering commercial reservoir conditions while drilling. Wellfield stage status: 2026 - The project is still in the wellfield/permitting stage, with additional exploration wells being planned.
Pivotal Quotes: "I think our biggest failure is sort of our own egos and wanting people to care about climate or wanting them to care about." — Leah Cuspa: Cuspa argues messaging should focus on audience needs rather than persuading people to prioritize climate as a value. "We think about it like a pie." — Leah Cuspa: She explains audience segmentation: climate-first messaging works for some slices of the public, while economics-driven framing works for others. "There were no prior wells on this site to give you any data. There were no surface manifestations of activity on the surface. This was a genuine blind site." — David Roberts (introducing Zanskar segment): Describing why the Nevada geothermal discovery was notable and newsworthy.
Implications: For clean energy advocates, practical benefits and audience-specific framing may be more effective than one-size-fits-all climate rhetoric. For geothermal, AI-assisted exploration could expand resource discovery, lower risk, and accelerate deployment if model quality keeps improving.