Dave Turk | Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. DOE

Episode notes

Welcome to The Zenergy Podcast! Today, Karan has the honor of speaking with Former Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy, Dave Turk. Dave and Karan reflect on Dave's time at the DOE where he led the design and rollout of some of the most ambitious clean energy policies in U.S. history. They discuss his day-to-day schedule, leadership takeaways, and the power of hiring the right people in the right jobs. They also chat about H.R.1 (commonly referred to as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’) and how the rollback efforts of the Trump administration on clean energy could play out. They discuss how the U.S. should approach China’s role in the current global energy system and how long it might take for the U.S. to be in a position where it would not have to rely on China’s supply chain considering how reliant we currently are on rare earths, critical minerals, and batteries. Finally, Dave shares what keeps him optimistic even among challenging political times. Credits: Editing/Graphics: Desta Wondirad, Wondir Studios