The Influencer List Day 5: David Roberts

Welcome to Day 5 of our 12 Days of Christmas' "The Influencer List" ~ 12 leading thinkers helping re-write the climate and energy narrative in 2024.

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Let's see if you guessed today's Mystery Influencer right!

Drumroll please...our next leader on the list of influencers YOU should be following in 2024 is:

Day 5: david roberts

(aka and better known as @DRVolts on Twitter where he spends most of his time)

David Roberts is a prominent writer on energy and climate issues. His newsletter "Volts" focuses squarely on clean energy & politics, and has been a beacon of truth for the clean energy transition. More than 54,000 subscribers hang on David's every word, faithfully following along as he unravels the "doom loops" of our often-failed attempts to catch up with our peers in Europe and Asia in the climate fight. He's built a solid reputation as a climate writer since his days at Grist & Vox, and has an enviable Twitter following (and a negligible presence here on LinkedIn, unfortunately for those of us who love this platform)

David does a magnificent job not just commentating on what's happening with clean energy policies, but also sorting through the plethora of information to unravel the truth and what really matters wrt the policies driving climate action forward. (His episodes from August 2022 on the Inflation Reduction Act, for example, were essential listening for us at SunCast trying to figure out what it all meant).

As David puts it "the goal is not quantity of information, but quality of understanding". If David's clear dedication to the industry is not convincing enough, here are a few more reasons why you should follow them in 2024:

1. Knowledge: David has a deep understanding of the complexities of energy and climate issues. He tracks everything going on in climate politics, including news, reading trade publications and research reports, talking with engineers and policy staffers, and a lot more. The world of climate policies is a lot to track, but David has proven more than capable, and you can see the proof in the Volts newsletter.

2. Clarity: David also has a talent for explaining complex topics in a clear and engaging way, not just in his writing style, but also in the podcast. David uses personable language and explains terms that may not be known by every audience member, making it very approachable. Take this episode, "Rooftop solar and home batteries make a clean grid vastly more affordable" , where David demonstrates both points (even beginning the episode by referring to us clean energy enthusiasts as "energy nerds" haha 🙂)

3. Influence: David's writing is widely read and respected in the field. With over 15 years of experience writing for publications such as Vox, Grist, and Outside, David has made a name for himself. On top of writing for these publications, he has also appeared on several TV shows, podcasts, and radio programs, including All In with Chris Hayes, On The Media, and Pod Save America (just to name a few).

David Roberts has been a voice for climate action for over a decade and continues to publish the information people need to know about how policy and technology intersect to propel clean energy transition forward.

If you are looking to make a connection with someone that leans into what truly matters with climate policies, follow David Roberts in 2024 and subscribe to Volts.

And, while you're here, I invite you to Subscribe (if you haven't) and share this newsletter with your network - who knows, perhaps you'll be the next Influencer on our List!? 🤓

Tag someone you know is looking for inspiration in the New Year.