Messaging around climate change has been increasingly difficult in recent years as affordability, security, and other issues rise to the top. In an increasingly polarized political environment, climate communicators must work harder than ever to break through. In this episode of Atlas Live, we’ll zero in on the communicating climate challenges and opportunities around the 2026 Midterm Election. What climate and clean energy messages are resonating, and how should organizations adapt their communications to the political moment? We’ll sit down with Chris Moyer, founder and president of Echo Communications Advisors, and Phoebe Sweet, founder and president of Acadia Strategies, to discuss the strategies shaping climate communications throughout this election season. They’ll examine lessons from this election cycle, how to reach different audiences, and what the results could mean for climate communications moving forward.

The Home Energy Rebates programs help homeowners pay for energy-saving improvements including heat pumps, air sealing, and insulation with point-of-sale discounts. Initially introduced in 2022, the programs received new federal guidance in 2026 which narrowed eligibility, among other changes. In this episode of Atlas Live, Stephen Naimoli sits down with Kristofor Anderson of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and Julie Kempf of the Indiana Office of Energy Development to break down the latest developments. They’ll explore topics such as how these programs are designed to help households, and how the revised guidance will shape both existing and new programs.

Auto loans are a major recurring cost for households, but the interest rates lenders charge rarely account for a vehicle's fuel economy. A new Atlas Public Policy analysis, conducted with support from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), examined nearly 380,000 auto loans and found efficient and electric vehicle (EV) borrowers were up to 50% less likely to fall behind on payments, even though EV borrowers still paid more in financing costs. In this episode, Atlas’s Nick Nigro sits down with Annabelle Davis of NRDC and Jose Orozco Pelico of USC Credit Union to discuss what this data means for how lenders price risk, how credit unions are exploring non-traditional underwriting, and how aligning rates with actual risk could avoid penalizing EV drivers and support the broader shift to cleaner vehicles.