Jesse Ausubel: Protecting “Submerged America” in the Energy Boom

In this interview for The Miller Report: Real Clear Journalism, Maggie Miller sits down with Jesse Ausubel, an environmental scientist with Rockefeller University — who is an expert on long - term energy trends and decarbonization, to examine the often - overlooked material and geopolitical realities behind the energy transition. Ausubel warns that while the world races toward an energy boom, we must confront the sheer physicality of the systems we’re building, from supply chains to deepwater infrastructure.

He highlights the growing strategic importance of the oceans — and the need to protect what he calls “submerged America.” Can we scale our ambitions while safeguarding our coasts, cables, and platforms? Ausubel brings both a scientific and strategic lens to the discussion.