What actually is an electrostate? How do the material substances of electricity and fossil fuels shape state power? Is the US a petrostate and does this question expose the flimsiness of the concept? When we talk about electrostates, do we really just mean China?
Freddie Daley is a Research Associate at the Centre for Global Political Economy University of Sussex. He joins Josh White to discuss his recent article 'Making sense of the electrostate' (2026), co-authored with Professor Peter Newell, published in Globalizations journal. They consider definitions of the often slippery concept; the relationship between electrification and fossil fuel use; how major shifts in geopolitics like the US' war in Iran are creating new dependencies and trade relations; and the need to push back against crude simplifications in political economy debates.
'New Thinking in Political Economy' is a monthly podcast showcasing cutting-edge political economy research that helps us to understand the world around us.
The series is produced by Chris Saltmarsh and Josh White. This episode was edited by Josh White with support from Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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