Thanks mostly to political differences, there are still intense debates about the overall energy policy in the United States.

How soon should we move completely away from reliance on fossil fuels and coal and have clean energy be our sole provider?

The battle is a common one between the economy and the environment.

But as technology improves and becomes more efficient, so-called smart products are making a huge difference and bringing the future to us faster than expected.

Tom Hines is an energy strategy consultant, and The Show spoke with him about some of the developments.

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