The Clean Energy Show

The world’s largest battery maker, unveils a battery that lasts 2.8 million kilometers, which is roughly 140 years of average driving—138 years more than Facebook memes claim about EV batteries. California is using robots to control wildfires by creating controlled burns. Think of it as a Zamboni, but with fire! India is spending $1.3 billion to subsidize electric two- and three-wheelers, along with electric ambulances. The Hague becomes the first city in the world to ban fossil fuel advertising!

Re-edited for your listening pleasure. Our Patreon launches next week!

• CATL’s New Heavy-Duty EV Battery CATL is developing a revolutionary battery for heavy-duty vehicles that lasts up to 2.8 million kilometers (140 years of driving). Key features:
  • 15-year lifespan.
  • Can withstand 72 hours of water immersion.
  • Charges 60% in 12 minutes.
  • Expected to enter mass production soon, with 13 companies ready to adopt it. More details here.
• California’s Fire-Fighting Robots California is deploying robots that create controlled burns to prevent wildfires, likened to a "Zamboni but with fire."
  • Also, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada is accelerating production of water-bombing planes. Read about the robots here, and about the water bombers here.
• India’s EV Subsidy Plan India is investing $1.3 billion to promote electric two- and three-wheelers while also electrifying ambulances.
  • EV sales in India could hit 10 million units by 2030, supported by the subsidy. More details here.

• Richard recommends podcasts like The Fully Charged Show and Everything Electric.
• Chuck asks about gas stoves and their link to asthma, with studies showing they can increase childhood asthma risks by 30%. More info on the health risks here and here.
• David shares his story of convincing his son to switch to an EV after some initial resistance—thanks to lower operating costs and cleaner air!

The 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs in North America could harm domestic automakers by delaying their efforts to catch up with Chinese competition.

• Spain’s Prime Minister commits €40 million to subsidize e-bikes.
• A battery-electric speedboat makes the same roundtrip as a gas-powered one for 95% less fuel cost.
• China installs wind and solar capacity equivalent to five new nuclear reactors every week.
• Chile leads the world with 9.4% of its primary energy coming from solar in 2023.

That’s it for this week! Remember to reach out via email at [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at speakpipe.com/cleanenergyshow. Follow us on social media @cleanenergypod.

Links:

• CATL’s new battery
• California’s fire-fighting robots
• India’s EV subsidy plan
• The Hague’s fossil fuel ad ban

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E...

The United Arab Emirates is building the world’s largest solar farm with battery storage, capable of providing 1 GW of consistent baseload power, just like a nuclear reactor. We also explore why some trees survive wildfires while entire neighborhoods are reduced to ash, and why Washington State’s e-bike subsidy program is turning heads with its innovative lottery system.

Join The Clean Energy Show's CLEAN CLUB on Patreon for exclusive perks! Get a monthly bonus podcast, early access to our content, behind the scenes content, access to our members-only Discord community and thank-yous in the credits of videos and shoutouts on our podcast! Starting at just a couple dollars per month!

Plus, we reflect on five years of podcasting and take a deep dive into the state of electric vehicle adoption worldwide. Norway is set to hit its 100% zero-emission vehicle goal this year, while the U.S. and Canada struggle to keep pace. We’ll also discuss how EV price parity is reshaping the global auto industry and why fast charger costs are finally coming down.

Highlights from this week’s episode:

• Renaming the Gulf of Mexico: A humorous take on geopolitics as James suggests Canada reclaim the Gulf as “The Gulf of Southern Canada.”
• UAE’s Solar Mega-Project: How the largest solar-plus-storage project compares to traditional baseload power sources.
• Wildfire Survivors: Why some trees remain standing amid devastation and how homes can be better protected from fire risks.
• Washington State’s E-Bike Lottery: A unique approach to e-bike subsidies that could make cleaner transportation more accessible.
• EV Adoption Trends: Norway leads the pack with near-total EV adoption, while China outpaces North America in price competitiveness and sales growth.
• Listener Feedback: A shoutout to Ian, who reconsidered a winter EV road trip, and Ronnie, who shares insights on nuclear energy from a viral TikTok.

The Lightning Round:

• Volkswagen may partner with a Chinese EV manufacturer in Germany.
• Extreme heat in Europe is predicted to cause more deaths despite milder winters up north.
• France hit 95% carbon-free electricity production in 2024, driven by nuclear power.
• Solar energy overtakes coal for the first time in the EU.

Fast Facts:

• Texas solar power increased by 64% in one year.
• China’s renewable energy investments dwarfed its nuclear developments in 2024.

Book Nook: James revisits Ducks by Kate Beaton, a poignant memoir about working in Alberta’s oil sands.

Connect With Us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voicemail: speakpipe.com/cleanenergyshow
• TikTok: @cleanenergypod
• Donate via PayPal: Support the show here

Our special fifth-anniversary episode! This week, we take a trip down memory lane to reflect on five years of clean energy news, predictions, and surprises. James takes us through just how much progress has been made in clean energy since we started the podcast five years ago. The growth is staggering, even compared to the most optimistic 2020 predictions!

The Baltic states have officially disconnected from the Russian power grid and joined the EU grid. Workers literally cut the cord and took pieces home as souvenirs, along with safety, security, and peace of mind.

Celebrating Five Years Our first show aired on February 12, 2020, in Brian’s bomb shelter studio, where we recorded the first five episodes.

How Predictions Held Up Back in 2020, some clean energy forecasts missed the mark—by a lot:

• A 2020 climate report estimated 2.5 million EVs on the road by 2030. We’re at 85 million today, with four years to go.

EV Boom in Five Years

• In 2020, 2.9% of new car sales in Canada were EVs—by the end of 2024, it was 13.2%.
• There were only 4 million EVs in the world when we started. Now, 4 million EVs are sold every two months.

China’s Rapid Growth

• In 2020, China exported 1 million cars. By 2024, that number skyrocketed to 6.4 million.
• When we started the podcast, there were 8 million EVs worldwide. Now, China alone produces 238,000 plug-in vehicles every day!

Join the Clean Club at https://www.patreon.com/c/cleanenergypod for exclusive content, ad-free episodes, and more!

The Lightning Round

• Ozempic is reportedly messing with climate predictions by reducing food consumption. Less food, less pollution!
• Over $2 trillion was invested in the global energy transition in 2024—a record-breaking amount.
• The U.K. would need a forest twice the size of London to offset its airport expansion emissions.
• Oxford University, at 699 years old, is replacing gas heating with heat pumps to cut carbon emissions.
• The Baltic states successfully cut ties to the Russian power grid and are now fully synchronized with the EU grid.

Thank you for five years of listening! Here’s to the next five!

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Welcome to episode 242 of The Clean Energy Show! This week, we explore a groundbreaking proposal to connect Europe's and North America's power grids using undersea cables, a move that could revolutionize clean energy by balancing solar and wind production across continents. California is launching a new program offering free e-bikes to low-income residents, but there's a catch: applicants must sit through climate change and e-bike safety videos. Meanwhile, OPEC faces a harsh reality check as oil demand peaks much sooner than anticipated, leaving petrostate politicians scrambling. And in New York City, plans for mandatory e-bike license plates spark controversy.

Also in the show: Mercedes gets the green light for Level 3 autonomous driving in Germany, GM pulls the plug on its Cruise robo-taxi business, and BC Hydro opens a powerful new EV charger in British Columbia. All this and more, including the ever-illuminating Lightning Round!

Join The Clean Energy Show's CLEAN CLUB on Patreon or YouTube for exciting perks! Get a monthly bonus podcast and more!

Main Stories

• California's Free E-Bike Program: Read more.
• Transatlantic Power Grids: Full report.
• OPEC’s Oil Demand Reality Check: Read the full analysis.

Other Highlights

• Mercedes-Benz's DRIVE PILOT gets approval in Germany for Level 3 autonomous driving, allowing drivers to legally read, work, or watch TV while the car drives itself.
• GM halts its Cruise self-driving taxi operations after safety incidents.
• BC Hydro opens a new 350 kW EV charger in Oyama, BC, significantly improving EV travel in the region.

Listener Mail

The Lightning Round

• US Supreme Court upholds California’s right to set its own vehicle emissions standards.
• Global renewable energy installations hit a record 560 GW in 2023, compared to just 7.1 GW of new nuclear.
• EV battery life may last 40% longer than previously estimated.
• Study finds only 1% of EV owners would switch back to gas-powered cars, with cost savings being the primary reason.
• BYD plans to introduce 6C charging technology, enabling 10-80% charging in just 7 minutes.

Contact Us We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at speakpipe.com/cleanenergyshow.

Support the Show

• Join us on Patreon for exclusive content and to be part of the conversation.
• Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=VMDCRPHLNR8YE.

We’re also preparing our year-end wrap-up! Let us know what stories from 2024 stood out to you and how you feel about the progress made this year.

Thank you for listening to The Clean Energy Show! See you next week!

1. Solar panels are built to last, often functioning for decades beyond their warranty. When they’re replaced, many are finding a second life in energy-poor regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where access to electricity can transform communities. Programs like Solar Sister help distribute these panels to power mobile phone chargers, e-bikes, and even entire villages. For example, an original Bell Labs PV cell from 1954 is still producing power 70 years later. Join The Clean Energy Show's CLEAN CLUB on Patreon or YouTube for exciting perks!
2. This holiday season, Australia will pioneer V2G technology that allows electric vehicles to feed electricity back to the grid, helping balance supply and demand. Learn more about this development in Electrek’s report.
3. Could a single solar panel lift someone out of energy poverty?
4. In a surprising move, Exxon’s CEO has urged the U.S. to remain in the Paris Climate Agreement. This unexpected stance from an oil giant hints at complex motivations. Check out the details in Bloomberg’s report.

Listener Mail:

• Alex: A listener and sustainability expert, Alex, wrote in to share insights on the longevity and recycling of solar panels, noting that panels can often be used beyond their initial lifespan for energy-poor regions.
• Nate from Oregon Seaweed: Nate, the chief scientist at Oregon Seaweed, left us a voicemail discussing the potential of kelp as a sustainable energy source.
• Bob: Listener Bob sent us an article on Canada’s proposed emissions cap on oil and gas companies. Learn more in this piece from the National Observer.
• Larry from Saskatchewan Renewable Energy Coalition: Larry invited us to discuss the Saskatchewan Renewable Energy Coalition, a group promoting renewable energy education in Saskatchewan.

Join James at the Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 11 AM for a panel discussion on the films of Lowell Dean.

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