The Clean Energy Show

Brazil's environment minister Marina Silva is calling on nations to commit to a voluntary and "self-determined" fossil-fuel phaseout roadmap at COP30. Debate continues over how aggressive nations should be and how such a roadmap should be enforced. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/16/have-courage-to-create-fossil-fuel-phaseout-roadmap-at-cop30-brazilian-minister-urges

Researchers at Purdue University have demonstrated a sodium-ion battery capable of operating reliably in extreme cold. The pouch cell was tested with real wind and solar inputs, raising possibilities for remote, polar, and space applications.

At COP30 there are 50 fossil-fuel lobbyists for every delegate from the Philippines.

The IEA's latest oil-demand forecast assumes no EV growth outside China and Europe—an assumption that defies basic economics and was influenced by Trump-era pressure.

Sky debuts a silent, zero-emission hydrogen + sodium battery power system for film and TV sets. Story: https://fcw.sh/RgGKB0

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A YouTuber powers his entire home using batteries pulled from disposable vapes. It's an ingenious (if slightly dangerous) recycling project that shows how creative energy storage can get.

Germany — the country that started the global solar revolution — actually has worse solar potential than Saskatchewan's darkest month! Still, by inspiring the boom that made solar cheap and widespread, Germany paved the way for countries like China to dominate solar manufacturing today.

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Also this week: coal mines are heating homes in the UK, Nissan sells its HQ to stay afloat, Toyota delays its solid-state EV battery (again), and a giant Australian grid battery survives a major failure.

The Lightning Round COP conference coverage vs. cruise ads, Spain nearly coal-free, edible road salt in Sweden, Texas breaks a November heat record, and Germany launches Europe's largest battery storage project.

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Australia's new "solar sharer" program will give every household three hours of free solar power a day—even if they don't have panels! It's a bold experiment to shift energy use to the middle of the day when the sun is strongest.

In California, the state quietly pulled the plug on its long-delayed e-bike rebate program, shuffling the remaining funds into clean car subsidies instead. The hosts argue it's a short-sighted move that favors more expensive solutions over the most efficient ones.

Meanwhile, South Korea now requires solar canopies over large parking lots nationwide—providing clean power, shade, and EV charging. The hosts also mark ten years since the Paris Accord and look back at how renewables blew past early forecasts.

Other stories include Kia's big EV push into Japan, Chery's 800-mile solid-state battery breakthrough, and listener mail about Chinese automakers.

The Lightning Round: Waymo expands robotaxis to new cities, Hyundai's global EV sales surge 47%, France tops global energy efficiency rankings, and a shocking stat—rising heat now kills one person every minute.

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European automakers are scrambling to form new alliances to dodge massive EU fines for missing EV targets. Tesla sits at the center of an ever-growing web of carbon-credit partnerships, giving traditional automakers a lifeline as they rush to electrify.

In the courts, youth-led climate lawsuits are heating up on both sides of the border. Canada is seeing its first-ever federal climate trial — La Rose v. His Majesty the King — arguing that government inaction violates young people's Charter rights. And in the U.S., a recent dismissal of the "kids versus Trump" case may still pave the way for future climate victories after a judge called climate change a "children's health emergency."

Plus, a new company wants to store clean energy under the sea using giant saltwater bladders — like a pumped hydro system without the mountains. Google also backs plans to restart an old nuclear plant in Iowa to secure 25 years of zero-carbon power.

And in the Lightning Round:

• Two proposed AI data centers would use as much energy as five cities.
• North Dakota's power prices fall as coal declines.
• China rebrands "semi-solid-state" batteries.
• The last coal plant in New England shuts down — for good.

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Uber Green gets a new name as Uber doubles down on electric rides, the world's largest heat battery comes online in California, a massive new floating twin wind turbine from China smashes records, and California tightens fire safety rules after a major grid battery blaze. Plus, why cold wind actually generates more electricity — and why Kia's newest EV comes with a gasoline-scented air freshener.

Brian goes all the way to Boston to see a Paul Thomas Anderson film in VistaVision then gets stranded there thanks to Air Canada. Then we discuss the Blue Jays going to the World Series. More chitchat in our extended Patreon episode this week.

China's MingYang Ocean X floating wind turbine doubles the size of current designs with 290-meter rotors and 50 MW capacity. James vents about nuclear plans in Saskatchewan

More:

• Nissan's Sakura EV gets a solar roof generating up to 3,000 km of free driving per year.
• Beyond Meat stock surges over 1,000%.
• Chinese automakers outsell Toyota in Japan's EV market.
• Fossil-fuel heat linked to a 38% decline in tropical birds.
• Finland finds cold air produces more wind energy than warm — but watch out for ice on the blades.

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Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.

China opens the world's first underwater data center — and it's using 90% less energy. The Boston Housing Authority tries out saddle-shaped window heat pumps that drape over windows like Pringles chips. James's two electric cars — a Chevy Bolt and a Nissan Leaf — both get modern makeovers with fast charging, heat pumps, and vehicle-to-home power. Plus, Delta Airlines bets on hybrid-electric planes — think Prius, but with less legroom.

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• 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to climate fighters

• Green hydrogen https://fcw.sh/7OCY5B

• Deep Sky building a $500M direct air capture facility in Manitoba — one of the world's largest.

• BYD Seagull named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2025.

• Chinese automakers now hold 13% of the UK car market, predicted to hit 30% in two years.

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Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.

Conservatives actually support climate action. Nigeria goes big on solar, Santiago's air gets cleaner, and renewables finally overtake coal worldwide.

• Renewables surpassing coal globally for the first time — even in China and India.

• Nigeria's solar revolution: cheap panels, no diesel noise, and whole villages going solar.

• Chile's long fight against smog finally paying off — cleaner air for 7.5 million people in Santiago.

• Why many conservatives quietly support climate action — and what's really holding back their politicians.

Lightning Round:

• Japan's new leader goes all-in on nuclear.

• Puerto Rico's rooftop solar boom.

• The Vatican's new climate commitment.

• VW's EV sales up 231%.

• Inhalers linked to climate pollution.

• Alberta vs. Norway oil wealth.

• World's largest floating wind turbine launched in China.

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Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.

Carrier, the company that invented air conditioning, is now adding batteries to its HVAC systems to help stabilize the grid. James compares clean energy progress in Heilongjiang, China, to the situation in Saskatchewan, Canada, where coal is sticking around until 2050. Meanwhile, developing nations may be scaling back their attendance at COP30 in Brazil due to soaring hotel prices in the Amazon.

• Join us for free on Patreon for addional content like the hydrogen letter correcting us.

We also dig into listener mail, including a detailed correction on hydrogen vs. SMR math, new EV charging options from Grizzl-E, heat pump dryer experiences, Scandinavian crime drama recommendations, and whether James should just fill his house with snake plants instead of an air purifier. Plus, Glenn Wright weighs in on forests, carbon sinks, and net-zero.

In the Lightning Round:

• U.S. nuclear license extensions in Wisconsin

• France planning a 1.5 GW offshore wind farm

• The U.S. DOE reportedly banning "climate change" from its vocabulary

• Renewables beating new nuclear ten to one for climate mitigation

• China's clean energy dominance in solar, batteries, and wind

• Morocco sending solar power to Germany

• Europe backing African renewables

• A new sodium-ion battery installation in Switzerland

• And just how many solar panels China installs every second

Links to stories we covered:

• Carrier batteries for air conditioners (Canary Media): https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/carrier-air-conditioning-help-grid

• Heilongjiang clean energy projects (China green hydrogen & e-methanol): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-29/nations-rethink-plans-for-brazil-climate-summit-as-costs-soar?srnd=phx-green

• COP30 hotel crunch (Bloomberg): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-29/nations-rethink-plans-for-brazil-climate-summit-as-costs-soar?srnd=phx-green

• Grizzl-E EV Club: https://grizzl-e.com/ca/ | https://club.grizzl-e.com/ | https://youtu.be/SH7fItzcFbQ

• Antarctica wind project: https://www.antarctica.gov.au/antarctic-operations/stations-and-field-locations/amenities-and-operations/renewable-energy/wind-power

• IEA on rising AC demand: https://iea.li/48AjJAc

• Morocco–Germany undersea solar cable (CleanTechnica): https://cleantechnica.com

• EU renewables in Africa (Bloomberg): https://bloomberg.com

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In this special interview episode, we sit down with economist Brett Dolter to explore the future of clean energy in Saskatchewan and beyond. From the politics of power generation to the technical challenges of renewables in extreme cold, Brett offers a candid and insightful look at what it will take to transition to a greener grid.

Brett Dolter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, University of Regina where he teaches courses in climate change policy, microeconomics, cost-benefit analysis, and ecological economics. Brett's research is focused on modelling the costs and consequences of climate and energy policy. Current research projects include analyzing the distributional impacts of carbon pricing in Canada; modelling the cost of decarbonizing the Canadian electricity system; and exploring public support for competing energy futures in Regina, Saskatchewan.

• The report on SaskPower vs fed regulations Dolter published here (PDF)

We discuss why Saskatchewan, despite its world-class solar and wind resources, lags behind provinces like Alberta in renewable adoption, and how monopoly structures and regulatory frameworks have slowed progress. Brett explains how reforming electricity rate structures could accelerate electrification, make rooftop solar more attractive, and help families save money in the long run.

The conversation also covers the engineering realities of renewable energy in cold climates—from wind turbines to heat pumps—and looks at innovations from around the world, including northern China, that could be adapted for the Prairies. Finally, Brett dives into the political dimensions of the energy transition, reflecting on public opinion, partisan divides, and the path forward for renewables in Saskatchewan.

This is an eye-opening discussion about the intersection of policy, technology, and economics—and why the choices made today will shape our energy future for decades to come.

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Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.

The future of batteries—including a surprising chemistry that works all the way down to –50°C. We'll also look at New York City's new speed limit for e-bikes, the world's first driverless truck border crossing, and how a listener in Japan pressed Saskatchewan's premier on renewables.

• CORRECTION: 600,000 tons of hydrogen does not produce 200 terawatt hours of electricity. It's only 2! AI halucinated and let us down. We appologize.

We explore whether Saskatchewan really is "too cold to decarbonize," with insights from researchers like Brett Dolter and Stanford's Mark Z. Jacobson. Plus, we compare the province's energy choices with bold projects in northern China and the Netherlands, where renewables are surging ahead despite tough climates.

In listener mail, Jon from Japan updates us on solar and EV progress in his city, proving that persistence pays off. And in the Lightning Round, we'll cover fossil fuel declines in Europe, China's new climate pledge, a Canadian wildfire twist that helped crops, India's nuclear expansion, Nigeria's solar boom, and BYD's massive new battery breakthrough.

• Lightning Round: China's climate pledge, U.S. offshore wind ruling, EV oil displacement, Nigeria's solar push, BYD's 14.5 MWh container battery

Contact Us

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Support The Clean Energy Show

Join the Clean Club on our Patreon Page to receive perks for supporting the podcast and our planet!

PayPal Donate offers one-time or regular donations.

Store

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Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.