The Clean Energy Show
• U.S. Electric Vehicle Debate James breaks down the ongoing American EV culture wars, why they feel stuck, and how much is political theatre vs. real-world data. We're off this week for the holidays so we're playing our Patreon bonus episode from a month ago because we think it has some great stories in it. • EV Market Growth The hosts dig into the latest numbers showing EVs gaining traction globally—and why the economic case keeps getting harder to ignore. • Stockpiling Critical Minerals A look at why countries are hoarding minerals like lithium and nickel, what it means for future...
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A look back at the biggest clean energy developments of 2025 — and we reveal why electric trucking in China may be the most important story of the year. We break down record global growth in solar, wind, and EV adoption, explain how renewables are now outpacing fossil fuels in new investment, and explore why China’s rising clean power generation is finally pushing its CO₂ emissions lower even as electricity demand grows CES 293 - Google Docs. (Letters are being held over until our next bonus episode.) The show also checks in on Norway, the world’s EV laboratory, where electric vehicles...
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How plunging battery costs are turning solar into reliable, around-the-clock power that can compete directly with fossil fuels. Brian Stockton and James Whittingham break down new findings from Ember showing that grid-scale batteries now make dispatchable solar cheaper than many new gas plants, fundamentally changing the energy landscape. The episode also explores why Big Oil is increasingly betting on petrochemicals and single-use plastics as EVs cut into fuel demand. A new IEEFA report reveals that a 70% global reduction in single-use plastics would deliver a major financial blow to the...
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Nairobi’s ride-hailing sector hits 40% electric motorcycles as Bolt logs 4.8 million EV rides. Financing from M-KOPA and Watu helps riders switch to cheaper, cleaner bikes, and local companies like Roam and Ampersand expand assembly and charging. Norway agrees to study its post-oil future after a deal with the Greens to pass the 2026 budget. EV incentives begin to scale back as adoption goals are met: . Thermostats Part 2 with Brian and James reviews the McVeggie. He wonders if it’s actually just a mayo sandwich. They react to CNN’s Bill Weir covering Trump’s MPG rollback (full clip on...
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Solar power brings new dignity to a Kurdish village devastated by a chemical attack 38 years ago. Steven Guilbeault resigns from cabinet over a pipeline deal he says breaks Canada’s climate commitments. North Carolina uses “super-roofs” and catastrophe bonds to cut hurricane losses. And Zillow removes climate risk scores from listings after backlash. Support The Clean Energy Show on for exciting perks including a monthly bonus podcast, early access to our content, behind the scenes looks, access to our members-only Discord community and thank-yous in the credits of videos and shoutouts...
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The COP30 climate conference ended without references to fossil fuels after lobbying pressure. Al Gore criticized petrostates for blocking progress and argued the world has reached “Peak Petrostate.” Outside the UN process, 24 countries have agreed to coordinate on fossil-fuel phaseout efforts, with Colombia and the Netherlands hosting the first international conference in 2026. An archival look back at Gore’s 1992 Earth Summit warnings underscores the longstanding concerns. Support The Clean Energy Show on for exciting perks! Arkansas has launched its first-ever wind project: a 135...
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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: Sodium-Ion Batteries That Work at -100°C 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. Lightning Round At COP30 there are 50...
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A 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. Join The Clean Energy Show on for free and get this month's bonus episode! Also this week: coal mines are heating homes...
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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...
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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...
info_outlineA viral meme claims Norway installed sea-life-friendly underwater turbines. It’s AI-generated nonsense—though there have been real tidal power projects in Norway and Scotland. We unpack the truth behind the clickbait.
The United Nations’ top court declares a clean, healthy environment a human right. But what does it really mean for international law and fossil fuel development?
Wildfire smoke chokes Saskatoon in record amounts. And we hear from Aiden, a listener in Lytton, B.C.—a town still devastated from climate disaster four years ago.
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Also on the show:
🎬 Brian re-views the original Naked Gun 2½ and previews the new reboot.
Lightning Round Highlights ⚡
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Formula 1 to use electric/sustainable hybrid engines starting in 2026.
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Huawei patents a 2,900 km EV battery (wait, what?).
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California’s bullet train project gets a surge of public support.
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Australia installs over 11,000 grid-scale batteries—in one month.
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Tesla survives a brutal Chinese real-world ADAS test (barely).
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And: Greenpeace’s lawsuit against Eni over climate damage goes to court in Italy.
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