Episode Ep 279 September 26, 2025 1 hr 11 min

Too Cold to Decarbonize

From The Clean Energy Show James Whittingham and Brian Stockton

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.

Wind-solar-hydrogen integrated demonstration project in Manzhouli, China.