THINGS WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THIS WEEK

Solar totally outshines coal, GM goes all-in, and the most effective climate policy you’ve probably never heard of.

GLOBAL TRENDS

Taking the world by solar


Sunlight, wind, water and other renewable sources powered two-thirds of new electricity brought online around the world last year, according to new research from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

One especially bright spot in global trends is the glare solar power is casting over carbon-intensive coal—long the incumbent leader for new electricity generation. The rapid rise of solar surprised even the IEA, which said it had underestimated how quickly solar would outcompete its peers on a price-per-kilowatt basis.

“What we are witnessing is the birth of a new era in solar photovoltaics,” said IEA head Fatih Birol. The agency now expects solar to remain the leading source of new electricity capacity worldwide for at least the next five years. As renewables get cheaper and more prevalent, the agency suggested, governments will need to revisit their energy distribution infrastructure and prioritize making grids more flexible to changes in generation, demand and storage.

DOS users know how this story goes 

If C:\ means anything to you, the rapid evolution of electric vehicles may feel strangely familiar. As CBC’s Don Pittis argues, we’re on the brink of a “price war” that could do for EVs what it did for computers: drive the shift from invention to standardization to shakeout.


A handout for coal would cost more than money

Obama’s plan to make industry report on greenhouse gas performance is working—U.S. emissions fell 2% last year, and power plant emissions are down 18% since 2012. Yet Trump’s plans to subsidize coal could undo that progress, and do other harm.


A passive investment

Calgary tradespeople are getting hands-on training in passive-house construction, thanks to a pilot project run by a local developer. Alberta’s first Passive-House-certified home will be ultra-efficient, requiring no furnace and running on 90% less power than usual.


GM goes all-in on plug-ins

You know electric cars have gone mainstream when General Motors—that iconic North American automaker—says it will eventually stop building vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. The dawn of the company’s all-electric future will break next year.


Energy storage on wheels

Would you be more likely to buy an EV if it made you money sitting in your garage? A UK energy utility is betting on it, planning to pay EV owners for feeding energy stored in their car batteries back to the grid. The sales pitch is simple: you’d be “driving for free.”


The future, in a name

The company formerly known as Danish Oil and Natural Gas has rebranded as Ørsted after walking away from fossil fuels. The new name is pays homage to the 19th century Danish scientist who discovered electromagnetism.

Ottawa’s ‘single-biggest carbon-fighting policy’

It’s not surprising that the federal plan to price carbon emissions tends to steal the spotlight, but a little-known policy to create a market for cleaner fuels is expected to do much more heavy lifting to cut pollution. As our Jeremy Moorhouse explains, “It’s big.”


Sticking it to OPEC

The growing popularity of vehicles that don’t run on gasoline is quenching the thirst for oil. By 2025, EVs are expected to reduce oil demand by nearly as much as Iran produces each day. Some projections put EVs on track to undercut Saudi Arabia’s output by 2040.

Legislating the next wave of clean power

Changes to a Nova Scotia law aim to make it easier for tidal energy projects to sell power to the grid. The province already has a Bay of Fundy turbine supplying energy to some 500 homes, but the new rules would help other tidal electricity developers follow in its wake.

FEATURED VIDEO

Gas butler not required #EVsAreBetter
Gas cars are so last decade. The scary truth about ICEs, from FleetCarma.
Clean Energy Review is sponsored in part by Genus Capital Management, a leading provider of fossil-fuel-free investments. 

COMING ATTRACTIONS

FRONT BURNER

Generation Energy Forum

October 11-12 | Winnipeg 

The "conversation of a generation" is happening in Winnipeg this week, as Canadians from across the country meet to discuss their visions for our country's energy future. If you're not in the area, don't dismay: you can join the conversation virtually through your computer or mobile device. Find out how. 


November 26-29, 2017 | Vancouver

Clean Energy BC: Generate 2017

Featuring plenary sessions, exhibitions, short courses, field trips and networking opportunities, Generate 2017 is a forum for discussion and engagement between B.C.'s diverse community of Independent Power Producers, First Nations and government representatives, utilities, consultants, contractors and suppliers. Learn more.  

 

June 16-21, 2018 | Vancouver

Resources for Future Generation 2018

This conference showcases advances in earth science, societal and technical innovation, and education that can change the course of history. Be part of the sustainable future by submitting an abstract. And check out the Mining for Clean Energy session.

IMAGE & MEDIA CREDITS

Feature photo: The Solar Now installation in Cranbrook, B.C. brings solar power to the former mining community. Photo: Clean Energy Canada
Video: FleetCarma
Clean Energy Review is a weekly digest of climate and clean energy news and insight from across Canada and around the world—plus a peek over the horizon. 

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