THIS WEEK
The wild west of wind energy, a brave new world for utilities, and Thunder Bay may be acquiring some lightning-inspired buses.
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CLEANTECH
Canada's cleantech renaissance
Canadians may only represent a small fraction of the world's population, but when it comes to the top cleantech companies, we're a seriously big player. According to the Global Cleantech 100, a prominent list of the world's top 100 cleantech ventures, Canada is home to 11 such companies—in other words, 11 per cent of them. For comparison, Canadians account for roughly 0.5 per cent of Earth's citizens.
So we're good at this. "Canada has strength across the cleantech board," Tyler Hamilton, senior manager of partnerships in clean technology at MaRS Discovery District, writes for the Huffington Post. "Much of the new optimism stems from the dramatic change in tone from Ottawa. The Trudeau government, with support from the provinces, flagged cleantech as a strategic priority in the pan-Canadian climate framework it released in December." The challenge now, Hamilton says, is to sustain that momentum.
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Crushing carbon pricing concerns
Over at Maclean's, economist Trevor Tombe offers some wise words: "Personally, I prefer taking action that has the least economic cost. After all, why pay more than we need to? And generally speaking, that means putting a price on carbon."
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The hard truth in Ontario
No one can make Ontario electricity cheap—at least not without making it even more expensive down the road. Ivey Foundation president Bruce Lourie has penned this must-read for every Ontarian. Our Sarah Petravan has weighed in on the issue too.
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Texas: a new clean energy capital?
America's largest Republican state has more wind capacity than any other—and by no small margin. “I never thought that wind would pay more than oil,” one landowner says. “That noise they make—it’s kind of like a cash register.”
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Fear not, utilities, we may need you more than ever
The prognosis for utilities seems grim these days, as demand for electricity has gone from steady to sluggish. There may yet be hope for utilities, however, and it comes in the form of mass electrification, as this wonky read from Vox outlines.
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You can't have thunder without lightning
Thunder Bay, Ontario, is looking to implement its very first electric bus—and on its busiest route. "Electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses aren't just for urban downtown Toronto communities," CUTRIC CEO Josipa Petrunic said. "They're for remote communities."
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Blu-ray vs. HD DVD all over again?
There's no denying that battery-powered electric vehicles are the current clean car champions, but are they for sure the future? A new KPMG study found that most top executives in the auto industry actually believe hydrogen-powered cars will win out. As does Royal Dutch Shell.
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Channelling the solar panel out back
If you live in Australia (admittedly, as a Clean Energy Canada follower, you probably don't) and generate your own solar power, you may soon be able to trade its electricity via a digital marketplace called the Decentralised Energy Exchange—or deX, for short.
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When bigger equals better
Giant batteries have long been viewed as integral in the clean energy transition—to help store power generated by wind and solar for later use—but now the investors have come knocking. Prudential and Investec are among the most recent lenders to such projects.
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What tomorrow might bring
As wind and solar energy disrupt the century-old model of providing electricity, it's fair to wonder what the new world will look like—and what challenges it might bring. This in-depth feature published by the Economist is worth a read.
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Clean Energy Review is sponsored in part by Genus Capital Management, a leading provider of fossil-fuel-free investments.
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FRONT BURNER
The Future of Energy
March 8 | Ottawa, ON
Kick off Women's Day by joining influential leaders, including Clean Energy Canada's Merran Smith, for an inspiring discussion about the future of energy and the shift to a low-carbon economy. Includes a networking breakfast, panel discussion and workshop focused on engaging more women in the energy sector. Hosted by Natural Resources Canada. Learn more.
March 4 | Vancouver, B.C.
Energy Connections 2017
This annual conference brings together thought leaders, entrepreneurs, energy systems and policy experts and engaged citizens for a day of learning and networking. Hosted by the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association. Learn more.
March 8 | Online
Carbon Pricing from the Right
Ecofiscal Commission's online panel discussion will examine the "small-c conservative approach to carbon pricing," looking at, for example, American Republicans who've been recent vocal champions of such policies. Don't miss this one (it's free). Learn more.
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