THIS WEEK
Is Donald Trump clean energy's best friend? Is 100% renewables the wrong approach? Welcome to our counterintuitive edition
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CANADIAN POLITICS
Was the budget good for clean energy?
It's that time of year again. No, not Christmas—it's the federal budget. (Yay.) And just how did clean energy fare? In a word: good. Despite uncertainty on this file south of the border, Canada is staying the course. “There has been a number of voices in other parts of the business community or in some political parties that are saying, ‘Whoa—we need to slow down on climate action because Donald Trump is not interested in clean energy as an opportunity,'” Clean Energy Canada's Clare Demerse tells Cleantech Canada. “The budget I think really answered that by saying, ‘no.’"
There is one caveat, however: while there are a number of positive clean energy and cleantech investments coming, the money to make them happen is now slated for 2019. "That’s going to be something that we’re watching," Demerse says. For more on our take, check out our latest op-ed.
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One finding to rule them all
The International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency are in agreement: the world must shift to clean energy quickly to quell a dangerous increase in global temperatures. So says two new reports. You can read the IEA's here.
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Donald Trump: accidental motivator of progress
"Donald Trump is the best thing to happen for climate action in years." Impossible argument? Tell that to Alex Steffen: "They’re making it easier to win not the small increments of progress of the last three decades, but large-scale disruptive progress."
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A made-in-Canada cleantech champion
NRStor wants to be the leading distributor and developer of lithium-ion batteries and other technologies related to storing electricity. The Toronto-based firm has a lot on the go. It works with Tesla and is turning a salt cavern into a compressed air energy storage system.
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Hot stuff
In many sunny regions around the world, solar power is now beating fossil fuels on price. Solar is big business, and the U.S. should update its policies accordingly, say two Stanford researchers. You can read their report here.
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The case against 100% renewables
If the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and deeply as possible, is 100% renewable energy our best option? Maybe not. New research says a more cost-effective method may involve an energy mix of nuclear, carbon capture and more.
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A cleaner government
As part of its pledge to run operations entirely on clean energy, the government of Canada handed out one of its first major contracts to Enmax Energy earlier this month. The five-year deal to supply the government's Alberta operations is worth $131 million.
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Is carbon pricing really bad news for exports?
That's what some critics would have you believe, but the truth is not so simple. Here's a look at how Canadian governments have historically addressed concerns around competitiveness and carbon policies.
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In America, wind is a seriously threatening coal
Among 87 gigawatts of coal power capacity examined in 15 U.S. states, 56 gigawatts face stiff competition from wind energy. That's according to a new report from Moody’s Investors Service, which finds wind is increasingly winning on price—even without regulations.
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Make energy great again
Can German Chancellor Angela Merkel convince Trump to buy into clean energy? The Globe's Eric Reguly has this take (paywall): "The formula is simple: Equate carbon reduction with job creation, technology development and energy security, as China does."
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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
Innovating Alberta’s Energy Future
April 19 | Calgary
The future of energy can be a divisive topic in Alberta. Join local and national innovators and influencers who favour the middle ground, including Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Cleantech Group co-founder Nick Parker and more as they talk innovation in the province. Learn more.
March 29 | Ottawa
Energy Policy and Innovation: From Current Steps to Future Impact
Interested in interdisciplinary perspectives on the future of energy? Student Energy Carleton is hosting this evening event featuring Roberto Dormond Cantu, ambassador of Costa Rica to Canada, along with energy policy scholar James Meadowcroft, GBatteries' Tim Sherstyuk, and Sixth Element Sustainable Management's Gerald Kutney. Learn more.
April 3 | Calgary
The Battle for the Hearts and Wheels of the Market
Is the oil industry's century-old monopoly on transportation ending? What would it mean for investors and policy makers? A one-day forum hosted by Peter Tertzakian and Jackie Forrest of ARC Energy Research Institute. Learn more.
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