THIS WEEK
The stock market has spoken (in favour of green companies), Canada keeps an important promise, and *drum roll* the world's top solar companies unveiled.
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Canadian EV sales picking up speed
While Canada hasn't adopted electric cars as quickly as some (see our report from December here), we sped up respectably in 2017. The latest data from FleetCarma finds that 68% more electric cars were sold last year than in 2016.
That means the total number of EVs on Canadian roads is now close to 50,000—with 18,560 of that coming from last year alone. And for the first time ever, Ontario bought more electric cars than Quebec. Canada's largest province saw a 120% increase in EV sales. Canada also has a new top-selling fully electric car: the appropriately hyped Chevrolet Bolt.
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It pays to be clean
The world's largest publicly listed green companies are outperforming most of their fossil fuel counterparts by a factor of three to one, finds the latest Clean 200 list. Topping the ranking are companies like Tesla, Toyota, Vestas and Ørsted (formerly DONG Energy, which changed its name last fall because... yeah.)
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A helping (and owed) hand
The Canadian government is so far keeping its Paris Agreement promise to spend $2.65 billion helping developing countries deal with climate change. The money, $900 million of which has been spent so far, focuses on regions most at risk of being impacted by rising sea levels and extreme weather. Developed nations like Canada have had historically high emissions per capita and are especially responsible for the change in climate.
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The five biggest solar developers
A new report from Greentech Media has identified the biggest global solar developers based on projects in operation or being planned. Topping the list are...
- GCL New Energy
- First Solar
- Canadian Solar (Wooh!)
- Total (SunPower and Eren)
- SunEdison
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Powering opportunity for women in India
Solar power is making a difference for rural women in India, literally powering opportunities that might not exist without it. Read this great story about 20-year-old Akansha Singh.
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Wind could finally come to the Great Lakes
The idea has been floated since 2009, but there are still no offshore wind turbines in the Great Lakes. That could finally change, as a new project in Lake Erie looks to make waves, pending federal and state approval.
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California looks to the horizon
Looking for a good long read? The Financial Times has a stellar feature on how California is using solar power and innovative energy solutions to fight the droughts, floods, and fires—all made worse by climate change—that impact the state.
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Close enough isn't close enough
The goal of the Paris Agreement was to keep climate change within 2 °C. Most likely, however, we'll miss that by at least a degree. And before you think 'close enough,' know that even one extra degree raises the odds of extreme weather events exponentially.
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Arizona gets battery-powered
Arizona Public Service is adding a 50-megawatt battery system, along with a new solar plant, to store solar energy for busy hours. The proposal beat out gas peaker plant alternatives. The batteries will be charged throughout the day before delivering energy in the evening.
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The clean growth opportunity is out there
Toronto-based Clear Blue Technologies' products help control and monitor off-grid power systems—popular in developing nations. The company now sells in 33 countries. In the words of CEO Miriam Tuerk, "The part of the world that is downtown Toronto is pretty small."
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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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Our new private Facebook group is now live! Join and share the group to connect with and support fellow Canadians powering our sustainable future.
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IMAGE & MEDIA CREDITS
Charts: FleetCarma, Financial Times
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