California doesn’t wait for Washington. As America’s most populous state by far, it is behaving like a separate nation when it comes to climate policies. Tim Buckley, Director of Energy Finance Studies at IEEFA Australasia, says it has become a global leader in renewable energy. Renewables provided 34% of its total energy needs in 2018, and the business community sees economic success in further progress. The author runs through the highlights, … [Read more...]
Alternative fuels: Europe’s infrastructure struggling to keep pace
When it comes to the promotion of electric and hydrogen vehicles, Europe is struggling to match policymakers’ utopian rhetoric. The technology from the likes of ABB and Schneider Electric is ready but much more needs to be done for both hydrogen fuelling and EV charging infrastructure. Gaurav Sharma spoke to some of the industry leading lights at CERAWeek. … [Read more...]
Will Toyota’s new battery design solve the looming shortage of vital metals for renewables?
We all know the important part played by lithium in battery manufacture. But there is a longer list of metals - including copper, cobalt and neodymium – that must ramp up supply for the continued rapid growth of EVs, solar, wind and other renewables technologies. EVs alone will increase the consumption of copper nine-fold by 2027. Cobalt prices already doubled in 2017. Neodymium use will rise by 700% in the next few decades to satisfy our need … [Read more...]
Battery manufacture must take a global leap forward to ensure a sustainable and just transition
The global battery market is surging. By 2040 the global energy storage market is projected to attract $620 billion of investment. Over the past decade, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery market doubled on average every three years. To cope with this growth, we need the development of a sustainable and low-carbon value chain for batteries in order to contribute to the implementation of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, says Martin BrudermĂĽller, … [Read more...]
Carbon taxes aren’t working any more. Only ramping up policies and infrastructure can accelerate the transition
Anthony Patt and Johan Lilliestam of ETH Zurich make the case against carbon taxes. Climate policy is most effective when it helps people use alternative energy sources, rather than when it makes fossil energy more expensive. Fostering an energy system free of fossil fuels requires financial, infrastructure, and institutional support for specific technologies. That requires a different and much braver approach. Reducing or eliminating carbon … [Read more...]
What is the demand for EVs – really?
In on-trend California you’ll find 10% of the entire world’s EVs but to achieve their ambitious target of putting 5-million zero-emissions vehicles on the road by 2030 they require subsidies. However, a new report for the US National Bureau of Economic Research, finds the subsidies just save rich people money and don't drive the volume required from average consumers. In addition, by 2025, the scheme will have cost at least 5x more than forecast. … [Read more...]
VW joins Tesla and BMW – EV and energy company all-in-one pays for business and consumers
Last week’s announcement by VW that it is setting up a company called “Elli” (short for Electric Life) offering energy services shows VW’s vision of what lies ahead for the automotive industry. It brings them head to head with Tesla and BMW who are already playing a role outside the traditional bounds of the car business. They are the new breed, ready to profit from customers who want to go electric as long as it makes financial as well as … [Read more...]
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