Summary
This page provides an ongoing update with curated recent news, reports, and commentary about the state of green energy. Here we share some of the concerns shared by green energy proponents. Emerging technologies are assessed for their usefulness and long-term viability. Content is listed in chronological order with headings identifying source and date.
Deutsche Welle (19 Aug 2022)
“How salt and sand could replace lithium batteries” — The lithium-ion battery has powered us for decades. But for a renewable future, we need a new solution—and fast. So what are our options? CORRECTION: In the video, at 05:40, we say lithium-ion batteries can only store energy for under four hours. This is incorrect. Four hours is the discharge duration that is currently economically viable.
Olivia Lazard (19 Aug 2022)
“The Blind Spots of the Green Energy Transition” — The world needs clean power, but decarbonization calls for a massive increase in the mining and extraction of minerals like lithium, graphite and cobalt. Environmental peacemaking expert Olivia Lazard sheds light on the scramble for these precious mineral resources — and how the countries that control their supply chains (including China and Russia) could find themselves at the center of the new global stage. Learn why Lazard thinks planetary security depends on our ability to de-escalate resource competition and avoid the same mistakes that led to the climate crisis.
Bloomberg (21 Jul 2022)
“How Cheap Hydrogen Could Become the Next Clean Fuel” — Startups around the world are working on new ways of producing hydrogen, a clean alternative to fossil fuels that could one day power the grid, transportation and heavy industry.
Deutsche Welle (25 Feb 2022)
“The truth about hydrogen” — Some say it’s the fuel of the future that will soon power large parts of our economies. Others say it’s just a hoax propagated by the oil and gas industry. But either way, EVERYONE in the energy world is talking about hydrogen. Can it really help us get to net zero?
Vox (21 Sep 2021)
“Why the US isn’t ready for clean energy” — Making clean energy isn’t enough: We also have to move it. In the near future, the energy made in the US is going to be much greener. The country’s current goal is for solar plants alone to make nearly half of US electricity by 2050. But we can’t just build solar plants where coal and gas plants used to be. They have to be built where it’s… sunny. And wind turbines have to be built where it’s windy. The problem is, that’s not always where the people who need the power are. The distance from energy source to energy need is about to get a lot bigger. And the US is going to need more high-voltage transmission lines. A lot more. As soon as possible. While solar plants can be built relatively fast, high-voltage transmission projects can take up to 10 years. So experts say we need to start proactively building them, right now.
Wall Street Journal (23 Aug 2021)
“Why Environmentalists Are Fighting Renewable Energy Development” — Political battles at the most local levels are slowing the pace of decarbonization. Property owners in the windy and sunny parts of the U.S. are pushing back against large-scale renewable energy development, opposition that researchers say could slow the transition to a cleaner economy.
Media 7 (17 May 2021)
“5 Challenges in Renewable Energy” — Most production of renewable energy comes from fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources. There are challenges in renewable energy. Some obstacles are due to technology associated with renewable energy.
Matt Ferrell (9 Mar 2021)
“Is Geothermal Heating and Cooling Worth the Cost? Heat Pumps Explained” — When building a house, homeowners have several ways to power their heating and cooling systems, like oil, natural gas, or electricity. But there’s another option right below our feet. You can install geothermal heating and cooling in your home, but is it worth the cost? And how does it hold up?
CNBC (27 Jan 2021)
“How The U.S. Can Build A 100% Clean Grid” — The U.S. electric grid is outdated. Designed for a world that runs on fossil fuels, our grid needs some major tech upgrades in order to transition to a more distributed, all-renewable system. That means smart, internet connected hardware working in tandem with advanced data analytics software to ensure that supply and demand are balanced, even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
Deutsche Welle (15 Jan 2021)
“How solar energy got so cheap, and why it’s not everywhere (yet)” — A lot speaks for solar energy. It’s clean, renewable – and now even cheaper than energy from fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. Sounds pretty great, right? But it only makes up a tiny bit of global electricity production. Why don’t we use a lot more of it yet? We’re destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we’ll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.
CNBC (3 Dec 2020)
“What Is Green Hydrogen And Will It Power The Future?” — Hydrogen is a clean-burning molecule, meaning that it can help to decarbonize a range of sectors that have proved hard to clean up in the past. But today, most hydrogen is produced from CO2-emitting fossil fuels. Hydrogen produced from renewable electricity, known as green hydrogen, could be the solution to cutting our carbon footprint. But first, it must overcome a number of challenges.
Matt Ferrell (22 Sep 2020)
“The truth about solar panels – do the pros outweigh the cons?” — Solar power has seen record growth over the past decade, created an incredible number of new jobs, and is one of the most affordable forms of generating energy. But with all of those panels popping up across rooftops and open areas, what happens when it comes time to replace them? And do the environmental impacts of manufacturing solar panels outweigh the benefits?
Matt Ferrell (18 Aug 2020)
“The truth about wind turbines – how bad are they?” — The truth about wind turbines and how they are one of the most cost-effective, fastest growing and arguably underused sources of energy currently available to us. But when a wind turbine is not in operation — meaning, getting them built and working out what to do to recycle them once they’re taken down — they do have an environmental impact. How bad are they and is there anything we can do to mitigate it?
Matt Ferrell (9 Jul 2019)
“Solar Panels For Home – 9 Months Later Review” — Solar panels for home – 9 months later! It’s the video many of you have been asking for. Ever since I published the video about my solar panel system on my home earlier in the year, and my experience with the installation and energy production I’ve been seeing, I’ve been asked for an update on how it’s going. By a lot of people. Well, it’s time. How much energy production have I been seeing? How much money have I spent on versus how much I’ve saved? I’m going to cover it all.
CrashCourse (3 Jan 2019)
“The Engineering Challenges of Renewable Energy: Crash Course Engineering #30” – This week we are looking at renewable energy sources and why we need them. We’ll explore hydropower, wind, geothermal, and solar power, as well as some of the challenges, and how engineers are working to make their use more widespread.