This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less. Produced by Renewable Energy World and Tigercomm, This Week in Cleantech will air every Friday in the Factor This! podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.
This week’s episode features Associated Press climate change reporter Matthew Daly, who reported on President Biden’s controversial pause on considering new LNG export terminals.
This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is Jimmy Rogers, Manager of Communications at Redaptive.
1. The Rooftop Solar Industry Could Be On the Verge of Collapse — TIME
The residential solar industry faced challenges in 2023 due to inflation, higher interest rates, and new net metering rules in California that reduced earnings from sending power to the grid. They’re also dealing with increasing blowback for high-pressure sales tactics, adding to their financial difficulties.
2. U.S. Oil Drillers Are Going Electric—if They Can Get the Electricity — Wall Street Journal
In Martin County, Texas, frackers’ daily energy use is equal to that of 4x Seattle’s. Oil drillers are increasingly pressured to cut their carbon pollution footprint, so they’ve started sourcing electricity from wind and solar rather than from gas-fired generators. But the grid is struggling to handle this new demand, so companies who cannot wait for infrastructure upgrades are constructing their own substations and gas-powered microgrids.
3. China Leads Global Clean Energy Spending, Which Record $1.8 Trillion in 2023 — Bloomberg
Global clean energy spending increased 17% last year to $1.8 trillion. But, according to BNEF, we need to be investing 170% more in clean technology to reach net-zero by 2050. China spent $676 billion last year, a 6%
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