Michael Barnard, Author at CleanTechnica https://cleantechnica.com/author/mikebarnard/ Clean Tech News & Views: EVs, Solar Energy, Batteries Mon, 28 Apr 2025 23:52:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://cleantechnica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/download-150x150.png Michael Barnard, Author at CleanTechnica https://cleantechnica.com/author/mikebarnard/ 32 32 13821326 Busting Geothermal Myths: The Promise & Limits of Deep Closed Loop & Enhanced Systems https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/28/busting-geothermal-myths-the-promise-limits-of-deep-closed-loop-enhanced-systems/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/28/busting-geothermal-myths-the-promise-limits-of-deep-closed-loop-enhanced-systems/#respond Mon, 28 Apr 2025 23:52:55 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352430 Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down Simon Todd, PhD geologist, founder of Causeway Energies, and expert on geothermal. This is the transcript of the second half of our conversation, lightly edited. Michael Barnard [MB]: Hi, welcome back to Redefining Energy — Tech. This episode is powered by TFIE ... [continued]

The post Busting Geothermal Myths: The Promise & Limits of Deep Closed Loop & Enhanced Systems appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/28/busting-geothermal-myths-the-promise-limits-of-deep-closed-loop-enhanced-systems/feed/ 0 352430
Drone Swords Into Ploughshares: How Ukraine’s Wartime Expertise Can Reshape Farming https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/27/drone-swords-into-ploughshares-how-ukraines-wartime-expertise-can-reshape-farming/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/27/drone-swords-into-ploughshares-how-ukraines-wartime-expertise-can-reshape-farming/#respond Sun, 27 Apr 2025 08:09:59 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352360 Ukraine has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s unexpected drone innovation hubs, driven by the brutal necessities of wartime. Thousands of sophisticated drones now soar above Ukrainian battlefields, ranging from compact FPV (first-person-view) attack drones to advanced reconnaissance platforms capable of extended missions deep into contested areas. Remarkably, this ... [continued]

The post Drone Swords Into Ploughshares: How Ukraine’s Wartime Expertise Can Reshape Farming appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/27/drone-swords-into-ploughshares-how-ukraines-wartime-expertise-can-reshape-farming/feed/ 0 352360
Reality Check: Can Perovskite Really Outshine Silicon PV? https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/26/reality-check-can-perovskite-really-outshine-silicon-pv/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/26/reality-check-can-perovskite-really-outshine-silicon-pv/#respond Sat, 26 Apr 2025 18:07:56 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352344 Perovskite solar is getting another moment in the sun, with outlandish claims matched by a lack of global perspective on advances. It’s worth stepping carefully through the various dimensions of this photovoltaic technology, weighing what enthusiasts say against what’s demonstrably true today. In doing so, it’s obvious that perovskite’s pathway ... [continued]

The post Reality Check: Can Perovskite Really Outshine Silicon PV? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/26/reality-check-can-perovskite-really-outshine-silicon-pv/feed/ 0 352344
Third Of China’s Farms Sprayed By Drones, Marking Agricultural Revolution https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/25/third-of-chinas-farms-sprayed-by-drones-marking-agricultural-revolution/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/25/third-of-chinas-farms-sprayed-by-drones-marking-agricultural-revolution/#respond Fri, 25 Apr 2025 22:09:10 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352308 A couple of years ago, while exploring the potential of agricultural drone technology through the lens of Hylio’s innovative spraying systems, I found myself wondering if these small machines could shift the massive inertia of global agriculture. At the time, Hylio was doing intriguing work, showcasing promising results with farmers ... [continued]

The post Third Of China’s Farms Sprayed By Drones, Marking Agricultural Revolution appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/25/third-of-chinas-farms-sprayed-by-drones-marking-agricultural-revolution/feed/ 0 352308
Meet The Robot Replacing Four Workers At A Time On Solar Projects https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/25/meet-the-robot-replacing-four-workers-at-a-time-on-solar-projects/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/25/meet-the-robot-replacing-four-workers-at-a-time-on-solar-projects/#respond Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:14:11 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352288 At a dusty solar site outside Culcairn, New South Wales, a tracked robot methodically rolled between rows of steel posts, hoisting large photovoltaic panels with a vacuum arm and placing them onto pre-aligned mounting structures. In the brutal Australian sun, where manual laborers need regular hydration breaks and safety protocols ... [continued]

The post Meet The Robot Replacing Four Workers At A Time On Solar Projects appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/25/meet-the-robot-replacing-four-workers-at-a-time-on-solar-projects/feed/ 0 352288
How COMAC Might Leverage Europe to Secure Aerospace Independence from the U.S. https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/23/how-comac-might-leverage-europe-to-secure-aerospace-independence-from-the-u-s/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/23/how-comac-might-leverage-europe-to-secure-aerospace-independence-from-the-u-s/#respond Thu, 24 Apr 2025 03:00:29 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352235 China’s equivalent to Boeing and Airbus, COMAC, faces a critical strategic inflection point, driven by intensifying geopolitical tensions and a trade war that the second Trump presidency intentionally added significant accelerant to. While China’s intent to compete with Boeing and Airbus through the C919 narrow body and the upcoming C929 ... [continued]

The post How COMAC Might Leverage Europe to Secure Aerospace Independence from the U.S. appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/23/how-comac-might-leverage-europe-to-secure-aerospace-independence-from-the-u-s/feed/ 0 352235
From Austria to California: Why Hydrogen Fuel Stations Aren’t Breaking Even https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/22/from-austria-to-california-why-hydrogen-fuel-stations-arent-breaking-even/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/22/from-austria-to-california-why-hydrogen-fuel-stations-arent-breaking-even/#respond Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:10:29 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352139 Austria’s recent announcement that it would shutter its entire network of hydrogen fueling stations caught many industry observers off guard. But for those closely tracking the economics, Austria’s exit wasn’t surprising at all. The stations faced persistently low vehicle numbers, low throughput, and mounting operating losses. This stark withdrawal illustrates ... [continued]

The post From Austria to California: Why Hydrogen Fuel Stations Aren’t Breaking Even appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/22/from-austria-to-california-why-hydrogen-fuel-stations-arent-breaking-even/feed/ 0 352139
China’s Electrification Of Trucks, Buses, & Construction Vehicles Accelerates Rapidly https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/22/chinas-electrification-of-trucks-buses-construction-vehicles-accelerates-rapidly/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/22/chinas-electrification-of-trucks-buses-construction-vehicles-accelerates-rapidly/#respond Tue, 22 Apr 2025 17:26:32 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352134 China’s heavy vehicle sector took major strides toward electrification in 2024, underscoring the country’s continued leadership in the global transition toward zero-emission commercial transportation. Heavy road vehicles, including trucks, buses, construction equipment, and special-purpose vehicles, have traditionally lagged passenger cars in the electrification race, mainly due to operational challenges and ... [continued]

The post China’s Electrification Of Trucks, Buses, & Construction Vehicles Accelerates Rapidly appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/22/chinas-electrification-of-trucks-buses-construction-vehicles-accelerates-rapidly/feed/ 0 352134
New Freight Electrification Report: A Strategic Blueprint For US Truck Charging https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/21/new-freight-electrification-report-a-strategic-blueprint-for-us-truck-charging/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/21/new-freight-electrification-report-a-strategic-blueprint-for-us-truck-charging/#respond Tue, 22 Apr 2025 00:16:40 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352100 The electrification of freight trucking in the United States has quietly become a central strategic challenge for decarbonization efforts. Transportation is now the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, surpassing even electricity generation, and heavy-duty trucking alone contributes disproportionately to this problem. While US rail refuses to ... [continued]

The post New Freight Electrification Report: A Strategic Blueprint For US Truck Charging appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/21/new-freight-electrification-report-a-strategic-blueprint-for-us-truck-charging/feed/ 0 352100
China’s Coal Generation Dropped 5% YOY In Q1 As Electricity Demand Increased https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/20/chinas-coal-generation-dropped-5-yoy-in-q1-as-electricity-demand-increased/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/20/chinas-coal-generation-dropped-5-yoy-in-q1-as-electricity-demand-increased/#respond Sun, 20 Apr 2025 19:49:43 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=352051 China’s coal-fired electricity generation took an unexpectedly sharp turn downward in the first quarter of 2025, signaling a potentially profound shift in the world’s largest coal-consuming economy. This wasn’t merely a seasonal dip or economic distress signal; rather, it represented a clear and structural turning point. Coal generation fell by ... [continued]

The post China’s Coal Generation Dropped 5% YOY In Q1 As Electricity Demand Increased appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/20/chinas-coal-generation-dropped-5-yoy-in-q1-as-electricity-demand-increased/feed/ 0 352051
Could American Tariffs Hand China A Semiconductor Advantage? https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/19/could-american-tariffs-hand-china-a-semiconductor-advantage/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/19/could-american-tariffs-hand-china-a-semiconductor-advantage/#respond Sat, 19 Apr 2025 19:30:13 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351996 Imagine a future scenario unfolding through 2025, where global semiconductor alliances—long carefully coordinated by the United States—begin to fracture dramatically. This speculative future doesn’t hinge on new technological breakthroughs or sudden security crises, but instead arises from political and economic miscalculations by an increasingly isolated and confrontational United States. The ... [continued]

The post Could American Tariffs Hand China A Semiconductor Advantage? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/19/could-american-tariffs-hand-china-a-semiconductor-advantage/feed/ 0 351996
Solar Panel Waste is Tiny—Coal & Gas Emit Hundreds Of Times Mass Per MWh https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/19/solar-panel-waste-is-tiny-coal-gas-emit-hundreds-of-times-mass-per-mwh/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/19/solar-panel-waste-is-tiny-coal-gas-emit-hundreds-of-times-mass-per-mwh/#respond Sat, 19 Apr 2025 19:22:58 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351993 Every few months, another wave of media reports predictably warns about the supposed “looming crisis” of solar panel waste. Given the urgency of climate action, it’s frustrating to see the conversation repeatedly derailed by these exaggerated concerns. I’ve previously examined this narrative around wind energy, demonstrating clearly in my CleanTechnica ... [continued]

The post Solar Panel Waste is Tiny—Coal & Gas Emit Hundreds Of Times Mass Per MWh appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/19/solar-panel-waste-is-tiny-coal-gas-emit-hundreds-of-times-mass-per-mwh/feed/ 0 351993
The Great Realignment: What Global Investors Must Know About China in 2025 https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/18/the-great-realignment-what-global-investors-must-know-about-china-in-2025/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/18/the-great-realignment-what-global-investors-must-know-about-china-in-2025/#respond Fri, 18 Apr 2025 19:53:08 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351954 The world is in the middle of a structural reset—one where global capital can no longer pretend geopolitics, climate, and industrial policy are background noise. From liquefied gas to lithium, from advanced chips to artificial intelligence, the foundations of the global economy are now strategic terrain. It’s in this moment—when ... [continued]

The post The Great Realignment: What Global Investors Must Know About China in 2025 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/18/the-great-realignment-what-global-investors-must-know-about-china-in-2025/feed/ 0 351954
China Walks Away: U.S. LNG Expansion Plans Unravel as Trade War Escalates https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/18/china-walks-away-u-s-lng-expansion-plans-unravel-as-trade-war-escalates/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/18/china-walks-away-u-s-lng-expansion-plans-unravel-as-trade-war-escalates/#respond Fri, 18 Apr 2025 16:55:58 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351945 China has just suspended all LNG imports from the United States. No warning, no phasedown, just an apparent state directive that Chinese buyers, including the national oil companies, were no longer to sign, lift, or receive U.S. liquefied natural gas. The decision comes in the wake of a rapidly escalating ... [continued]

The post China Walks Away: U.S. LNG Expansion Plans Unravel as Trade War Escalates appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/18/china-walks-away-u-s-lng-expansion-plans-unravel-as-trade-war-escalates/feed/ 0 351945
The End of the Runway for Boeing in China https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/17/the-end-of-the-runway-for-boeing-in-china/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/17/the-end-of-the-runway-for-boeing-in-china/#respond Fri, 18 Apr 2025 03:40:31 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351932 A COMAC C919 rolls to the end of the runway at Shanghai Pudong, a clean-lined aircraft shimmering in the haze as ground crews finish their checks. In the background, a row of pristine Boeing 737 MAX aircraft sit unused, tails high, their future uncertain. The scene is an imagined one, ... [continued]

The post The End of the Runway for Boeing in China appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/17/the-end-of-the-runway-for-boeing-in-china/feed/ 0 351932
Europe Should Buy Chinese Transformers Now Available Due To Trump’s Trade War https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/16/europe-should-buy-chinese-transformers-now-available-due-to-trumps-trade-war/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/16/europe-should-buy-chinese-transformers-now-available-due-to-trumps-trade-war/#respond Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:25:32 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351817 The global clean energy transition has been throttled by an unlikely villain: the humble transformer. This once-overlooked piece of grid infrastructure has become one of the most critical bottlenecks in the race to electrify everything. As wind and solar projects stack up, as data centers expand to meet AI-driven demand, ... [continued]

The post Europe Should Buy Chinese Transformers Now Available Due To Trump’s Trade War appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/16/europe-should-buy-chinese-transformers-now-available-due-to-trumps-trade-war/feed/ 0 351817
Fuel For The Edges: Five Biofuel Companies Built To Last In The Energy Transition https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/fuel-for-the-edges-five-biofuel-companies-built-to-last-in-the-energy-transition/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/fuel-for-the-edges-five-biofuel-companies-built-to-last-in-the-energy-transition/#respond Tue, 15 Apr 2025 03:04:51 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351710 I’ve been rebalancing my portfolio lately. It’s something I do every couple of years—trim what’s run ahead, add where conviction has deepened, and adjust based on what I now believe to be real, durable value. I’m not a trader. I buy and hold for years, sometimes decades, and while my ... [continued]

The post Fuel For The Edges: Five Biofuel Companies Built To Last In The Energy Transition appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/fuel-for-the-edges-five-biofuel-companies-built-to-last-in-the-energy-transition/feed/ 0 351710
TMX’s C$3B/Year Oil & Gas Subsidy Lesson: Design Energy Corridor For Electrons Not Oil https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/tmxs-c3b-year-oil-gas-subsidy-lesson-design-energy-corridor-for-electrons-not-oil/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/tmxs-c3b-year-oil-gas-subsidy-lesson-design-energy-corridor-for-electrons-not-oil/#respond Tue, 15 Apr 2025 02:59:25 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351704 Canada is once again flirting with the idea of an east-west energy corridor. The vision sounds big and bold: a designated path across the country to carry everything from crude oil to natural gas, hydrogen to electricity. In this rapid, Trump-inflected election cycle, political leaders are lining up behind the ... [continued]

The post TMX’s C$3B/Year Oil & Gas Subsidy Lesson: Design Energy Corridor For Electrons Not Oil appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/tmxs-c3b-year-oil-gas-subsidy-lesson-design-energy-corridor-for-electrons-not-oil/feed/ 0 351704
Hydrogen vs. Battery Buses: A European Transit Reality Check https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/hydrogen-vs-battery-buses-a-european-transit-reality-check/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/hydrogen-vs-battery-buses-a-european-transit-reality-check/#respond Mon, 14 Apr 2025 21:15:53 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351663 Two more hydrogen bus trial failures crossed my screen this morning, so I thought I’d share. Both are in Europe, but while one is in the capital of the EU, the other is across the Channel in the heart of the United Kingdom’s oil and gas industry. While I’m at ... [continued]

The post Hydrogen vs. Battery Buses: A European Transit Reality Check appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/14/hydrogen-vs-battery-buses-a-european-transit-reality-check/feed/ 0 351663
Net-Zero by 2050: The IMO’s Victory—and the Case for Less Fuel, Not More https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/net-zero-by-2050-the-imos-victory-and-the-case-for-less-fuel-not-more/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/net-zero-by-2050-the-imos-victory-and-the-case-for-less-fuel-not-more/#respond Mon, 14 Apr 2025 03:47:07 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351655 In April 2025, the International Maritime Organization did something rare for a UN body: it passed a binding climate policy. Not advisory, not aspirational, but actual mandatory rules. The agreement commits international shipping to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions “by or around 2050,” and despite the ambiguity of that phrasing, the ... [continued]

The post Net-Zero by 2050: The IMO’s Victory—and the Case for Less Fuel, Not More appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/net-zero-by-2050-the-imos-victory-and-the-case-for-less-fuel-not-more/feed/ 0 351655
Yara, Ørsted, and the €200/ton Mirage: What Northern Lights Really Teaches Us About CCS https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/yara-orsted-and-the-e200-ton-mirage-what-northern-lights-really-teaches-us-about-ccs/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/yara-orsted-and-the-e200-ton-mirage-what-northern-lights-really-teaches-us-about-ccs/#respond Sun, 13 Apr 2025 19:45:51 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351636 Northern Lights, Europe’s flagship cross-border carbon capture and storage project, is now ready to receive carbon dioxide for sequestration, with the first ships in the water and expected to start delivering waste gas from customers this year. It’s being celebrated as a triumph of climate leadership and engineering. But when ... [continued]

The post Yara, Ørsted, and the €200/ton Mirage: What Northern Lights Really Teaches Us About CCS appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/yara-orsted-and-the-e200-ton-mirage-what-northern-lights-really-teaches-us-about-ccs/feed/ 0 351636
Grunge Meets Grid: How Pearl Jam’s Carbon Price Led Me to Battery ETFs https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/grunge-meets-grid-how-pearl-jams-carbon-price-led-me-to-battery-etfs/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/grunge-meets-grid-how-pearl-jams-carbon-price-led-me-to-battery-etfs/#respond Sun, 13 Apr 2025 19:43:20 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351631 The world is electrifying at an accelerating pace, and while solar panels and wind turbines grab most of the headlines, the real power behind the transition lies buried in rocks and embedded in chemistry. Batteries and the critical minerals that go into them are the plumbing of the clean energy ... [continued]

The post Grunge Meets Grid: How Pearl Jam’s Carbon Price Led Me to Battery ETFs appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/13/grunge-meets-grid-how-pearl-jams-carbon-price-led-me-to-battery-etfs/feed/ 0 351631
Beneath the Fjord: Inside Northern Lights’ Carbon Storage Core https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/12/beneath-the-fjord-inside-northern-lights-carbon-storage-core/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/12/beneath-the-fjord-inside-northern-lights-carbon-storage-core/#respond Sun, 13 Apr 2025 00:20:52 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351612 The Northern Lights carbon capture and storage project is often described as a logistics system, but at its core, it is a storage facility. The Øygarden terminal, its connecting offshore pipeline, and the Johansen Formation are the infrastructure that turns cross-border CO₂ shipments into permanent geological sequestration. Phase 1 is ... [continued]

The post Beneath the Fjord: Inside Northern Lights’ Carbon Storage Core appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/12/beneath-the-fjord-inside-northern-lights-carbon-storage-core/feed/ 0 351612
CO₂ By Sea: The Risky Bet Beneath Europe’s Biggest Carbon Storage Project https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/11/co%e2%82%82-by-sea-the-risky-bet-beneath-europes-biggest-carbon-storage-project/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/11/co%e2%82%82-by-sea-the-risky-bet-beneath-europes-biggest-carbon-storage-project/#respond Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:59:46 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351539 Northern Lights is Europe’s most ambitious carbon capture and storage project, and possibly the most operationally serious one in the world. It deserves credit for getting past the pilot stage, for designing an end-to-end storage system with real injection capacity, and for contracting with emitters in four different countries. But ... [continued]

The post CO₂ By Sea: The Risky Bet Beneath Europe’s Biggest Carbon Storage Project appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/11/co%e2%82%82-by-sea-the-risky-bet-beneath-europes-biggest-carbon-storage-project/feed/ 0 351539
Ireland’s Ardnacrusha Moment, Again: A Blueprint for Full Electrification https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/irelands-ardnacrusha-moment-again-a-blueprint-for-full-electrification/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/irelands-ardnacrusha-moment-again-a-blueprint-for-full-electrification/#respond Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:33:10 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351482 In recent months I’ve been assisting with strategy for a couple of emerging European NGOs on key decarbonization acceleration approaches, and one of the key participants asked me an interesting question this morning. This piece answers the question. The first NGO is Supergrid Europe, a Brussels-based organization which will be ... [continued]

The post Ireland’s Ardnacrusha Moment, Again: A Blueprint for Full Electrification appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/irelands-ardnacrusha-moment-again-a-blueprint-for-full-electrification/feed/ 0 351482
Jane Austen, Directional Drilling & Dublin: Geothermal Lessons With Simon Todd https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/jane-austen-directional-drilling-dublin-geothermal-lessons-with-simon-todd/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/jane-austen-directional-drilling-dublin-geothermal-lessons-with-simon-todd/#respond Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:30:02 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351477 Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Simon Todd, PhD, geologist, expert in geothermal, founder of Causeway Energies, and Irishman, not necessarily in that order, to talk all aspects of geothermal. Despite being often far underground, it’s having a moment in the sun right now, hence a recent ... [continued]

The post Jane Austen, Directional Drilling & Dublin: Geothermal Lessons With Simon Todd appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/jane-austen-directional-drilling-dublin-geothermal-lessons-with-simon-todd/feed/ 0 351477
Northern Lights CCS: Who Signed, Who Didn’t, & The Real Cost Of Industrial Carbon Capture https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/northern-lights-ccs-who-signed-who-didnt-the-real-cost-of-industrial-carbon-capture/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/northern-lights-ccs-who-signed-who-didnt-the-real-cost-of-industrial-carbon-capture/#respond Thu, 10 Apr 2025 17:33:06 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351456 When BASF quietly backed away from signing a transport and storage agreement with Northern Lights for its Kairos@C project in Antwerp recently, it signaled more than just a missed customer for the high-profile Norwegian CCS initiative. It revealed the delicate balancing act at the heart of Europe’s carbon management ambitions: ... [continued]

The post Northern Lights CCS: Who Signed, Who Didn’t, & The Real Cost Of Industrial Carbon Capture appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/10/northern-lights-ccs-who-signed-who-didnt-the-real-cost-of-industrial-carbon-capture/feed/ 0 351456
Green Oxamide vs Green Ammonia: The Chemistry Behind a Smarter Fertilizer https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/07/green-oxamide-vs-green-ammonia-the-chemistry-behind-a-smarter-fertilizer/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/07/green-oxamide-vs-green-ammonia-the-chemistry-behind-a-smarter-fertilizer/#respond Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:31:52 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351273 China’s latest move in green fertilizer chemistry hasn’t made headlines, but it represents a quietly significant development. A new facility in Xinjiang will soon be producing half a million tonnes of oxamide fertilizer per year—using captured CO₂, green hydrogen, and green ammonia. That sentence alone folds in three separate decarbonization ... [continued]

The post Green Oxamide vs Green Ammonia: The Chemistry Behind a Smarter Fertilizer appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/07/green-oxamide-vs-green-ammonia-the-chemistry-behind-a-smarter-fertilizer/feed/ 0 351273
Green Hydrogen For Energy Was A Story We Told Ourselves https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/07/green-hydrogen-for-energy-was-a-story-we-told-ourselves/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/07/green-hydrogen-for-energy-was-a-story-we-told-ourselves/#respond Mon, 07 Apr 2025 19:19:14 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351267 Bruno Latour once said technology doesn’t succeed because it works. It succeeds because enough people act like it does. For nearly a decade, that’s exactly what happened with green hydrogen as an energy carrier. The story was so compelling, the coalition so wide, the urgency so real, that for a ... [continued]

The post Green Hydrogen For Energy Was A Story We Told Ourselves appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/07/green-hydrogen-for-energy-was-a-story-we-told-ourselves/feed/ 0 351267
France & Germany’s Economic Councils Endorse Electric Trucks Over Hydrogen https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/06/france-germanys-economic-councils-endorse-electric-trucks-over-hydrogen/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/06/france-germanys-economic-councils-endorse-electric-trucks-over-hydrogen/#respond Sun, 06 Apr 2025 21:48:14 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351205 The best news in freight decarbonization this year didn’t come from a truck manufacturer, a startup accelerator, or a press release festooned with EU flags. It came from a bunch of European economists. That’s right—after years of letting hydrogen hype men and fossil PR firms monopolize the freight emissions debate, ... [continued]

The post France & Germany’s Economic Councils Endorse Electric Trucks Over Hydrogen appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/06/france-germanys-economic-councils-endorse-electric-trucks-over-hydrogen/feed/ 0 351205
Sane-Washing Trump’s Tariffs: The “Master” Plan Doesn’t Make Sense & Isn’t Being Followed https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/06/sane-washing-trumps-tariffs-the-master-plan-doesnt-make-sense-isnt-being-followed/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/06/sane-washing-trumps-tariffs-the-master-plan-doesnt-make-sense-isnt-being-followed/#respond Sun, 06 Apr 2025 19:22:23 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351201 In 2025, amid a sea of tariffs, tweets, economic brinksmanship, and cries of “Drill, baby, drill,” one man’s name keeps surfacing as the supposed brains behind the Trump administration’s latest moves: Stephen Miran. He’s a Harvard-trained economist, former Treasury official, and newly appointed Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. ... [continued]

The post Sane-Washing Trump’s Tariffs: The “Master” Plan Doesn’t Make Sense & Isn’t Being Followed appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/06/sane-washing-trumps-tariffs-the-master-plan-doesnt-make-sense-isnt-being-followed/feed/ 0 351201
China Just Turned Off U.S. Supplies Of Minerals Critical For Defense & Cleantech https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/05/china-just-turned-off-u-s-supplies-of-minerals-critical-for-defense-cleantech/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/05/china-just-turned-off-u-s-supplies-of-minerals-critical-for-defense-cleantech/#respond Sat, 05 Apr 2025 17:31:57 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351156 In April 2025, while most of the world was clutching pearls over trade war tit-for-tat tariffs, China calmly walked over to the supply chain and yanked out a handful of critical bolts. The bolts are made of dysprosium, terbium, tungsten, indium and yttrium—the elements that don’t make headlines but without ... [continued]

The post China Just Turned Off U.S. Supplies Of Minerals Critical For Defense & Cleantech appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/05/china-just-turned-off-u-s-supplies-of-minerals-critical-for-defense-cleantech/feed/ 0 351156
British Columbia Pays HTEC Millions For Another Hydrogen Station Nobody Needs https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/05/british-columbia-pays-htec-millions-for-another-hydrogen-station-nobody-needs/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/05/british-columbia-pays-htec-millions-for-another-hydrogen-station-nobody-needs/#respond Sat, 05 Apr 2025 17:26:34 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351159 HTEC just opened another hydrogen fueling station in British Columbia. It sits gleaming and underused in the Lower Mainland, one more high-cost monument to a transportation future that never arrived. It’s an infrastructure project aimed at a market that doesn’t exist, serving vehicles that aren’t being driven, with fuel no ... [continued]

The post British Columbia Pays HTEC Millions For Another Hydrogen Station Nobody Needs appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/05/british-columbia-pays-htec-millions-for-another-hydrogen-station-nobody-needs/feed/ 0 351159
Pakistan’s 22 GW Solar Shock: How a Fragile State Went Full Clean Energy https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/04/pakistans-22-gw-solar-shock-how-a-fragile-state-went-full-clean-energy/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/04/pakistans-22-gw-solar-shock-how-a-fragile-state-went-full-clean-energy/#respond Sat, 05 Apr 2025 00:10:09 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351110 Pakistan isn’t the first country you’d expect to crash the global solar party. But by the end of 2024, it quietly rocketed into the top tier of solar adopters, importing a jaw-dropping 22 gigawatts worth of solar panels in a single year. That’s not a typo or a spreadsheet rounding ... [continued]

The post Pakistan’s 22 GW Solar Shock: How a Fragile State Went Full Clean Energy appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/04/pakistans-22-gw-solar-shock-how-a-fragile-state-went-full-clean-energy/feed/ 0 351110
Americans Pay More For Clean Tech, Fossil Fuel Firms Catch Tariff Shrapnel https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/03/americans-pay-more-for-clean-tech-fossil-fuel-firms-catch-tariff-shrapnel/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/03/americans-pay-more-for-clean-tech-fossil-fuel-firms-catch-tariff-shrapnel/#respond Fri, 04 Apr 2025 03:36:55 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351035 Imagine slapping a 30% surcharge on your prescription medication—not because it suddenly got more expensive to make, not because there’s a shortage, but because you want to make a point to a pharmacy halfway across the world. That’s the economic logic—or lack thereof—behind Donald Trump’s newest volley of tariffs. On ... [continued]

The post Americans Pay More For Clean Tech, Fossil Fuel Firms Catch Tariff Shrapnel appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/03/americans-pay-more-for-clean-tech-fossil-fuel-firms-catch-tariff-shrapnel/feed/ 0 351035
BP’s Exit Is Part Of A Broader Collapse In Hydrogen For Transportation Among Majors https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/03/bps-exit-is-part-of-a-broader-collapse-in-hydrogen-for-transportation-among-majors/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/03/bps-exit-is-part-of-a-broader-collapse-in-hydrogen-for-transportation-among-majors/#respond Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:38:53 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=351025 BP quietly dissolved its low-carbon mobility team recently, and almost no one noticed. No flashy press release. No somber CEO video explaining a pivot to shareholder value. Just an internal memo, a few reassigned employees, and the slow realization that the company was backing away from its hydrogen transport dreams. ... [continued]

The post BP’s Exit Is Part Of A Broader Collapse In Hydrogen For Transportation Among Majors appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/03/bps-exit-is-part-of-a-broader-collapse-in-hydrogen-for-transportation-among-majors/feed/ 0 351025
How Alienating American Allies & Emptying US Wallets Reduced Jet Fuel Burn https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/02/how-alienating-american-allies-emptying-us-wallets-reduced-jet-fuel-burn/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/02/how-alienating-american-allies-emptying-us-wallets-reduced-jet-fuel-burn/#respond Thu, 03 Apr 2025 03:47:11 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350977 Donald Trump, in his glorious return to the Oval Office in January 2025, managed to do what no climate policy has achieved in decades: reduce transborder aviation emissions. Not by design, of course. He wouldn’t be caught dead attending a COP summit unless it was hosted at Mar-a-Lago and came ... [continued]

The post How Alienating American Allies & Emptying US Wallets Reduced Jet Fuel Burn appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/02/how-alienating-american-allies-emptying-us-wallets-reduced-jet-fuel-burn/feed/ 0 350977
From Solar Tiles to Starship: The Decade Musk Failed to Deliver Puts Semi At Risk https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/02/from-solar-tiles-to-starship-the-decade-musk-failed-to-deliver-puts-semi-at-risk/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/02/from-solar-tiles-to-starship-the-decade-musk-failed-to-deliver-puts-semi-at-risk/#respond Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:33:25 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350913 Tesla says the Semi is entering high-volume production in 2025, nearly eight years after its 2017 unveiling. At the time, Elon Musk promised a revolution in freight: 500 miles of electric range, faster acceleration than a diesel, and a cost-per-mile figure that would make it a no-brainer for fleet managers. ... [continued]

The post From Solar Tiles to Starship: The Decade Musk Failed to Deliver Puts Semi At Risk appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/02/from-solar-tiles-to-starship-the-decade-musk-failed-to-deliver-puts-semi-at-risk/feed/ 0 350913
Bavarian SMRs & Hydrogen Vans: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/01/bavarian-smrs-hydrogen-vans-what-could-possibly-go-wrong/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/01/bavarian-smrs-hydrogen-vans-what-could-possibly-go-wrong/#respond Tue, 01 Apr 2025 21:50:14 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350890 First Hydrogen Corp, a Canadian firm with more ambition than balance sheet, has now turned its sights on Germany — arguably the worst possible place to mix hydrogen hype with small modular nuclear reactors. The company, known mostly for a hydrogen van prototype and a team structure with more CEOs ... [continued]

The post Bavarian SMRs & Hydrogen Vans: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/01/bavarian-smrs-hydrogen-vans-what-could-possibly-go-wrong/feed/ 0 350890
Ontario Doubles Down On Hydrogen For Energy As Countries Leave Table https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/31/ontario-doubles-down-on-hydrogen-for-energy-as-countries-leave-table/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/31/ontario-doubles-down-on-hydrogen-for-energy-as-countries-leave-table/#respond Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:50:04 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350869 Ontario’s love affair with hydrogen was always going to be an expensive fling. But now it’s turning into a full-blown marriage—despite all the warning signs from older, wiser jurisdictions that have already filed for divorce. The province is doubling the Hydrogen Innovation Fund to $30 million, a tidy sum that ... [continued]

The post Ontario Doubles Down On Hydrogen For Energy As Countries Leave Table appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/31/ontario-doubles-down-on-hydrogen-for-energy-as-countries-leave-table/feed/ 0 350869
Norway’s New Industrial Policy Pivots Away From Hydrogen For Energy https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/norways-new-industrial-policy-pivots-away-from-hydrogen-for-energy/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/norways-new-industrial-policy-pivots-away-from-hydrogen-for-energy/#respond Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:31:37 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350763 In 2020, Norway jumped into hydrogen like it was the next North Sea oil rush. The government released a national hydrogen strategy full of ambitions and buzzwords, envisioning a country where blue and green hydrogen would decarbonize ships, factories, maybe even homes. In 2021, they doubled down with a hydrogen ... [continued]

The post Norway’s New Industrial Policy Pivots Away From Hydrogen For Energy appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/norways-new-industrial-policy-pivots-away-from-hydrogen-for-energy/feed/ 0 350763
Trump’s DOE Swings At Clean Energy & Accidentally Hits A Home Run https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/trumps-doe-swings-at-clean-energy-accidentally-hits-a-bullseye/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/trumps-doe-swings-at-clean-energy-accidentally-hits-a-bullseye/#respond Sat, 29 Mar 2025 20:56:12 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350758 In a move that surprised absolutely no one, the Trump/Wright Department of Energy began swinging the axe at clean energy programs—but here’s the twist: this time, they might accidentally be getting a few things right. Not because they’ve suddenly developed a coherent decarbonization strategy or found religion on climate policy. ... [continued]

The post Trump’s DOE Swings At Clean Energy & Accidentally Hits A Home Run appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/trumps-doe-swings-at-clean-energy-accidentally-hits-a-bullseye/feed/ 0 350758
Geothermal’s Moment—and Its Messengers, Mirages, and Models https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/geothermals-moment-and-its-messengers-mirages-and-models/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/geothermals-moment-and-its-messengers-mirages-and-models/#respond Sat, 29 Mar 2025 20:49:35 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350755 The geothermal series is done, and if you’ve been following along, you’ll know it’s been a mix of cautious optimism, heavy sighs, and the occasional full-body cringe at some of the more outlandish claims. Geothermal is, at long last, getting a bit of attention—but, as always, when something is “having ... [continued]

The post Geothermal’s Moment—and Its Messengers, Mirages, and Models appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/29/geothermals-moment-and-its-messengers-mirages-and-models/feed/ 0 350755
Decoding the Future of Coordinated Power Systems with Mark O’Malley https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/28/decoding-the-future-of-coordinated-power-systems-with-mark-omalley/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/28/decoding-the-future-of-coordinated-power-systems-with-mark-omalley/#respond Sat, 29 Mar 2025 00:19:23 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350731 I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mark O’Malley, Leverhulme professor of Power Systems at the Imperial College of London, and founder and research lead for the Global Power Systems Consortium, which is the leading organization trying to figure out how to operate grids as we approach 100% ... [continued]

The post Decoding the Future of Coordinated Power Systems with Mark O’Malley appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/28/decoding-the-future-of-coordinated-power-systems-with-mark-omalley/feed/ 0 350731
7 Projects Down In The Inevitable Death Of Hydrogen For Energy In B.C. https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/28/7-projects-down-in-the-inevitable-death-of-hydrogen-for-energy-in-b-c/ https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/28/7-projects-down-in-the-inevitable-death-of-hydrogen-for-energy-in-b-c/#respond Sat, 29 Mar 2025 00:15:44 +0000 https://cleantechnica.com/?p=350726 It was never going to work. The CBC’s March 2025 freedom of information exposé confirmed what engineers, analysts, and every mildly numerate policymaker should have known: British Columbia’s grand hydrogen production ambitions were built on sand. According to briefing documents to B.C.’s then energy minister in September of 2024, at ... [continued]

The post 7 Projects Down In The Inevitable Death Of Hydrogen For Energy In B.C. appeared first on CleanTechnica.

]]>
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/28/7-projects-down-in-the-inevitable-death-of-hydrogen-for-energy-in-b-c/feed/ 0 350726