This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.
This week’s episode features Rachel Frazin from The Hill, who wrote about how the Biden administration finalized fairly strict climate rules for the nascent hydrogen energy industry, that determine which facilities can qualify for hydrogen tax credits.
This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is Aaron Nichols from Exact Solar, who reminds us that solar in the U.S. continued to expand during Trump’s first term. Shout out to Aaron for bolstering our determination as we face this unprecedented time. Congratulations Aaron!
1. EVs, Nuclear and Forever Chemicals: Climate Predictions for 2025 — Bloomberg
Bloomberg gathered their reporters, editors, and BNEF analysts to determine trends that will shape the future of our planet in 2025. Some of these trends include relaxed carbon offset standards, record heat, $1.3 trillion in COP29 pledges led by development banks, global plastic reduction efforts, PFAS bans in clothing, and the growing anti-consumption movement.
One notable trend is the potential for coal to receive a life extension due to the increasing demand for power to support data centers, factories, homes, and EVs. With clean energy projects not advancing fast enough, coal may be used to fill the gap.
2. Banks Celebrate the New Year by Quitting Their Climate Pledges — The New Republic
Some of the world’s biggest banks including Bank of America and Morgan Stanley left the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), which is working to align banking financial activities with carbon pollution cutting down to net zero by 2050.
Some American conservatives call this anti-ESG push a win, and there’s been a rise of “anti-woke” asset managers offering exchange-traded funds that give no regard to ESG or climate pledges.
3. Trump Says He Wants No Wind Farms Built During Presidency — Bloomberg
On Tuesday, the President-elect vowed to halt new wind farm construction during his second term, jeopardizing billions of dollars in planned wind projects, both onshore and offshore. He claims wind energy is too expensive and harmful to the environment and whales. He’s even falsely claimed that they “cause cancer.”
Clean energy backers are afraid Trump’s hostility toward wind energy will raise their electricity costs and take away a budding American power source.
Watch the full episode on YouTube
4. Climate-friendly electricity sees big battery projects soar again for 2024 — AP News
The ability to store large amounts of electricity in batteries was almost unheard of 10 years ago. But the US had about 24 GWh operating as of November 2024, up 71% since the same time in 2023. Battery storage capacity has doubled in less than two years, with 90% of utility-scale storage in just 4 states: California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada.
Batteries can supply electricity to the grid during demand spikes, reducing the need for polluting peaker plants, which are typically located near lower-income communities. Peaker plants release CO2 and harmful gases that can lead to asthma and breathing issues for nearby residents, with an estimated 63 million people living within a three-mile radius of one.
5. Biden administration adds exemptions into new climate rules for hydrogen energy — The Hill
The Biden administration on Friday finalized fairly strict climate rules for the nascent hydrogen energy industry that determine which facilities can qualify for hydrogen tax credits.
The final rule includes 1) allowing nuclear plants at risk of closure without powering hydrogen to qualify as power sources for hydrogen, 2) requiring hydrogen production to be powered by a new energy source that generates electricity in the same hour and region, and 3) exempting California and Washington projects due to strict state pollution caps.