The Clean Energy Show

In this abridged January 2026 bonus episode of The Clean Energy Show, Brian Stockton and James Whittingham kick off the first podcast of 2026 with a packed update on clean tech, transportation, and air quality trends shaping the global energy transition. The show begins with developments in electric shipping, including Norway's autonomous container ship Yara Birkeland and testing of the world's largest battery-electric ferry, which will carry more than 2,000 passengers between Argentina and Uruguay. Listener mail sparks a brief but heated debate over whether corn is a vegetable, grain, or something else entirely. The main stories focus on dramatic improvements in Beijing's air quality, with PM2.5 pollution levels down nearly 75% since 2013, driven largely by China's rapid adoption of electric vehicles. The hosts also break down how BYD has surpassed Tesla as the world's largest EV seller, why Tesla's sales declined in 2025, and how brutal competition inside China is squeezing margins for everyone involved. Other highlights include China's claim of producing the world's first 100% recyclable wind turbine blade, signs that low-cost Chinese EVs could enter the U.S. market as early as 2027, and a wide-ranging Lightning Round covering batteries, heat pumps, solar growth, robotics, and plastics. The episode closes with a troubling investigation into toxic air contamination aboard commercial airplanes — a hidden pollution problem affecting crews and passengers alike. For the full, unabridged bonus episode, visit https://patreon.com/cleanenergypod and support the show. Contact Us [email protected] or leave us an online voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/clean Support The Clean Energy Show Join the Clean Club on our Patreon Page to receive perks for supporting the podcast and our planet! Our PayPal Donate Page offers one-time or regular donations. Store Visit The Clean Energy Show Store for T-shirts, hats, and more!. Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.    

• U.S. Electric Vehicle Debate James breaks down the ongoing American EV culture wars, why they feel stuck, and how much is political theatre vs. real-world data. We're off this week for the holidays so we're playing our Patreon bonus episode from a month ago because we think it has some great stories in it. • EV Market Growth The hosts dig into the latest numbers showing EVs gaining traction globally—and why the economic case keeps getting harder to ignore. • Stockpiling Critical Minerals A look at why countries are hoarding minerals like lithium and nickel, what it means for future supply chains, and who's preparing well (and who isn't). • Rivian's Smart Bike Helmet Brian brings up Rivian's unexpected new gadget—a "smart" bike helmet—and the hosts try to figure out why an EV truck company is branching out. • Corn's Environmental Impact A discussion about why corn farming is causing more climate trouble than most people think, including fertilizer emissions and long-term soil issues. • Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture The hosts explore ideas and innovations that reduce nitrous-oxide emissions, improve soil health, and make food systems more sustainable. • The World's Largest Sand Battery Wrapping up with the Finnish energy-storage breakthrough that stores heat in giant silos of sand—cheap, renewable, and surprisingly effective. Back next week with a new show! Contact Us [email protected] or leave us an online voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/clean Support The Clean Energy Show Join the Clean Club on our Patreon Page to receive perks for supporting the podcast and our planet! Our PayPal Donate Page offers one-time or regular donations. Store Visit The Clean Energy Show Store for T-shirts, hats, and more!. Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.    

A look back at the biggest clean energy developments of 2025 — and we reveal why electric trucking in China may be the most important story of the year. We break down record global growth in solar, wind, and EV adoption, explain how renewables are now outpacing fossil fuels in new investment, and explore why China's rising clean power generation is finally pushing its CO₂ emissions lower even as electricity demand grows CES 293 - Google Docs. (Letters are being held over until our next bonus episode.) The show also checks in on Norway, the world's EV laboratory, where electric vehicles now dominate both new sales and the overall vehicle fleet. The hosts discuss what Norway's data tells us about the future of gas, diesel, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids — and what it means for automakers still betting on combustion engines. Other highlights include a major San Francisco power outage, Volkswagen shelving the ID. Buzz in the U.S., and encouraging new data suggesting the world may have passed peak air pollution. Links mentioned San Francisco power outage (CNN): https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/21/us/outage-sf-power-san-francisco Norway EV market update (CleanTechnica): https://cleantechnica.com/2025/12/22/evs-take-98-4-share-in-norway-bev-fleet-overtakes-diesel/ World may have passed peak air pollution (Our World in Data): https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/the-world-has-probably-passed-peak-air-pollution Volkswagen shelves ID. Buzz in the U.S. (Electrek): https://electrek.co/2025/12/19/volkswagen-shelves-electric-minibus-for-us-not-forever/ CES 293 - Google Docs The Lightning Round Global EV sales are projected to hit 20 million vehicles in 2026 Contact Us [email protected] or leave us an online voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/clean Support The Clean Energy Show Join the Clean Club on our Patreon Page to receive perks for supporting the podcast and our planet! Our PayPal Donate Page offers one-time or regular donations. Store Visit The Clean Energy Show Store for T-shirts, hats, and more!. Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.    

How plunging battery costs are turning solar into reliable, around-the-clock power that can compete directly with fossil fuels. Brian Stockton and James Whittingham break down new findings from Ember showing that grid-scale batteries now make dispatchable solar cheaper than many new gas plants, fundamentally changing the energy landscape. The episode also explores why Big Oil is increasingly betting on petrochemicals and single-use plastics as EVs cut into fuel demand. A new IEEFA report reveals that a 70% global reduction in single-use plastics would deliver a major financial blow to the petrochemical industry while cutting millions of barrels per day of oil demand. From Canada, a Clean Energy Canada study finds that switching all homes in British Columbia to electric heat pumps could save households $675 million per year, reduce electricity demand, and cut emissions by about 6% of the province's total. Individual households could save hundreds to over a thousand dollars annually. We also discuss Australia's booming home battery market, fueled by expanded federal subsidies, and Rivian's plans for autonomous electric vehicles that can run errands, self-diagnose, and drive themselves for service as the company builds its own AI hardware and software. The Lightning Round covers global clean energy milestones including record renewable power in Australia, new solar efficiency records, fusion breakthroughs, EV and battery news, major climate policy moves in Europe, and Tesla opening its northernmost Supercharger in Alaska. Contact Us [email protected] or leave us an online voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/clean Support The Clean Energy Show Join the Clean Club on our Patreon Page to receive perks for supporting the podcast and our planet! Our PayPal Donate Page offers one-time or regular donations. Store Visit The Clean Energy Show Store for T-shirts, hats, and more!. Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.    

Nairobi's ride-hailing sector hits 40% electric motorcycles as Bolt logs 4.8 million EV rides. Financing from M-KOPA and Watu helps riders switch to cheaper, cleaner bikes, and local companies like Roam and Ampersand expand assembly and charging. Norway agrees to study its post-oil future after a deal with the Greens to pass the 2026 budget. EV incentives begin to scale back as adoption goals are met: https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/norway-to-examine-scenarios-for-post-oil-economy/. Thermostats Part 2 with Brian and James reviews the McVeggie. He wonders if it's actually just a mayo sandwich. They react to CNN's Bill Weir covering Trump's MPG rollback (full clip on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cleanenergypod) and look back at The Price Is Right giving away a $112,000 Tesla Roadster in 2010 and other EVs over the years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPq_I_L2UL4. A drone strike damages the protective shelter over the Chernobyl reactor. UN inspectors say repairs are needed, though experts caution against panic. BBC link: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98nldr06l2o James wakes up to hazardous air quality as Environment Canada issues a 10+ AQHI alert. LA becomes officially coal-free after the Intermountain Power Project shuts down, ending decades of coal power for the city. More from Electrek: https://electrek.co/2025/12/08/los-angeles-power-supply-is-now-officially-coal-free/. Contact Us [email protected] or leave us an online voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/clean Support The Clean Energy Show Join the Clean Club on our Patreon Page to receive perks for supporting the podcast and our planet! Our PayPal Donate Page offers one-time or regular donations. Store Visit The Clean Energy Show Store for T-shirts, hats, and more!. Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.