Carrier, the company that invented air conditioning, is now adding batteries to its HVAC systems to help stabilize the grid. James compares clean energy progress in Heilongjiang, China, to the situation in Saskatchewan, Canada, where coal is sticking around until 2050. Meanwhile, developing nations may be scaling back their attendance at COP30 in Brazil due to soaring hotel prices in the Amazon.

• Join us for free on Patreon for addional content like the hydrogen letter correcting us.

We also dig into listener mail, including a detailed correction on hydrogen vs. SMR math, new EV charging options from Grizzl-E, heat pump dryer experiences, Scandinavian crime drama recommendations, and whether James should just fill his house with snake plants instead of an air purifier. Plus, Glenn Wright weighs in on forests, carbon sinks, and net-zero.

In the Lightning Round:

• U.S. nuclear license extensions in Wisconsin

• France planning a 1.5 GW offshore wind farm

• The U.S. DOE reportedly banning “climate change” from its vocabulary

• Renewables beating new nuclear ten to one for climate mitigation

• China’s clean energy dominance in solar, batteries, and wind

• Morocco sending solar power to Germany

• Europe backing African renewables

• A new sodium-ion battery installation in Switzerland

• And just how many solar panels China installs every second

Links to stories we covered:

• Carrier batteries for air conditioners (Canary Media): https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/carrier-air-conditioning-help-grid

• Heilongjiang clean energy projects (China green hydrogen & e-methanol): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-29/nations-rethink-plans-for-brazil-climate-summit-as-costs-soar?srnd=phx-green

• COP30 hotel crunch (Bloomberg): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-29/nations-rethink-plans-for-brazil-climate-summit-as-costs-soar?srnd=phx-green

• Grizzl-E EV Club: https://grizzl-e.com/ca/ | https://club.grizzl-e.com/ | https://youtu.be/SH7fItzcFbQ

• Antarctica wind project: https://www.antarctica.gov.au/antarctic-operations/stations-and-field-locations/amenities-and-operations/renewable-energy/wind-power

• IEA on rising AC demand: https://iea.li/48AjJAc

• Morocco–Germany undersea solar cable (CleanTechnica): https://cleantechnica.com

• EU renewables in Africa (Bloomberg): https://bloomberg.com

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In this special interview episode, we sit down with economist Brett Dolter to explore the future of clean energy in Saskatchewan and beyond. From the politics of power generation to the technical challenges of renewables in extreme cold, Brett offers a candid and insightful look at what it will take to transition to a greener grid.

Brett Dolter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, University of Regina where he teaches courses in climate change policy, microeconomics, cost-benefit analysis, and ecological economics. Brett’s research is focused on modelling the costs and consequences of climate and energy policy. Current research projects include analyzing the distributional impacts of carbon pricing in Canada; modelling the cost of decarbonizing the Canadian electricity system; and exploring public support for competing energy futures in Regina, Saskatchewan.

• The report on SaskPower vs fed regulations Dolter published here (PDF)

We discuss why Saskatchewan, despite its world-class solar and wind resources, lags behind provinces like Alberta in renewable adoption, and how monopoly structures and regulatory frameworks have slowed progress. Brett explains how reforming electricity rate structures could accelerate electrification, make rooftop solar more attractive, and help families save money in the long run.

The conversation also covers the engineering realities of renewable energy in cold climates—from wind turbines to heat pumps—and looks at innovations from around the world, including northern China, that could be adapted for the Prairies. Finally, Brett dives into the political dimensions of the energy transition, reflecting on public opinion, partisan divides, and the path forward for renewables in Saskatchewan.

This is an eye-opening discussion about the intersection of policy, technology, and economics—and why the choices made today will shape our energy future for decades to come.

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The future of batteries—including a surprising chemistry that works all the way down to –50°C. We’ll also look at New York City’s new speed limit for e-bikes, the world’s first driverless truck border crossing, and how a listener in Japan pressed Saskatchewan’s premier on renewables.

• CORRECTION: 600,000 tons of hydrogen does not produce 200 terawatt hours of electricity. It's only 2! AI halucinated and let us down. We appologize.

We explore whether Saskatchewan really is “too cold to decarbonize,” with insights from researchers like Brett Dolter and Stanford’s Mark Z. Jacobson. Plus, we compare the province’s energy choices with bold projects in northern China and the Netherlands, where renewables are surging ahead despite tough climates.

In listener mail, Jon from Japan updates us on solar and EV progress in his city, proving that persistence pays off. And in the Lightning Round, we’ll cover fossil fuel declines in Europe, China’s new climate pledge, a Canadian wildfire twist that helped crops, India’s nuclear expansion, Nigeria’s solar boom, and BYD’s massive new battery breakthrough.

• Lightning Round: China’s climate pledge, U.S. offshore wind ruling, EV oil displacement, Nigeria’s solar push, BYD’s 14.5 MWh container battery

Contact Us

cleanenergyshow@gmail.com 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!

PayPal Donate offers one-time or regular donations.

Store

Visit The Clean Energy Show Store for T-shirts, hats, and more!.

Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.