Transitioning the World to 100% Renewable Energy — Part 2

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In the second half of this special two-part episode of our CleanTech Talk podcast interview series, Michael Barnard, Chief Strategist of TFIE Strategy Inc. and CleanTechnica contributor, take’s Zach Shahan’s place as host to talk with Mark Z. Jacobson, professor at Stanford University and cofounder of The Solutions Project, about transitioning the world to 100% renewable energy. You can listen to the full conversation in the embedded player below. Below that embedded SoundCloud player is a brief summary of the topics covered, but tune into the podcast to follow the full discussion.

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Mike and Mark launch the second half of the podcast by talking about the potential for renewable energy and electrification to significantly reduce electricity cost for more remote locations. As Mark notes, Hawaii, for example, could see a large price drop due to increasing dependence on renewable energy and less dependence on fossil fuels that must be shipped all the way to the far-away state. The two experts also explore how renewable energy produces grid reliability and myriad other benefits and, as Mark explains, will continue to be cheaper than our current energy sources into the future, even with more conservative estimates.

Mike and Mark then move on to talk about other energy sources, including pumped hydropower and storage as well as nuclear. Nuclear, they conclude, is not something to include in future plans because current cost assumptions are underestimated and the time it takes to build plants does not keep up with the need for a rapid transition to more clean energy sources.

Mike and Mark delve into their thoughts on what has changed in regards to the energy landscape in the last decade. From a global engineering and policy perspective, Mark notes the plummeting cost of renewables, the increase in and development of electric cars, and battery storage breakthroughs. He is especially excited to see the enthusiasm surrounding the movement to transition globally to 100% renewable energy.

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The two wrap up the podcast by briefly sharing their thoughts on the Green New Deal and the nonpartisan nature of the transition to renewable energy. As Mark notes, even conservative politicians are beginning to embrace renewable energy because it has been shown to be the most cost effective option.

To hear more on these topics, in addition to more on Mark’s most recent research, listen to the show! Also listen to part one.

You can also read about Mark’s work in the following CleanTechnica articles:


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