Author: Michael Barnard

ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a map of China covered in solar panels, wind turbines and transmission lines in the style of ancient Chinese paintings

China Electricity Expert Talks Wind, Solar, & Storage In The Country

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with one of the leading experts on electrical generation in China to discuss the absurd scales of all forms of electrical generation and storage. In the first half of our conversation, we talked coal, gas, and nuclear. In the second half — … [continued]

ChatGPT generated panoramic bird's eye image of a fleet of abandoned, broken windowed modern hydrogen fuel cell freight trucks covered in dirt and pigeon droppings parked in a weed filled field

Nikola Bankruptcy Just Part Of Crumbling Of Hydrogen For Transportation

Nikola, with its hydrogen trucks, has finally left the building. The company gained widespread attention after going public via a SPAC merger in 2020, briefly reaching a market valuation of over $30 billion. However, founder Trevor Milton was complicit in the SPAC pump and dump, misleading investors about Nikola’s technological … [continued]

ChatGPT generated panoramic image of North and Central America with Canada, Greenland and Panama as Banana Republics

What Does The Return Of The US Monroe Doctrine Mean For Cleantech?

After the first three weeks that Trump 2.0 has been unfolding, with a mix of absurd ego, drill baby drill, radical loyalty requirements, elimination of soft power, purging of ‘enemies’ and devastation of science, it’s worth asking what the foreign policy tea leaves suggest for clean technology globally. It’s actually … [continued]

ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a narrow-bodied 200 pax passenger jet labeled H2 sitting in a field covered in dust, rust and pigeon droppings

Airbus Drops Hydrogen As Aviation Industry Admits It Won’t Fly

Hydrogen’s hoped for role in aviation dates back to the mid-20th century, when researchers began exploring its potential as an alternative to conventional jet fuel. In 1957, engineers at Lockheed and Boeing investigated hydrogen propulsion as part of Cold War efforts to develop high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft. In 1959, a modified … [continued]

ChatGPT generated panoramic image of Chinese executives scratching their heads in puzzlement while looking at coal and nuclear plants

Coal & Nuclear Are Very Different Beasts In China, Per Expert

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with an expert in China’s energy transition, David Fishman of APAC-focused Lantau Group. In the first half of the conversation we talked coal, gas, and nuclear.   Michael Barnard [MB]: Hi, welcome back to Redefining Energy Tech. I’m your host, Michael Barnard. … [continued]

ChatGPT generated graphic image of an Asian 1960s scene were a university is being demolished

Science Purge Is Part of United States’ Echoing Of Mao’s Cultural Revolution

As Mark Twain is reported to have said, history doesn’t repeat but it rhymes. Trump 2.0’s actions are very much rhyming, albeit discordantly, and with a dismal period from the past of the United States’ proclaimed great enemy, China. Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, launched in 1966 and lasting until 1976, … [continued]

ChatGPT generated panoramic photorealistic image of a blocked off hydrogen refueling station in Beijing with man-high wormwood growing in the lot with buses labeled "H2" rusting in it

Beijing Buses 95% Electric, Hydrogen Buses Dwindling, Refueling Stations Closing

A rule of thumb I’ve been applying for a while is to look at what is succeeding in China in terms of clean technology. It tries everything that’s potentially viable domestically and fierce competition weeds out the winners from the losers. And on battery-electric buses vs hydrogen buses, and battery-electric … [continued]

ChatGPT generated panoramic image of buses labeled "H2" and "Hydrogen" sinking in a bog with dollar signs pushing them under and bubbles labeled "CO2e" escaping

Canada’s Hydrogen Bus Trials Canceled Due To High Costs & Emissions

For several months I’ve been digging through what’s going on with a Canadian transit ‘think’ tank, CUTRIC, and why it’s pushing hydrogen buses into city plans across the country. It keeps claiming hydrogen buses have been a success and are cheap, but cities keep canceling their plans for them as … [continued]

ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a group of people huddled shivering in a snow covered bus stop beside an out of service bus labeled "H2"

Hydrogen Buses Hurt The People They Are Meant To Help

A sign of a great city is that the rich take public transit. Well, not really. They take light rail and subways. But they don’t take buses. In many cities, light rail systems attract a more affluent ridership compared to buses, highlighting a persistent disparity in public transit usage. Studies … [continued]

ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a Mississauga transit bus labeled "H2" with burning Canadian currency above it

Canadian Transit “Think” Tank Presenting Fluff & Denials To Mississauga Council

Over a couple of the last months of 2024, part of my time was spent looking at the bizarre situation of the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC). That’s resurfaced, as the Mississauga hydrogen bus trial is going forward despite having zero merit, and CUTRIC’s founder and head … [continued]