Episode 93

Selected sources:

URL: https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/global-cost-of-renewables-to-continue-falling-in-2025-as-china-extends-manufacturing-lead-bloombergnef/

• New wind and solar farms undercutting new coal and gas plants on production cost; cost of battery storage projects and fixed-axis solar farms; China’s lead in clean-tech manufacturing.

URL: https://climatepower.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/April-2025-Clean-Energy-Jobs-Report.pdf

• Job numbers and investments in the clean energy sector, including those driven by the Inflation Reduction Act; decline in net new clean energy jobs and project cancellations in Q1 2025; clean energy jobs in rural and Republican-held districts.

URL: https://www.commondreams.org/news/big-oil-donations-trump

• Amount of money spent by the fossil fuel industry to influence the 2024 election cycle; specific campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures; ties of nominated officials like Doug Burgum, Chris Wright, and Lee Zeldin to the fossil fuel industry.

URL: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/solar-energy/solar-vs-fossil-fuels.html

• Comparison of electricity costs between fossil fuels and solar energy, with data from NREL; upfront costs and long-term savings of solar energy for consumers.

URL: https://decomblades.dk/

• Wind turbine blade recycling technologies, including mechanical shredding, cement co-processing, and pyrolysis.

URL: https://energyinnovation.org/research-resources/reports/

• Analysis of the economic impacts of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” on energy costs, GDP, and jobs.

URL: https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/understanding-electricity-market-frameworks-policies

• Information on electricity market frameworks and deregulation.

URL: https://www.epa.gov/hw/end-life-solar-panels-regulations-and-management

• Regulations and management of end-of-life solar panels as solid and potentially hazardous waste, and EPA’s proposed rule to add solar panels to universal waste regulations.

URL: https://www.globalbioenergy.org/renewable-energy-hiring-trends/

• Global and U.S. job market expansion in renewable energy; specific in-demand job roles and skills in the sector; and the number of people employed in renewable energy worldwide.

URL: https://www.heritage.org/energy/commentary/why-american-energy-dominance-strategic-imperative

• The “American Energy Dominance” agenda as a strategic doctrine; policies for supporting domestic fossil fuels; and a contrast with the previous administration’s climate-centric strategy.

URL: https://www.iberdrola.com/sustainability/wind-blade-recycling

• The European wind industry’s pledge to reuse, recycle, or recover 100% of end-of-life blades by 2025; challenges of recycling wind turbine blades; and technologies for recycling.

URL: https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/climate-change/energy-subsidies

• Global fossil fuel subsidies in 2022 and their expected increase; fiscal and environmental consequences of subsidies; and projected emissions reductions from subsidy reform.

URL: https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/blog/how-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-threatens-americas-clean-energy-future/

• Analysis of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and its potential to threaten the U.S. clean energy future; projected job and investment losses; and the correlation with fossil fuel industry campaign spending.

URL: https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/food-environment/2024/how-to-overcome-political-polarization-climate-change

• The status of climate change as the most polarized issue in U.S. politics; reasons for polarization including biased assimilation of information, homophily, and the influence of the fossil fuel industry.

URL: https://www.lazard.com/news-announcements/lazard-releases-2025-levelized-cost-of-energyplus-report-pr/

• Findings of the 2025 Levelized Cost of Energy+ (LCOE+) report, including that unsubsidized wind and solar are the lowest-cost generation sources.

URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/24/6328

• Research showing that renewable energy development drives economic growth through job creation, investment, and reduced dependence on imported resources.

URL: https://www.pnnl.gov/grid-integration-renewable-energy

• The role of grid modernization and advanced integration in accommodating a higher percentage of renewables; solutions for grid resilience against threats.

URL: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/06/28/what-americans-think-about-an-energy-transition-from-fossil-fuels-to-renewables/

• Breakdown of public support for renewable energy policies versus fossil fuels by party affiliation.

URL: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook-remaking-government/2025/08/08/inside-the-white-house-energy-dominance-council-00500465

• Purpose and function of the White House’s “Energy Dominance Council” and its mandate to promote fossil fuels and nuclear power.

URL: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2025/jul/10/donald-trump/china-very-few-wind-farms-renewable-energy/

• Debunking President Trump’s claim that China has “very, very few” wind farms, with data showing China’s position as the global leader in wind power capacity.

URL: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2417921122

• Technical and economic challenges of recycling PV panels; policy recommendations for encouraging and mandating recycling; and emerging recycling technologies.

URL: https://skepticalscience.com/print.php?r=509

• Detailed comparison of land use between wind energy and fossil fuels, noting wind’s smaller direct footprint and compatibility with agriculture.

URL: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/grid-scale-battery-storage-global-market-report

• Drivers for the grid-scale battery storage market, including rising renewable energy demand.

URL: https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-report-evaluating-us-grid-reliability-and-security

• The DOE report’s warnings about potential blackouts and the need for “firm capacity” to meet rising demand from AI and data centers.

URL: https://www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-and-renewable-energy

• Mission and goals of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

URL: https://www.energy.gov/eere/job-creation-and-economic-growth

• Statement that renewable energy generation jobs employ three times more workers than traditional energy sources.

URL: https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/department-interior-curbs-preferential-treatment-wind-energy

• Justifications for the Interior Department’s new order, including “ending special treatment for unreliable energy sources” and the approval of new coal mining.

URL: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/raising-ambition/renewable-energy

• Data on fossil fuels’ contribution to global emissions and health costs; the role of renewables in reducing import dependency and geopolitical shocks; and the affordability of renewables compared to fossil fuels.

URL: https://today.uconn.edu/2024/10/green-subsidies-may-have-hidden-costs-experts-warn/

• Expert warnings about the unintended consequences and hidden costs of subsidies, including those for renewable energy.

URL: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2417921122

• The role of well-constructed policies to encourage PV panel recycling, and the technical and economic obstacles to widespread recycling.

URL: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/03/renewable-energy-myths-debunked/

• Debunking myths about renewable energy’s reliability and cost; technological innovations like falling battery costs; and the shift to decentralized energy systems.

URL: https://www.boem.gov/newsroom/notes-stakeholders/boem-rescinds-offshore-renewable-energy-leasing-schedule

• The rescinding of the offshore renewable energy leasing schedule to increase the Interior Secretary’s discretion.

URL: https://blog.ucs.org/steve-clemmer/how-much-land-would-it-require-to-get-most-of-our-electricity-from-wind-and-solar/

• The land-use demands of a transition to wind and solar, showing they are manageable and comparable to or smaller than the fossil fuel industry’s footprint.

URL: https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-politics-policy-spring-2025/toc/5/

• Public opinion data on support for various clean energy policies, with a breakdown by political party and ideology.