Without a green energy transition Australia won’t meet its emissions reductions promises. But despite punching above its weight for years, the electricity sector isn’t transforming quickly enough.
Joby Aviation tests its electric air taxi in Manhattan.
Courtesy of Joby Aviation
These electric aircraft take off and land vertically so they don’t need runways. And they promise a quieter, more accessible and less polluting form of short-distance air travel than helicopters.
China’s two largest EV battery makers are pledging to slash the cost of their batteries this year. Behind the pledge is a cost war – and new battery chemistries.
The amount of detailed real-time data a smart grid needs to manage the push for electrification and renewables presents challenges – but there’s an affordable solution.
The ban on gas connections to new homes in Victoria reflects global trends and will ultimately save households money and cut their emissions.
Just generating heat is not enough. We must also capture, store, and utilize waste heat year-round and especially in the winter months.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
As the drive towards electrification advances, one fact seems clear: it is far easier to reuse waste heat for our homes and businesses than it is to generate it anew.
Victoria has a plan for the state to electrify, but how do we make the transition fair and equitable for everyone? New research suggests a way forward.
A Northern Territory lithium mine.
Fleet Space Technologies/AAP
Nearly 400 new mines could open by 2035 to meet demand for the minerals used in global electrification. Better recycling can help with supply, but mining’s impacts will have to be better managed.
Shipping companies have billions invested in fleets that were built to last decades. Now, the US is calling for zero emissions by 2050, and the EU is raising the cost of fossil fuel use.
The current energy transition could herald a new copper world. But will it be a long-anticipated resource blessing or yet another global scramble for the precious metal?
Industry wants to keep people cooking with gas.
Jamie Grill, Tetra Images via Getty Images