Podcasts about twh

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host. -------------------- 01 Introduction This is the second follow up to my 8 part series on nuclear power. In this episode I will attempt to answer a question posed by brian in ohio in a comment on HPR4583. In that comment he said: 02 -------------------- Loving this series. Maybe Whiskey Jack could give some cost comparisons between large and small reactors. He could also give us a realistic look at nuclear plant safety/accidents compared to conventional power production. Looking forward to the episode on FORTH generation reactors ;-) -------------------- 03 End of quote. The first question I answered in my previous follow up, which was HPR4628. In this episode I will attempt to answer the second question, which was about the safety of nuclear power compared to other sources of electrical power generation. One of the HPR janitors encouraged me to make this episode, so I think we can thank him for getting another HPR episode made. 04 Defining the Scope First, let's define the scope of the question. This will cover electrical power generation only. Within that scope I will consider only the following sources of energy. 05 Coal Oil Natural Gas Hydroelectric Nuclear Wind Solar I won't cover geothermal, wave, or tidal power as these are only used in very small amounts and so there simply isn't enough literature on them to base a discussion on . 06 Foreshadow Conclusion I should mention right away that I cannot provide absolute answers to this question in the form of a nice, neat ranking table based on numbers from peer reviewed scientific sources. The reasons for this will become apparent, but to put it briefly, the data on which to base such a ranking simply doesn't exist. I will however provide context within which people can think about the issue. Wherever possible, I will provide links to the references that I used in the show notes so you can read further on this yourself. -------------------- 07 Energy Catastrophism versus Energy Uniformitarianism First though I need to go off on a slight geological detour in order to explain an important analogy that I will use. 08 In the 19th century there was a great debate among geologists over what is known as catastrophism versus uniformitarianism. In seeking to explain the origins of the earth and of the landscape that we see around us, there were two points of view. 09 One was "catastrophism". This is the belief that the mountains, valleys, and plains that we see around us were formed as a result of great catastrophes which occurred relatively recently in earth's history. This explanation was necessary in order to fit geological features into an earth that was believed to be only a few thousands of years old. This view was heavily influenced by religious belief. In this view Noah's flood was the great catastrophe and the fossils of dinosaurs were the remains of animals who had not been saved on the ark and so had died in the flood. 10 The other point of view was uniformitarianism. This was the hypothesis that the landscape we see around us can be explained by the very slow accumulation of very small changes over very long periods of time. For this to be true however, the earth had to be far older than the few thousand years that a literal reading of the bible would suggest. The earth in fact had to be many, many, millions of years old. 11 Eventually, the uniformitarian view won out and people understood that while some catastrophes can take place, the shape of the landscape is overwhelmingly due to small changes over very long periods of time. 12 How is this Relevant to this Episode You Ask? How this is relevant is that I will use this analogy to explain how we need to think about energy and safety. Very small numbers of deaths and injuries multiplied over many occurrences can add up to big numbers, comparable in scale or possibly even larger than a single catastrophe or even several of them. 13 I don't know if anyone else has used this analogy before, I have just thought of this when writing the script for this podcast. None the less, I think it is a very useful way of helping to understand the issues. 14 As an example of this, think about the well known case of the safety of flying versus the safety of travelling in your car. Air crashes are catastrophes that make the headlines. Automobile crashes are seldom more than local news at best. You have probably heard many times the claim that if you making a trip somewhere, you are safer to fly than to drive yourself in your car. 15 Example - Hydro versus Solar I will now present an example of this. Hydro electric power has some notable large scale catastrophes associated with it. Roof top solar power does not have any notable catastrophes that I am aware of. However, which is safer? 16 Hydro Catastrophes Here are three examples of hydro electric catastrophes in just one country, Italy. The Vajont Dam which collapsed in1963 An estimated 1,917 to 2,500 people died. The Sella Zerbino dam which collapsed in 1935. More than 100 people died. The Gleno Dam which collapsed in 1923. An estimated 350 people died. https://damfailures.org/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4997708/ 17 I haven't tried to compile a global list of the worst hydro electric dam collapses, as this sort of information is actually very difficult to find, even on web sites dedicated to dam failures. An additional problem is that information on whether a dam was used for electric power generation or not is often not available. 18 Dam failures where contradictory or insufficient information is available on whether there was an associated hydro power plant include the 1975 Banqian Dam failure, where death estimates range up to a quarter of a million. 19 Solar Panel Slow Accumulation Contrast this with roof top solar panels. Many small accidents can add up to big numbers as well. 20 Health and safety literature discussing solar panel safety mention things such as Falls from roofs. Electric shock. Arc flash (burns from electrical arcing). Normal electrical safety procedures which are based around locking out sources of energy do not work with solar panels which makes safety more difficult. Heat stress due to working exposed in the hot sun. Warning from US government on falls by solar panel installers. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228946 https://www.osha.gov/green-jobs/solar 21 Why We Cannot Compare the Two Hydro catastrophes are not well documented, but we can at least find records of some of the most notable ones. However, even those have very large variations in estimates of deaths. 22 Roof top solar deaths however are largely undocumented. The industry is largely unregulated. There is no central authority which accumulates many individual deaths or injuries. At best there are worker and public safety bodies who simply accumulate those statistics into general construction or household injuries. 23 Thus we have no reliable means of comparing the two energy sources on a comparable basis. We face the same problem with all other major electrical energy sources. So far as I am aware, there are no peer reviewed scientific studies which compare the relative safety of all of the major electrical energy sources we are considering here based on actual numbers. -------------------- 24 Safety Risks I will now try to list some the major hazards for each of energy sources we are considering. There is however limited data available. In many cases we just have reference to worker safety organizations as to what the hazards are. I will not attempt here to put numbers to these here. Categories 25 Coal, Oil, Natural Gas The hazards are Air pollution Mining and oil field accidents Pipeline explosions Transportation accidents. These- move a lot of material so these are significant. 26 Hydroelectric These include Dam collapse Drowning 27 Nuclear These include Radiation exposure 28 Wind These include Falls Confined space deaths (there is not much detail on this) Electric shock Ice throws (that is, throwing pieces of ice off the blades) This technology has a significant problem with people working alone which greatly increases risks associated with other dangers. 29 Solar These include Falls Electric shock Arc flash Heat stress 30 I have not tried to cover all possible risks associated with each category, just the ones which each industry considers to be the risks they concern themselves with. There does not exist any means by which risks of similar types are compared across different industries. 31 Reliability of Supply is Also Safety In a completely electrified net zero society, reliability of supply is a safety matter. People will die in very large numbers in cold climates if they do not have heat. If we have no fossil fuels, we need to also consider how reliably does a grid based on any of the options work. I have not seen anyone attempt to address this question and will not attempt to address it here. However, it must be addressed in any comprehensive attempt to rank safety. -------------------- 32 Studies or Articles on Estimates of Relative Safety Despite the difficulties of comparing the safety of different sources of energy, some people have attempted this anyway. Different estimates done at different times had different focuses, so unfortunately we do not have a nice set of studies that we can neatly use to cross check one another. I will however list the names and the authors and summarize the results. -------------------- 33 The Health Hazards of Not Going Nuclear By Dr. Petr Beckman Published in 1976 The author of this book tried to address the relative safety of different sources of energy in the mid 1970s. However, it is old at this point, so I won't bother digging through its pages to find his figures. 34 He mainly focused on comparing electric power generated with coal to nuclear. His conclusion was that if the goal was to prevent deaths or ill health in the process of generating electricity, then the logical conclusion was to replace coal fired power plants with nuclear. 35 The book was relatively well known at the time, as least as far as books on energy are concerned, so I thought it was still worth mentioning. I happen to have a copy of this book which I bought back in that time period It was the 8th printing of the book, so it would appear to have had relatively good sales. 36 The author did address the issue of what I have termed "catastrophism" in his comparison of different energy sources, although I don't know if he used this phrase. I don't know if he was the first to use this sort of analysis, but he certainly was very influential in terms of popularizing it. -------------------- 37 Risk of Energy Production by Herbert Inhaber Publication AECB 1119 March 1978 This study is a scientific paper from the same time period as the book "The Health Hazards of Not Going Nuclear". 38 He based his risk estimates largely on estimates of the amount of material which was used in the construction and operation of various power sources. While we could argue over whether or not this is a valid methodology, I think any such argument would be pointless as I think the age of the study alone renders it not relevant today anyway. Advancements in materials have changed the basis results significantly by now. However, as it exists I thought I would mention it to show that the idea of comparing energy sources to each other is not a new one. The author compared a wider variety of potential sources than Beckman did. 39 Here's his conclusions. He assumes equal amounts of energy produced by each method. The numbers are normalized such that the total sums to 100%. You can think of it in terms of what proportion of total deaths or injuries would result from each source if each were equally used. 40 Coal 27.5% Oil 25.6% Methanol 16.7% Wind 10.8% Solar photovoltaic 9.2% Thermal 8.1% Solar space heating 1.5% Ocean thermal 0.4% Nuclear 0.13% Natural Gas 0.08% 41 His natural gas estimate is drastically different from that of other authors. I am not going to worry about explaining it however, as the study is as I said old enough to be not very relevant anyway. I am mainly including this here out of historical interest. 42 As a footnote, the methanol he refers to would be synthesized from wood. This was a popular idea in that era as a means of providing liquid fuels for transportation. Practical battery electric cars in those days were strictly science fiction. 43 The ocean thermal category is a real blast from the past and I had forgotten all about that concept. It was a very popular idea at that time and was supposed to be *the* big and upcoming thing in renewable energy. It involved various means of attempting to extract energy from differences in water temperature at different depths in the ocean. It gradually faded away however, as despite great efforts being put into it, designs never proved to be practical. -------------------- 44 Electricity generation and health Anil Markandya, Paul Wilkinson Published in the Lancet, Vol 370, 15 September 2007 45 This is more recent than the previous one, although it is nearly 20 years old at this point. Unfortunately it doesn't cover wind or solar, just fossil fuels and nuclear. However it is still useful, and the Lancet is a very reputable peer reviewed journal. 46 I will present just the results rather than discussing the whole paper. The authors break it down into deaths among the public, occupational deaths, and air pollution related deaths, serious illness, and minor illness. 47 They break the energy sources down into lignite, coal, gas, oil, biomass, and nuclear. Lignite is a type of very low grade coal used mainly for electric power generation. In this paper biomass refers to energy crops and forest residues. 48 I will summarize the results by category rather than trying to describe a table that has 6 rows and 5 columns. All numbers are normalized in terms of deaths or cases per TWh. 49 Occupational deaths from accidents lignite 0.1 coal 0.1 gas 0.001 oil no data biomass - no data Nuclear is 0.019. 50 Deaths among the public from accidents lignite 0.02 coal 0.02 gas 0.02 oil 0.03 biomass no data Nuclear 0.003 51 Air pollution deaths lignite 32.6 coal 24.5 gas 2.8 oil 18.4 biomass 4.63 Nuclear 0.052 52 Air pollution serious illnesses lignite 298 coal 225 gas 30 oil 161 biomass 43 Nuclear 0.22 53 Air pollution minor illnesses lignite 17,676 coal 13,288 gas 703 oil 9,551 biomass 2,276 Nuclear no data 54 Natural gas edges out nuclear power slightly in terms of occupational safety, but in every other category nuclear is drastically lower in terms of ill effects than any of the alternatives. -------------------- 55 2020 Fatalities for US Roofers Increased 15% as Solar Roof Installations Increase Published in The Next Big Future July 6, 2021 by Brian Wang 56 This seems to be written by someone who has a popular science blog. I'm not familiar with it personally, but he addresses the subject so I'll list it. The title implies that it's all about rooftop solar, but he provides comparative numbers for the other energy sources of interest, so that is useful for our purposes. However, he doesn't describe his methodology, so we need to treat them with some caution. Here are his results These are deaths per thousand terawatt hours. 57 Coal - 100,000 Oil - 36,000 Natural gas - 4,000 Hydro - 1,400 Rooftop solar - 440 Wind - 150 Nuclear - 90 58 If we plot these numbers on a bar chart, coal and oil are so large that all of the others are squished to the bottom of the chart and are difficult to see at all. Let's therefore look at these in terms of orders of magnitude. Keep in mind that this is a logarithmic scale. This means that the difference between 4 and 5 is much greater in linear terms than the difference between 1 and 2. 59 Coal - 5 Oil - 4 Natural gas - 3 Hydro - 3 Rooftop solar - 2 Wind - 2 Nuclear - 1 60 Each of these numbers represents an order of magnitude, that is a power of ten. We can see that with rooftop solar, wind, and nuclear, the numbers are so close and the uncertainties are so great and their relative values so small compared to say coal that they can be seen as equivalent so far as safety is concerned. -------------------- 61 What are the safest and cleanest sources of energy? by Hannah Ritchie Published in Our World in Data First published in 2017, updated in 2022 and 2024 62 The author of this study addressed both deaths and greenhouse gas emissions. Deaths from accidents and air pollution are normalized to per TWh of electricity, while greenhouse gas emissions are normalized to GWh of electricity over the life cycle of the plant. 63 Here are the death figures. Coal 24.6 Oil 18.4 Biomass 4.6 Natural Gas 2.8 Hydro power 1.3 Wind 0.04 Nuclear 0.03 Solar 0.02 64 For greenhouse gas emissions the figures are Coal 970 tons Oil 720 tons Natural gas 440 tons Biomass 78 to 230 tons Solar 53 tons Hydro power 24 tons Wind 11 tons Nuclear 6 tons 65 If we take the death figures and rank them by order of magnitude as we did with the previous article, we get the following. 66 Coal - 4 Oil - 4 Biomass - 3 Natural Gas - 3 Hydro power - 3 Wind - 1 Nuclear - 1 Solar - 1 67 Keep in mind that the previous article covered only rooftop solar and not large industrial installations, and so is not directly comparable. Also the units are different, with the previous article being in terms of thousand TWh, and this one being in TWh. If we exclude solar (as the numbers are not comparable), Brian Wang's numbers are between 1.5 to 4 times higher than Ritchie's, except for hydro which are almost identical. I think this latter is due to both sets of numbers are dominated by one exceptionally big hydro accident. 68 Overall however, the relative rankings are quite comparable. Ritchie's numbers for deaths from coal, oil, and natural gas appear to be directly from the study by Markandya and Wilkinson mentioned above. For the benefit of those who are wondering, Ritchie specifically states that her numbers for nuclear include the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents. -------------------- https://www.iaea.org/publications/magazines/bulletin/21-1/solar-power-more-dangerous-nuclear Direct link to file https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/magazines/bulletin/bull21-1/21104091117.pdf https://ourworldindata.org/safest-sources-of-energy https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(07)61253-7/abstract https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2021/07/2020-fatalities-for-us-roofers-increased-15-as-solar-roof-installations-increase.html -------------------- 69 Conclusion from Studies Remember that in engineering terms, when comparing groups of numbers which contain both both very small numbers and one or more very large numbers, the differences between the small numbers are often not significant. The differences between the small numbers may be the product of our ability to measure these things rather than any real differences. 70 For example, in the article by Ritchie wind power would appear to be twice as dangerous as nuclear. However, the difference between them is 0.02 compared to 24.6 for coal. In other words, the difference between apparently "dangerous" wind and apparently "safe" nuclear is equivalent to 0.08% of the total for coal. It's therefore meaningless and a red herring to even worry about. 71 With the above taken into consideration, generally the different sources of energy fall into two broad categories in terms of number of deaths, injuries, and illnesses. The fossil fuels and biomass fall into one group and wind, solar, and nuclear into another group. 72 Hydro power would seem to fall into the higher risk category or at least somewhere between the two, but this I suspect is mainly due to one exceptionally large dam collapse in China, the Banqian Dam failure in 1975. This is mentioned as being specifically included in the article written by Ritchie. This was a multi-purpose dam, and information on this dam is difficult to find. It is not clear to me whether it had a hydro electric generator associated with either it or another dam that was part of the same system. 73 Some people therefor may argue for its exclusion from the numbers. Of course some people may argue for its inclusion anyway, as it was a dam regardless of whether it actually had an electric generator attached. If we exclude it, then I think the numbers for hydro power would fall into the same range as for nuclear, wind, and solar. 74 Most people would consider hydro power to be safe and clean enough regardless of this and I will rank it as such in any conclusions that I come to. As you can see, even if we have numbers, it can be a matter of opinion as to how to interpret them. -------------------- -------------------- 75 Taking a Systems Approach Now let's take a look at the broader energy picture today and into the future. Many countries in many parts of the world have committed to the concept of "Net Zero", which means eliminating carbon emissions on a net basis. Net zero essentially means the complete electrification of society. We must therefore have electrical energy on demand and at low cost. We must as a result of this look at complete electrical systems rather than individual sources in isolation. 76 At one time many electrical systems were entirely coal or entirely hydroelectric. This is no longer the case. There are now major amounts of wind and solar involved in many countries. However these are inherently intermittent. This means that other sources of energy are inherently also required to have a functional system. 77 If any particular solution inherently requires fossil fuels to meet part of the demand, then the safety, pollution, and climate issues relating to those fossil fuels have to be factored in to that complete system when trying to come up with a relative ranking. Talking about Individual sources in isolation are therefore meaningless in these countries. 78 There are battery systems, but these are mainly used to stabilize and regulate the grid plus to a lesser degree to smooth out short term daily peaks in demand. They do not have the ability to store large amounts of electricity on a large scale for an entire grid for days, weeks, and months to make up for intermittency. 79 So a serious attempt to rank sources of energy would need to look at a variety of representative countries and for each one come up with a plan that involves 'x' megawatts from source 'a', 'y' megawatts from source 'b', etc., and total up the values for each. 80 I am not aware of anyone who has studied this larger issue. However, the problem has to be addressed from this perspective in order for any answer to be useful. Not taking this into account is like ordering a diet soft drink to go with with a high calorie meal and assuring yourself that your plans to diet are fine. 81 This is not to imply there is anything inherently wrong with wind or solar. It does mean that if your goal is to achieve both net zero and a clean environment, you have to look at your entire energy system as a complete system rather than focusing on what you feel are the most reassuring parts of it while ignoring the rest. This does however add to the argument that it is in fact inherently very difficult to come up with a system of ranking energy sources for safety. -------------------- 82 Nuclear, Climate, and Clean Air - Contrasting Examples To give a tangible example we will now look at two different places that followed two divergent paths at roughly around the same time frame. These are the province of Ontario in Canada, and Germany. 83 Ontario had a mix of coal, hydro electric, and nuclear generating plants. Germany had a mix of coal, nuclear and natural gas plants. Ontario shut down their coal fired plants and kept their nuclear plants. Germany however shut down their nuclear plants and kept their coal fired plants. 84 The Phase Out of Coal in Ontario In 2003 Ontario decided to close all of its coal fired generating plants, which consisted of 19 units (that is boilers and turbines) totalling 8,800 MW. This phase out was completed by 2014. 85 Here are the figures for amount of power generated by each energy source in 2003 and 2014. Nuclear went from 42% to 60% Hydro went from 23% to 24% Gas went from 11% to 9% Coal went from 25% to 0% Non-hydro renewable went from 0% to 7%. 86 As you can see, the bulk of that replacement came from increased use of nuclear power. Furthermore, this did not result in simply replacing coal with natural gas. While gas is cleaner than coal, it still has emissions and if you recall from the studies that we looked at earlier, had an estimated death rate roughly 2 orders of magnitude greater than nuclear, solar, or wind. 87 To put this in more practical terms, at one time Toronto regularly had clouds of smog obscuring it, to a large extent due to these coal fired power plants With the phase out of coal, smog days went to zero in 2015 compared to 53 a decade earlier. The 2023 figures for Ontario show carbon emissions of 53 grams per kWh of electricity generated. We can use this as a rough benchmark comparison for total emissions. 88 The Phase out of Nuclear in Germany Until March of 2011, Germany generated one quarter of its electrical power from nuclear. Starting in 2011 however, they began shutting down their nuclear power plants. These were then phased out over the next decade. However, the coal plants were to be kept to 2038. In 2026 Germany began talking about increasing use of coal in order to save gas. In the same year the German chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the phase out of nuclear was a quote “serious strategic mistake”. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was "a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power". 89 I won't go into the details of the phase out, but let's look at some emissions numbers for Germany. If we look at the official numbers from the European Environmental Agency for 2024, for Germany their emissions were 298 grams per kWh of electricity generated. Recall that we are using emissions as a very rough guide to amount of air pollution, and that this has a direct effect on the safety of the overall electrical energy system. 90 So, who actually made their people safer, Ontario who phased out their coal plants and kept their nuclear plants, or Germany who phased out their nuclear plants and kept their coal plants? 91 If you want a comparison directly within Europe, then Germany has one of the highest rates of emissions per kWh of electricity generated, whereas France, who use mainly nuclear power, have one of the lowest at 43 grams per kWh of electricity generated. Again, who is making their people safer, Germany or France? 92 I don't want to make it sound like I am picking on Germany. I am also not going to tell them how they ought to run their country. However they provide a good real world example of how we need to look at things in overall context when we are thinking about the choices that we make. https://www.ontario.ca/page/end-coal https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/smog-study-shows-significant-decreases-in-pollutants-in-ontario-1.4151183 https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/greenhouse-gas-emission-intensity-of-1 https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/germany https://www.politico.eu/article/friedrich-merz-is-right-to-reject-germanys-nuclear-phase-out-says-iea-chief-fatih-birol/ https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-considers-ramping-up-coal-power-to-avert-energy-crisis/ https://www.iea.org/countries/estonia/electricity https://www.iea.org/countries/malta/electricity -------------------- 93 Conclusions As we can see, there don't appear to be an abundance of peer reviewed scientific studies that we can simply point to in order to answer the question of safety of all possible major different energy sources once and for all. Collecting the data to even attempt to answer the question is inherently very difficult as we cannot readily conduct experiments to answer the question, and sources of data are not collected or consolidated in a manner which can answer this question adequately. 94 The essence of the problem is that most energy industries are not as tightly regulated and monitored to the same degree that say nuclear power or commercial airliners are, so this data is simply not being systematically recorded. However, a number of people have attempted to make estimates. 95 Their conclusions would seem to be that nuclear, wind, and solar are roughly equivalent in terms of safety. All fossil fuels are much less safe than nuclear, wind, and solar, by as much as several orders of magnitude. 96 We can however say with a reasonable degree of certainty that if a country shut down their nuclear power plants and kept their fossil fuel plants, particularly coal, then they probably made their people less safe than if they had done things the other way around. 97 I hope that I have provided some context in which to think about the issue. Thanks again to brian in ohio for providing the question upon which this episode is based. -------------------- Provide feedback on this episode.

Cũng như nhiều nước khác, trước tình hình nguồn cung dầu hỏa bị gián đoạn do chiến tranh Mỹ-Iran, để bảo đảm an ninh năng lượng, Việt Nam buộc phải dựa vào điện than nhiều hơn cho dù làm như vậy sẽ càng khó mà thực hiện các cam kết về chống biến đổi khí hậu. Theo Cơ quan Thông tin Năng lượng Mỹ (EIA), hơn 80% lượng dầu thô và khí tự nhiên hóa lỏng (LNG) đi qua eo biển Hormuz là được xuất khẩu sang châu Á. Việc tuyến hàng hải này bị phong tỏa đẩy khu vực vào tình thế vô cùng khó khăn. Đặc biệt, do nguồn cung khan hiếm, giá khí LNG đã tăng vọt ở thị trường châu Á, trong khi giá than tăng ít hơn nhiều, cho nên nhiều nước trong khu vực quay trở lại với điện than.  Trả lời RFI Việt ngữ ngày 12/05/2026, giáo sư Phạm Duy Hiển, nguyên Viện trưởng Viện nghiên cứu hạt nhân Đà Lạt, cũng ghi nhận đây là tình hình chung của các nước châu Á: “Không chỉ riêng Việt Nam mà hầu hết nhiều nước ở châu Á và các nước lớn như Trung Quốc, Ấn Độ ... đều bị tác động. Trung Quốc là một nước có rất nhiều than, cho nên có lợi thế. Bây giờ họ quay sang sử dụng than nhiều hơn trong một thời gian, tuy cũng biết làm như thế là ảnh hưởng đến lời hứa của Trung Quốc về cắt giảm khí thải gây hiệu ứng nhà kính. Các chuyên gia, các công ty về quản lý năng lượng lớn thế giới đều dự báo Trung Quốc trong 5 năm tới vẫn phải dựa vào việc mở rộng các nhà máy điện chạy than, chứ không có cách nào khác cả. Ấn Độ cũng vậy. Còn những nước như Hàn Quốc và Nhật Bản trước tình hình hiện nay đều phải cho phép nâng lên tỷ lệ điện than.”  Theo nhận định của Discovery Alert, trang thông tin chuyên về khai thác mỏ trên thế giới, trong bài viết đăng ngày 13/04/2026, “không giống như các quốc gia phát triển có các nguồn năng lượng đa dạng và dự trữ chiến lược dồi dào, các nền kinh tế nhỏ hơn như Việt Nam thường phụ thuộc nhiều vào nhiên liệu nhập khẩu và thiếu tính linh hoạt về cơ sở hạ tầng để nhanh chóng chuyển đổi giữa các nguồn năng lượng trong trường hợp khẩn cấp về nguồn cung. Hơn nữa, các quốc gia này còn đối mặt với tác động của thị trường khí hóa lỏng (LNG) và sự biến động giá dầu, làm trầm trọng thêm tính dễ bị tổn thương của kinh tế.”  Discovery Alert ghi nhận việc Việt Nam dựa vào điện than khi chiến tranh Mỹ-Iran leo thang đã trở nên rõ nét trong tháng 3/2026, khi sản lượng điện than tăng vọt, chiếm 56% tổng sản lượng điện, mức cao nhất kể từ giữa năm 2025. Giáo sư Phạm Duy Hiển cho rằng trong thời gian tới, Việt Nam sẽ phải tiếp tục dựa nhiều vào điện than, vì các nguồn điện năng khác không đủ để đáp ứng nhu cầu: “Việt Nam hiện nay đã sống với điện than. Điện than bình thường chiếm tỷ lệ gần 50% công suất phát điện, cho nên Việt Nam cũng bị ảnh hưởng. Mà về điện than, Việt Nam phải đi mua thêm than của các nước như Indonesia và Trung Quốc, cụ thể là tháng 3 vừa rồi đã nhập đến mấy triệu tấn than. Dự kiến con số đó có thể sẽ phải tăng lên. Kinh phí để nhập khẩu than cũng lớn, nhưng bây giờ dầu sao thì vẫn hơn là không có. Cho nên tạm thời trong một thời gian phải sử dụng điện than và theo tôi nghĩ Việt Nam cũng chưa có cách nào khác. Còn nếu dựa vào những nguồn năng lượng khác, thì bây giờ nguồn năng lượng tái tạo cũng đã được khai thác khá nhiều rồi và cũng có tác dụng nhất định. Nhưng nguồn năng lượng này cũng hạn chế, không thể nâng lên nhiều hơn nữa.  Gần đây người nói nhiều về điện hạt nhân. Nếu có được thì điện hạt nhân sẽ là một giải pháp tương đối lớn để giải quyết vấn đề thiếu điện thay cho than. Đó là một loại năng lượng sạch. Thế nhưng chưa biết là bao giờ mới có thể đặt bút ký với một đối tác bên ngoài để cung cấp nhà máy điện hạt nhân cho mình. Từ thời điểm đó thì sau hàng chục năm nữa may ra mới có điện. Kinh nghiệm của Bangladesh cho thấy nước này bắt đầu có kinh phí để xây dựng và có các hợp đồng liên chính phủ là vào năm 2017. Nhưng tới cuối năm 2026 thì may ra mới có thể đưa điện lên lưới được. Gần đây thế giới cũng hô hào đẩy mạnh điện hạt nhân, nhưng điện hạt nhân đâu có dễ làm đối với Việt Nam cũng như đối với những nước khác . Đó không phải là một công nghệ có sẵn như than. Nhà máy điện chạy than thì quá là cổ điển rồi, mua về là có thể lắp đặt và cho chạy được ngay. Còn điện hạt nhân thì cần bao nhiêu thứ: cơ sở hạ tầng, năng lượng, nhiên liệu, an toàn….  Bây giờ có một hy vọng là khí thiên nhiên từ các mỏ khí mới được phát hiện được, sẽ giúp giải quyết vấn đề cân bằng năng lượng ở Việt Nam." Thế nhưng vấn đề là hiện nay công suất điện khí còn khiêm tốn của Việt Nam càng làm hạn chế các giải pháp thay thế trong thời kỳ khủng hoảng. Các nhà máy điện khí chỉ sản xuất được 2,1 TWh trong tháng 3 năm 2026, chiếm khoảng 7% tổng sản lượng điện. Hạn chế về cơ sở hạ tầng này có nghĩa là khí đốt tự nhiên không thể đóng vai trò cơ chế thay thế tức thời khi giá năng lượng nhập khẩu tăng vọt, hoặc khi nguồn cung bị gián đoạn.  Việt Nam cũng đang phải sản xuất than nhiều hơn để đáp ứng cho các nhà máy nhiệt điện. Theo báo chí trong nước, ngày 15/04, bộ Nông Nghiệp và Môi Trường đã đề nghị chính phủ cho phép tăng công suất khai thác than, cụ thể là cho phép khai thác vượt không quá 15% công suất đối với các giấy phép khai thác than đang còn hiệu lực, nhằm đảm bảo an ninh năng lượng quốc gia. Theo bộ này, “than trong nước tiếp tục giữ vai trò là nguồn năng lượng nền tảng và năng lực khai thác thực tế của các mỏ còn dư địa để tăng sản lượng”.  Nhà máy Nhiệt điện Vũng Áng II ở tỉnh Hà Tĩnh cũng vừa được khánh thành ngày 18/04. Đây là dự án hợp tác giữa Nhật Bản và Hàn Quốc, trong đó 60% cổ phần thuộc về các công ty Nhật Bản đứng đầu là tập đoàn Mitsubishi và 40% cổ phần thuộc về Tập đoàn Điện lực Hàn Quốc. Với tổng công suất hơn 1.300MW, Nhà máy Nhiệt điện Vũng Áng II được giới thiệu là sử dụng “công nghệ hiện đại nhất đối với các nhà máy nhiệt điện than tại Việt Nam”, làm giảm lượng tiêu hao nhiên liệu dẫn đến cắt giảm phát thải. Vấn đề đặt ra là phải làm sao hạn chế tác động của các nhà máy điện than đối với môi trường và khí hậu, bởi vì Việt Nam còn phải thực hiện những cam kết với quốc tế về chống biến đổi khí hậu. Giáo sư Phạm Duy Hiển ghi nhận: “Các nhà máy điện chạy than bây giờ cũng sử dụng những công nghệ tương đối là tiên tiến, tránh ô nhiễm môi trường. Ô nhiễm môi trường nay cũng đỡ một phần là bởi vì ngày xưa các nhà máy phát ra bừa bãi từ ống khói chứ bây giờ thì có những quy chế nhất định. Các khí thải từ nhà máy điện than thì cũng đã bắt đầu được xử lý để không gây ô nhiễm môi trường. Rồi còn phải xử lý những xỉ than. Lâu lâu thì vẫn thấy nói có ô nhiễm chỗ này chỗ khác, nhưng tôi chắc là dần dần rồi cũng phải giải quyết. Ô nhiễm ở chỗ nào thì người dân ở đó sẽ phản ảnh, các cơ quan có trách nhiệm phải giải quyết. Thực ra mà nói thì dùng điện than không chỉ làm tăng lượng khí CO2, mà còn có rất nhiều khí độc khác từ nhà máy điện than thải ra. Trung Quốc đã thành công trong vấn đề này, cho nên bắt đầu từ 2006, tức là cách đây đến 20 chục năm, họ đã có quyết định của nhà nước là bắt buộc giảm phát thải các cái khí độc từ các nhà máy điện chạy than. Và họ đã thành công nhiều, tức là giảm ô nhiễm khá nhiều. Thế thì bây giờ nếu sản lượng điện than nhiều quá, thì có lẽ cũng phải đề nghị nhà nước có một cách kiểm tra toàn diện, làm thế nào để các khí phát thải ô nhiễm, không chỉ CO2 và các khí ô nhiễm khác đều thấp, phù hợp với các tiêu chuẩn về môi trường ở Việt Nam."  Cũng theo chiều hướng đó, Việt Nam dự kiến sẽ đóng cửa các nhà máy điện than cũ trên 40 năm tuổi, nếu các nhà máy này không thể chuyển đổi sang sử dụng nhiên liệu sạch như hydrogen, amoniac xanh. Cụ thể, ngày 23/03, chính phủ Hà Nội đã phê duyệt "Đề án cập nhật triển khai tuyên bố chính trị thiết lập quan hệ đối tác chuyển đổi năng lượng công bằng" (JETP).   Sau năm 2030, chính phủ yêu cầu không xây mới nhà máy điện than, đồng thời đàm phán đóng cửa với các nhà máy có tuổi thọ trên 40 năm, không thể chuyển đổi nhiên liệu và không thể đáp ứng lộ trình giảm thải khí nhà kính.

Cũng như nhiều nước khác, trước tình hình nguồn cung dầu hỏa bị gián đoạn do chiến tranh Mỹ-Iran, để bảo đảm an ninh năng lượng, Việt Nam buộc phải dựa vào điện than nhiều hơn cho dù làm như vậy sẽ càng khó mà thực hiện các cam kết về chống biến đổi khí hậu. Theo Cơ quan Thông tin Năng lượng Mỹ (EIA), hơn 80% lượng dầu thô và khí tự nhiên hóa lỏng (LNG) đi qua eo biển Hormuz là được xuất khẩu sang châu Á. Việc tuyến hàng hải này bị phong tỏa đẩy khu vực vào tình thế vô cùng khó khăn. Đặc biệt, do nguồn cung khan hiếm, giá khí LNG đã tăng vọt ở thị trường châu Á, trong khi giá than tăng ít hơn nhiều, cho nên nhiều nước trong khu vực quay trở lại với điện than.  Trả lời RFI Việt ngữ ngày 12/05/2026, giáo sư Phạm Duy Hiển, nguyên Viện trưởng Viện nghiên cứu hạt nhân Đà Lạt, cũng ghi nhận đây là tình hình chung của các nước châu Á: “Không chỉ riêng Việt Nam mà hầu hết nhiều nước ở châu Á và các nước lớn như Trung Quốc, Ấn Độ ... đều bị tác động. Trung Quốc là một nước có rất nhiều than, cho nên có lợi thế. Bây giờ họ quay sang sử dụng than nhiều hơn trong một thời gian, tuy cũng biết làm như thế là ảnh hưởng đến lời hứa của Trung Quốc về cắt giảm khí thải gây hiệu ứng nhà kính. Các chuyên gia, các công ty về quản lý năng lượng lớn thế giới đều dự báo Trung Quốc trong 5 năm tới vẫn phải dựa vào việc mở rộng các nhà máy điện chạy than, chứ không có cách nào khác cả. Ấn Độ cũng vậy. Còn những nước như Hàn Quốc và Nhật Bản trước tình hình hiện nay đều phải cho phép nâng lên tỷ lệ điện than.”  Theo nhận định của Discovery Alert, trang thông tin chuyên về khai thác mỏ trên thế giới, trong bài viết đăng ngày 13/04/2026, “không giống như các quốc gia phát triển có các nguồn năng lượng đa dạng và dự trữ chiến lược dồi dào, các nền kinh tế nhỏ hơn như Việt Nam thường phụ thuộc nhiều vào nhiên liệu nhập khẩu và thiếu tính linh hoạt về cơ sở hạ tầng để nhanh chóng chuyển đổi giữa các nguồn năng lượng trong trường hợp khẩn cấp về nguồn cung. Hơn nữa, các quốc gia này còn đối mặt với tác động của thị trường khí hóa lỏng (LNG) và sự biến động giá dầu, làm trầm trọng thêm tính dễ bị tổn thương của kinh tế.”  Discovery Alert ghi nhận việc Việt Nam dựa vào điện than khi chiến tranh Mỹ-Iran leo thang đã trở nên rõ nét trong tháng 3/2026, khi sản lượng điện than tăng vọt, chiếm 56% tổng sản lượng điện, mức cao nhất kể từ giữa năm 2025. Giáo sư Phạm Duy Hiển cho rằng trong thời gian tới, Việt Nam sẽ phải tiếp tục dựa nhiều vào điện than, vì các nguồn điện năng khác không đủ để đáp ứng nhu cầu: “Việt Nam hiện nay đã sống với điện than. Điện than bình thường chiếm tỷ lệ gần 50% công suất phát điện, cho nên Việt Nam cũng bị ảnh hưởng. Mà về điện than, Việt Nam phải đi mua thêm than của các nước như Indonesia và Trung Quốc, cụ thể là tháng 3 vừa rồi đã nhập đến mấy triệu tấn than. Dự kiến con số đó có thể sẽ phải tăng lên. Kinh phí để nhập khẩu than cũng lớn, nhưng bây giờ dầu sao thì vẫn hơn là không có. Cho nên tạm thời trong một thời gian phải sử dụng điện than và theo tôi nghĩ Việt Nam cũng chưa có cách nào khác. Còn nếu dựa vào những nguồn năng lượng khác, thì bây giờ nguồn năng lượng tái tạo cũng đã được khai thác khá nhiều rồi và cũng có tác dụng nhất định. Nhưng nguồn năng lượng này cũng hạn chế, không thể nâng lên nhiều hơn nữa.  Gần đây nhiều người nói về điện hạt nhân. Nếu có được thì điện hạt nhân sẽ là một giải pháp tương đối lớn để giải quyết vấn đề thiếu điện thay cho than. Đó là một loại năng lượng sạch. Thế nhưng chưa biết là bao giờ mới có thể đặt bút ký với một đối tác bên ngoài để cung cấp nhà máy điện hạt nhân cho mình. Từ thời điểm đó thì sau hàng chục năm nữa may ra mới có điện. Kinh nghiệm của Bangladesh cho thấy nước này bắt đầu có kinh phí để xây dựng và có các hợp đồng liên chính phủ là vào năm 2017. Nhưng tới cuối năm 2026 thì may ra mới có thể đưa điện lên lưới được. Gần đây thế giới cũng hô hào đẩy mạnh điện hạt nhân, nhưng điện hạt nhân đâu có dễ làm đối với Việt Nam cũng như đối với những nước khác . Đó không phải là một công nghệ có sẵn như than. Nhà máy điện chạy than thì quá là cổ điển rồi, mua về là có thể lắp đặt và cho chạy được ngay. Còn điện hạt nhân thì cần bao nhiêu thứ: cơ sở hạ tầng, năng lượng, nhiên liệu, an toàn….  Bây giờ có một hy vọng là khí thiên nhiên từ các mỏ khí mới được phát hiện được, sẽ giúp giải quyết vấn đề cân bằng năng lượng ở Việt Nam." Thế nhưng vấn đề là hiện nay công suất điện khí còn khiêm tốn của Việt Nam càng làm hạn chế các giải pháp thay thế trong thời kỳ khủng hoảng. Các nhà máy điện khí chỉ sản xuất được 2,1 TWh trong tháng 3 năm 2026, chiếm khoảng 7% tổng sản lượng điện. Hạn chế về cơ sở hạ tầng này có nghĩa là khí đốt tự nhiên không thể đóng vai trò cơ chế thay thế tức thời khi giá năng lượng nhập khẩu tăng vọt, hoặc khi nguồn cung bị gián đoạn.  Việt Nam cũng đang phải sản xuất than nhiều hơn để đáp ứng cho các nhà máy nhiệt điện. Theo báo chí trong nước, ngày 15/04, bộ Nông Nghiệp và Môi Trường đã đề nghị chính phủ cho phép tăng công suất khai thác than, cụ thể là cho phép khai thác vượt không quá 15% công suất đối với các giấy phép khai thác than đang còn hiệu lực, nhằm đảm bảo an ninh năng lượng quốc gia. Theo bộ này, “than trong nước tiếp tục giữ vai trò là nguồn năng lượng nền tảng và năng lực khai thác thực tế của các mỏ còn dư địa để tăng sản lượng”.  Nhà máy Nhiệt điện Vũng Áng II ở tỉnh Hà Tĩnh cũng vừa được khánh thành ngày 18/04. Đây là dự án hợp tác giữa Nhật Bản và Hàn Quốc, trong đó 60% cổ phần thuộc về các công ty Nhật Bản đứng đầu là tập đoàn Mitsubishi và 40% cổ phần thuộc về Tập đoàn Điện lực Hàn Quốc. Với tổng công suất hơn 1.300MW, Nhà máy Nhiệt điện Vũng Áng II được giới thiệu là sử dụng “công nghệ hiện đại nhất đối với các nhà máy nhiệt điện than tại Việt Nam”, làm giảm lượng tiêu hao nhiên liệu dẫn đến cắt giảm phát thải. Vấn đề đặt ra là phải làm sao hạn chế tác động của các nhà máy điện than đối với môi trường và khí hậu, bởi vì Việt Nam còn phải thực hiện những cam kết với quốc tế về chống biến đổi khí hậu. Giáo sư Phạm Duy Hiển ghi nhận: “Các nhà máy điện chạy than bây giờ cũng sử dụng những công nghệ tương đối là tiên tiến, tránh ô nhiễm môi trường. Ô nhiễm môi trường nay cũng đỡ một phần là bởi vì ngày xưa các nhà máy phát ra bừa bãi từ ống khói chứ bây giờ thì có những quy chế nhất định. Các khí thải từ nhà máy điện than thì cũng đã bắt đầu được xử lý để không gây ô nhiễm môi trường. Rồi còn phải xử lý những xỉ than. Lâu lâu thì vẫn thấy nói có ô nhiễm chỗ này chỗ khác, nhưng tôi chắc là dần dần rồi cũng phải giải quyết. Ô nhiễm ở chỗ nào thì người dân ở đó sẽ phản ảnh, các cơ quan có trách nhiệm phải giải quyết. Thực ra mà nói thì dùng điện than không chỉ làm tăng lượng khí CO2, mà còn có rất nhiều khí độc khác từ nhà máy điện than thải ra. Trung Quốc đã thành công trong vấn đề này, cho nên bắt đầu từ 2006, tức là cách đây đến 20 chục năm, họ đã có quyết định của nhà nước là bắt buộc giảm phát thải các cái khí độc từ các nhà máy điện chạy than. Và họ đã thành công nhiều, tức là giảm ô nhiễm khá nhiều. Thế thì bây giờ nếu sản lượng điện than nhiều quá, thì có lẽ cũng phải đề nghị nhà nước có một cách kiểm tra toàn diện, làm thế nào để các khí phát thải ô nhiễm, không chỉ CO2 và các khí ô nhiễm khác đều thấp, phù hợp với các tiêu chuẩn về môi trường ở Việt Nam."  Cũng theo chiều hướng đó, Việt Nam dự kiến sẽ đóng cửa các nhà máy điện than cũ trên 40 năm tuổi, nếu các nhà máy này không thể chuyển đổi sang sử dụng nhiên liệu sạch như hydrogen, amoniac xanh. Cụ thể, ngày 23/03, chính phủ Hà Nội đã phê duyệt "Đề án cập nhật triển khai tuyên bố chính trị thiết lập quan hệ đối tác chuyển đổi năng lượng công bằng" (JETP).   Sau năm 2030, chính phủ yêu cầu không xây mới nhà máy điện than, đồng thời đàm phán đóng cửa với các nhà máy có tuổi thọ trên 40 năm, không thể chuyển đổi nhiên liệu và không thể đáp ứng lộ trình giảm thải khí nhà kính.

Jim Love covers four headlines: hackers exploited Instagram's AI support bot to hijack over 20,000 accounts by abusing account recovery and password reset links, prompting Meta to disable the tool, remove faulty code, and add enhanced protections. A UN University report warns AI's environmental footprint extends beyond carbon, projecting data centers could consume 945 TWh annually by 2030 and highlighting growing demands for electricity, cooling water, land, and minerals, amid political backlash to data center incentives. A UK government review found false information from a Microsoft Copilot hallucination and other inaccuracies were included in West Midlands Police materials, pointing to failures in review and validation. CBC News also identified at least 14 foreign-linked Facebook accounts posing as Albertans in separatist groups, raising concerns about deceptive political participation and platform responsibility. 00:00 Today's Tech Headlines 00:36 Instagram Bot Account Hijacks 02:03 AI Agents Security Lessons 03:12 UN Report AI Resource Footprint 05:38 Copilot Hallucination Police Report 08:11 Fake Albertans in Facebook Groups 11:04 Wrap Up and Support the Show

Six bonnes nouvelles , six découvertes musicales , et une nouvelle rubrique tout au fond de la soute. Embarquement immédiat, Stratonautes. Une fine plaque de métal noircie au laser dessale l'eau de mer au seul soleil Université de Rochester, revue Light: Science & Applications : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02315-4 Première mondiale : sur un mois entier, le solaire et l'éolien réunis ont produit plus d'électricité que le gaz (531 TWh contre 477). Source : think tank indépendant Ember. L'OMS valide l'élimination du trachome, première cause infectieuse de cécité au monde : 10e pays de la Région Afrique, 29e à l'échelle mondiale. Source : OMS (23 avril 2026). Reconstituer les poissons de récif pourrait augmenter les prises durables de près de 50 %, soit jusqu'à 162 millions de portions de plus par an et par pays (l'Indonésie en tête). Smithsonian (STRI), revue PNAS : https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2508805122 Le cheval de Przewalski, le takhi, un temps éteint à l'état sauvage, est de retour : environ 450 dans le parc de Hustai, plus d'un millier dans le pays. Source : parc national de Hustai (relayé par Global Voices). La musique enregistrée signe une 10e année de croissance (1,071 milliard d'euros, +3,9 %). Le vinyle bondit (+14,8 %), et ce sont les 15-34 ans qui l'achètent le plus. Source : SNEP, bilan 2025. DANS LA SOUTE Toy Story 5, en salles le 17 juin.Une reco à partager ? Rendez-vous sur le Discord Galaxie Pop. Générique : Wil Bolton – Quiet Sunlight Green-House – Morning Glory Waltz : https://green-house.bandcamp.com/track/morning-glory-waltz Max Cooper & Rob Clouth – Candeleda : https://maxcooper.bandcamp.com/track/candeleda-2 Sofiane Saidi & Mazalda – La Classe Fi Las Vegas : https://sofianesaidimazalda.bandcamp.com/track/la-classe-fi-las-vegas Chancha Via Circuito – Ilaló (feat. Mateo Kingman) [Baiuca Remix] : https://chanchaviacircuitomusic.bandcamp.com/track/ilal-feat-mateo-kingman-baiuca-remix Bugan Band – Mornight : https://buganband.bandcamp.com/track/4-mornight Chapelier Fou – Darling, darling, darling : https://chapelierfou.bandcamp.com/track/darling-darling-darling-2 SOUTENIR L'ÉMISSION Ko-Fi : https://ko-fi.com/strates Rendez-vous dimanche prochain, même orbite, même fréquence. Le linktr.ee de Galaxie Pop: https://linktr.ee/galaxiepopRetrouvez moi sur le discord de Galaxie Pop : https://discord.gg/ryvkUTM

Over het onderwerpEerder is het technisch overdrachtsdocument inzake planuitval RES-regio met alle betrokken raden gedeeld. De Regionale Energie Strategie (RES) in regio Amersfoort heeft zich gecommitteerd aan 0,5 TWh duurzame elektriciteit in 2030. Eind 2024 is circa 0,2 TWh aan geplande windenergie weggevallen door een rijksbesluit van Defensie. Hierdoor is planuitval ontstaan, met risico op: 1.niet halen van het RES-bod; 2. provinciale interventie via een projectbesluit; 3.verlies van regionale regie. De provincie Utrecht geeft de regio tijd tot zomerreces 2026 om zelf de planuitval op te vangen. Voor de gemeenten die deelnemen aan de Regio Amersfoort is een ambtelijk overdrachtsdocument opgesteld. Doel van de bijeenkomstDe gemeenteraad te informeren over het technisch overdrachtsdocument inzake planuitval RES-regio Amersfoort.Verloop gespreksrondePer fractie neemt er een woordvoerder deel;Opening door de voorzitter;Korte toelichting vanuit portefeuillehouder;Presentatie door projectleider mevrouw Jennifer FrankenAansluitend toelichting door de heer Wouter de Jong, bestuurlijk procesbegeleider vanuit de Regio AmersfoortMogelijkheid tot het stellen van feitelijke vragen aan mevrouw Franken en bestuurlijke vragen aan de heer de Jong;Afsluiting door voorzitter met doorkijk naar vervolgtraject

Julien Villeret dirige l'innovation du groupe EDF, on s'est retrouvés un jour de pluie, ce qui tombait plutôt bien pour parler d'énergie. Julien est l'un de ces rares interlocuteurs capables de parler du mix énergétique français sans perdre la nuance ni tomber dans le discours institutionnel. Il connaît le sujet de l'intérieur, et il n'a pas peur d'aller là où ça grince.Dans cet épisode, nous parlons de nucléaire, bien sûr, mais aussi de ce qu'on ne comprend pas sur l'électricité en général. J'ai questionné Julien sur les déchets nucléaires (leur volume réel vous va surprendre), sur les compétences qu'on a perdues en arrêtant de construire des centrales, sur pourquoi une voiture électrique en Allemagne, c'est techniquement une voiture au charbon, et sur l'hydrogène, qu'on nous vend comme la grande révolution alors que la réalité est beaucoup plus complexe.On parle aussi de fusion nucléaire, de SMR, de la panne en Espagne, du compteur Linky, de l'IA et de sa consommation d'énergie, et des SAF, ces carburants d'aviation qui permettent de voler à neutralité carbone dès aujourd'hui.Ce qui m'a frappé dans cet échange, c'est la posture. Julien ne survend pas, il ne minimise pas. Il essaie juste de remettre des faits là où il y a trop souvent des fantasmes.CITATIONS MARQUANTES1. "Si on n'a plus d'énergie, on n'a plus de plastique. Et si on n'a plus de plastique, on n'a plus d'hôpitaux." (Julien Villeret, ~0:03:44)2. "Tous les déchets nucléaires produits par le parc français depuis les années 60, c'est en gros deux piscines olympiques en volume." (Julien Villeret, ~0:17:25)3. "Une centrale nucléaire, ça ne peut pas exploser. C'est un fantasme." (Julien Villeret, ~0:36:26)4. "Les plus grandes batteries du monde aujourd'hui, ce sont des barrages." (Julien Villeret, ~0:11:15)5. "On a arrêté de construire des centrales pour des raisons idéologiques. Les gens qui savaient faire sont partis à la retraite." (Julien Villeret, ~0:26:25)IDÉES MARQUANTES1. L'énergie est consubstantielle à la civilisation, pas optionnelle Timestamp : ~0:02:51 L'énergie n'est pas un confort ou un luxe, c'est le socle de tout : la santé, la nourriture, la fabrication industrielle, la vie moderne dans son entier. Le rejet d'une écologie radicale par les populations vient en partie de là : on leur demande de renoncer à quelque chose qui est aussi fondamental que l'air qu'ils respirent. Pourquoi c'est important : tant qu'on ne pose pas ce cadre, on ne peut pas avoir un débat énergétique honnête.2. L'électricité propre ou sale dépend de comment elle est produite, pas de comment elle est consommée Timestamp : ~0:07:00 Une voiture électrique en France est l'une des plus propres au monde. La même voiture en Allemagne fonctionne au charbon. Ce n'est pas l'usage qui définit l'empreinte carbone, c'est la chaîne de production entière. Pourquoi c'est important : ça remet en question beaucoup de discours simplistes sur la mobilité électrique et force à penser en systèmes.3. Les barrages hydrauliques sont les plus grandes batteries du monde Timestamp : ~0:10:18 L'eau stockée dans un barrage, c'est de l'électricité en réserve. On ouvre ou on ferme selon le besoin. C'est une batterie géante, naturelle, disponible immédiatement. La France l'utilise pour réguler son réseau depuis des décennies. Pourquoi c'est important : cette réalité physique remet en question l'idée que le stockage d'électricité est un problème sans solution.4. Les compétences nucléaires se perdent quand on arrête de construire Timestamp : ~0:26:08 La France a arrêté de construire des centrales pour des raisons politiques. Résultat : les ingénieurs et soudeurs spécialisés ont vieilli et pris leur retraite, et les jeunes ne se sont pas formés sur des métiers qu'on disait sans avenir. Aujourd'hui, EDF recrute 10 000 personnes par an pour rattraper le retard. Pourquoi c'est important : les décisions politiques sur l'énergie ont des conséquences industrielles qui prennent des décennies à corriger.5. Penser l'énergie en statique est une erreur de raisonnement Timestamp : ~0:47:53 Il y a 15 ans, on prédisait que les data centers représenteraient 10% de la consommation mondiale d'électricité. Aujourd'hui on est à 2,2%. Pourquoi ? Parce que les technologies deviennent plus efficaces au fur et à mesure. Tirer la droite et extrapoler lineairement est une erreur systématique dans tous les grands débats énergétiques. Pourquoi c'est important : c'est le même réflexe qu'on applique aujourd'hui à l'IA, et probablement avec les mêmes erreurs de projection.6. La fusion nucléaire : entre le Graal et la promesse impossible Timestamp : ~1:01:58 La fusion produirait une énergie presque illimitée, décarbonée, peu coûteuse et quasi sans déchets. C'est la centrale nucléaire idéale sur le papier. Sauf qu'on ne sait pas encore si on arrivera à la construire, et que les horizons varient de 2035 (optimistes) à 2070 (scientifiques). Les premières centrales en production : probablement 2080-2100. Pourquoi c'est important : ça relativise les discours apocalyptiques sur l'énergie et rappelle qu'on a des décennies pour construire, pas juste quelques années.7. L'hydrogène vert : trop cher, trop dangereux pour la mobilité légère Timestamp : ~1:07:41 EDF ne croit pas à l'hydrogène pour les voitures particulières. Trop cher à produire, trop dangereux à stocker sous pression, infrastructure à construire from scratch. En revanche, pour les bus et les camions approvisionnés depuis une station centralisée, ça peut faire du sens. Les avions, eux, se tournent vers les SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuels), qui sont opérationnels dès aujourd'hui. Pourquoi c'est important : l'hydrogène est massivement sur-promu dans le débat public, et la réalité industrielle est beaucoup plus about de niche use cases que de révolution générale. QUESTIONS POSÉES DANS L'INTERVIEWQu'est-ce que les gens ne comprennent pas sur l'énergie, et ce serait bien qu'ils comprennent ?Est-ce que le rejet de l'écologie radicale vient du fait qu'on demande aux gens d'arrêter quelque chose de consubstantiel à leur vie ?Comment chez EDF observez-vous l'évolution de la consommation d'énergie, notamment la tension entre développement des usages et efficacité énergétique ?Quelle est l'intermittence réelle des éoliennes et des panneaux solaires, en chiffres concrets ?Qu'est-ce que le compteur Linky exactement, et pourquoi a-t-il généré autant de fantasmes ?Où en est-on de l'innovation sur les déchets nucléaires, et peut-on les recycler ?La France a-t-elle perdu des compétences nucléaires en arrêtant de construire ? Lesquelles ?Est-ce que les SMR (Small Modular Reactors) peuvent accélérer le déploiement du nucléaire ?Est-ce que l'IA et la blockchain vont créer une pénurie d'électricité, ou est-ce une projection trop statique ?Pourquoi l'hydrogène ne fonctionnera probablement pas pour la mobilité légère, et où peut-il avoir du sens ?RÉFÉRENCES CITÉESSites / DonnéesOur World in Data (mentionné comme "The World in Data") : site recommandé par Julien pour visualiser l'évolution du bien-être mondial sur 100-300 ans. (~1:16:20)Agence mondiale de l'énergie (AIE) : citée sur les prévisions de consommation électrique liée à l'IA. (~0:49:30)Institutions / OrganismesANDRA (Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs) : gestion des déchets nucléaires en France. (~0:17:25)Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) : régulation et surveillance du parc nucléaire français. (~0:17:25)ITER : projet international de fusion nucléaire basé en France. (~1:03:30)Enedis : opérateur du réseau de distribution électrique, gestionnaire du compteur Linky (distinct d'EDF). (~0:14:44)RTE : réseau de transport d'électricité française. (~0:44:12)ANSI / ANSSI : agence nationale de sécurité des systèmes d'information, mentionnée pour la cybersécurité des infrastructures. (~0:46:45)Projets / TechnologiesCIGEO : projet d'enfouissement des déchets nucléaires dans des couches géologiques profondes, mené par l'ANDRA. (~0:18:30)Flamanville 3 : prochain réacteur nucléaire français, sur le point d'être raccordé au réseau. (~0:21:03)Hinkley Point C : réacteur en construction au Royaume-Uni par EDF. (~0:28:18)Sizewell : projet de réacteur au Royaume-Uni. (~0:28:18)New World (projet EDF) : SMR développé par EDF. (~0:42:17)SAF / e-fuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuels) : carburant d'aviation bas carbone, obligation réglementaire croissante en Europe. (~1:12:32)ÉvénementsAccident de Fukushima : analysé en détail comme tsunami avant d'être un accident nucléaire, utilisé comme base d'apprentissage mondial. (~0:19:00)Panne électrique en Espagne et Portugal : analysée comme "orage parfait" lié à la nature analogique de l'électricité. (~0:51:33)Record d'exportation d'électricité EDF : 90 TWh exportés, record historique. (~0:48:11)Découverte scientifiqueHydrogène blanc : gisement potentiellement record découvert en France, hydrogène naturel présent dans le sol. (~1:06:40)TIMESTAMPS CLÉS (YouTube)00:00 Introduction : et si on se réjouissait à nouveau du futur ? 01:55 Présentation de Julien Villeret, directeur de l'innovation EDF02:05 L'énergie, c'est quoi au fond ? Ce que les gens ne comprennent pas L'énergie est consubstantielle à la civilisation depuis toujours. Sans électricité aujourd'hui, on perd tout : la santé, la nourriture, la fabrication industrielle. C'est le cadre que pose Julien avant d'aborder quoi que ce soit.04:18 Pourquoi l'écologie radicale ne passe pas dans l'opinion publique Le rejet du discours radical vient d'une réalité simple : on ne peut pas demander aux gens d'arrêter quelque chose d'aussi fondamental que l'énergie. La vraie question n'est pas d'arrêter, c'est comment produire et consommer différemment.06:29 Le pic du charbon et la réalité du mix énergétique mondial On continue de brûler beaucoup de charbon pour produire de l'électricité, notamment en Allemagne et en Pologne. Ce qui explique directement le sujet suivant.06:51 Voiture électrique en Allemagne = voiture au charbon ? Si l'électricité est produite au charbon, une voiture électrique n'est pas vertueuse. La chaîne complète de production compte, pas seulement le mode de transport. La France à 98% sans CO2 est une exception mondiale.08:37 Peut-on imaginer 100% d'énergie renouvelable ? Techniquement oui, économiquement non. Le problème de l'intermittence (les renouvelables produisent environ 25-30% du temps) et du coût du stockage rendrait la facture 10 à 20 fois plus élevée qu'aujourd'hui.10:18 Les barrages : les plus grandes batteries du monde L'eau stockée dans un barrage, c'est de l'électricité en réserve. Un lac, c'est une batterie géante naturelle. Les barrages hydroélectriques sont aussi des outils de régulation du réseau, activés ou coupés selon les besoins du moment.13:30 L'intermittence des renouvelables en chiffres concrets Éoliennes et panneaux solaires produisent à pleine puissance environ 25 à 30% du temps. Le pic de production solaire est autour de midi, soit rarement au moment des pics de consommation (matin, soir).14:34 Le compteur Linky : derrière les fantasmes, la réalité Linky ne surveille personne. Il envoie l'index de consommation une fois par jour, pendant 10 secondes, via les fils électriques, sans aucune émission d'ondes. Le détail au quart d'heure est opt-in. Ce sont surtout des fraudeurs que Linky a gênés.17:05 Les déchets nucléaires : vraiment deux piscines olympiques depuis les années 60 Tout le parc nucléaire français depuis le début des années 60 a produit environ 4 000 m3 de déchets à longue vie, soit deux piscines olympiques. Ils sont stockés à La Hague dans de l'eau (meilleur protecteur contre les radiations), avec un projet d'enfouissement géologique profond (CIGEO).21:47 Peut-on recycler les déchets nucléaires ? Oui, une partie du combustible usé est retraitée et réinjectée dans les centrales. Des recherches sont en cours pour fermer complètement le cycle : des réacteurs qui réutilisent en permanence le même combustible sans presque générer de déchets. Horizon : 2050-2070.22:53 Dépendances géopolitiques : uranium, gaz, pétrole, panneaux solaires Le pétrole et le gaz viennent du Moyen-Orient, de Russie et des États-Unis. Les panneaux solaires viennent quasi-exclusivement de Chine. L'uranium, lui, est présent dans de nombreux pays, n'est pas cher, et est stocké sur plusieurs années par sécurité.26:08 Les compétences nucléaires perdues et les 10 000 recrutements par an En arrêtant de construire des centrales pour des raisons politiques, la France a perdu des savoir-faire spécifiques : béton nucléaire, générateurs de vapeur, soudure qualifiée. EDF recrute maintenant 10 000 personnes par an pour reconstruire ces compétences. Un soudeur nucléaire gagne entre 3 000 et 4 000 euros par mois.32:04 Où seront construits les 6 nouveaux réacteurs français ? Sur les terrains déjà acquis à côté des centrales existantes (ex : Penly). Les riverains d'une centrale sont généralement très favorables : emplois, taxes locales, vie locale développée. Une centrale qui ne tourne pas, c'est un million d'euros de pertes par jour.36:21 Une centrale peut-elle exploser ? Les accidents nucléaires démystifiés Non, les centrales françaises ne peuvent pas exploser. Fukushima était d'abord un tsunami, pas un accident nucléaire au sens strict. Depuis, toutes les centrales françaises ont été équipées de générateurs diesel en hauteur et de récupérateurs (les "cendriers") pour le cas où le coeur fondrait.41:42 Les SMR (Small Modular Reactors) : l'avenir du nucléaire ou juste une promesse ? Aucun SMR n'est encore construit à ce jour. L'idée : des petits réacteurs plus rapides à déployer, moins coûteux, qui peuvent remplacer une centrale charbon en plug and play. Les Américains y croient surtout pour décarboner leur vieux parc charbon.45:13 Cybersécurité des centrales : isolées d'internet par principe physique Les systèmes qui font fonctionner les centrales nucléaires ne sont pas connectés à internet. C'est une barrière physique, pas logicielle. EDF mobilise plusieurs centaines de personnes à temps plein sur la cybersécurité.46:45 IA et consommation d'énergie : une vraie menace ou un raisonnement trop statique ? Il y a 15 ans, on prédisait que les data centers allaient représenter 10% de la consommation mondiale d'électricité. On en est à 2,2%. Les projections en ligne droite tombent toujours à côté parce qu'elles ignorent les gains d'efficacité technologique. En France, la marge est très large : EDF a exporté un record historique de 90 TWh l'année dernière.51:33 La panne en Espagne-Portugal : l'analogique contre le numérique L'électricité est analogique : production doit en permanence égaler consommation. Un écart provoque l'effondrement. En Espagne, une suite de problèmes improbables arrivés en même temps (un "orage parfait") a déstabilisé le réseau. La France s'est déconnectée pour éviter d'être entraînée dans la chute.56:41 Géothermie : pourquoi elle n'a pas décollé en France La géothermie dépend des choix de subvention publique. L'Allemagne l'a financée, la France non. En France, l'électricité est peu chère et faiblement carbonée, donc l'incentive est quasi nul. Installer de la géothermie en retrofit exige de tout creuser. La géothermie profonde pose en plus des risques sismiques.1:01:58 Fusion nucléaire : le Graal énergétique, entre 2035 et 2070 La fusion produirait une énergie quasi-illimitée, décarbonée, peu coûteuse et presque sans déchets. Les scientifiques parlent de premiers prototypes vers 2060-2070, les start-ups d'une dizaine d'années plus tôt. On a récemment réussi pour la première fois à produire plus d'énergie qu'on n'en consomme dans une réaction de fusion. Même si ça arrive, les premières centrales en production seront probablement vers 2080-2100.1:06:40 Hydrogène : blanc, vert, gris. Ce que chacun veut dire vraiment L'hydrogène gris (produit industriellement) est très polluant. Le vert (via électrolyse) est très cher. Le blanc (naturel, dans le sol) est encore expérimental. EDF ne croit pas à l'hydrogène pour les voitures particulières : trop dangereux, trop cher, réseau à construire from scratch. Pour les bus et camions sur station centralisée, ça peut avoir du sens.1:11:23 Aviation à hydrogène et SAF : ce qu'on peut espérer vraiment Airbus a repoussé son projet d'avion hydrogène à 2050. L'aviation mise aujourd'hui sur les SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuels) : des carburants produits à partir de CO2 capté dans l'air, déjà présents dans les réservoirs des avions Air France. C'est l'horizon réaliste, avant peut-être un avion électrique pour les courtes distances (Paris-Berlin, lignes régionales), d'ici 2030.1:15:50 Pourquoi il y a quand même des raisons d'espérer Julien conclut sur une conviction : en regardant sur le temps long, le monde va mieux. The World in Data le montre sur 200 ans. Dans l'énergie, on est passé des voitures à particules des années 50 à l'électricité bas carbone d'aujourd'hui, en 60-70 ans. Et on surestime toujours les transformations à court terme tout en les sous-estimant à long terme.1:19:44 Clap de fin : ouvrir la porte à la nuance Suggestion d'autres épisodes à écouter : #391 L'indépendance énergétique est-elle sous nos pieds? Avec Pierre Brossolet (https://audmns.com/fcRUEpN) #187 Energy Observer: envisager le futur de l'énergie avec Louis Noel Viviès (https://audmns.com/vJdRdXI) Vlan #131 Transition énergétique: ce qu'un adulte devrait savoir avec Matthieu Auzanneau (https://audmns.com/SPHszOf)Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Julien Villeret dirige l'innovation du groupe EDF, on s'est retrouvés un jour de pluie, ce qui tombait plutôt bien pour parler d'énergie. Julien est l'un de ces rares interlocuteurs capables de parler du mix énergétique français sans perdre la nuance ni tomber dans le discours institutionnel. Il connaît le sujet de l'intérieur, et il n'a pas peur d'aller là où ça grince.Dans cet épisode, nous parlons de nucléaire, bien sûr, mais aussi de ce qu'on ne comprend pas sur l'électricité en général. J'ai questionné Julien sur les déchets nucléaires (leur volume réel vous va surprendre), sur les compétences qu'on a perdues en arrêtant de construire des centrales, sur pourquoi une voiture électrique en Allemagne, c'est techniquement une voiture au charbon, et sur l'hydrogène, qu'on nous vend comme la grande révolution alors que la réalité est beaucoup plus complexe.On parle aussi de fusion nucléaire, de SMR, de la panne en Espagne, du compteur Linky, de l'IA et de sa consommation d'énergie, et des SAF, ces carburants d'aviation qui permettent de voler à neutralité carbone dès aujourd'hui.Ce qui m'a frappé dans cet échange, c'est la posture. Julien ne survend pas, il ne minimise pas. Il essaie juste de remettre des faits là où il y a trop souvent des fantasmes.CITATIONS MARQUANTES1. "Si on n'a plus d'énergie, on n'a plus de plastique. Et si on n'a plus de plastique, on n'a plus d'hôpitaux." (Julien Villeret, ~0:03:44)2. "Tous les déchets nucléaires produits par le parc français depuis les années 60, c'est en gros deux piscines olympiques en volume." (Julien Villeret, ~0:17:25)3. "Une centrale nucléaire, ça ne peut pas exploser. C'est un fantasme." (Julien Villeret, ~0:36:26)4. "Les plus grandes batteries du monde aujourd'hui, ce sont des barrages." (Julien Villeret, ~0:11:15)5. "On a arrêté de construire des centrales pour des raisons idéologiques. Les gens qui savaient faire sont partis à la retraite." (Julien Villeret, ~0:26:25)IDÉES MARQUANTES1. L'énergie est consubstantielle à la civilisation, pas optionnelle Timestamp : ~0:02:51 L'énergie n'est pas un confort ou un luxe, c'est le socle de tout : la santé, la nourriture, la fabrication industrielle, la vie moderne dans son entier. Le rejet d'une écologie radicale par les populations vient en partie de là : on leur demande de renoncer à quelque chose qui est aussi fondamental que l'air qu'ils respirent. Pourquoi c'est important : tant qu'on ne pose pas ce cadre, on ne peut pas avoir un débat énergétique honnête.2. L'électricité propre ou sale dépend de comment elle est produite, pas de comment elle est consommée Timestamp : ~0:07:00 Une voiture électrique en France est l'une des plus propres au monde. La même voiture en Allemagne fonctionne au charbon. Ce n'est pas l'usage qui définit l'empreinte carbone, c'est la chaîne de production entière. Pourquoi c'est important : ça remet en question beaucoup de discours simplistes sur la mobilité électrique et force à penser en systèmes.3. Les barrages hydrauliques sont les plus grandes batteries du monde Timestamp : ~0:10:18 L'eau stockée dans un barrage, c'est de l'électricité en réserve. On ouvre ou on ferme selon le besoin. C'est une batterie géante, naturelle, disponible immédiatement. La France l'utilise pour réguler son réseau depuis des décennies. Pourquoi c'est important : cette réalité physique remet en question l'idée que le stockage d'électricité est un problème sans solution.4. Les compétences nucléaires se perdent quand on arrête de construire Timestamp : ~0:26:08 La France a arrêté de construire des centrales pour des raisons politiques. Résultat : les ingénieurs et soudeurs spécialisés ont vieilli et pris leur retraite, et les jeunes ne se sont pas formés sur des métiers qu'on disait sans avenir. Aujourd'hui, EDF recrute 10 000 personnes par an pour rattraper le retard. Pourquoi c'est important : les décisions politiques sur l'énergie ont des conséquences industrielles qui prennent des décennies à corriger.5. Penser l'énergie en statique est une erreur de raisonnement Timestamp : ~0:47:53 Il y a 15 ans, on prédisait que les data centers représenteraient 10% de la consommation mondiale d'électricité. Aujourd'hui on est à 2,2%. Pourquoi ? Parce que les technologies deviennent plus efficaces au fur et à mesure. Tirer la droite et extrapoler lineairement est une erreur systématique dans tous les grands débats énergétiques. Pourquoi c'est important : c'est le même réflexe qu'on applique aujourd'hui à l'IA, et probablement avec les mêmes erreurs de projection.6. La fusion nucléaire : entre le Graal et la promesse impossible Timestamp : ~1:01:58 La fusion produirait une énergie presque illimitée, décarbonée, peu coûteuse et quasi sans déchets. C'est la centrale nucléaire idéale sur le papier. Sauf qu'on ne sait pas encore si on arrivera à la construire, et que les horizons varient de 2035 (optimistes) à 2070 (scientifiques). Les premières centrales en production : probablement 2080-2100. Pourquoi c'est important : ça relativise les discours apocalyptiques sur l'énergie et rappelle qu'on a des décennies pour construire, pas juste quelques années.7. L'hydrogène vert : trop cher, trop dangereux pour la mobilité légère Timestamp : ~1:07:41 EDF ne croit pas à l'hydrogène pour les voitures particulières. Trop cher à produire, trop dangereux à stocker sous pression, infrastructure à construire from scratch. En revanche, pour les bus et les camions approvisionnés depuis une station centralisée, ça peut faire du sens. Les avions, eux, se tournent vers les SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuels), qui sont opérationnels dès aujourd'hui. Pourquoi c'est important : l'hydrogène est massivement sur-promu dans le débat public, et la réalité industrielle est beaucoup plus about de niche use cases que de révolution générale. QUESTIONS POSÉES DANS L'INTERVIEWQu'est-ce que les gens ne comprennent pas sur l'énergie, et ce serait bien qu'ils comprennent ?Est-ce que le rejet de l'écologie radicale vient du fait qu'on demande aux gens d'arrêter quelque chose de consubstantiel à leur vie ?Comment chez EDF observez-vous l'évolution de la consommation d'énergie, notamment la tension entre développement des usages et efficacité énergétique ?Quelle est l'intermittence réelle des éoliennes et des panneaux solaires, en chiffres concrets ?Qu'est-ce que le compteur Linky exactement, et pourquoi a-t-il généré autant de fantasmes ?Où en est-on de l'innovation sur les déchets nucléaires, et peut-on les recycler ?La France a-t-elle perdu des compétences nucléaires en arrêtant de construire ? Lesquelles ?Est-ce que les SMR (Small Modular Reactors) peuvent accélérer le déploiement du nucléaire ?Est-ce que l'IA et la blockchain vont créer une pénurie d'électricité, ou est-ce une projection trop statique ?Pourquoi l'hydrogène ne fonctionnera probablement pas pour la mobilité légère, et où peut-il avoir du sens ?RÉFÉRENCES CITÉESSites / DonnéesOur World in Data (mentionné comme "The World in Data") : site recommandé par Julien pour visualiser l'évolution du bien-être mondial sur 100-300 ans. (~1:16:20)Agence mondiale de l'énergie (AIE) : citée sur les prévisions de consommation électrique liée à l'IA. (~0:49:30)Institutions / OrganismesANDRA (Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs) : gestion des déchets nucléaires en France. (~0:17:25)Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) : régulation et surveillance du parc nucléaire français. (~0:17:25)ITER : projet international de fusion nucléaire basé en France. (~1:03:30)Enedis : opérateur du réseau de distribution électrique, gestionnaire du compteur Linky (distinct d'EDF). (~0:14:44)RTE : réseau de transport d'électricité française. (~0:44:12)ANSI / ANSSI : agence nationale de sécurité des systèmes d'information, mentionnée pour la cybersécurité des infrastructures. (~0:46:45)Projets / TechnologiesCIGEO : projet d'enfouissement des déchets nucléaires dans des couches géologiques profondes, mené par l'ANDRA. (~0:18:30)Flamanville 3 : prochain réacteur nucléaire français, sur le point d'être raccordé au réseau. (~0:21:03)Hinkley Point C : réacteur en construction au Royaume-Uni par EDF. (~0:28:18)Sizewell : projet de réacteur au Royaume-Uni. (~0:28:18)New World (projet EDF) : SMR développé par EDF. (~0:42:17)SAF / e-fuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuels) : carburant d'aviation bas carbone, obligation réglementaire croissante en Europe. (~1:12:32)ÉvénementsAccident de Fukushima : analysé en détail comme tsunami avant d'être un accident nucléaire, utilisé comme base d'apprentissage mondial. (~0:19:00)Panne électrique en Espagne et Portugal : analysée comme "orage parfait" lié à la nature analogique de l'électricité. (~0:51:33)Record d'exportation d'électricité EDF : 90 TWh exportés, record historique. (~0:48:11)Découverte scientifiqueHydrogène blanc : gisement potentiellement record découvert en France, hydrogène naturel présent dans le sol. (~1:06:40)TIMESTAMPS CLÉS (YouTube)00:00 Introduction : et si on se réjouissait à nouveau du futur ? 01:55 Présentation de Julien Villeret, directeur de l'innovation EDF02:05 L'énergie, c'est quoi au fond ? Ce que les gens ne comprennent pas L'énergie est consubstantielle à la civilisation depuis toujours. Sans électricité aujourd'hui, on perd tout : la santé, la nourriture, la fabrication industrielle. C'est le cadre que pose Julien avant d'aborder quoi que ce soit.04:18 Pourquoi l'écologie radicale ne passe pas dans l'opinion publique Le rejet du discours radical vient d'une réalité simple : on ne peut pas demander aux gens d'arrêter quelque chose d'aussi fondamental que l'énergie. La vraie question n'est pas d'arrêter, c'est comment produire et consommer différemment.06:29 Le pic du charbon et la réalité du mix énergétique mondial On continue de brûler beaucoup de charbon pour produire de l'électricité, notamment en Allemagne et en Pologne. Ce qui explique directement le sujet suivant.06:51 Voiture électrique en Allemagne = voiture au charbon ? Si l'électricité est produite au charbon, une voiture électrique n'est pas vertueuse. La chaîne complète de production compte, pas seulement le mode de transport. La France à 98% sans CO2 est une exception mondiale.08:37 Peut-on imaginer 100% d'énergie renouvelable ? Techniquement oui, économiquement non. Le problème de l'intermittence (les renouvelables produisent environ 25-30% du temps) et du coût du stockage rendrait la facture 10 à 20 fois plus élevée qu'aujourd'hui.10:18 Les barrages : les plus grandes batteries du monde L'eau stockée dans un barrage, c'est de l'électricité en réserve. Un lac, c'est une batterie géante naturelle. Les barrages hydroélectriques sont aussi des outils de régulation du réseau, activés ou coupés selon les besoins du moment.13:30 L'intermittence des renouvelables en chiffres concrets Éoliennes et panneaux solaires produisent à pleine puissance environ 25 à 30% du temps. Le pic de production solaire est autour de midi, soit rarement au moment des pics de consommation (matin, soir).14:34 Le compteur Linky : derrière les fantasmes, la réalité Linky ne surveille personne. Il envoie l'index de consommation une fois par jour, pendant 10 secondes, via les fils électriques, sans aucune émission d'ondes. Le détail au quart d'heure est opt-in. Ce sont surtout des fraudeurs que Linky a gênés.17:05 Les déchets nucléaires : vraiment deux piscines olympiques depuis les années 60 Tout le parc nucléaire français depuis le début des années 60 a produit environ 4 000 m3 de déchets à longue vie, soit deux piscines olympiques. Ils sont stockés à La Hague dans de l'eau (meilleur protecteur contre les radiations), avec un projet d'enfouissement géologique profond (CIGEO).21:47 Peut-on recycler les déchets nucléaires ? Oui, une partie du combustible usé est retraitée et réinjectée dans les centrales. Des recherches sont en cours pour fermer complètement le cycle : des réacteurs qui réutilisent en permanence le même combustible sans presque générer de déchets. Horizon : 2050-2070.22:53 Dépendances géopolitiques : uranium, gaz, pétrole, panneaux solaires Le pétrole et le gaz viennent du Moyen-Orient, de Russie et des États-Unis. Les panneaux solaires viennent quasi-exclusivement de Chine. L'uranium, lui, est présent dans de nombreux pays, n'est pas cher, et est stocké sur plusieurs années par sécurité.26:08 Les compétences nucléaires perdues et les 10 000 recrutements par an En arrêtant de construire des centrales pour des raisons politiques, la France a perdu des savoir-faire spécifiques : béton nucléaire, générateurs de vapeur, soudure qualifiée. EDF recrute maintenant 10 000 personnes par an pour reconstruire ces compétences. Un soudeur nucléaire gagne entre 3 000 et 4 000 euros par mois.32:04 Où seront construits les 6 nouveaux réacteurs français ? Sur les terrains déjà acquis à côté des centrales existantes (ex : Penly). Les riverains d'une centrale sont généralement très favorables : emplois, taxes locales, vie locale développée. Une centrale qui ne tourne pas, c'est un million d'euros de pertes par jour.36:21 Une centrale peut-elle exploser ? Les accidents nucléaires démystifiés Non, les centrales françaises ne peuvent pas exploser. Fukushima était d'abord un tsunami, pas un accident nucléaire au sens strict. Depuis, toutes les centrales françaises ont été équipées de générateurs diesel en hauteur et de récupérateurs (les "cendriers") pour le cas où le coeur fondrait.41:42 Les SMR (Small Modular Reactors) : l'avenir du nucléaire ou juste une promesse ? Aucun SMR n'est encore construit à ce jour. L'idée : des petits réacteurs plus rapides à déployer, moins coûteux, qui peuvent remplacer une centrale charbon en plug and play. Les Américains y croient surtout pour décarboner leur vieux parc charbon.45:13 Cybersécurité des centrales : isolées d'internet par principe physique Les systèmes qui font fonctionner les centrales nucléaires ne sont pas connectés à internet. C'est une barrière physique, pas logicielle. EDF mobilise plusieurs centaines de personnes à temps plein sur la cybersécurité.46:45 IA et consommation d'énergie : une vraie menace ou un raisonnement trop statique ? Il y a 15 ans, on prédisait que les data centers allaient représenter 10% de la consommation mondiale d'électricité. On en est à 2,2%. Les projections en ligne droite tombent toujours à côté parce qu'elles ignorent les gains d'efficacité technologique. En France, la marge est très large : EDF a exporté un record historique de 90 TWh l'année dernière.51:33 La panne en Espagne-Portugal : l'analogique contre le numérique L'électricité est analogique : production doit en permanence égaler consommation. Un écart provoque l'effondrement. En Espagne, une suite de problèmes improbables arrivés en même temps (un "orage parfait") a déstabilisé le réseau. La France s'est déconnectée pour éviter d'être entraînée dans la chute.56:41 Géothermie : pourquoi elle n'a pas décollé en France La géothermie dépend des choix de subvention publique. L'Allemagne l'a financée, la France non. En France, l'électricité est peu chère et faiblement carbonée, donc l'incentive est quasi nul. Installer de la géothermie en retrofit exige de tout creuser. La géothermie profonde pose en plus des risques sismiques.1:01:58 Fusion nucléaire : le Graal énergétique, entre 2035 et 2070 La fusion produirait une énergie quasi-illimitée, décarbonée, peu coûteuse et presque sans déchets. Les scientifiques parlent de premiers prototypes vers 2060-2070, les start-ups d'une dizaine d'années plus tôt. On a récemment réussi pour la première fois à produire plus d'énergie qu'on n'en consomme dans une réaction de fusion. Même si ça arrive, les premières centrales en production seront probablement vers 2080-2100.1:06:40 Hydrogène : blanc, vert, gris. Ce que chacun veut dire vraiment L'hydrogène gris (produit industriellement) est très polluant. Le vert (via électrolyse) est très cher. Le blanc (naturel, dans le sol) est encore expérimental. EDF ne croit pas à l'hydrogène pour les voitures particulières : trop dangereux, trop cher, réseau à construire from scratch. Pour les bus et camions sur station centralisée, ça peut avoir du sens.1:11:23 Aviation à hydrogène et SAF : ce qu'on peut espérer vraiment Airbus a repoussé son projet d'avion hydrogène à 2050. L'aviation mise aujourd'hui sur les SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuels) : des carburants produits à partir de CO2 capté dans l'air, déjà présents dans les réservoirs des avions Air France. C'est l'horizon réaliste, avant peut-être un avion électrique pour les courtes distances (Paris-Berlin, lignes régionales), d'ici 2030.1:15:50 Pourquoi il y a quand même des raisons d'espérer Julien conclut sur une conviction : en regardant sur le temps long, le monde va mieux. The World in Data le montre sur 200 ans. Dans l'énergie, on est passé des voitures à particules des années 50 à l'électricité bas carbone d'aujourd'hui, en 60-70 ans. Et on surestime toujours les transformations à court terme tout en les sous-estimant à long terme.1:19:44 Clap de fin : ouvrir la porte à la nuanceHébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

We're moving past the "software" hype to the physical reality of AI. The bottleneck has shifted from chip supply to megawatts. If you want to build generational wealth in this cycle, you have to look at the grid.The Trillion-Dollar Build: AI isn't just code; it's an industrial project. Over $2.9 trillion is being poured into data center infrastructure through 2028.The Power Wall: Global data centers will soon consume over 1,000 TWh annually. The biggest threat to AI growth isn't competition—it's grid capacity.Energy Independence: Hyperscalers are becoming their own utilities. We're seeing a massive shift toward on-site microgrids and modular power to bypass aging public infrastructure.Storage as a Strategic Asset: Modern AI workloads create massive power spikes. Specialized high-density battery storage is no longer optional—it's the backbone of the facility.Wealth Creation: The "Picks and Shovels" play for 2026 isn't just GPU stocks; it's the liquid cooling, electrical switchgear, and energy storage companies that make the chips possible.Keep an eye on AMD's Q1 earnings (May 5). Their upcoming "Venice" Zen 5 architecture is laser-focused on performance-per-watt, a direct response to the energy constraints currently capping the industry.In 2026, the winners won't just have the best algorithms—they'll have the most reliable power. That is where the generational wealth is being anchored.If you're enjoying the show:Follow & subscribe to Let It Grow InvestingShare with someone who needs to hear this during market volatilityStay patient, stay consistent, and keep growing

In episode 219, we analysed the relationship between hyperscalers and US utilities from the hyperscaler perspective. To complete the picture, we revisit the debate from the utility's point of view.Gerard and Laurent welcome Rajiv Bajaj, VP of Solutions Sales at Constellation, to understand how utilities approach this rapidly evolving landscape. Spun out of Exelon a few years ago, Constellation was initially seen as the “ugly duckling,” but it was sitting on a major advantage: a large nuclear fleet. What was considered a liability in the 2010s has become a strategic asset as hyperscalers search for clean, reliable 24/7 power.The acquisition of Calpine and its large CCGT fleet turned Constellation into the largest US utility in terms of capacity, with around 60 GW (half nuclear, half gas) and roughly 200 TWh of annual generation—placing the company at the centre of discussions with hyperscalers and data centre developers.Constellation's approach remains cautious. The company is only gradually moving into batteries, is bullish on demand response following the surge in PJM capacity prices and is exploring upgrades to its nuclear fleet while remaining sceptical about. Geothermal. where the Company is active, is attractive but seen as difficult to scale.The overall picture is one of disciplined conservatism. Constellation cannot easily be pushed by aggressive data centre developers because it already has the right generation mix at the right time. Its core objective is simple: maximise fleet load factors and sell MWh at the highest possible price. Gas assets operate in the mid-merit order with strong spark spreads, while nuclear requires higher long-term prices to justify further investment, as illustrated by the Microsoft-supported Three Mile Island restart.With around 90% of its capacity built in the 20th century, Constellation is focused on upgrading and optimising its existing fleet rather than pursuing large-scale expansion. For hyperscalers, understanding this mindset is key when engaging with utilities.

This is part two of our collaboration with Bula COP31! We recommend listening to part one first.  This November, Türkiye hosts COP31 with Australia leading the negotiations. In this cross-continental episode, James and Daisy are joined by Jack Whelan and Heidi Dumesich (hosts of Bula COP31!) for an intergenerational conversation on what we hope to see from this year's conference. What will make it onto the Action Agenda? What is the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty? And what should the COP31 closing speech say? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: BulaCOP31! – To learn more about what it means for Australia and Türkiye to co-host COP31, listen to Jack and Heidi's podcast.OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:COP31 – Türkiye will be the formal COP31 President while Australia will serve as the President of Negotiations.COP30 (2026) – The Action Agenda is the space for actors who do not negotiate, but who are essential for implementation. The COP30 Action Agenda was organized around six thematic pillars and the “Five Year Vision” established a framework to guide the acceleration of Paris Agreement implementation between 2026 and 2030. Climate Watch – 62 countries have yet to submit updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).Pacific Resilience Facility – The first Pacific-led, member-owned and managed regional financing facility. The Guardian (2026) – A leaked draft of the COP31 Action Agenda includes 14 items but omits mention of fossil fuel phaseout, prioritising “zero waste” and “tourism and cultural heritage” instead.Dialogue Earth (2025) – Türkiye is one of the world's largest electric arc furnace steel producers and Australia is the world's biggest iron ore exporter.Ember – In 2024, Türkiye's renewable electricity generation (156 TWh) outpaced Australia's (98.8 TWh).The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative – An alliance of nation-states and civil society working to secure a global just transition from coal, oil and gas. 18 nations have already joined. UN – The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels – Colombia and the Netherlands will co-host this conference in Santa Marta (24-29 April 2026) as a space for countries, subnational governments and other stakeholders that recognize the need to implement a transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner, in line with climate goals and the best available science.IEA (2025) – Fossil fuels still comprised 10% of Colombia's GDP and 45% of total exports in 2024. The Belém Declaration – An agreement supported by 35+ countries aiming to accelerate green industrialization.Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) – The flagship publication of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on UN environment and development negotiations. UNFCCC – Article 6 of the Paris Agreement enables international cooperation to tackle climate change and to unlock financial support for developing countries.COP30 (2026) – In this letter, COP30 President Corrêa do Lago proposes a “two-tier” model for multilateralism: one anchored in consensus, and one focused on implementation.WEF (2026) – Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, made a special address at Davos: “We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn't mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy, but we believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just.”Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokYou can also now watch us on YouTube.Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Dive into Episode #166 of the Psych Health and Safety USA Podcast, featuring host Dr. I. David Daniels, PhD, CSD, VPS, and special guest Capt. Christian Rathke, Director of the Total Worker Health Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). A pioneer in the federal government conversation about Total Worker Health (TWH), Capt Rathe has played a pivotal role in advancing TWH through his leadership at NOAA. As Director of the NESDIS Total Worker Health Program, Rathke has worked to integrate physical, mental, and social well-being into everyday organizational practices. His efforts focus on reducing psychosocial stressors, addressing physical hazards, and fostering supportive workplace relationships. By embedding health and safety into the design of work itself, Rathke's initiatives aim to transform federal workplaces into environments that not only protect employees but also actively promote engagement, fulfillment, and measurable health outcomes.

Biomethane currently supplies just 1% of UK gas demand. Could it reach 30% by 2050? Philipp Lukas, founder and CEO of Future Biogas, makes the case.The UK uses around 700 terawatt hours of gas every year. Even as electrification reduces that to 150–250 TWh by 2050, the gas that remains will be harder than ever to replace. Industrial heat, steel, glass, shipping, aviation.Biomethane, produced from organic waste and agricultural byproducts through anaerobic digestion, could supply 50–60 TWh of that demand. That's roughly 10 times what the UK produces today.In this episode of Transmission, Ed speaks with Philipp Lukas, CEO of Future Biogas. Philipp explains how the technology works, why the gas grid is the biggest battery in the country, and why turning it off would be a mistake. You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.Battery revenues, nodal spreads, trading strategies, Ko answers your most business-critical questions instantly, powered by Modo's IOSCO-aligned benchmark data. Try Ko for free now→https://modoenergy.com/sign-up?utm_source=podcast_apps&utm_medium=podcast&utm_id=philipp_lukasWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y1pWt2-cKi4Chapters0:00 Introduction — the gas grid as a clean energy asset1:20 What everyone gets wrong about biogas2:00 How anaerobic digestion works (the basics)8:00 Ranking the top uses of biomethane10:00 The price gap: natural gas vs. biomethane today15:00 The future of the UK gas grid — 700 TWh to 200 TWh18:00 How much could biomethane supply by 2050?25:00 Why the gas grid won't be switched off29:00 Dunkelflaute and the case for backup gas33:00 Feedstocks: sewage, food waste, animal manure, energy crops37:00 Biogas vs. ethanol: land use and the rotation argument40:00 How biogas plants actually work (reliability, engineering)43:00 The subsidy journey and the obligation model47:00 Closing

Biomethane currently supplies just 1% of UK gas demand. Could it reach 30% by 2050? Philipp Lukas, founder and CEO of Future Biogas, makes the case.The UK uses around 700 terawatt hours of gas every year. Even as electrification reduces that to 150–250 TWh by 2050, the gas that remains will be harder than ever to replace. Industrial heat, steel, glass, shipping, aviation.Biomethane, produced from organic waste and agricultural byproducts through anaerobic digestion, could supply 50–60 TWh of that demand. That's roughly 10 times what the UK produces today.In this episode of Transmission, Ed speaks with Philipp Lukas, CEO of Future Biogas. Philipp explains how the technology works, why the gas grid is the biggest battery in the country, and why turning it off would be a mistake. You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.Battery revenues, nodal spreads, trading strategies, Ko answers your most business-critical questions instantly, powered by Modo's IOSCO-aligned benchmark data. Try Ko for free now→ https://modoenergy.com/sign-up?utm_source=podcast_apps&utm_medium=podcast&utm_id=philipp_lukasWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y1pWt2-cKi4Chapters0:00 Introduction — the gas grid as a clean energy asset1:20 What everyone gets wrong about biogas2:00 How anaerobic digestion works (the basics)8:00 Ranking the top uses of biomethane10:00 The price gap: natural gas vs. biomethane today15:00 The future of the UK gas grid — 700 TWh to 200 TWh18:00 How much could biomethane supply by 2050?25:00 Why the gas grid won't be switched off29:00 Dunkelflaute and the case for backup gas33:00 Feedstocks: sewage, food waste, animal manure, energy crops37:00 Biogas vs. ethanol: land use and the rotation argument40:00 How biogas plants actually work (reliability, engineering)43:00 The subsidy journey and the obligation model47:00 Closing

Er sol og batteri på næringsbygg helt gratis? Jonas Ibsen Brynildsrud i Sunday Power sier ja. Bare ja.Fjerde stopp i STRØM-sesongen. Vi startet med fire gårdeiere som kjente strømsmerten (#107), fikk datagrunnlaget fra Elhub (#108), og lærte om fleksibilitet fra Tibber (#109). Nå er vi tilbake i Oslo for å møte selskapet som faktisk installerer sol og batteri på næringsbygg, uten at gårdeier betaler en krone.Jonas er CEO i Sunday Power. I 2024 omsatte de for 115 millioner og gikk i pluss, mens solbransjen rundt dem krympet 25-30%.Vi snakker om:Hvorfor norske næringsbygg har tomme tak når sol er en no-brainerSolar as a Service: gårdeier betaler null, leietaker får lavere strømpris"Where's the catch?" Hva kundene alltid spør om i første møteFra Schibsted Partnerstudio til solceller: veien via DyreparkenBattery as a Service: ny tjeneste som lanseres i denne episodenReservemarkeder og FCR: slik tjener batterier penger for næringsbygg8 TWh solmål i 2030, men markedet peker mot 4. Hva mangler?Timestamps:(00:00) Er sol og batteri på næringsbygg helt gratis?(02:32) Sunday Powers påstand: null kroner, fullt tak(04:01) 115 millioner og profitabelt mens solbransjen krymper(06:08) Fra Schibsted og 300 millioner i media til solcelletak(09:44) Eie-leie: hvorfor norske tak fortsatt er tomme(13:42) Solar as a Service forklart for en gårdeier som aldri har tenkt på sol(20:53) Leietaker-avtalen: du taper ingenting på dette(28:18) Alternativkost-modellen: du betaler aldri mer enn nettstrøm(31:28) "Vi har ikke bygget ett anlegg som ikke makser taket"(35:03) Battery as a Service: ny tjeneste lansert her(39:38) Reservemarkeder forklart: slik leier du ut kapasitet til Statnett(45:15) Er batteri lønnsomt i dag? Ja, men ikke for alle(46:22) 8 TWh i 2030? Ingen i solmarkedet tror det skjerGjest:Jonas Ibsen Brynildsrud, LinkedInSunday Power, sundaypower.comFølg Praktisk PropTech:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/praktisk-proptechInstagram: @praktiskproptechYouTube: youtube.com/@praktiskproptechWeb: praktiskproptech.noProdusent: SylvioMentioned in this episode:

Our lives are intertwined with energy. It comes in many forms and, while it can never be lost, it can be converted from one form to another to do useful work. The energy transition is the process of shifting energy production away from sources that release greenhouse gases and towards sources that emit little or none.In this episode, James and Daisy explore all things energy. What exactly is energy? What does a good energy system look like? And how do fossil fuels compare with green energy?SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: Ember (2025) – The annual slide deck from Kingsmill Bond and the Ember Futures team unpacks how electrotech is rewriting the economics and geopolitics of energy. Electrotech is around three times more efficient than fossil fuels. Around 80% of the world's population lives in fossil-fuel-importing countries, with more than 50 countries importing over half of their primary energy as fossil fuels. In contrast, 92% of countries have renewable energy potential more than ten times their current demand.Our World in Data – Data, visualizations, and writing relating to energy. This article explains primary, secondary, final and useful energy – the four stages of the energy chain – and why these distinctions matter.  BloombergNEF (2025) – Michael Liebreich makes the case for a pragmatic climate reset, showing what happens if clean energy outgrows energy demand by 3% per year for the next four decades. OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:John Elkington (2025) – A blog on ‘How—And Where—To Channel Our Energy?'Cleaning Up (2025) – A visual showing how much energy Egypt can buy for $1m, comparing oil, LNG, solar, wind, and nuclear. RMI (2024) – Today's fossil energy system is incredibly inefficient: almost two-thirds of all primary energy is wasted during energy production, transportation, and use, before any useful work is done. That's over $4.6 trillion per year, nearly 5% of global GDP and 40% of total energy spending, effectively lost to fossil fuel inefficiency. Around 45% of total shipping demand is for transporting fossil fuels, with roughly $42 billion per year spent on fossil fuels to ship other fossil fuels.Xlinks – A 2,500-mile subsea cable to bring renewable energy from Morocco to the UK. Sulfurcell – A German company founded in 2001 to develop and produce thin film solar cells based on copper indium sulfide (CIS) technology. The company went into administration in 2012. NESO – ‘Energy 101' by the UK's National Energy System Operator. Our World in Data (2021) – Energy sources are often reported using different metrics. This article explains how primary energy is measured. A typical coal plant in the US has an efficiency of 33% – only one-third generates electricity, while the rest is lost as heat. Gas performs slightly better, at around 45% efficiency. In popular datasets, coal and gas are reported in primary energy terms (the fuel going into the power plant), while renewable electricity – such as solar and wind – is reported based on electricity output.Ember (2025) – China's wind generation was 992 TWh in 2024, accounting for 40% of global wind generation.Ember (2026) – India is electrifying faster and using fewer fossil fuels per capita than China did when it was at a similar stage of economic development.Ember (2025) – Solar and wind outpaced the growth in global electricity demand in the first half of 2025, resulting in a very small decline in both coal and gas compared to the same period last year.BBC (2025) – The price of silver hit a record high ahead of an expected US Federal Reserve interest rate cut, driven in part by strong demand from the technology sector.Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokYou can also now watch us on YouTube.Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Druhý dekarbonizačný diel je hotový.V sérii troch podcastov rozoberáme model uhlíkovej neutrality Slovenska, ktorí predstavili analytici IEP na ministerstve životného prostredia. Tentokrát sme spovedali Mareka Murína, ďalšieho zo spoluautorov tejto štúdie a pustili sme sa do zásadných oblastí:1) Je uhlíková stopa pasúcich sa kráv nižšia a ako zvyšovať dobu ich dožitia?2) Ako sa zachytáva uhlík, ako ho dokážeme využiť, a koľko to stojí3) Prečo neutralitu do roku 2050 nedosiahneme sadením stromov4) Ako dokáže veterná kalamita zredukovať záchyty lesov takmer na nulu5) Prečo nie je ťažba ako ťažba a objem biomasy môže rásť, aj keď ťažba dreva klesá6) Je spaľovanie biomasy uhlíkovo neutrálne?7) Koľko stojí zachytávanie uhlíka a prečo by ste mali poznať Golianovo8) Ako sa vyrábajú syntetické palivá a prečo sú drahé9) Pomôže biouhlík oceliarom?10) Ostane vysoká pec v Košiciach?11) Vodík, vodík, vodík – čo stále nevieme*12) Koľko ušetríme na vykurovaní vďaka otepľovaniu Zeme?13) Skvelé otázky našich fanúšikovV treťom diele dekarbonizačnej série sa budeme baviť o makroekonomických výsledkoch tohto modelovania a dostaneme sa aj k otázke – kto a koľko za to zaplatí. Stay tunedLink na prvý diel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mGlVnfxtXUPoznámka: Niekedy si človek nespomenie na úplne presné číslo, preto k výkonu vodíkových elektrolyzérov uvádzame upresnenie:Inštalovaný výkon elektrolyzérov pre výrobu vodíka a syntetických palív bude predstavovať 2,6 GW. So spotrebou elektriny približne 16 TWh rocne.Technicky potenciál bioplynu je odhadnutý v Cestovnej mape pripravovanej MPRV, MZP, NPPC, ÚKSÚP na 10TWh.Nppc.sk/repower/vystupy-a-vysledky-projektu/menu-katalogy/mapa-obehoveho-hospodarstva-obsah

In this latest OIES podcast, James Henderson speaks with Maria Olczak about her recent research on biomethane. Combined European biogas and biomethane production has grown by 34% over the past decade, reaching around 232 TWh (22 bcm) in 2024. In the podcast, they explain the difference between biogas and biomethane, review current production levels in […] The post OIES Podcast – Biomethane in Europe: Why scaling up is harder than it looks appeared first on Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

Greetings, and welcome back to the podcast. This episode we are joined by Dr. Chris Keefer - President of Canadians for Nuclear Energy Association, ER Physician & host of The Decouple Podcast - which focuses on energy technology and its ecological impacts. Dr. Keefer holds a bachelors degree from Guelph University & Medical Doctorate from McMaster University where he completed his residency program. Dr. Keefer completed his Emergency Residency Program at the University of Toronto in 2013. Among other things we learned about ~600 TWh & Why Power Demand Is Growing.Enjoy. Thank you to our sponsors.Without their support this episode would not be possible:Connate Water SolutionsATB Capital MarketsAmbyintJSGBidell Gas CompressionSupport the show

Looking at a weird GDP data point. Calling BS on Russia/Ukraine peace talks. Gold and Silver – WOW! Closing out the year – a good one too! PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - CTP Cup - All systems go! 9 participants! - Lots to be excited about and anxious too - Looking at a weird GDP data point - Calling BS on Russia/Ukraine peace talks Markets - Gold and Silver - WOW! - Closing out the year - a good one too! - Buyers are still hot to buy any dip - "Diet" pills coming Bitters Making Progress  - Chocolate -Dark Cherry -Infusions - https://highdesertbotanicals.com NYE Celebration - Cities across America ring in the new year by dropping unexpected objects: - Amelia Island, FL drops a giant shrimp. - Nashville drops a 400lb musical note with 28,140 LEDs. - Boise, ID, drops a glowing potato. - Key West, FL, drops an eight-foot ruby-red heel—complete with a drag queen inside! - In Spain, revelers gulp down 12 grapes—one for each midnight chime—to bring luck for each month - Denmark - Danes toss old dishes at friends' doors—large piles of broken crockery at dawn are seen as tokens of good luck. What a year! - So many themes in 12 months - AI, Tariffs, War and Trade War, Fat drugs, Deglobalization - Data centers, semiconductors, and supporting infrastructure like power and cooling systems. - Approx: DJIA +13.5%, SP500 +17%, NASDA +21%, BTCUSD -7.6%, Gold +64%, SLV +145%, $DXY -9.5%, EEM +30% - 2026 - Opportunities and Auld Lang Xiety (Tech still looks frothy in certain names) Top New Year's Resolutions - Exercise More - Eat Healthier - Save More Money/Get Out of Debt - Be Happy/Improve Mental Health - Lose Weight - Spend More Time with Family & Friends - Learn a New Skill/Hobby - Get Organized Active Management (Funds) - Same report annually - A small group of tech super stocks accounted for an outsize share of returns in 2025, extending a pattern in place for the better part of a decade. - Around $1 trillion was pulled from active equity mutual funds over the year, marking an 11th year of net outflows, while passive equity exchange-traded funds got more than $600 billion. - The concentration of gains in a few stocks made it harder for active managers to do well, with 73% of equity mutual funds trailing their benchmarks this year, the fourth most in data going back to 2007. - BUT, there are some areas that it makes sense for active management ---- Equity vs Fixed income and reasoning --- Efficient markets, boots on the ground Fat Pill - The FDA has approved the first-ever GLP-1 pill from Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk. - Novo Nordisk said the starting dose of 1.5 milligrams will be available in early January in pharmacies and via select telehealth providers with savings offers for $149 per month. - The approval gives Novo Nordisk a head start over chief rival Eli Lilly, which is racing to launch its own obesity pill. - Packaged food makers and fast-food restaurants may be forced to overhaul more of their products next year as newly approved, appetite-suppressing GLP-1 pills become available in January PowerBall - A ticket sold in Arkansas scored a $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot after Wednesday night's draw — one of the richest lottery prizes in U.S. history, landing just in time for Christmas. - The payout soared after last Monday's drawing produced no winners, with last-minute ticket sales pushing the jackpot to $1.817 billion. That makes it the second-largest U.S. lottery prize ever and the biggest Powerball of 2025, the lottery website said on Thursday. - The winning numbers — 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and the Powerball 19 - Odds: one in 292.2 million. Silver - Amazing year! - Sunday night futures - >$83 then turned hard lower| - Down 7% on Monday - Range $83 - $71 (15%) for the day - Some rumors about a bank collapse due to wrong way position on Silver - forced liquidation and covering.... ----- Hard to believe that a bank was short that much silver - but..... SoKo Breach - South Korean online retail giant Coupang said it will offer 1.69 trillion South Korean won ($1.17 billion) in compensation to 34 million users affected by a massive data breach disclosed last month. - That is about 4% of Coupang's annual revenue - but a big chunk of their profit - $34 per user NVDA Deal - Nvidia has yet to issue a public announcement or disclosure regarding its $20 billion Groq deal that CNBC was first to cover on Wednesday. - Groq described the deal as a “non-exclusive licensing agreement,” a tool that's been used by tech giants of late in part to avoid regulatory scrutiny. - Analyst: “Antitrust would seem to be the primary risk here, though structuring the deal as a non-exclusive license may keep the fiction of competition alive,” Bernstein's Stacy Rasgon wrote in a report. - Groq will remain an independent company (?) GDP Consumption - Something is a bit off.... - With the marketplace costs increasing, this may be more than a one-off expenditure Q3 GDP Surge Russia/Ukraine - Less that an hour after the White House claimed great movement toward peace - Russian President Putin told President Trump that Russia will revise its negotiating position, raising questions over prospects for peace deal - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Ukraine tried to attack Russian President Putin's residence - Does anyone even listen to the crap coming out of the White House anymore? - Did you hear Lutnick trying to explain the 600% reduction in costs for pharmaceuticals? Math wizards! - - For 2026, my wish is that they continue to work on the job at hand and just shut up Just for fun - Who is biggest drinker of spirits? - While there's no single official "heaviest drinker," legendary wrestler Andre the Giant is widely cited as having unmatched capacity, famously downing 119 beers in one sitting (or even up to 156 in other accounts) Oil - Crude oil futures down about 9.5% YTD - Much of the drop due to pick up in production (supply/demand) - Still a floor with as Russia, Nigeria, Venezuela etc - What will it take to move up? Best Auto Stock for 2025? - GM! Better than ford, Tesla and others (up 55%) - best year from coming out of bankruptcy in 2009 - Ford up 35% - Mary Barra, CEO selling into the strength - $73 M sold this year (Position down 73% from what she held last year) - - - Barra has contended for years that stock undervalued. With all of these say what does that say now? --- Would she ever say shares are overvalued? More fun stats - A peer?reviewed 2025 study estimates AI data centers (including indirect usage from electricity generation) consumed 312–765 billion liters of water annually. That's more than all bottled water consumed worldwide each year - Direct (on-site) water is used for cooling servers via systems like cooling towers or liquid loops. Indirect (off-site) water stems from electricity generation—particularly from thermal and nuclear plants, which require significant cooling resources - ??? Estimates suggest a single standard AI prompt (about 100 words) is linked to around 1.5 liters of water—accounting for the entire chain of consumption. (This is total usage from cooling powr consumption, electricity generation) - Global AI workloads consumed 50–60 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025—roughly the annual electricity use of a medium-sized country like Switzerland. - By 2030, AI-related electricity demand could reach 300–500 TWh annually, according to energy analysts—comparable to the entire electricity consumption of countries like France. Over to Iran - President Trump tells reporters that if Iran is building up its nuclear program, the U.S. will have to "knock them down" again --- Wait - I thought we destroyed all of their nuke aspirations??? - - - AND - Iran's currency hit a record low, triggering wave of protests, according to Bloomberg Fed News - Top Fed Chair Candidate Odds Narrow Again, With Hassett at 43% and Warsh at 35% - President Trump still angry at Powell 0threating to sue for incompetence Odd - Tesla Inc. published a series of sales estimates indicating the outlook for its vehicle deliveries may be lower than many investors were expecting. - The carmaker posted estimates showing analysts on average expect the company to deliver 422,850 cars in the fourth quarter, down 15% from a year earlier. - Tesla is on course for its second consecutive drop in annual vehicle sales, with the company compiling an average estimate for 1.6 million deliveries, down more than 8% from a year earlier. - These are estimates published by analysts - Tesla put on its own site - WHY? End of Year Stat - The U.S. national debt is climbing at a rapid pace and has shown no signs of slowing down despite the growing criticism of massive levels of government spending. - The national debt, which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors, rose to $38,386,384,190,622.68 as of Dec. 30, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department. - That is an increase of about $5.8 billion daily - ~$18 per person in the US per day increase ($7,300) - or about the monthly price of leasing a small Mercedes - Each person in US owes approx $128,000 Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? THE CLOSEST TO THE PIN 2025 Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt! CTP CUP 2025 Participants: Jim Beaver Mike Kazmierczak Joe Metzger Ken Degel David Martin Dean Wormell Neil Larion Mary Lou Schwarzer Eric Harvey (2024 Winner) FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. 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Pour faire tourner l'intelligence artificielle, il ne suffit pas d'aligner des serveurs. Il faut surtout les refroidir. Et c'est là que le bât blesse. Selon un rapport de l'International Energy Agency, les centres de données ont consommé 415 térawattheures d'électricité dans le monde en 2024, soit quasiment l'équivalent de la consommation annuelle de la France. D'ici 2030, cette demande pourrait plus que doubler, pour atteindre 945 TWh, portée en grande partie par l'explosion des usages liés à l'IA. Une trajectoire énergivore, qui interroge la soutenabilité à long terme du modèle actuel.Face à ce mur énergétique, des chercheurs explorent des pistes radicalement nouvelles. À l'University of Houston, une équipe du département d'ingénierie biomoléculaire vient de mettre au point un matériau inédit pour les puces électroniques. Il s'agit d'un isolant bidimensionnel ultrafin, dit « Low-K », c'est-à-dire à faible constante diélectrique. Concrètement, ce matériau ne conduit pas l'électricité, mais laisse circuler les forces électrostatiques nécessaires au fonctionnement des circuits.Pourquoi est-ce crucial ? Parce que dans les puces actuelles, une grande partie de la chaleur provient justement des interférences électriques entre composants. En réduisant ces interactions parasites, cet isolant permet aux processeurs de fonctionner à haute vitesse tout en produisant beaucoup moins de chaleur. Résultat : des serveurs plus efficaces, qui nécessitent moins de refroidissement, donc moins d'électricité, sans sacrifier les performances. Pour fabriquer ces films Low-K, les chercheurs ont utilisé une technique appelée « polymérisation interfaciale synthétique », popularisée notamment par le chimiste Omar M. Yaghi, prix Nobel de chimie 2025. Le principe : assembler des briques moléculaires légères, comme le carbone, un peu à la manière d'un jeu de Lego à l'échelle atomique. On obtient ainsi des feuillets cristallins ultrarésistants, capables de supporter des températures élevées tout en maintenant une excellente stabilité électrique.Ces nouveaux isolants offrent un double avantage. D'un côté, ils améliorent la dissipation thermique dans les centres de données dédiés à l'IA. De l'autre, ils pourraient à terme bénéficier à toute l'électronique grand public, des smartphones aux ordinateurs. Si la technologie passe le cap de l'industrialisation, elle pourrait devenir l'un des leviers clés pour freiner l'explosion énergétique de l'intelligence artificielle — et rappeler que l'innovation matérielle reste aussi stratégique que les algorithmes. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Après plusieurs années de tensions, le système électrique français respire enfin. Depuis 2020, la production peinait à suivre la demande, conséquence d'une baisse progressive du nucléaire amorcée dès 2015, puis des retards accumulés pendant la crise sanitaire. Mais en 2024, la dynamique s'est nettement inversée. Le parc nucléaire a retrouvé un niveau de production proche de celui d'avant-crise, tandis que les énergies renouvelables ont accéléré. L'an dernier, 7 gigawatts de nouvelles capacités solaires et éoliennes ont été installés.Résultat : la France dispose aujourd'hui d'une électricité décarbonée à 95 % et a battu un record historique d'exportations, avec 89 térawattheures de solde net en 2024. Un signal fort, dans un contexte européen encore marqué par l'instabilité énergétique. Pour autant, le tableau n'est pas entièrement idyllique. Selon RTE, la France importe encore près de 60 % de l'énergie finale qu'elle consomme. Une dépendance coûteuse, évaluée entre 50 et 70 milliards d'euros par an, principalement liée aux énergies fossiles, qui représentent toujours 60 % de la consommation finale. Or, pour respecter ses engagements climatiques — une réduction de moitié des émissions de gaz à effet de serre d'ici 2035 — cette part devra tomber autour de 30 %.Pour y parvenir, deux leviers sont privilégiés : les économies d'énergie et l'électrification des usages. Sur le premier point, les résultats sont déjà là. Entre 2017 et 2023, la consommation énergétique a reculé, grâce aux gains d'efficacité mais aussi aux changements de comportement induits par la hausse des prix. Au total, 30 TWh sont économisés chaque année. Conséquence directe : la France se retrouve aujourd'hui en situation de surcapacité électrique. Elle produit plus qu'elle ne consomme. « La France est dans une position avantageuse pour s'électrifier », souligne RTE dans son bilan prévisionnel 2025-2035. D'ici 2030, l'adoption massive des véhicules électriques devrait ajouter 17 TWh de consommation annuelle. À cela s'ajoutent la production d'hydrogène vert par électrolyse, estimée à 15 TWh, et l'électrification de procédés industriels, pour 13 TWh supplémentaires.Même le numérique trouve sa place dans cette trajectoire. Les data centers, dont la consommation devrait tripler entre 2025 et 2030, passant de 5 à 15 TWh, pourront être alimentés sans compromettre les objectifs climatiques. Selon RTE, cette trajectoire de décarbonation rapide pourrait même soutenir la croissance, avec une hausse du PIB de 1,1 % par an. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

A inteligência artificial, em seus múltiplos sentidos, tem dominado a agenda pública e até mesmo o direcionamento do capital das grandes empresas de tecnologia. Mas você já parou para pensar na infraestrutura gigantesca que dê conta de sustentar o crescimento acelerado das IAs? O futuro e o presente da inteligência artificial passa pela existência dos datacenters. E agora é mais urgente que nunca a gente discutir esse assunto. Estamos vendo um movimento se concretizar, que parece mais uma forma de colonialismo digital: com a crescente resistência à construção de datacenters nos países no norte global, empresas e governos parecem estar convencidos a trazer essas infraestruturas imensas com todos os seus impactos negativos ao sul global. Nesse episódio Yama Chiodi e Damny Laya conversam com pesquisadores, ativistas e atingidos para tentar aprofundar o debate sobre a infraestrutura material das IAs. A gente conversa sobre o que são datacenters e como eles impactam e irão impactar nossas vidas. No segundo episódio, recuperamos movimentos de resistência a sua instalação no Brasil e como nosso país se insere no debate, seguindo a perspectiva de ativistas e de pesquisadores da área que estão buscando uma regulação mais justa para esses grandes empreendimentos.  ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ROTEIRO [ vinheta da série ] [ Começa bio-unit ] YAMA: A inteligência artificial, em seus múltiplos sentidos, tem dominado a agenda pública e até mesmo o direcionamento do capital das grandes empresas de tecnologia. Mas você já parou para pensar na infraestrutura gigantesca que dê conta de sustentar o crescimento acelerado das IA? DAMNY: O futuro e o presente da inteligência artificial passa pela existência dos data centers. E agora é mais urgente que nunca a gente discutir esse assunto. Estamos vendo um movimento se concretizar, que parece mais uma forma de colonialismo digital: com a crescente resistência à construção de datacenters nos países no norte global, empresas e governos parecem estar convencidos a trazer os datacenters com todos os seus impactos negativos ao sul global. YAMA: Nós conversamos com pesquisadores, ativistas e atingidos e em dois episódios nós vamos tentar aprofundar o debate sobre a infraestrutura material das IAs. No primeiro, a gente conversa sobre o que são datacenters e como eles impactam e irão impactar nossas vidas. DAMNY: No segundo, recuperamos movimentos de resistência a sua instalação no Brasil e como nosso país se insere no debate, seguindo a perspectiva de ativistas e de pesquisadores da área que estão buscando uma regulação mais justa para esses grandes empreendimentos. [ tom baixo ] YAMA: Eu sou o Yama Chiodi, jornalista de ciência e pesquisador do campo das mudanças climáticas. Se você já é ouvinte do oxigênio pode ter me ouvido aqui na série cidade de ferro ou no episódio sobre antropoceno. Ao longo dos últimos meses investiguei os impactos ambientais das inteligências artificiais para um projeto comum entre o LABMEM, o laboratório de mudança tecnológica, energia e meio ambiente, e o oxigênio. Em setembro passado, o Damny se juntou a mim pra gente construir esses episódios juntos. E não por acaso. O Damny publicou em outubro passado um relatório sobre os impactos socioambientais dos data centers no Brasil, intitulado “Não somos quintal de data center”. O link para o relatório completo se encontra disponível na descrição do episódio. Bem-vindo ao Oxigênio, Dam. DAMNY: Oi Yama. Obrigado pelo convite pra construir junto esses episódios. YAMA: É um prazer, meu amigo. DAMNY: Eu também atuo como jornalista de ciência e sou pesquisador de governança da internet já há algum tempo. Estou agora trabalhando como jornalista e pesquisador aqui no LABJOR, mas quando escrevi o relatório eu tava trabalhando como pesquisador-consultor na ONG IDEC, Instituto de Defesa de Consumidores. YAMA: A gente começa depois da vinheta. [ Termina Bio Unit] [ Vinheta Oxigênio ] [ Começa Documentary] YAMA: Você já deve ter ouvido na cobertura midiática sobre datacenters a formulação que te diz quantos litros de água cada pergunta ao chatGPT gasta. Mas a gente aqui não gosta muito dessa abordagem. Entre outros motivos, porque ela reduz o problema dos impactos socioambientais das IA a uma questão de consumo individual. E isso é um erro tanto político como factual. Calcular quanta água gasta cada pergunta feita ao ChatGPT tira a responsabilidade das empresas e a transfere aos usuários, escondendo a verdadeira escala do problema. Mesmo que o consumo individual cresça de modo acelerado e explosivo, ele sempre vai ser uma pequena fração do problema. Data centers operam em escala industrial, computando quantidades incríveis de dados para treinar modelos e outros serviços corporativos. Um único empreendimento pode consumir em um dia mais energia do que as cidades que os abrigam consomem ao longo de um mês. DAMNY: Nos habituamos a imaginar a inteligência artificial como uma “nuvem” etérea, mas, na verdade, ela só existe a partir de data centers monstruosos que consomem quantidades absurdas de recursos naturais. Os impactos sociais e ambientais são severos. Data centers são máquinas de consumo de energia, água e terra, e criam poluição do ar e sonora, num modelo que reforça velhos padrões de racismo ambiental. O desenvolvimento dessas infraestruturas frequentemente acontece à margem das comunidades afetadas, refazendo a cartilha global da injustiça ambiental. Ao seguir suas redes, perceberemos seus impactos em rios, no solo, no ar, em territórios indígenas e no crescente aumento da demanda por minerais críticos e, por consequência, de práticas minerárias profundamente destrutivas. YAMA: De acordo com a pesquisadora Tamara Kneese, diretora do programa de Clima, Tecnologia e Justiça do instituto de pesquisa Data & Society, com quem conversamos, essa infraestrutura está criando uma nova forma de colonialismo tecnológico. Os danos ambientais são frequentemente direcionados para as comunidades mais vulneráveis, de zonas rurais às periferias dos grandes centros urbanos, que se tornam zonas de sacrifício para o progresso dessa indústria. DAMNY: Além disso, a crescente insatisfação das comunidades do Norte Global com os data centers tem provocado o efeito colonial de uma terceirização dessas estruturas para o Sul Global. E o Brasil não apenas não é exceção como parece ser um destino preferencial por sua alta oferta de energia limpa. [pausa] E com o aval do governo federal, que acaba de publicar uma medida provisória chamada REDATA, cujo objetivo é atrair data centers ao Brasil com isenção fiscal e pouquíssimas responsabilidades. [ Termina Documentary] [tom baixo ] VOICE OVER: BLOCO 1 – O QUE SÃO DATA CENTERS? YAMA: Pra entender o que são data centers, a gente precisa antes de tudo de entender que a inteligência artificial não é meramente uma nuvem etérea que só existe virtualmente. Foi assim que a gente começou nossa conversa com a pesquisadora estadunidense Tamara Kneese. Ela é diretora do programa de Clima, Tecnologia e Justiça do instituto de pesquisa Data & Society. TAMARA: PT – BR [ Eu acho que o problema da nossa relação com a computação é que a maioria parte do tempo a gente não pensa muito sobre a materialidade dos sistemas informacionais e na cadeia de suprimentos que permitem que eles existam. Tudo que a gente faz online não depende só dos nossos aparelhos, ou dos serviços de nuvem que a gente contrata, mas de uma cadeia muito maior. De onde ver o hardware que a gente usa? Que práticas de trabalho são empregadas nessa cadeia? E então, voltando à cadeia de suprimentos, pensar sobre os materiais brutos e os minerais críticos e outras formas de extração, abusos de direitos humanos e trabalhistas que estão diretamente relacionados à produção dos materiais que precisamos pra computação em geral. ] So I think, you know, the problem with our relationship to computing is that, most of the time, we don’t really think that much about the materiality of the computing system and the larger supply chain. You know, thinking about the fact that, of course, everything we do relies not just on our own device, or the particular cloud services that we subscribe to, but also on a much larger supply chain. So, where does the hardware come from, that we are using, and what kind of labor practices are going into that? And then be, you know, further back in the supply chain, thinking about raw materials and critical minerals and other forms of extraction, and human rights abuses and labor abuses that also go into the production of the raw materials that we need for computing in general. DAMNY: A Tamara já escreveu bastante sobre como a metáfora da nuvem nos engana, porque ela dificulta que a gente enxergue a cadeia completa que envolve o processamento de tantos dados. E isso se tornou uma questão muito maior com a criação dos chatbots e das IAs generativas. YAMA: Se a pandemia já representou uma virada no aumento da necessidade de processamento de dados, quando passamos a ir à escola e ao trabalho pelo computador, o boom das IA generativas criou um aumento sem precedentes da necessidade de expandir essas cadeias. DAMNY: E na ponta da infraestrutura de todas as nuvens estão os data centers. Mais do que gerar enormes impactos sócio-ambientais, eles são as melhores formas de enxergar que o ritmo atual da expansão das IAs não poderá continuar por muito tempo, por limitações físicas. Não há terra nem recursos naturais que deem conta disso. YAMA: A gente conversou com a Cynthia Picolo, que é Diretora Executiva do LAPIN, o Laboratório de Políticas Públicas e Internet. O LAPIN tem atuado muito contra a violação de direitos na implementação de data centers no Brasil e a gente ainda vai conversar mais sobre isso. DAMNY: Uma das coisas que a Cynthia nos ajudou a entender é como não podemos dissociar as IAs dos data centers. CYNTHIA: Existe uma materialidade por trás. Existe uma infraestrutura física, que são os data centers. Então os data centers são essas grandes estruturas que são capazes de armazenar, processar e transferir esses dados, que são os dados que são os processamentos que vão fazer com que a inteligência artificial possa acontecer, possa se desenvolver, então não existe sem o outro. Então falar de IA é falar de Datacenter. Então não tem como desassociar. YAMA: Mas como é um datacenter? A Tamara descreve o que podemos ver em fotos e vídeos na internet. TAMARA: [ Sim, de modo geral, podemos dizer que os data centers são galpões gigantes de chips, servidores, sistemas em redes e quando você olha pra eles, são todos muitos parecidos, prédios quadrados sem nada muito interessante. Talvez você nem saiba que é um data center se não observar as luzes e perceber que é uma estrutura enorme sem pessoas, sem trabalhadores. ] Yeah, so, you know, essentially, they’re like giant warehouses of chips, of servers, of networked systems, and, you know, they look like basically nondescript square buildings, very similar. And you wouldn’t really know that it’s a data center unless you look at the lighting, and you kind of realize that something… like, it’s not inhabited by people or workers, really. DAMNY: No próximo bloco a gente tenta resumir os principais problemas socioambientais que os data centers já causam e irão causar com muita mais intensidade no futuro. [tom baixo ] VOICE OVER: BLOCO 2 – A ENORME LISTA DE PROBLEMAS YAMA: O consumo de energia é provavelmente o problema mais conhecido dos data centers e das IAs. Segundo dados da Agência Internacional de Energia, a IEA, organização internacional da qual o Brasil faz parte, a estimativa para o ano de 2024 é que os data centers consumiram cerca de 415 TWh. A cargo de comparação, segundo a Empresa de Pesquisa Energética, instituto de pesquisa público associado ao Ministério das Minas e Energia, o Brasil consumiu no ano de 2024 cerca de 600 TWh. DAMNY: Segundo o mesmo relatório da Agência Internacional de Energia, a estimativa é que o consumo de energia elétrica por datacenters em 2030 vai ser de pelo menos 945 TWh, o que representaria 3% de todo consumo global projetado. Quando a gente olha pras estimativas de outras fontes, contudo, podemos dizer que essas são projeções até conservadoras. Especialmente considerando o impacto da popularização das chamadas LLM, ou grandes modelos de linguagem – aqueles YAMA: Ou seja, mesmo com projeções conservadoras, os data centers do mundo consumiriam em 2030, daqui a menos de cinco anos, cerca de 50% a mais de energia que o Brasil inteiro consome hoje. Segundo a IEA, em 2030 o consumo global de energia elétrica por data centers deve ser equivalente ao consumo da Índia, o país mais populoso do mundo. E há situações locais ainda mais precárias. DAMNY: É o caso da Irlanda. Segundo reportagem do New York Times publicada em outubro passado, espera-se que o consumo de energia elétrica por data centers por lá represente pelo menos 30% do consumo total do país nos próximos anos. Mas porquê os datacenters consomem tanta energia? TAMARA: [ Então, particularmente com o tipo de IA que as empresas estão investindo agora, há uma necessidade de chips e GPUs muito mais poderosos, de modo que os data centers também são sobre prover energia o suficiente pra todo esse poder computacional que demandam o treinamento e uso de grandes modelos de linguagem. Os data centers são estruturas incrivelmente demandantes de energia e água. A água em geral serve para resfriar os servidores, então tem um número considerável de sistemas de cooling que usam água. Além disso tudo, você também precisa de fontes alternativas de energia, porque algumas vezes, uma infraestrutura tão demandante de energia precisa recorrer a geradores para garantir que o data center continue funcionando caso haja algum problema na rede elétrica. ] So, you know, particularly with the kinds of AI that companies are investing in right now, there’s a need for more powerful chips, GPUs, and so Data centers are also about providing enough energy and computational power for these powerful language models to be trained and then used. And so the data center also, you know, in part because it does require so much energy, and it’s just this incredibly energy-intensive thing, you also need water. And the water comes from having to cool the servers, and so… So there are a number of different cooling systems that use water. And then on top of that, you also need backup energy sources, so sometimes, because there’s such a draw on the power grid, you have to have backup generators to make sure that the data center can keep going if something happens with the grid. YAMA: E aqui a gente começa a entender o tamanho do problema. Os data centers são muitas vezes construídos em lugares que já sofrem com infraestruturas precárias de eletricidade e com a falta de água potável. Então eles criam problemas de escassez onde não havia e aprofundam essa escassez em locais onde isso já era uma grande questão – como a região metropolitana de Fortaleza sobre a qual falaremos no próximo episódio, que está em vias de receber um enorme data center do Tiktok. DAMNY: É o que também relatam os moradores de Querétaro, no México, que vivem na região dos data centers da Microsoft. A operação dos data centers da Microsoft gerou uma crise sem precedentes, com quedas frequentes de energia e o interrompimento do abastecimento de água que muitas vezes duram semanas. Os data-centers impactaram de tal forma as comunidades que escolas cancelaram aulas e, indiretamente, foram responsáveis por uma crise de gastroenterite entre crianças. YAMA: E isso nos leva pro segundo ponto. O consumo de água, minerais críticos e outros recursos naturais. TAMARA: [O problema da energia tem recebido mais atenção, porque é uma fonte de ansiedade também. Pensar sobre o aumento da demanda de energia em tempos em que supostamente estaríamos transicionando para deixar de usar energias fósseis, o que obviamente pode ter efeitos devastadores. Mas eu acredito que num nível mais local, o consumo de água é mais relevante. Nós temos grandes empresas indo às áreas rurais do México, por exemplo, e usando toda a água disponível e basicamente deixando as pessoas sem água. E isso é incrivelmente problemático. Então isso acontece em áreas que já tem problemas de abastecimento de água, onde as pessoas já não tem muito poder de negociação com as empresas. Não têm poder político pra isso. São lugares tratados como zonas de sacrifício, algo que já vimos muitas vezes no mundo, especialmente em territórios indígenas. Então as consequências são na verdade muito maiores do que só problemas relacionados à energia. ] I think the energy problem has probably gotten the most attention, just because it is a source of anxiety, too, so thinking about, you know, energy demand at a time when we’re supposed to be transitioning away from fossil fuels. And clearly, the effects that that can have will be devastating. But I think on a local level, things like the water consumption can matter more. So, you know, if we have tech companies moving into rural areas in Mexico and, you know, using up all of their water and basically preventing people in the town from having access to water. That is incredibly problematic. So I think, you know, in water-stressed areas and areas where the people living in a place don’t have as much negotiating power with the company. Don’t have as much political power, and especially if places are basically already treated as sacrifice zones, which we’ve seen repeatedly many places in the world, with Indigenous land in particular, you know, I think the consequences may go far beyond just thinking about, you know, the immediate kind of energy-related problems. YAMA: Existem pelo menos quatro fins que tornam os data centers máquinas de consumir água. O mais direto e local é a água utilizada na refrigeração de todo equipamento que ganha temperatura nas atividades de computação, o processo conhecido como cooling. Essa prática frequentemente utiliza água potável. Apesar de já ser extremamente relevante do ponto de vista de consumo, essa é apenas uma das formas de consumo abundante de água. DAMNY: Indiretamente, os data centers também consomem a água relacionada ao seu alto consumo de energia, em especial na geração de energia elétrica em usinas hidrelétricas e termelétricas. Também atrelada ao consumo energético, está o uso nas estações de tratamento de água, que visam tratar a água com resíduos gerada pelo data center para tentar reduzir a quantidade de água limpa utilizada. YAMA: Por fim, a cadeia de suprimentos de chips e servidores que compõem os data centers requer água ultrapura e gera resíduos químicos. Ainda que se saiba que esse fator gera gastos de água e emissões de carbono relevantes, os dados são super obscuros, entre outros motivos, porque a maioria dos dados que temos sobre o consumo de água em data centers são fornecidos pelas próprias empresas. CYNTHIA: A água e os minérios são componentes também basilares para as estruturas de datacenter, que são basilares para o funcionamento da inteligência artificial. (…). E tem toda uma questão, como eu disse muitas vezes, captura um volume gigante de água doce. E essa água que é retornada para o ecossistema, muitas vezes não é compensada da água que foi capturada. Só que as empresas também têm uma promessa em alguns relatórios, você vai ver que elas têm uma promessa até de chegar em algum ponto para devolver cento e vinte por cento da água. Então a empresa está se comprometendo a devolver mais água do que ela capturou. Só que a realidade é o quê? É outra. Então, a Google, por exemplo, nos últimos cinco anos, reportou um aumento de cento e setenta e sete por cento do uso de água. A Microsoft mais trinta e oito e a Amazon sequer reporta o volume de consumo de água. Então uma lacuna tremenda para uma empresa desse porte, considerando todo o setor de Data centers. Mas tem toda essa questão da água, que é muito preocupante, não só por capturar e o tratamento dela e como ela volta para o meio ambiente, mas porque há essa disputa também com territórios que têm uma subsistência muito específica de recursos naturais, então existe uma disputa aí por esse recurso natural entre comunidade e empreendimento. DAMNY: Nessa fala da Cynthia a gente observa duas coisas importantes: a primeira é que não existe data center sem água para resfriamento, de modo que o impacto local da instalação de um empreendimento desses é uma certeza irrefutável. E é um dano contínuo. Enquanto ele estiver em operação ele precisará da água. É como se uma cidade de grande porte chegasse de repente, demandando uma quantidade de água e energia que o local simplesmente não tem para oferecer. E na hora de escolher entre as pessoas e empreendimentos multimilionários, adivinha quem fica sem água e com a energia mais cara? YAMA: A segunda coisa importante que a Cynthia fala é quando ela nos chama a atenção sobre a demanda por recursos naturais. Nós sabemos que recursos naturais são escassos. Mais do que isso, recursos naturais advindos da mineração têm a sua própria forma de impactos sociais e ambientais, o que vemos frequentemente na Amazônia brasileira. O que acontecerá com os data centers quando os recursos naturais locais já não forem suficientes para seu melhor funcionamento? Diante de uma computação que passa por constante renovação pela velocidade da obsolescência, o que acontece com o grande volume de lixo eletrônico gerado por data centers? Perguntas que não têm resposta. DAMNY: A crise geopolítica em torno dos minerais conhecidos como terra-rara mostra a complexidade política e ambiental do futuro das IA do ponto de vista material e das suas cadeias de suprimento. No estudo feito pelo LAPIN, a Cynthia nos disse que considera que esse ponto do aumento da demanda por minerais críticos que as IA causam é um dos pontos mais opacos nas comunicações das grandes empresas de tecnologia sobre o impacto de seus data centers. CYNTHIA: E outro ponto de muita, muita lacuna, que eu acho que do nosso mapeamento, desses termos mais de recursos naturais. A cadeia de extração mineral foi o que mais foi opaco, porque, basicamente, as empresas não reportam nada sobre essa extração mineral e é muito crítico, porque a gente sabe que muitos minérios vêm também de zonas de conflito. Então as grandes empresas, pelo menos as três que a gente mapeou, elas têm ali um trechinho sobre uma prestação de contas da cadeia mineral. Tudo que elas fazem é falar que elas seguem um framework específico da OCDE sobre responsabilização. YAMA: Quando as empresas falam de usar energias limpas e de reciclar a água utilizada, eles estão se desvencilhando das responsabilidades sobre seus datacenters. Energia limpa não quer dizer ausência de impacto ambiental. Pras grandes empresas, as fontes de energia limpa servem para gerar excedente e não para substituir de fato energias fósseis. Você pode ter um data center usando majoritariamente energia solar no futuro, mas isso não muda o fato de que ele precisa funcionar 24/7 e as baterias e os geradores a diesel estarão sempre lá. Além disso, usinas de reciclagem de água, fazendas de energia solar e usinas eólicas também têm impactos socioambientais importantes. O uso de recursos verdes complexifica o problema de identificar os impactos locais e responsabilidades dos data centers, mas não resolve de nenhuma forma os problemas de infraestrutura e de fornecimento de água e energia causados pelos empreendimentos. DAMNY: É por isso que a gente alerta pra não comprar tão facilmente a história de que cada pergunta pro chatGPT gasta x litros de água. Se você não perguntar nada pro chatGPT hoje, ou se fizer 1000 perguntas, não vai mudar em absolutamente nada o alto consumo de água e os impactos locais destrutivos dos data centers que estão sendo instalados a todo vapor em toda a América Latina. A quantidade de dados e de computação que uma big tech usa para treinar seus modelos, por exemplo, jamais poderá ser equiparada ao consumo individual de chatbots. É como comparar as campanhas que te pedem pra fechar a torneira ao escovar os dentes, enquanto o agro gasta em minutos água que você não vai gastar na sua vida inteira. Em resumo, empresas como Google, Microsoft, Meta e Amazon só se responsabilizam pelos impactos diretamente causados por seus data centers e, mesmo assim, é uma responsabilização muito entre aspas, à base de greenwashing. Você já ouviu falar de greenwashing? CYNTHIA: Essa expressão em inglês nada mais é do que a tradução literal, que é o discurso verde. (…)É justamente o que a gente está conversando. É justamente quando uma empresa finge se preocupar com o meio ambiente para parecer sustentável, mas, na prática, as ações delas não trazem esses benefícios reais e, pelo contrário, às vezes trazem até danos para o meio ambiente. Então, na verdade, é uma forma até de manipular, ou até mesmo enganar as pessoas, os usuários daqueles sistemas ou serviços com discursos e campanhas com esses selos verdes, mas sem comprovar na prática. YAMA: Nesse contexto, se torna primordial que a gente tenha mais consciência de toda a infraestrutura material que está por trás da inteligência artificial. Como nos resumiu bem a Tamara: TAMARA: [ Eu acredito que ter noção da infraestrutura completa que envolve a cadeia da IA realmente ajuda a entender a situação. Mesmo que você esteja usando, supostamente, energia renovável para construir e operar um data center, você ainda vai precisar de muitos outros materiais, chips, minerais e outras coisas com suas próprias cadeias de suprimento. Ou seja, independente da forma de energia utilizada, você ainda vai causar dano às comunidades e destruição ambiental. ] But that… I think that is why having a sense of the entire AI supply chain is really helpful, just in terms of thinking about, you know, even if you’re, in theory, using renewable energy to build a data center, you still are relying on a lot of other materials, including chips, including minerals, and other things that. (…) We’re still, you know, possibly going to be harming communities and causing environmental disruption. [ tom baixo ] YAMA: Antes de a gente seguir pro último bloco, eu queria só dizer que a entrevista completa com a Dra. Tamara Kneese foi bem mais longa e publicada na íntegra no blog do GEICT. O link para a entrevista tá na descrição do episódio, mas se você preferir pode ir direto no bloco do GEICT. [ tom baixo ] VOICE OVER: BLOCO 3 – PROBLEMAS GLOBAIS, PROBLEMAS LOCAIS YAMA: Mesmo conhecendo as cadeias, as estratégias de greenwashing trazem um grande problema à tona, que é uma espécie de terceirização das responsabilidades. As empresas trazem medidas compensatórias que não diminuem em nada o impacto local dos seus data centers. Então tem uma classe de impactos que são globais, como as emissões de carbono e o aumento da demanda por minerais críticos, por exemplo. E globais no sentido de que eles são parte relevante dos impactos dos data centers, mas não estão impactando exatamente nos locais onde foram construídos. CYNTHIA: Google, por exemplo, nesse recorte que a gente fez da pesquisa dos últimos cinco anos, ela simplesmente reportou um aumento de emissão de carbono em setenta e três por cento. Não é pouca coisa. A Microsoft aumentou no escopo dois, que são as emissões indiretas, muito por conta de data centers, porque tem uma diferenciação por escopo, quando a gente fala de emissão de gases, a Microsoft, nesse período de cinco anos, ela quadruplicou o tanto que ela tem emitido. A Amazon aumentou mais de trinta por cento. Então a prática está mostrando que essas promessas estão muito longe de serem atingidas. Só que aí entra um contexto mais de narrativa. Por que elas têm falado e prometido a neutralidade de carbono? Porque há um mecanismo de compensação. (…) Então elas falam que estão correndo, correndo para atingir essa meta de neutralidade de carbono, mas muito por conta dos instrumentos de compensação, compensação ou de crédito de carbono ou, enfim, para uso de energias renováveis. Então se compra esse certificado, se fazem esses contratos, mas, na verdade, não está tendo uma redução de emissão. Está tendo uma compensação. (…) Essa compensação é um mecanismo financeiro, no final do dia. Porque, quando você, enquanto empresa, trabalha na compensação dos seus impactos ambientais e instrumentos contratuais, você está ignorando o impacto local. Então, se eu estou emitindo impactando aqui o Brasil, e estou comprando crédito de carbono em projetos em outra área, o impacto local do meu empreendimento está sendo ignorado. YAMA: E os impactos materiais locais continuam extremamente relevantes. Além do impacto nas infraestruturas locais de energia e de água sobre as quais a gente já falou, há muitas reclamações sobre a poluição do ar gerada pelos geradores, as luzes que nunca desligam e até mesmo a poluição sonora. A Tamara nos contou de um caso curioso de um surto de distúrbios de sono e de enxaqueca que tomou regiões de data centers nos Estados Unidos. TAMARA: [ Uma outra coisa que vale ser lembrada: as pessoas que vivem perto dos data centers tem nos contado que eles são super barulhentos, eles também relatam a poluição visual causada pelas luzes e a poluição sonora. Foi interessante ouvir de comunidades próximas a data centers de mineração de criptomoedas, por exemplo, que os moradores começaram a ter enxaquecas e distúrbios de sono por viverem próximos das instalações. E além de tudo isso, ainda tem a questão da poluição do ar, que é visível a olho nu. Há muitas partículas no ar onde há geradores movidos a diesel para garantir que a energia esteja sempre disponível. ] And the other thing is, you know, for people who live near them, they’re very loud, and so if you talk to people who live near data centers, they will talk about the light pollution, the noise pollution. And it’s been interesting, too, to hear from communities that are near crypto mining facilities, because they will complain of things like migraine headaches and sleep deprivation from living near the facilities. And, you know, the other thing is that the air pollution is quite noticeable. So there’s a lot of particulate matter, particularly in the case of using diesel-fueled backup generators as an energy stopgap. DAMNY: E do ponto de vista dos impactos locais, há um fator importantíssimo que não pode ser esquecido: território. Data centers podem ser gigantes, mas ocupam muito mais espaço que meramente seus prédios, porque sua cadeia de suprimentos demanda isso. Como a água e a energia chegarão até os prédios? Mesmo que sejam usados fontes renováveis de energia, onde serão instaladas as fazendas de energia solar ou as usinas de energia eólica e de tratamento de água? Onde a água contaminada e/ou tratada será descartada? Quem vai fiscalizar? YAMA: E essa demanda sem fim por território esbarra justamente nas questões de racismo ambiental. Porque os territórios que são sacrificados para que os empreendimentos possam funcionar, muito frequentemente, são onde vivem povos originários e populações marginalizadas. Aqui percebemos que a resistência local contra a instalação de data centers é, antes de qualquer coisa, uma questão de justiça ambiental. É o caso de South Memphis nos Estados Unidos, por exemplo. TAMARA: [ Pensando particularmente sobre os tipos de danos causados pelos data centers, não é somente a questão da conta de energia ficar mais cara, ou quantificar a quantidade de energia e água gasta por data centers específicos. A verdadeira questão, na minha opinião, é a relação que existe entre esses danos socioambientais, danos algorítmicos e o racismo ambiental e outras formas de impacto às comunidades que lidam com isso a nível local. Especialmente nos Estados Unidos, com todo esse histórico de supremacia branca e a falta de direitos civis, não é coincidência que locais onde estão comunidades negras, por exemplo, sejam escolhidos como zonas de sacrifício. As comunidades negras foram historicamente preferenciais para todo tipo de empreendimento que demanda sacrificar território, como estradas interestaduais, galpões da Amazon… quer dizer, os data centers são apenas a continuação dessa política histórica de racismo ambiental. E tudo isso se soma aos péssimos acordos feitos a nível local, onde um prefeito e outras lideranças governamentais pensam que estão recebendo algo de grande valor econômico. Em South Memphis, por exemplo, o data center é da xAI. Então você para pra refletir como essa plataforma incrivelmente racista ainda tem a audácia de poluir terras de comunidades negras ainda mais ] I think, the way of framing particular kinds of harm, so, you know, it’s not just about, you know, people’s energy bills going up, or, thinking about how we quantify the energy use or the water use of particular data centers, but really thinking about the relationship between a lot of those social harms and algorithmic harms and the environmental racism and other forms of embodied harms that communities are dealing with on that hyper-local level. And, you know, in this country, with its history of white supremacy and just general lack of civil rights, you know, a lot of the places where Black communities have traditionally been, tend to be, you know, the ones sacrificed for various types of development, like, you know, putting up interstates, putting up warehouses for Amazon and data centers are just a continuation of the what was already happening. And then you have a lot of crooked deals on the local level, where, you know, maybe a mayor and other local officials think that they’re getting something economically of value. In South Memphis, the data center is connected to x AI. And so thinking about this platform that is so racist and so incredibly harmful to Black communities, you know, anyway, and then has the audacity to actually pollute their land even more. DAMNY: Entrando na questão do racismo ambiental a gente se encaminha para o nosso segundo episódio, onde vamos tentar entender como o Brasil se insere na questão dos data centers e como diferentes setores da população estão se organizando para resistir. Antes de encerrar esse episódio, contudo, a gente traz brevemente pra conversa dois personagens que vão ser centrais no próximo episódio. YAMA: Eles nos ajudam a compreender como precisamos considerar a questão dos territórios ao avaliar os impactos. Uma dessas pessoas é a Andrea Camurça, do Instituto Terramar, que está lutando junto ao povo Anacé pelo direito de serem consultados sobre a construção de um data center do TIKTOK em seus territórios. Eu trago agora um trechinho dela falando sobre como mesmo medidas supostamente renováveis se tornam violações territoriais num contexto de racismo ambiental. ANDREA: A gente recebeu notícias agora, recentemente, inclusive ontem, que está previsto um mega empreendimento solar que vai ocupar isso mais para a região do Jaguaribe, que vai ocupar, em média, de equivalente a seiscentos campos de futebol. Então, o que isso representa é a perda de terra. É a perda de água. É a perda do território. É uma diversidade de danos aos povos e comunidades tradicionais que não são reconhecidos, são invisibilizados. Então é vendido como território sem gente, sendo que essas energias chegam dessa forma. Então, assim a gente precisa discutir sobre energias renováveis. A gente precisa discutir sobre soberania energética. A gente precisa discutir sobre soberania digital, sim, mas construída a partir da necessidade do local da soberania dessas populações. DAMNY: A outra pessoa que eu mencionei é uma liderança Indígena, o cacique Roberto Anacé. Fazendo uma ótima conexão que nos ajuda a perceber como os impactos globais e locais dos data centers estão conectados, ele observa como parecemos entrar num novo momento do colonialismo, onde a soberania digital e ambiental do Brasil volta a estar em risco, indo de encontro à violação de terras indígenas. CACIQUE ROBERTO: Há um risco para a questão da biodiversidade, da própria natureza da retirada da água, do aumento de energia, mas também não somente para o território da Serra, mas para todos que fazem uso dos dados. Ou quem expõe esses dados. Ninguém sabe da mão de quem vai ficar, quem vai controlar quem vai ordenar? E para que querem essa colonização? Eu chamo assim que é a forma que a gente tem essa colonização de dados. Acredito eu que a invasão do Brasil em mil e quinhentos foi de uma forma. Agora nós temos a invasão de nossas vidas, não somente para os indígenas, mas de todos, muitas vezes que fala muito bem, mas não sabe o que vai acontecer depois que esses dados estão guardados. Depois que esses dados vão ser utilizados, para que vão ser utilizados, então esses agravos. Ele é para além do território indígena na série. [ tom baixo ] [ Começa Bio Unit ] YAMA: A pesquisa, entrevistas e apresentação desse episódio foi feita pelo Damny Laya e por mim, Yama Chiodi. Eu também fiz o roteiro e a produção. Quem narrou a tradução das falas da Tamara foi Mayra Trinca. O Oxigênio é um podcast produzido pelos alunos do Laboratório de Estudos Avançados em Jornalismo da Unicamp e colaboradores externos. Tem parceria com a Secretaria Executiva de Comunicação da Unicamp e apoio do Serviço de Auxílio ao Estudante, da Unicamp. Além disso, contamos com o apoio da FAPESP, que financia bolsas como a que nos apoia neste projeto de divulgação científica. DAMNY: A lista completa de créditos para os sons e músicas utilizados você encontra na descrição do episódio. Você encontra todos os episódios no site oxigenio.comciencia.br e na sua plataforma preferida. No Instagram e no Facebook você nos encontra como Oxigênio Podcast. Segue lá pra não perder nenhum episódio! Aproveite para deixar um comentário. [ Termina Bio Unit ] [ Vinheta Oxigênio ] Créditos: Aerial foi composta por Bio Unit; Documentary por Coma-Media. Ambas sob licença Creative Commons. Os sons de rolha e os loops de baixo são da biblioteca de loops do Garage Band. Roteiro, produção: Yama Chiodi Pesquisa: Yama Chiodi, Damny Laya Narração: Yama Chiodi, Danny Laya, Mayra Trinca Entrevistados: Tamara Kneese, Cynthia Picolo, Andrea Camurça e Cacique Roberto Anacé __________ Descendo a toca do coelho da IA: Data Centers e os Impactos Materiais da “Nuvem” – Uma entrevista com Tamara Kneese: https://www.blogs.unicamp.br/geict/2025/11/06/descendo-a-toca-do-coelho-da-ia-data-centers-e-os-impactos-materiais-da-nuvem-uma-entrevista-com-tamara-kneese/ Não somos quintal de data centers: Um estudo sobre os impactos socioambientais e climáticos dos data centers na América Latina: https://idec.org.br/publicacao/nao-somos-quintal-de-data-centers Outras referências e fontes consultadas: Relatórios técnicos e dados oficiais: IEA (2025), Energy and AI, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai, Licence: CC BY 4.0 “Inteligência Artificial e Data Centers: A Expansão Corporativa em Tensão com a Justiça Socioambiental”. Lapin. https://lapin.org.br/2025/08/11/confira-o-relatorio-inteligencia-artificial-e-data-centers-a-expansao-corporativa-em-tensao-com-a-justica-socioambiental/ Estudo de mercado sobre Power & Cooling de Data Centers. DCD – DATA CENTER DYNAMICS.https://media.datacenterdynamics.com/media/documents/Report_Power__Cooling_2025_PT.pdf Pílulas – Impactos ambientais da Inteligência Artificial. IPREC. https://ip.rec.br/publicacoes/pilulas-impactos-ambientais-da-inteligencia-artificial/ Policy Brief: IA, data centers e os impactos ambientais. IPREC https://ip.rec.br/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Policy-Paper-IA-e-Data-Centers.pdf MEDIDA PROVISÓRIA Nº 1.318, DE 17 DE SETEMBRO DE 2025 https://www.in.gov.br/en/web/dou/-/medida-provisoria-n-1.318-de-17-de-setembro-de-2025-656851861 Infográfico sobre minerais críticos usados em Data Centers do Serviço de Geologia do Governo dos EUA https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/key-minerals-data-centers-infographic Notícias e reportagens: From Mexico to Ireland, Fury Mounts Over a Global A.I. Frenzy. Paul Mozur, Adam Satariano e Emiliano Rodríguez Mega. The New York Times, 20/10/2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/technology/ai-data-center-backlash-mexico-ireland.html Movimentos pedem ao MP fim de licença de data center no CE. Maristela Crispim, EcoNordeste. 25/08/2025. https://agenciaeconordeste.com.br/sustentabilidade/movimentos-pedem-ao-mp-fim-de-licenca-de-data-center-no-ce/#:~:text=’N%C3%A3o%20somos%20contra%20o%20progresso’&text=Para%20o%20cacique%20Roberto%20Anac%C3%A9,ao%20meio%20ambiente%E2%80%9D%2C%20finaliza. ChatGPT Is Everywhere — Why Aren’t We Talking About Its Environmental Costs? Lex McMenamin. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/chatgpt-is-everywhere-environmental-costs-oped Data centers no Nordeste, minérios na África, lucros no Vale do Silício. Le Monde Diplomatique, 11 jun. 2025. Accioly Filho. https://diplomatique.org.br/data-centers-no-nordeste-minerios-na-africa-lucros-no-vale-do-silicio/. The environmental footprint of data centers in the United States. Md Abu Bakar Siddik et al 2021 Environ. Res. Lett. 16064017: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abfba1 Tecnología en el desierto – El debate por los data centers y la crisis hídrica en Uruguay. MUTA, 30 nov. Soledad Acunã https://mutamag.com/cyberpunk/tecnologia-en-el-desierto/. Acesso em: 17 set. 2025. Las zonas oscuras de la evaluación ambiental que autorizó “a ciegas” el megaproyecto de Google en Cerrillos. CIPER Chile, 25 maio 2020. https://www.ciperchile.cl/2020/05/25/las-zonas-oscuras-de-la-evaluacion-ambiental-que-autorizo-aciegas-el-megaproyecto-de-google-en-cerrillos/. Acesso em: 17 set. 2025. Thirsty data centres spring up in water-poor Mexican town. Context, 6 set. 2024. https://www.context.news/ai/thirsty-data-centres-spring-up-in-water-poor-mexican-town BNDES lança linha de R$ 2 bilhões para data centers no Brasil. https://agenciadenoticias.bndes.gov.br/industria/BNDES-lanca-linha-de-R$-2-bilhoes-para-data-centersno-Brasil/. Los centros de datos y sus costos ocultos en México, Chile, EE UU, Países Bajos y Sudáfrica. WIRED, 29 maio 2025. Anna Lagos https://es.wired.com/articulos/los-costos-ocultos-del-desarrollo-de-centros-de-datos-en-mexico-chile-ee-uu-paises-bajos-y-sudafrica Big Tech's data centres will take water from world's driest areas. Eleanor Gunn. SourceMaterial, 9 abr. 2025. https://www.source-material.org/amazon-microsoft-google-trump-data-centres-water-use/ Indígenas pedem que MP atue para derrubar licenciamento ambiental de data center do TikTok. Folha de S.Paulo, 26 ago. 2025. https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/mercado/2025/08/indigenas-pedem-que-mp-atue-para-derrubar-licenciamento-ambiental-de-data-center-do-tiktok.shtml The data center boom in the desert. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116287/ai-data-centers-nevada-water-reno-computing-environmental-impact/ Conferências, artigos acadêmicos e jornalísticos: Why are Tech Oligarchs So Obsessed with Energy and What Does That Mean for Democracy? Tamara Kneese. Tech Policy Press. https://www.techpolicy.press/why-are-tech-oligarchs-so-obsessed-with-energy-and-what-does-that-mean-for-democracy/ Data Center Boom Risks Health of Already Vulnerable Communities. Cecilia Marrinan. Tech Policy Press. https://www.techpolicy.press/data-center-boom-risks-health-of-already-vulnerable-communities/ RARE/EARTH: The Geopolitics of Critical Minerals and the AI Supply Chain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxVM3cAxHfg Understanding AI with Data & Society / The Environmental Costs of AI Are Surging – What Now? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4hQFR8Z7k0 IA e data centers: expansão corporativa em tensão com justiça socioambiental. Camila Cristina da Silva, Cynthia Picolo G. de Azevedo. https://www.jota.info/opiniao-e-analise/colunas/ia-regulacao-democracia/ia-e-data-centers-expansao-corporativa-em-tensao-com-justica-socioambiental LI, P.; YANG, J.; ISLAM, M. A.; REN, S. Making AI Less “Thirsty”: Uncovering and Addressing the Secret Water Footprint of AI Models. arXiv, 2304.03271, 26 mar. 2025. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2304.03271 LIU, Y.; WEI, X.; XIAO, J.; LIU, Z.;XU, Y.; TIAN, Y. Energy consumption and emission mitigation prediction based on data center traffic and PUE for global data centers. Global Energy Interconnection, v. 3, n.3, p. 272-282, 3 jun. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloei.2020.07.008 SIDDIK, M. A. B.; SHEHABI, A.; MARSTON, L. The environmental footprint of data centers in the United States. Environmental Research Letters, v. 16, n. 6, 21 maio 2021. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abfba1 Las Mentiras de Microsoft en Chile: Una Empresa No tan Verde. Por Rodrigo Vallejos de Resistencia Socioambiental de Quilicura. Revista De Frente, 18 mar. 2022. https://www.revistadefrente.cl/las-mentiras-de-microsoft-en-chile-una-empresa-no-tan-verde-porrodrigo-vallejos-de-resistencia-socioambiental-de-quilicura/. Acesso em: 17 set. 2025.

Descripción de "Aero-Tips" Resumen de las noticias mas importantes de la semana en Aviación Digital:1. Energía de Fusión y el Helio-3 Lunar:Se aborda la inminente necesidad de un cambio de paradigma energético global, con proyecciones de una demanda de más de 60.000 TWh extras para 2050,. Se detalla el avance en la fusión nuclear terrestre (con logros como el récord de confinamiento de plasma del tokamak WEST y el progreso del ITER),. Este progreso está estrechamente ligado a la Luna, considerada la clave energética de una generación debido a su abundancia de Helio-3, un isótopo ideal para reacciones de fusión limpias,,,. Este recurso ha desatado una carrera geoestratégica, con programas ambiciosos de China (Chang'e), Estados Unidos (Artemis) y la estrategia de cadena de suministro lunar de Japón,,.2. Crisis de los Motores Pratt & Whitney GTF:Se analiza la problemática que afecta a la familia de motores PW1000G (GTF), que equipa a aviones como el Airbus A320neo, causada por un defecto en el *powder metal* de componentes críticos,. Esta situación ha obligado a la retirada masiva de cientos de aeronaves (afectando entre el 28-30% de la flota con GTF),, saturando los centros de mantenimiento (MRO) y provocando pérdidas operacionales a más de 40 aerolíneas,,.3. Transformación del Ejército del Aire y del Espacio de España: Se examina la profunda transformación de la fuerza aérea española, impulsada por la necesidad de una disuasión creíble ante amenazas modernas como misiles hipersónicos y drones,. La hoja de ruta para 2026 se centra en el "Combate Colaborativo" (FCAS/NGWS), la consolidación del Dominio Espacial y la adquisición de capacidades clave, como los cazas Eurofighter Halcón y los aviones de reabastecimiento A330 MRTT,,.4. El Enigma del Vuelo 19:Se relata la desaparición de cinco torpederos TBM Avenger de la Marina de EE. UU. el 5 de diciembre de 1945, evento que se convirtió en el pilar del mito moderno del Triángulo de las Bermudas,. La explicación técnica más aceptada apunta a una combinación de desorientación del líder, fallos en los instrumentos y malas condiciones meteorológicas, aunque la ausencia de restos mantiene el misterio,,.5. Logística Espacial y Vigilancia Orbital:Se cubre la reciente congestión logística en la Estación Espacial Internacional (EEI), que operó como un "hub" con siete vehículos (incluyendo cargueros Dragon, Progress y la nave japonesa HTV-X) acoplados simultáneamente,. Además, se reportó que el Sol emitió una llamarada solar extrema (X1.9), destacando el riesgo de estas erupciones para la precisión del GPS y las comunicaciones de alta frecuencia (HF) en la aviación,.6. Regulación Aeronáutica Global:Se informa sobre la renovación de la Comisión de Navegación Aérea (ANC) de la OACI, el cerebro técnico que establece los estándares operacionales (SARPs y PANS) globales,. Se destaca el nombramiento del canadiense Frédéric Fachinan como nuevo Presidente y la consolidación de la posición de España con la reelección de Ismael Pacheco,.

C'est une idée qui semblait folle il y a dix ans et qui, aujourd'hui, commence à s'installer dans les foyers : utiliser la chaleur produite par le minage de bitcoin pour se chauffer… et alléger sa facture d'électricité. Le principe est simple : une machine qui mine du bitcoin consomme de l'électricité pour faire des calculs cryptographiques, et toute cette énergie finit inévitablement sous forme de chaleur. Plutôt que de la laisser se perdre, certains s'en servent comme radiateur. Autrement dit : un appareil qui chauffe et rapporte quelques euros.Aux États-Unis, où le prix du kilowatt-heure est particulièrement bas, ces « radiateurs-mineurs » connaissent un véritable essor. Des particuliers racontent chauffer entièrement leur maison avec ces appareils, tout en recevant régulièrement des fractions de bitcoin en récompense. Selon la plateforme K33, toute l'industrie mondiale du minage génère environ 100 TWh de chaleur par an, soit de quoi chauffer un pays entier comme la Finlande. Une énergie jusqu'ici gaspillée, désormais réutilisée.En France, le phénomène reste marginal mais progresse depuis la remontée spectaculaire du cours du bitcoin. Depuis 2024, plusieurs fabricants commercialisent des radiateurs silencieux, qui ressemblent à des appareils classiques, mais embarquent un circuit de minage relié à Internet. L'utilisateur chauffe sa pièce tout en participant au réseau Bitcoin. Il peut ensuite échanger les bitcoins obtenus contre des euros, réduisant ainsi sa facture d'électricité. Les prix varient de 350 euros pour chauffer 15 m² à plus de 1.000 euros pour des surfaces de 40 à 50 m². On en trouve même dans une boutique spécialisée du 18ᵉ arrondissement de Paris.Les partisans de ces appareils affirment que leur chaleur est plus homogène grâce à la ventilation interne, et qu'en combinant plusieurs machines au sein de grandes « pools » de minage, la rentabilité peut devenir intéressante. Mais elle dépend de trois variables : le prix du bitcoin, le coût local du kilowatt-heure, et la part de puissance réellement fournie par le pool. Certains voient dans cette pratique un « ticket de loterie » : une infime chance d'obtenir la récompense d'un bloc complet de bitcoin, ce qui représenterait plusieurs dizaines de milliers d'euros.Cependant, cette stratégie n'est pas miraculeuse. En France, l'électricité reste plus chère qu'aux États-Unis ; le retour sur investissement est donc plus long, parfois incertain. Pour beaucoup d'utilisateurs, l'intérêt est autant économique qu'idéologique : participer à la sécurisation du réseau Bitcoin tout en récupérant gratuitement une chaleur qu'ils auraient payée autrement. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Kanzler in der Klemme – Europa am Kipppunkt +++ Merz klebt an Weimer – aus Minister-Skandal wird Kanzlerkrise +++ Berliner SPD zerlegt sich selbst – Doppelspitze weg, Umfragen im Keller +++ Schleswig-Holstein: Günther wiedergewählt – mit Ansagen zu AfD und Klimapolitik +++ Windpark im Reinhardswald: Trinkwasser in Gefahr durch Alt-Tanks? +++ Atomausstieg-Studie: 800 TWh weg, 733 Mio. Tonnen CO₂ oben drauf +++ Europas Friedensplan: Tür zur G8 für Putin, Druck auf Selenskyj +++ Washington rügt Europa: Massenzuwanderung bedroht den Westen +++ Migration: USA greifen ein +++ TE-Energiewendewetter +++ RealUnit Schweiz AG – Vermögensschutz vor Inflation, Krisen und Enteignung. Informieren Sie sich jetzt und schützen Sie Ihre Ersparnisse! www.realunit.de. Wer die RealUnit-Aktie als Token kauft, erhält dazu bis 31.12.2025 eine limitierte Token-Münze. Tracking-Link https://realunit.de/token-kaufen//?utm_campaign=23626031-Tichys&utm_source=tewecker&utm_medium=YTlink10 Webseite: https://www.tichyseinblick.de

L'ennesimo vertice sull'ex Ilva, tenutosi a Palazzo Chigi sotto il coordinamento del sottosegretario Alfredo Mantovano (nella foto), non ha portato a risultati concreti. I segretari generali di Fim, Fiom e Uilm hanno accusato il ministro Urso di "tradimento" e chiesto l'intervento diretto della presidente del Consiglio. Secondo i sindacati, il governo avrebbe presentato un piano di chiusura, con 6.000 cassintegrati, invece del piano di riconversione atteso. L'esecutivo ha illustrato un piano operativo a "ciclo corto", che riduce a quattro anni il percorso di decarbonizzazione ma prevede l'aumento del numero di dipendenti in cassa integrazione a 5.700 unità, poi 6.000 da gennaio. Urso avrebbe inoltre confermato l'esistenza di una "trattativa riservata" con un nuovo operatore interessato all'ex Ilva, oltre ai fondi Bedrock e Flacks, che avrebbero offerto zero euro per gli asset. Secondo Il Sole 24 Ore, ci sarebbero stati contatti anche con Qatar Steel, che però non ha ancora presentato una manifestazione formale di interesse. I tempi per la cessione di Acciaierie d'Italia si allungano e potrebbe rendersi necessario un nuovo intervento pubblico, forse in legge di bilancio, per garantire la continuità operativa. Intanto, il governo avrebbe chiesto a Eni un supporto tecnico per stabilizzare il costo del gas, elemento cruciale per il futuro impianto di preridotto (Dri) e per la riconversione verde dell'acciaieria. I sindacati restano preoccupati per i tagli e chiedono un coinvolgimento diretto dello Stato nel piano industriale. Ne parliamo con Paolo Bricco, Il Sole 24 OreTir, imprese e associazioni di categoria contro divieto di sorpasso in A1. Salvini avvia un tavolo tecnicoIl ministro dei Trasporti Matteo Salvini ha deciso di istituire un tavolo tecnico con le rappresentanze del settore autotrasporto per discutere il divieto di sorpasso ai mezzi pesanti sull'A1, introdotto da Autostrade per l'Italia dal 3 novembre. La misura, sperimentale per sei mesi, riguarda il tratto tra Incisa-Reggello e Chiusi, lungo circa 90 chilometri, e si applica ai veicoli sopra le 12 tonnellate. Le sanzioni per chi viola il divieto arrivano a 666 euro, con sospensione della patente e decurtazione di punti. Le associazioni di categoria, tra cui FAI, Fiap e Trasportounito, criticano la decisione, definendola un provvedimento unilaterale che penalizza il settore e aggrava le difficoltà operative. Il presidente della FAI, Paolo Uggè, ha chiesto la sospensione immediata delle sanzioni e la convocazione urgente di un tavolo di confronto. Dopo i primi giorni di applicazione del divieto, le imprese segnalano ritardi nelle consegne, code e disagi, con ripercussioni anche sulla E45. Le associazioni temono conseguenze economiche e di sicurezza, ribadendo che la sicurezza stradale non può essere perseguita a scapito della sostenibilità del trasporto. Interviene Paolo Uggè, Presidente Conftrasporto e FAI (Federazione Autotrasportatori Italiani).A2a, in 9 mesi ricavi in crescita ma cala l'utileA2a ha presentato i conti dei primi nove mesi dell'anno e il nuovo piano strategico al 2035, che prevede investimenti complessivi per 23 miliardi di euro, di cui 16 destinati alla transizione energetica e 7 all'economia circolare. Il gruppo punta alla neutralità climatica entro il 2050 e a un'espansione in nuovi mercati europei. Tuttavia, i conti trimestrali hanno deluso i mercati: a fronte di ricavi in crescita del 12% a 10,17 miliardi, il margine operativo lordo è sceso del 4% a 1,73 miliardi, l'utile operativo dell'11% a 956 milioni e l'utile netto del 19% a 581 milioni, soprattutto per la riduzione della produzione idroelettrica (-26%). Il gruppo conferma comunque le stime annuali. A2a ha inoltre costituito A2a Life Ventures, dedicata allo sviluppo di soluzioni digitali e di intelligenza artificiale, e ha siglato un PPA quindicennale con Erg per la fornitura di 2,7 TWh di energia eolica a partire dal 2027. Il 70% degli investimenti effettuati nei primi nove mesi è in linea con la tassonomia europea, rappresentando oltre la metà degli investimenti italiani conformi. Crescono anche la capacità installata delle reti elettriche (+67%) e la vendita di elettricità verde (+43%). Affrontiamo il tema proprio con Renato Mazzoncini, Ad A2a.

Investment in wind energy generated a net financial benefit of more than £100bn for energy consumers between 2010 and 2023, challenging misconceptions about the cost of the green energy transition, a new UCL study has shown. The study, published in UCL Open Environment, found that between 2010 to 2023 wind-generated energy lowered electricity bills by £14.2bn and cut the cost of natural gas by £133.3bn. When offset by the £43.2bn in green subsidies consumers paid through their bills, the net result was a reduction of £104.3bn in UK energy bills over the 13-year period. Wind power helping reduce energy bills As delegates prepare for COP30 in Brazil, the report's conclusions re-focus attention on the UK's green energy transition and challenge the argument that sustainability, affordability, and energy security are in conflict with each other. Crucially, the study's authors argue that investment in wind energy should be viewed as a public good whereby government support directly benefits consumers and industry. To assess the financial impact of wind power on the UK energy market, the researchers modelled the long-term Merit Order Effect (MOE), the mechanism by which introducing low-cost renewable energy lowers wholesale electricity prices. Unlike previous analyses, which have only considered short-term MOE, this approach considers the potential cost of constructing new gas capacity, providing a fuller picture and a more realistic reflection of how the energy market would respond over time. Models that only considered short-term MOE calculated the net benefit at just £0.9bn. In contrast, this study takes into account that had the UK continued to invest in gas instead of wind generation throughout the 2010s, demand for gas would have significantly increased and therefore led to higher prices today. However, the UK saw an expansion of wind capacity during this period from just five terra-watt hours (TWh) to 80 TWh, which was 30% of electricity generation in the UK. The study shows that this expansion of wind capacity in fact pushed gas generators out of the market and lowered electricity prices for consumers. Lead author Colm O'Shea (UCL Geography) said: "Far from being a financial burden, this study demonstrates how wind generation has consistently delivered substantial financial benefits to the UK. To put it into context, this net benefit of £104bn is larger than the additional £90bn the UK has spent on gas since 2021 as a result of rising prices related to the war in Ukraine." While good news for consumers, these lower market prices mean the wind generators themselves earn less per unit of energy, limiting their own profitability as they cannibalise their own market. The study proves that the profitability of the wind energy sector should not be seen as a measure of its financial value. Lead author Colm O'Shea said: "The simplistic assessment that the wind industry is a drag on the UK economy is deeply mistaken. It is perfectly possible for the wind industry to be consistently unprofitable without government support yet still deliver a net financial and economic benefit to the country. This study demonstrates why we should reframe our understanding of green investment from costly environmental subsidy to a high-return national investment." The study also calls into question the fairness of the current funding model. Currently, electricity users pay 100% of green subsidies used to aid the green transition but receive only 18% of the financial benefit. Meanwhile, natural gas users, who pay nothing toward wind investment, have enjoyed 82% of the benefit since 2010. Co-author Professor Mark Maslin (UCL Geography) said: "The study raises serious questions about the fairness of who funds our transition to renewables and who benefits. Right now, the biggest winners are not the investors, wind generation firms or even electricity consumers who foot the bill for subsidies - it is natural gas consumers, who benefit from reduced househol...

Anyone who has visited Norway in recent years will be struck at the advance the country has made with electric vehicles and its charging infrastructure.Should this be rolled out across Europe, EVs could consume just over 100 TWh by 2030. What will be the impact on  grids, heavy goods transport and supply chains?Listen to a discussion on the challenges faced in the electrification of transport, especially the impact that the electrification of heavy goods vehicles will have on grids. What solutions does Europe need to deploy in order to cope with the rollout of high-speed EV charging stations?Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel NewsContributor: Gert Ove Mollestad - Norway Editor, Montel NewsGuests:Wenche Teigland - CEO, FountShan Tomouk - BESS and Energy Research Lead, Benchmark Minerals IntelligenceEditor: Bled MaliqiProducer: Sarah Knowles

Dresden beerdigt grüne Träume: „Ein System, dem die Energie ausgeht“ Energie‑Realität vs. Politik: Prof. Michael Beckmann von der TU Dresden analysierte bei dem Kraftwerkstechnischen Kolloquium in Dresden in dieser Woche den 10‑Punkte‑Plan, den Wirtschaftsministerin Reiche vorgelegt hatte: geplanter Strom 900–1100 TWh, realistischer Bedarf 1400–1600 TWh, wobei der erhebliche Bedarf für KI noch nicht eingerechnet ist. „Markt‑ & systemdienlich“ sei ein Euphemismus – die Kosten tragen Netze, Speicher und gesicherte Leistung. Wasserstoff? „Wir importieren Verluste.“ Seine Empfehlung: Technologieoffenheit (inkl. Kernkraft) und ehrliche Bedarfsermittlung. Dresden beerdigt grüne Träume – jetzt das Interview bei TE. Oder: "Wer Energiepolitik gegen Physik, Markt und Realität macht, darf sich nicht wundern, wenn am Ende der Fuchs die Hühner zählt.“ Webseite: https://www.tichyseinblick.de

It's EV News Briefly for Saturday 04 October 2025, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show. Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDaily HYUNDAI CUTS 2026 IONIQ 5 PRICES https://evne.ws/4nYNNtJ FORD Q3 ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES REPORT https://evne.ws/3KrEGDF GM SEES RECORD Q3 EV SALES IN THE U.S. https://evne.ws/4gU3Ne8 CHEVROLET EQUINOX EV RISES TO SECOND IN EV SALES https://evne.ws/4mU0165 HYUNDAI SEPTEMBER SALES SEE EV GROWTH, IONIQ 5 RECORDS https://evne.ws/48KT182 VOLKSWAGEN U.S. EV SALES RISE IN Q3 2025 https://evne.ws/48SZeie KIA EV3 TOPS 75,000 GLOBAL SALES https://evne.ws/479qyYg TESLA SUPERCHARGER NETWORK SETS QUARTERLY RECORD FOR NEW STALLS https://evne.ws/3Kww9PH SHANGHAI FACTORY ADDS FRONT BUMPER CAMERA TO TESLA MODEL 3 https://evne.ws/4o7MGYZ FIREFLY RIGHT‑HAND DRIVE SPOTTED IN UK https://evne.ws/48NmkH7 NISSAN ADDS PLUG&CHARGE VIA ELECTRIFY AMERICA https://evne.ws/3ItLiRl E.ON PILOTS TRUCK CHARGING RESERVATION SYSTEM https://evne.ws/4pVqYJo IRELAND REACHES 195,000 EVS TARGET https://evne.ws/3KSwoEM HYUNDAI CUTS 2026 IONIQ 5 PRICES Hyundai has slashed U.S. prices for the 2026 Ioniq 5 by an average of $9,155, bringing the base Standard Range RWD trim to $35,000 and improving competitiveness amidst the loss of federal tax credits. The price cut, paired with continued incentives on 2025 models, aims to keep the Ioniq 5 an attractive, fast-charging crossover with Tesla Supercharger access and over 300 miles of range. FORD Q3 ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES REPORT Ford recorded its best-ever third quarter for electrified vehicle sales, with 85,789 units, up 19.8% year-over-year and led by a 30% rise in Mustang Mach-E and a 40% boost in F-150 Lightning deliveries in the U.S.. The only decline was seen with the E-Transit van, which dropped 85% versus the previous year. GM SEES RECORD Q3 EV SALES IN THE U.S. GM set a new U.S. record with 66,501 EV sales in Q3 and a 105% year-to-date increase, propelled by strong demand and $7,500 federal incentives. Overall, the company's 2025 sales are up 10%, with GM touting its lineup as the strongest it's ever had for both combustion and electric models. CHEVROLET EQUINOX EV RISES TO SECOND IN EV SALES The Chevrolet Equinox EV is the top-selling non-Tesla electric vehicle in the U.S., with over 25,000 Q3 sales and 52,834 for the year so far. GM is extending the $7,500 tax credit via a dealer leasing program, which should help maintain the Equinox's market position into the coming months. HYUNDAI SEPTEMBER SALES SEE EV GROWTH, IONIQ 5 RECORDS Hyundai posted a 14% rise in U.S. sales in September 2025, with the IONIQ 5 achieving a September record and EV sales up 153% year-over-year. The company reaffirmed its commitment to affordable, quality EVs and continues to increase retail sales and market share regardless of expiring incentives. VOLKSWAGEN U.S. EV SALES RISE IN Q3 2025 Volkswagen saw its U.S. EV sales rise 230% in Q3 2025 compared to the previous year, with the ID.4 and new ID. Buzz accounting for 17% of the brand's total American sales. The ID.4 grew sales by 176%, and Q3 marked the strongest year-over-year jump for any brand. KIA EV3 TOPS 75,000 GLOBAL SALES Kia's compact EV3 has sold over 75,000 units globally this year, topping EV sales in the UK and South Korea as it expands into Europe, Australia, and other regions. With competitive pricing and two battery options offering up to 375 miles of range, the EV3 is expected to reach the U.S. in 2026. TESLA SUPERCHARGER NETWORK SETS QUARTERLY RECORD FOR NEW STALLS Tesla installed 4,000 new Supercharger stalls worldwide in Q3 2025, its largest quarterly increase, and debuted a 500 kW V4 site in California. Charging demand climbed, with 54 million sessions and 1.8 TWh delivered, helping customers avoid 222.5 million gallons of petrol. SHANGHAI FACTORY ADDS FRONT BUMPER CAMERA TO TESLA MODEL 3 Tesla's Shanghai-built Model 3 now features a front bumper camera and a physical turn signal stalk, addressing driver assistance and low-speed maneuvering needs. These updates are expected to soon roll out to North America and Europe, although retrofits for existing vehicles are not yet confirmed. FIREFLY RIGHT‑HAND DRIVE SPOTTED IN UK Nio's Firefly sub-brand was seen in a right-hand drive layout in the UK, signaling its impending expansion to markets such as the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Firefly deliveries began in Europe this August and will continue to roll out across other European countries in the coming months. NISSAN ADDS PLUG&CHARGE VIA ELECTRIFY AMERICA Nissan and Electrify America have partnered to launch Plug&Charge capability, debuting with the 2026 Nissan LEAF and expanding to additional models later. This technology will allow Nissan EVs to automatically authenticate and pay for charging, enhancing driver convenience at compatible stations. E.ON PILOTS TRUCK CHARGING RESERVATION SYSTEM E.ON is piloting a reservation system for electric truck charging, enabling drivers and logistics companies to schedule and guarantee charging stops in advance via a web app. The program starts at select sites, seeking to address planning and reliability needs for commercial EV fleets. IRELAND REACHES 195,000 EVS TARGET Ireland hit its end-2025 target of 195,000 electric vehicles ahead of schedule, with EVs now making up 18.4% of new car registrations so far this year. Government incentives and infrastructure investment have accelerated adoption and should foster a robust used EV market.

Listener Bryan Hargrove joins Jeremy to talk about his hike on the Outer Mountain Loop in Big Bend National Park in Texas.  This hike takes backpackers through the Chisos Mountains with outstanding views of the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert.  This remote part of Texas has some of the darkest skies in the contiguous United States.Discounts for TWH listeners:  10% off backpacking food at Outdoor Herbivore (discount code: TWH10P):  https://outdoorherbivore.com/  ; 20% off registration for Highlander Big Bear Lake in June 2026 (discount code TWH20):  https://www.highlanderadventure.com/en-us/big-bear-lakeQuestions, comments, and suggestions:  trailsworthhiking@gmail.com; Instagram @trailsworthhikingpodcast

Coming off the heels of NVIDIA's one hundred billion dollar investment in OpenAI, Doug and Greg Stokes discuss the current state of AI and where it's headed, as they explore the parallels between recent growth and the tech bubble of the late 90s. The conversation also touches on safe haven assets, market performance after all-time highs, exuberance indicators, and a huge college football weekend coming up.  Key Takeaways [00:17] - AI, self-driving cars, and the relation to the late 90s tech bubble [05:31] - The AI bubble isn't here yet [09:18] - Why stocks continue to reach new highs [13:46] - Indicators of exuberance [17:00] - The staggering investment going into energy and defense [20:34] - Looking at a big college football weekend View Transcript Links Derek Thompson on AI's timeline and how it relates to self-driving cars. Goldman's Total Positioning Indicator is STILL slightly underweight US equities. Yardeni: Gold as a percent of total reserves. How much is left to go? TikTok investment club Zaccardi: US data center energy consumption (TWh) and as % of total US power demand (RHS) Connect with our hosts Doug Stokes Greg Stokes Stokes Family Office Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify lagniappe.stokesfamilyoffice.com Disclosure The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate, qualified professional prior to making a final decision. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Therefore, it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies referenced in our blogs/podcasts) or any other investment and/or non-investment-related content or services will be profitable, equal any historical performance level(s), be suitable or appropriate for a reader/listener's individual situation, or prove successful. Moreover, no portion of the blog/podcast content should be construed as a substitute for individual advice or services from the financial professional(s) of a reader/listener's choosing, including Stokes Family, LLC, a registered investment adviser with the SEC, with which the blogger/podcasters are affiliated.

Principle Power announces that floating offshore wind projects using the WindFloat technology have generated more than 1 terawatt-hour (TWh) of cumulative energy since WindFloat 1 was connected to the grid in 2011. This milestone demonstrates the maturity of the WindFloat designs, and the readiness of the company's 4th generation designs for commercial scale projects. The 1 TWh output includes generation from: WindFloat 1: 2 MW pilot in Portugal (2011-2016) and Scotland (2018-2020). WindFloat Atlantic: 25 MW project in operation since 2020 off the coast of Portugal. Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm: a 48 MW project in operation since 2021 off the coast of Scotland. Together, these assets have demonstrated robustness in severe Atlantic and North Sea conditions, withstanding waves of up to 20 meters and winds of up to 214 Km/h (equivalent to a Category 4 typhoon), while delivering exceptional performance. Floating offshore wind projects delivering more energy The WindFloat platforms enable maximum wind turbine generation through a combination of empirically validated features: Semisubmersible architecture, providing a stable platform that enables the system to comply with all wind turbine operational and extreme limits. A platform hull trim system that uses water ballast to counteract wind turbine-induced thrust forces, keeps the wind turbine oriented vertically (within 0-2 degrees >97% of the time), increasing energy generated by up to 2.5% versus passive platforms. A robust and redundant system architecture that is delivering an average platform availability of ~99% across the operating fleet. Julian Arrillaga Costa, Chief Executive Officer said: "Reaching the 1 TWh milestone is a clear validation of our WindFloat technology and the expert team we've built to support the design, delivery, and operation of floating wind projects worldwide. These projects have exposed us to the full range of complexity in the sector, providing valuable lessons that we are using to continuously refine and improve our technical and commercial offering. This depth of experience provides a strong foundation for delivering derisked, cost-effective commercial projects, supporting our vision of a planet powered by floating wind." Building on the experience of WindFloat Atlantic, Kincardine, and the under construction 30 MW Les Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) project that will be connected to the grid later this year, Principle Power is working closely with clients, suppliers, and operators to plan the delivery of the first generation of commercial scale floating wind projects in key markets, including France, South Korea, and the UK. These projects expect to feature 12-70 wind turbines of 15-20 MW each, nearly double the rated capacity of the wind turbines installed at WindFloat Atlantic and Kincardine. The operational data and insights from the first TWh of generation provide a strong basis of confidence for customers and their financial stakeholders, demonstrating that Principle Power and its WindFloat technologies have the proven track-record to scale floating wind projects and support the global expansion of the industry. Overview of Principle Power's operating track record: 12 WindFloat units installed or under installation or decommissioned. 13?years of field operational experience and 17 project-years of cumulative operations: WindFloat 1: 2011-2016 in Portugal plus 2018-2020 in Scotland. WindFloat Atlantic: 2020-present in Portugal. Kincardine: 2021-present in Scotland. 300,000 hours of cumulative operational experience. 1 TWh global WindFloat energy generated. ~99% platform availability. 0 (zero) lost time incidents. 20 m maximum wave height encountered. 214 Km/h (59.6 m/s) maximum wind speed encountered (equivalent to category 4 typhoon). Completed tow-to-shore floating wind turbine large corrective operations at Kincardine, proving the technical feasibility of the approach and yielding lessons to optimize planning for future tow...

Nuclear reactors worldwide generated 2667 TWh of electricity in 2024, beating the previous record high of 2660 TWh which was set back in 2006, according to World Nuclear Performance Report 2025. In this edition Jonathan Cobb, author of the report, outlines the key findings of the latest edition of the annual World Nuclear Association publication, which include the dominance of Asia in terms of new reactor capacity over the past decade.There is also clear evidence that reactor performance does not decline with age - the reverse can be true with modernisation, uprates and long-term operation programmes helping capacity factors reach an average of 83% across the global fleet (the capacity factor is a percentage of what the output would have been if a reactor had operated at full capacity for every moment of a year).Jonathan, who is senior programme lead, climate, at World Nuclear Association, also considers how likely it is that the record is going to be broken again in the next few years.Key links to find out more:World Nuclear NewsWorld Nuclear Performance ReportEmail newsletter:Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily or weekly news round-upsContact info:alex.hunt@world-nuclear.orgEpisode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production

Clean Power Alliance is in its eighth year serving cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, providing power to over one million electric meters in 35 cities and county areas with a generating capacity of 3,400 MW. This episode of Flanigan's Eco-Logic features Ted Bardacke who has been its CEO throughout this tenure... creating the nation's largest community choice aggregator. CPA is also the nation's largest clean energy provider, and has been for the past two years. Its annual sales of 10 - 11 TWh, make it the fourth largest power provider in the State of California. Recently, it eclipsed San Diego Gas and Electric in power sales.Ted explains that CPA provides three tiers of rates, important choices for its members: About 10%of its members have selected its Lean Power rates, pricing that is about 2% less than the rates offered by Southern California Edison (SCE). Another 25% have selected the Clean Power rates that are equal in price but a better environmental product. Two-thirds of its members are on the 100% Green Power rate, paying about 6% more than they would if they were still buying power from SCE. These choices have been key to CPA's remarkably low opt-out rate (and its 93% participation rate)... meaning that members are pleased with the CPA products and have for largely have not returned to SCE.CPA is now mature and offering a suite of programs that enhance its services. Ted explains that there are two types of  programs: CPA offers programs for its member agencies that feature resilience for critical facilities as well as up to $250,000 grants for building electrification. CPA also offers a suite of customer programs... things like incentives for advanced battery energy storage and EV charger incentives. By working closely with its board of directors, Ted explains that CPA's services are locally rooted, and that CPA has a fine-grained understanding of its customers' needs.The conversation then shifts to the current presidential administration's decrees... retarding wind and solar. Fortunately CPA "resourced" its portfolio of green power early and at relatively low cost, putting the CCA in a strong financial position. But Ted explains that there is no question that the administration is changing the market for renewables... with less tax credits, policies making it harder to permit renewables, and the effects of tariffs on supply lines. Without question, these changes are impacting the "ecosystem" supporting renewables... making it harder for customers to "do the right thing" to control costs and drive down emissions. Ted notes that "California will do a good job of holding this ecosystem together" though "there will be some backsliding.'When asked about next steps for CPA, Ted flags directions including refining and expanding programs, exploring asset ownership, and working with customers to make them co-managers of electrification. Just as Californians have and will respond to water shortages, Ted wants CPA to lead a cultural shift such that electricity consumers are active participants.... driving down costs and emissions for all.

Listener, photographer, and Youtuber, Christian Paul, returns to the show to tell us about his solo thru hike of the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming.  This trail takes hikers through one of America's most iconic mountain ranges, where hikers might encounter grizzly bears, as well as black bears.  Jeremy tells us about the beaver trapping history of the area.Christian's Youtube series about his hike of the Teton Crest Trail:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZaLA15mpOM&list=PLsu1l97U14cBKj9jvC8o32j5jrdU-Ugg3Register now for Highlander Big Bear Lake 2026 (June 23-27) with a 20% discount code for TWH listeners (TWH20):  https://www.bigbear.com/events/highlander-adventure-big-bear-lake-2/10% discount for all TWH listeners on backpacking meals at Outdoor Herbivore (TWH10P): https://outdoorherbivore.com/Questions, comments, or suggestions:  trailsworthhiking@gmail.comInstagram:  @trailsworthhikingpodcast

Pinergy in collaboration with Wood Mackenzie, the global insight business for renewables, energy and natural resources, forecast that electricity demand is projected to grow by two thirds with on-grid power generation climbing 16% by 2030 and doubling by 2050. Data centres are set to account for more than one fifth of all power demand by 2030. The 'Energy Transition Outlook: Ireland' report launched today, tracks Ireland's performance on the energy transition journey and highlights the critical role that renewables and electrification must play in the country's energy transformation. The report warns however that current progress is insufficient to meet key energy targets and action is now required to address the widening investment and delivery gaps. As Ireland works to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, the country must shift to an energy system powered by low-carbon energy sources in order to progress towards legally binding net zero targets set for 2050. "Ireland's energy transition is at a crossroads and we must invest in our future," said Enda Gunnell, CEO at Pinergy. "We've set ambitious goals and commitments, but this report makes it clear we must move from aspiration to urgent, tangible action. The time for deliberation is over. We welcome the planned €3.5bn investment announced in the revised National Development Plan, earmarked for Ireland's electricity grid infrastructure. This funding will be critical in order to make the necessary infrastructure investments now required." He continued: "A successful energy transition will not only reduce our carbon emissions and protect our environment, but it will also create new jobs, boost our economy, and enhance our energy security". Key Findings: Electricity Demand Surge: By 2050, electricity demand is set to grow by two thirds, reaching 59 TWh. This will be driven in the short term by the needs of data centres. In the long term, electricity demand growth will be fuelled by changing consumer behaviour towards low-carbon choices, particularly through EV adoption and electrification of heating systems in residential and commercial buildings. Data Centre Impact: Data centres are projected to consume 8.6 TWh of electricity from the grid by 2030, accelerated by the demands and use of artificial intelligence. This energy consumption is equivalent to powering two million homes, placing significant strain on the grid. However, as the grid capacity increases and the electrification of heat & transport intensifies, the share of total power demand for data centres is expected to fall to 16% by 2050. Renewable Electricity Success: Renewables are on track but at risk following delays to capacity buildout. The 'Energy Transition Outlook - Ireland' report forecasts a contribution of 80% of generated electricity by 2030, climbing to 93% by 2050, with wind alone accounting for 77%. This progress will be enabled by a forecasted 56% increase in onshore wind supply and a 166% rise in solar power supply compared to current levels. Offshore Wind Shortfall: Ireland is projected to fall 4GW short of its 5GW offshore wind target by 2030 as projects suffer delays and cancellations. EV and Heat Pump Adoption Lagging: While EV adoption is on course to meet 2025 goals, Ireland is falling short of 2030 EV targets by 35%. In order to meet our EV targets, this report predicts we need to accelerate our adoption rate by 54%. Heat pump adoption is 68% behind 2030 targets, equivalent to 461,000 units, and lagging other European countries. Ireland Becomes Net Exporter Of Electricity: Assuming offshore wind delivery and planned new interconnectors, Ireland has potential to become a net exporter of electricity by 2030. Benchmarking Against Other Countries: While Ireland is placed 20th for renewables in electricity among the most advanced economies, it is expected to move to 11th place overall in 2030. However, without adjustments for delays in offshore wind projects, original predictions had placed Ireland ...

Mariano Guerenstein, Subdirector de clientes institucionales y ventas de J. Safra Sarasin AM, pone el foco en las infraestructuras energéticas y dónde encontrar valor en el segundo tramo del año. Con él analizamos también los metales estratégicos. “La realidad es que estamos viviendo en un mundo que se está electrificando”, asegura el experto. Además, añade que cuando se habla de transición ecológica “hablamos de algo abstracto pero la realidad es que nos acompaña cada día en el móvil, en la luz, en el aire acondicionado”. Para él, uno de los principales problemas que vemos en la actualidad es que “el mundo no está preparado para cumplir con la demanda que se está generando en ese proceso de electrificación”. Según la Agencia Internacional de la Energía, La demanda energética global total (de energía primaria) alcanzó en 2024 aproximadamente 650 EJ (exajulios), reflejando un crecimiento del 2,2 % frente a 2023. En términos de electricidad (solo el consumo eléctrico, que es un subconjunto de esa energía total), en 2024 se consumieron cerca de 31 150 TWh, un aumento del 4,2 % respecto a 2023 . Sobre los metales estratégicos, el problema para el Subdirector de clientes institucionales y ventas de J. Safra Sarasin AM, es que son “los metales que son necesarios para que las infraestructuras, no están preparados para la velocidad que está creciendo esta demanda”. La electricidad está presente de forma constante desde que nos levantamos hasta que nos acostamos. El apagón del pasado 28 de abril, que duró en algunas zonas hasta 24 horas, nos hizo replantearnos nuestra forma de consumo de electricidad. ¿Cuáles son los minerales estratégicos que están detrás de esa transición ecológica? El invitado nos cuenta que “básicamente están el litio, el cobalto, el níquel, aluminio pero sobre todo el cobre”. Más allá de la demanda, el experto apunta que otros problemas son “la energía que requiere la inteligencia artificial o la electrificación de vehículos”.

The Angry Clean Energy Guy on the space race of this century: becoming a solar superpower. Humanity is moving into an unprecedented era of energy super-abundance which is going to be all about harnessing terawatts of solar energy; TW-scale solar manufacturing and TWh-scale battery manufacturing. After all, total energy consumption globally today is about 16TW, while right above our heads the Sun is delivering 173,000 TW of energy to Earth continuously, over 10,000 times greater than what we are currently using. And it's all there for the taking by those countries that achieve solar superpower status - with almost any and all countries in contention. The global order is on its way to be potentially dramatically re-shuffled.

In this episode of The Hydrogen Podcast, we break down three massive hydrogen breakthroughs from around the world:

El coche más importante de Tesla tiene que resucitar a la empresa, y a Elon Musk parece que no le importa nada. Repasamos rápidamente el nuevo Model Y de Tesla, sus características, cambios y la gran diferencia entre su presentación y la del Cybertruck. Analizamos a fondo las ventas de Tesla en Europa y cómo la competencia está afectando el mercado de coches eléctricos, comentamos los desafíos y el crecimiento de Tesla en el mercado europeo y global, así como la competencia que enfrenta de marcas chinas. - Tesla's Model Y Refresh - The Little Things - Photos: 2025 Tesla Model Y | Motor1.com - The new Tesla Model Y refresh will be the first S3XY model ever to feature a powered frunk! - x.com/TroyTeslike/status/1877354877883486452 - Tesla receives 50,000 orders for new Model Y on first day, report says | Electrek - Electric Vehicle registrations in Europe: 15 countries, majority of BEV market - Electric Vehicle registrations in Europe: 15 countries, majority of BEV market - Max de Zegher on X: "Wild that with 1k new locations this year, @TeslaCharging is one of the fastest growing tenants and real estate dealmakers in the world. With 5.2 TWh (and growing ~30% YoY) also quickly becoming one of the largest corporate energy users. The CO2 and gasoline that we're offsetting" / X - Huawei unveils unmanned EV charging robotic arm [video] - El youtuber más famoso y fanático de Tesla y de Apple se compró una Cybertruck, pero la vendió a los 9 meses: "Prefiero una Rivian" - Big Tech Alert on X: "

This week,Decouple Germany correspondent Noah Rettberg, a physics laboratory technician and precision machinist, talks about the potential to restart German nuclear reactors. Anew analysis from Radiant Energy Group examines Germany's potential to redeploy nuclear power using its existing reactor fleet. Through assessment of recently shuttered reactors, their report suggests Germany could restore up to 13 gigawatts of nuclear power to the European grid within eight years – potentially at much lower costs and faster speeds than new construction. As Germany's electricity imports have risen sharply – from 9 TWh in 2023 to 25 TWh by late 2024 – and its economy faces headwinds, the country's nuclear infrastructure might offer a path forward if the political will appears.

The rapid rise of data centers has put many power industry demand forecasters on edge. Some predict the power-hungry nature of the facilities will quickly create problems for utilities and the grid. ICIS, a data analytics provider, calculates that in 2024, demand from data centers in Europe accounted for 96 TWh, or 3.1% of total power demand. “Now, you could say it's not a lot—3%—it's just a marginal size, but I'm going to spice it up a bit with two additional layers,” Matteo Mazzoni, director of Energy Analytics at ICIS, said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. “One is: that power demand is very consolidated in just a small subset of countries. So, five countries account of over 60% of that European power demand. And within those five countries, which are the usual suspects in terms of Germany, France, the UK, Ireland, and Netherlands, half of that consumption is located in the FLAP-D market, which sounds like a fancy new coffee, but in reality is just five big cities: Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin.” Predicting where and how data center demand will grow in the future is challenging, however, especially when looking out more than a few years. “What we've tried to do with our research is to divide it into two main time frames,” Mazzoni explained. “The next three to five years, where we see our forecast being relatively accurate because we looked at the development of new data centers, where they are being built, and all the information that are currently available. And, then, what might happen past 2030, which is a little bit more uncertain given how fast technology is developing and all that is happening on the AI [artificial intelligence] front.” Based on its research, ICIS expects European data center power demand to grow 75% by 2030, to 168 TWh. “It's going to be a lot of the same,” Mazzoni predicted. “So, those big centers—those big cities—are still set to attract most of the additional data center consumption, but we see the emergence of also new interesting markets, like the Nordics and to a certain extent also southern Europe with Iberia [especially Spain] being an interesting market.” Yet, there is still a fair amount of uncertainty around demand projections. Advances in liquid cooling methods will likely reduce data center power usage. That's because liquid cooling offers more efficient heat dissipation, which translates directly into lower electricity consumption. Additionally, there are opportunities for further improvement in power usage effectiveness (PUE), which is a widely used data center energy efficiency metric. At the global level, the average PUE has decreased from 2.5 in 2007 to a current average of 1.56, according to the ICIS report. However, new facilities consistently achieve a PUE of 1.3 and sometimes much better. Google, which has many state-of-the-art and highly efficient data centers, reported a global average PUE of 1.09 for its facilities over the last year. Said Mazzoni, “An expert in the field told us when we were doing our research, when tech moves out of the equation and you have energy engineers stepping in, you start to see that a lot of efficiency improvements will come, and demand will inevitably fall.” Thus, data center load growth projections should be taken with a grain of salt. “The forecast that we have beyond 2030 will need to be revised,” Mazzoni predicted. “If we look at the history of the past 20 years—all analysts and all forecasts around load growth—they all overshoot what eventually happened. The first time it happened when the internet arrived—there was obviously great expectations—and then EVs, electric vehicles, and then heat pumps. But if we look at, for example, last year—2024—European power demand was up by 1.3%, U.S. power demand was up by 1.8%, and probably weather was the main driver behind that growth.”

We speak with Paul Tyrer, Global VP of IT Channel Ecosystem, Schneider Electric about the impact of AI on Data Centers in the coming years. Generative AI is expected to grow by US$158.6 billion by 2028, according to #canalys The growth of AI presents data center companies with opportunities to innovate, expand their service offerings, and cater to the evolving needs of AI-driven applications and enterprises. However, it also comes at a cost. Global data center capacity is projected to grow by over 120 GW by 2030, fuelled by AI demand, with energy consumption expected to double to ~1,400 TWh, compared to 1% of today's total. This growth outpaces current power demand trends, posing capacity and sustainability challenges. It requires data center companies to adapt in order to meet the evolving power needs of AI-driven applications effectively and sustainably.Recorded by MySecurity Media as media partners to the Canalys APAC Forum, Bali, 2-4 December 2024.#mysecuritytv #ai #datacenter #datacentre #schneiderelectric #canalys

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureGermany is now struggling, they are telling their people not to use so much gas. Germany is facing a very long recession. Biden preparing to ban off shore drilling. Trump sends out a message, we will be moving away from income tax and moving back tariffs. The [DS] sent a message to Trump and Elon. They are now planning to push chaos across the country. From the very beginning the [DS] knew they couldn't cheat in the election with [KH]. The [DS] events are now planned for before the inauguration and after. The [DS] used these two events as a distraction, they are now casing the stadium where the Super Bowl will be held. Sum of all Fears. This will strengthen Trump and the people will be behind him, even the D's.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy German energy official asks citizens to save gas  German households and businesses should save gas to avoid shortages, the country's energy regulator, the Federal Network Agency, has requested, Die Welt reported on Wednesday. According to an analysis by the agency, the country has been consuming significantly more gas this heating season than last year. The agency said total gas consumption in Germany rose by 5.8% from October to December 2024 against the same period the previous year, to 246 terawatt-hours (TWh). Industries recorded an increase in consumption of 9.1% compared to 2023, while the increase in households and businesses was more modest at 1.9%, the report noted. Source: rt.com https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1874803111015158123 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1874864489264533821   https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1874574095104295155  December 2012. Furthermore, delinquency rates on these loans are rising twice as fast as during the 2008 Financial Crisis. Overall, there were more than $2 billion in office loans that became newly delinquent in December 2024. The commercial real estate crisis is worsening.  https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1874553952907436269  Political/Rights https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1874635685992583442 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1874670277973713293 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1874664089894695221     Geopolitical/Police State BREAKING: Mass Shooting Reported at New York Nightclub — At Least Eleven People Hurt  A mass shooting has been reported at a nightclub in Queens, New York. While details about the attack still remain scarce, it is said to have taken place at the Amazura event hall located near Jamaica Long Island Rail Road station. New York Metro reports: Law enforcement sources said the gunfire erupted near the Amazura event hall at 91-12 144th Place in Jamaica, within the confines of the 103rd Precinct, at about 11:20 p.m. on Jan. 1. At least three individuals wounded in the shooting walked into a local hospital seeking treatment, sources familiar with the investigation said.   The attack took place hours after the city of New Orleans was subject to an Islamist terror attack in which 16 people were killed by a car ramming. Source: thegatewaypundit.com War https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/1874772626469724655 Cyber Attacks False Flags https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1874855734124687532 Did they just send out a message that it's time for the plandemic.  https://twitter.com/McCulloughFund/status/1874595028963590377  hospitalizations or deaths. Conjunctivitis was seen in 93% of cases.

Jonathan Malone of Wilderness Journeys joins Jeremy to talk about the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks of upstate New York.  This 138-mile trail takes hikers deep into the forested wilderness of New York for a grand adventure that is only a few hours drive away from New York City.  Jeremy tells us about the history of the Adirondacks and the trail, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024.Wilderness Journeys:  https://www.wildernessjourneys.org/TWH meal kit on Outdoor Herbivore:  https://outdoorherbivore.com/trails-worth-hiking-ct-combo/Questions, comments, or suggestions:  trailsworthhiking@gmail.comInstagram:  @trailsworthhikingpodcast

Nvidia lança IA que cria vozes e sons a partir de texto A Nvidia apresentou uma nova IA, Fugatto, capaz de gerar vozes, músicas e efeitos sonoros personalizados a partir de texto. A ferramenta utiliza modelos avançados de aprendizado de máquina para criar áudio em alta qualidade, atendendo a indústrias como cinema, publicidade e até games. Além de modificar vozes existentes, a IA pode criar composições musicais e sons inéditos, permitindo que criadores de conteúdo experimentem novas possibilidades artísticas. A plataforma ainda não está aberta ao público  Tensão entre Holywood e IA  Modelos de IA como esses vão ajudar – e muito – estúdios e produções de cinema, contudo ainda há uma tensão na relação do mundo da tecnologia com as produções de Hollywood. Vale lembrar que a atriz Scarlett Johansson já acusou a OpenAI de imitar a sua voz, e após essa acusação, muitos se questionam sobre os limites das produções e interações com inteligência artificial.  Escassez de energia limitará data centers de IA no futuro O Gartner divulgou um relatório que aponta que o crescimento da demanda por data centers para inteligência artificial não está sendo acompanhado pela produção de energia. Segundo o relatório, 40% dos data centers de IA existentes estarão operacionalmente limitados pela disponibilidade de energia até 2027. O consumo de terawatts-hora (TWh) pelos data centers de IA dobrou de 2022 para 2023, e deve aumentar de forma incremental nos próximos anos, chegando a cerca de 500 TWh em 2027, volume que representa 2,6 vezes mais do que o nível de 2023.  O crescimento explosivo dos data centers e hyperscalers de IA está criando uma demanda “insaciável” por energia que irá superar a habilidade dos provedores de utilities de expandirem sua capacidade de atendimento. Isso ameaça desestabilizar a disponibilidade de energia e levar à escassez, o que limitará o crescimento de novos data centers para GenAI e outros usos a partir de 2026 Qual a solução? A sugestão dos especialistas é que as empresas avaliem os planos futuros, antecipando custos de energia mais altos, e negociem contratos de longo prazo para serviços de data center com taxas razoáveis de energia. As empresas também devem considerar aumentos significativos nos custos ao desenvolver planos para novos produtos e serviços, além de buscar abordagens alternativas que exijam menos energia.  Blip considera IPO após expansão global e investimentos A Blip está avaliando uma possível abertura de capital (IPO) após o aporte de US$ 60 milhões liderado pelo SoftBank e a Microsoft que já comentamos aqui pelo Morse! A companhia vem trabalhando para atender a todas as exigências do mercado de capitais norte-americano no que diz respeito a governança e transparência de processos. O objetivo é estar pronta no primeiro semestre de 2025 e então aguardar por uma janela do mercado propícia para o lançamento das ações. Em 2020/2021 era preciso uma receita acima de US$ 150 milhões para um IPO bem sucedido. Hoje o nível está próximo de US$ 300 milhões e a Blip ainda não chegou lá, mas está trabalhando para isso.  Zemo Bank capta R$ 2 milhões para se tornar banco digital B2B A fintech oferece soluções financeiras para pagamentos e fluxo de caixa para fornecedores de grandes empresas. O aporte servirá para fortalecer a presença da companhia no disputado mercado de bancos B2B – onde nomes “pesados” como Cora e Stark Bank competem. De acordo com a fintech, a injeção de capital ampliará sua capacidade tecnológica e de infraestrutura financeira para competir nesse segmento. WhatsApp no Brasil perde função de pagamentos em dezembro A opção de pagamento com cartão de débito no Whatsapp será desativada em dezembro. Com isso, os adeptos do mecanismo de pagamentos terão de recorrer a outras opções, como o Pix diretamente no mensageiro. A medida vale para o mercado brasileiro. De acordo com a empresa, o serviço WhatsApp Pagamentos será mantido. A função Pagamentos foi anunciada em junho de 2020, mas só chegou de fato ao aplicativo após liberação das autoridades, em abril de 2023. Instagram lança recurso de compartilhamento de localização O Instagram lançou um recurso que permite o compartilhamento de localização em tempo real entre amigos. A funcionalidade busca aumentar o engajamento na plataforma, especialmente entre o público jovem, ao oferecer uma nova forma de interação social. Essa funcionalidade está disponível apenas em alguns países até o momento, embora a rede social não tenha dito exatamente quais. A Amazon anunciou um novo aporte de US$ 4 bilhões na startup Anthropic Com essa estratégia, a empresa reforça o compromisso de se tornar uma das líderes no desenvolvimento de soluções tecnológicas baseadas em IA, intensificando a concorrência com grandes players do setor. A Anthropic, conhecida por sua atuação no campo da IA generativa, vem atraindo a atenção de gigantes da tecnologia. A startup se destacou pelo desenvolvimento de modelos avançados de IA que permitem soluções mais ágeis e precisas em áreas como processamento de linguagem natural e aprendizado de máquina. Com a injeção financeira da Amazon, a Anthropic busca expandir suas operações, explorar novos mercados e acelerar o desenvolvimento de tecnologias. E falando em Anthropic…  Anthropic propõe integração de dados com chatbots de IA A Anthropic lançou o Model Context Protocol (MCP), um padrão de código aberto para conectar assistentes de IA a sistemas onde os dados estão armazenados. O modelo facilita a criação de conexões bidirecionais entre fontes de dados e aplicativos baseados em IA, como chatbots. Com isso, os desenvolvedores podem configurar servidores MCP para expor dados e criar clientes MCP, como fluxos de trabalho e apps, que acessam essas informações sob demanda. Segundo a Anthropic, a iniciativa visa superar as limitações causadas pelos silos de dados e sistemas legados, permitindo a escalabilidade de sistemas realmente conectados e otimizados. Neuralink recebe aval para testar chip cerebral no Canadá A tecnologia promete ajudar pacientes com paralisia e condições neurológicas a recuperar movimentos e funções motoras. A startup de chips cerebrais informou que o estudo canadense tem como objetivo avaliar a segurança e a funcionalidade inicial do implante, que permite que pessoas com tetraplegia, ou paralisia de todos os quatro membros, controlem dispositivos externos com o pensamento. Nos Estados Unidos, a Neuralink já implantou o dispositivo em dois pacientes. A empresa afirma que o dispositivo está funcionando bem no segundo paciente do teste, que o tem usado para jogar videogames e aprender a projetar objetos em 3D.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conscients de l'impact négatif des énergies fossiles sur l'environnement, les Français semblent de plus en plus favorables à l'énergie d'origine solaire. En 2022, 21 térawattheures (TWh) étaient produits de cette manière, soit une augmentation de 31 % par rapport à l'année précédente. Mais l'installation de panneaux solaires, qui captent les rayons du Soleil, pourrait avoir un effet inattendu. C'est du moins ce que révèle une récente étude, publiée par des chercheurs indiens. Si l'on en croit ses conclusions, la pose de panneaux photovoltaïques sur l'ensemble des toits d'une ville provoquerait une hausse d'environ 1,5°C de la température diurne. Elle pourrait même aller jusqu'à 3,2°C supplémentaires durant les heures les plus chaudes de la journée. Ce serait l'inverse la nuit, la température baissant de 0,6°C en moyenne. Des villes entièrement équipées de panneaux solaires deviendraient ainsi de véritables îlots de chaleur. Et ce d'autant plus que, dans le micro-climat ainsi créé, les vents auraient plus de mal à apporter un peu de fraîcheur. De tels résultats concernent la ville de Calcutta, où les scientifiques ont mené leur étude. Mais ils ont étendu leurs travaux à d'autres agglomérations, comme Athènes ou Sydney, de manière à prendre en compte des conditions climatiques variées. Les résultats se sont montrés similaires. Une chaleur restant piégée au sein des villes Une ville dont tous les toits des maisons seraient équipés de panneaux solaires aurait un albédo plus faible. L'albédo désigne la capacité d'une surface à renvoyer le rayonnement solaire vers l'atmosphère. Cette étude montre en effet que les panneaux photovoltaïques réfléchissent moins la lumière du Soleil. Elle se concentre alors davantage dans un espace urbain qui a donc tendance à se réchauffer durant la journée. Les auteurs de l'étude ne remettent pas en cause le rôle essentiel des panneaux solaires dans la transition énergétique en cours. D'autant que la hausse des températures diurnes est en partie compensée par des nuits plus fraîches. Ils suggèrent plutôt des solutions pour abaisser les températures régnant dans ces villes. La végétalisation de l'espace urbain est l'une d'entre elles. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Quick heads up. I have made some video versions of recent articles. Here they are, in case you are a watcher rather than a reader:I don't know about you, but I use artificial intelligence (AI) all the time. ChatGPT has become my right-hand man. It gives me advice (really – and good advice too), it helps me make decisions, it gives me exercise workouts, recipes, it proofreads what I write, it helps me write titles, it even helps me write song lyrics. Midjourney does all the imaging for this newsletter. Even a simple Google search now involves lots of AI.I know I'm not alone. Almost everyone is using AI, consciously or not.Guess what? AI requires bucket loads of power. That's why Microsoft recently agreed to pay Constellation Energy, the new owner of America's infamous nuclear power station, Three Mile Island, a sizeable premium for its energy. There is cheaper wind and solar power to be had in Pennsylvania, but it isn't as reliable as nuclear, 24 hours a day.It's not just AI. The widespread political desire to rid ourselves of fossil fuels means the world needs electricity, and fast.Nuclear is the solution, of course. But nuclear takes a lot of time, even with AI now “re-routing” the anti-nuclear narrative. It takes especially long in the UK where any kind of infrastructure project requires billions to be spent on planners, lawyers and consultants before a brick is even lifted.It's so stupid of course. Nuclear power stations have been operating commercially for 70 years, providing reliable, affordable, and almost infinitely renewable “clean” electricity. Nuclear has the best safety record of any energy technology. Almost all environmental concerns, such as waste disposal, have been solved. But if you want to know the name of the point at which stupidity, hypocrisy, waste and weakness meet, it's called British Energy Policy.Layer upon layer of safety is demanded in nuclear plant design. The regulatory process is slow, cumbersome, and complex. There is a long lead time between planning, building, and operation, which adds to expense. Political uncertainty meant many proposals for nuclear power stations in the UK were shelved. It all drives away investment.But governments around the world are waking up to the fact that the silver bullet is nuclear-powered. Thus, the narrative is changing. The dawn of the new age of nuclear power is upon us, and it can't come quickly enough.That's why the focus has shifted to small modular reactors (SMRs). These have been operational for almost 70 years now in submarines, aircraft carriers, and ice-breakers, but in the last few years, land-based SMRs have been developed to generate electricity.They use simple, proven technology, and are safer than current nuclear power stations. They can be manufactured in factories and then rapidly erected on-site. Modular refers to the design principle of breaking down a system into small, independent, and interchangeable components, or “modules”, that can easily be combined, modified, or replaced without affecting the rest of the system. This flexibility means they are scalable. It aids manufacture, transportation, and installation while reducing construction time and costs.SMRs don't occupy much land, so they have little impact on the landscape. Some can even be constructed underground – surely preferable to wind turbines and solar farms. In the UK, they could be erected on the redundant sites of closed nuclear and coal-fired power stations, where grid connections are readily available. A 440 megawatt (MW) SMR would produce about 3.5 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity per year, enough for 1.2 million homes – or to provide power to Wales, the Northeast of England, or two Devons. It would require about 25 acres of land. A solar farm would need 13,000 acres for the same output; a wind farm, 32,000 acres. Three 440MW SMRs would be enough for London, which has around 3.6 million homes.What's more, their output is not dependent on the weather. Reliability is why Microsoft paid a premium of more than 85% for Three Mile Island's power. SMRs produce electricity that can easily be adjusted to meet the constant, everyday needs of the grid (baseload), and they can also ramp up or down to follow changes in demand throughout the day. They spin in sync with the grid, so they help keep everything stable. When they're running, they act like a steady hand, providing momentum that makes it easier to manage sudden changes in electricity supply or demand.Why not subscribe to this amazing publication?How To InvestThere are all sorts of ways to invest in nuclear power. The simplest and least risky is to buy the metal itself. Current demand for uranium stands at around 200 million pounds per year, while mining output totals only 140 million pounds. Another 25 million pounds comes from secondary sources, such as scrap and recycling. So there is a uranium supply deficit. I'm surprised the price isn't higher. London-listed Yellowcake (LSE:YCA) has been set up with this purpose in mind. It is, essentially, a uranium holding company. You buy the shares, and thus own a share of the uranium it holds. It makes up part of the Dolce Far Niente portfolio.You could also buy uranium miners, though I have to say I do not like the miners at all. There are the large producers, such as Cameco (Toronto: CCO) and Paladin Energy (Sydney: PDN). You can also gain exposure via large caps, such as Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO), but they are not pure plays. There are mine developers too, such as NexGen Energy (Toronto: NXE), whose Rook 1 project should be producing a whopping 30 million pounds a year by 2030, almost enough to solve the uranium supply deficit single-handedly.If you don't fancy your stock-picking skills, go for a fund instead. The London-listed Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (LSE: URNP) is an exchange-traded fund that gives you exposure to a basket of mining companies, as does closed-end fund Geiger Counter (LSE: GCL). Another popular ETF is the Global X Uranium UCITS ETF (LSE: URNU).Why don't I like uranium miners? About 90% of those listed in the funds do not have any production coming in the near future and are, therefore, huge vortexes into which capital will disappear. At present, they are fully valued. That's not saying they won't go up. But when the time comes for them to fall, they will bomb.When I last looked at SMRs in 2021, the companies I tipped were Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) and Fluor Corp (NYSE: FLR). Both have been real winners. Rolls-Royce has built seven generations of SMRs for use in nuclear submarines and, with its modern designs for SMRs, has been winning contracts all over. Rolls-Royce is not a pure SMR play. But it has put its SMR business into a separate entity (Rolls-Royce SMR) and I presume this will be spun out and listed at some later stage.The stock has been going great guns under its new CEO, Tufan Erginbilgiç. I tipped it around the 100p mark and it's now at 530p and there's no stopping it. It was 1,350p in 2013, so there's plenty of upside left, and that was before there was any urgency about SMRs. I've taken my original stake off the table, and the rest I'm holding.I also mentioned NuScale, a US outfit, which in 2021 was unfortunately still private. There was a way to get exposure to NuScale, however: via majority shareholder and engineering company Fluor Corp. It has been a real winner too. We tipped it at $18. It's now $50. The stock remains a hold, although it is not a pure play. Worth $8.6bn, Fluor has $200m of free cash flow and trades at 42 times earnings.But the company we were looking at, NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR), has now listed – good ticker – and you can buy the stock at not far off the flotation price. Be warned, however: this is a volatile company. Since its initial public offering (IPO) at $10, the stock has been as high as $15 and as low as $2. It is now at $13.NuScale designs, develops, and commercialises SMR reactors for nuclear-power generation, aiming to provide a “safe, flexible, and scalable nuclear-energy solution”. Its flagship product is the NuScale Power Module, a self-contained pressurised water reactor (PWR) that is far smaller than traditional nuclear reactors. Each module has an electric capacity of about 60 megawatts, but they can combine to scale up.NuScale has partnered with various organisations, including the US Department of Energy (DOE) and global energy firms, but it does not yet have a solid sales pipeline, so it is hard to value. Instead, it's a bit of a meme stock that rises and falls when it gets tipped. NuScale has a market capitalisation of $1.2bn and revenues of $23m; it lost $273m last year. It now has $180m in negative free cash flow, $130m in cash and a burn rate of about $35m per quarter. (So it's got enough money for another year.) Caveat emptor.Another option is BWX Technologies (NYSE: BWXT), but again it's not a pure SMR play, more of a picks-and-shovels play. The company manufactures nuclear-reactor components, systems fuel, and other critical parts for the nuclear-power industry. It really is wide-ranging (think anything from naval nuclear propulsion to nuclear defence) and its history goes all the way back to the Manhattan Project.SMR developers will often rely on BWX's expertise and manufacturing capabilities to ensure the safety and functionality of their designs. As demand for SMRs grows, so will the appetite for BWX's products and services. BWX has a market value of $10bn and $1.2bn in debt. Earnings per share are just shy of $3, and the price/earnings (p/e) ratio is close to 40. But it is profitable and pays a yield just below 1%.If you want to go really small and speculative, there is always the mining exploration option (not recommended), or uranium enrichment firms. If this technology of enriching uranium to make it more powerful comes good, then the efficiencies of the industry will improve even further, and the problem of uranium supply deficits will quickly vanish, along with the high prices of many uranium miners. Silex Systems (Sydney: SLX) – market cap A$1.1bn (£565m), 50% owned by Cameco – is the market leader here, although Centrus Energy (NYSE: LEU), worth $1bn, is not far behind.We are still some years from successful enrichment, but it is coming. I doubt we will see it before the uranium price itself breaks to new highs above $140/lb, which it hit in 2006, and probably not until $200 uranium. High prices have a habit of accelerating everything. Uranium is now at $70/lb.That's when tiny-cap nuclear-fuel tech firms such as Lightbridge (Nasdaq: LTBR), worth $46m, could rocket. Lightbridge, looking to improve the safety, economics, and proliferation resistance of nuclear power, is developing a fuel that operates about 1,000 degrees cooler than standard fuel. It's got $27m in the bank, is losing $10m a year and, like NuScale, seems to rely on memes and tipsters. The stock costs $3 so there is plenty of upside. But be warned: this is an illiquid Nasdaq stock. Don't chase it.Amazing chart. From $4,000 - to $2. Talk about wealth destruction. It's like an NHS IT project. Looks like it might, finally, have bottomed though. This article first appeared in Moneyweek Magazine.I'll be MCing this year's Moneyweek Summit on Friday November 8th. Readers of the Flying Frisby can get a 20% discount by entering the code FRISBY20If you're interested in nuclear, Wednesday's piece might be of interest: I had an email from Nick Lawson, CEO of investment house, Ocean Finance, which has put together some research on Lightbridge. I share it here, in case of interest. And here once again are those vids: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe