Why Clean Energy Will Always Win (Eventually...) with Cleantechnica

Is the clean energy revolution happening faster than we think? In this episode of the Everything Electric Podcast, Robert Llewellyn sits down with Scott Cooney, co-founder of CleanTechnica, for a deep dive into the global shift towards a cleaner future. From his home in Hawaii, Scott shares unique insights on why the US lost its early lead in clean tech to China, and why he remains incredibly optimistic about the future. They discuss the mind-boggling scale of Chinese manufacturing, the "inevitability" of technological solutions like solid-state batteries, and why your next stove might have a battery inside it.  Plus, we look at the incredible "human-centred" design of electric school buses that are solving more than just pollution, and why data centers might not be the energy disaster everyone fears.  00:00 - Intro: Hawaii, Sydney, and the CleanTechnica Connection 02:28 - Why Hawaii is the Perfect Lab for Clean Energy (High Gas Prices) 04:29 - The Shift: How Silicon Valley Started It, but China is Winning It 09:07 - California's Economic Boom: The 5th Largest Economy Run on Renewables 13:19 - The UK's Secret Success: How Offshore Wind Replaced Coal 15:55 - The "No-Brainer" of Solid State Batteries & Tech Evolution 20:00 - Robotaxis & Waymo: Why Autonomous Driving Feels "Inevitable" 28:39 - The "Zoom" Electric School Bus: Solving Pollution & Bullying? 36:04 - Data Centers & AI: Why Solar Will Solve the Energy Demand Crisis 40:40 - The Future of Road Tax: How Do We Pay for Roads Without Gas Tax? 46:02 - The BYD Explosion: From Unknown to 3rd Biggest Automaker 49:50 - Smart Homes: Fridges and Stoves with Batteries?! 55:40 - Electric Ships: Batteries are replacing massive diesel engines 58:30 - The Electric Home Show: Bill McKibben & Earth Day in Hawaii Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: https://everythingelectric.show Check out our sister channel Everything Electric CARS: https://www.youtube.com/@fullychargedshow Support our StopBurningStuff campaign:  https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become an Everything Electric Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow  Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Everything Electric newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialeverythingelectric To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected] Everything Electric SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park 6th, 7th & 8th March 2026 EE NORTH (Harrogate) - 8th & 9th May 2026 EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026 EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026 #fullychargedshow #everythingelectricshow #homeenergy #cleanenergy #battery #electriccars #electric-vehicles-uk