Does the Economic Crisis Shift the Clean Energy Calculus?

April 3, 2020

This week: The coronavirus shockwave brings staggering losses of lives, jobs, and money.

So many applied for unemployment last week – 5 times more than ever before – that it was hard for graphic artists to draw a Y-axis that would fit them in historical comparisons. We’re now at 10 million unemployment claims. 

With so much turmoil and uncertainty, we are going to dig back into some of the big themes of the week. 

First, we’ll have a recap of stimulus activity. The day after the unprecedented unemployment numbers, the federal government approved a boost to the economy twice as large as any before in the history of the United States. What’s in it? What’s coming next?

Then, essential workers in energy: how grid operators are making sure that all-important juice keeps flowing to your home or essential workplace.

And finally, how the oil price shock may – or may not – impact renewables investment from fossil fuel majors.

Mentioned on the show:

• Gail Tverberg: Our Infinite World
• DSIRE: The database of renewables
• Energy Storage News: Editor’s Blog

Recommended reading:

• VOX: How the Covid-19 Recession Could Become a Depression
• WSJ: After 3 Coronavirus Packages, Congress is Already Prepping a Fourth
• The Hill: McCarthy Says Fourth Stimulus Might Not Be Necessary
• Bloomberg: Winners and Losers in Congress’s $2 Trillion Rescue Plan
• American Petroleum Institute: Open Letter to Congress and White House
• Inside Climate News: Trump’s Move to Suspend Env. Enforcement is a Lifeline to Oil
• E&ENews: Inside New York’s Grid Lockdown
• DailyEnergyInsider: PJM Adapts to New Normal During Covid-19 Crisis
• Bloomberg: US To Let Nuclear Plants Defer Repairs, Schedule Longer Shifts
• OilPrice.com: Can Big Oil Still Fund Its Renewable Energy Push?

This podcast is brought to you by CPower. CPower is helping organizations chart a path to the energy future. Visit thecpowerway.com/future to learn how CPower can guide your decisions on distributed generation, demand response and your energy spend.

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