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Here comes the sun! The solar energy revolution

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Here comes the sun! The solar energy revolution

Today in Focus

2025/10/02
Today in Focus

Today in Focus

2025/10/02
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Why might authoritarians fear the rise of green energy? With Bill McKibben. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Highlights

The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid rise of solar and wind power. As these technologies outpace fossil fuels in both adoption and affordability, they're not just reshaping electricity systems—they're challenging long-standing power structures around the world.
07:28
Battery price declines and new storage tech like sodium-ion and sand batteries are enabling renewable scalability.
17:53
Energy storage development undermines nuclear power's reliability argument
21:17
Individual behavior changes have limited impact on global emissions
24:55
Solar energy cannot be hoarded like oil, breaking the link between energy control and authoritarian power

Chapters

How did solar and wind become the unstoppable force in global energy?
00:00
Why are developing nations and the US racing to adopt renewables?
07:28
Can the US keep up as China surges ahead in the solar race?
14:37
What’s making energy storage the game-changer for clean power?
21:17
Could solar energy weaken authoritarian regimes by design?
24:55

Transcript

Lucy Hoff: This is The Guardian. Today, the environmentalist Bill McKibben on how solar energy could save the planet. Speaker 3: If you ask for the gold standard in personal and commercial insurance, the answer will always be Chubb. We assess your unique ...