Wind power has hit a rut. Could a huge plane change its course?

A rendering of a 356 foot long plane designed by unicorn startup Radia to transport wind turbine blades. (Courtesy: Radia)

This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less. Produced by Renewable Energy World and Tigercomm, This Week in Cleantech will air every Friday in the Factor This! podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.

This week’s episode features Heatmap’s Andrew Moseman who reported on a dilemma facing rooftop solar owners and the beleaguered industry: is it better to save your solar, or sell it?

This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie!

1. How the World’s Biggest Plane Would Supersize Wind Energy — The Wall Street Journal

Unicorn startup Radia plans to build the world’s largest plane, at about 356 feet in length, to transport wind turbine blades the length of football fields. T

The massive blades used in offshore wind can generate twice the energy of onshore installations but are very difficult to move around on land. With these planes, developers could build a 6,000-foot packed-dirt runway at their project site and put up much more powerful turbines.

2. Bill Gates’ TerraPower plans to build first US next-generation nuclear plant — Financial Times

In a race with Russia and China to develop and export cost-efficient small modular reactors (SMRs), Bill Gates’ TerraPower plans to build nuclear power plants with reactors cooled by liquid sodium rather than water.

These liquid-sodium-cooled reactors, with a power capacity of 345MWe, could slash the cost of standard light water reactors in half because they are also built with simpler materials and operate at lower pressures, requiring fewer safety systems.

TerraPower plans to begin construction in June and bring the plant online in 2030.

3. The Zombies of the U.S. Tax Code: Why Fossil Fuels Subsidies Seem Impossible to Kill — New York Times

In a fourth attempt, President Joe Biden has requested Congress eliminate $35 billion in tax breaks over the next decade to oil and gas companies that are experiencing record profits.

The tax breaks have made new oil and gas projects worth billions more each year, and up to $20 billion more in high oil price years.

These decades-old subsidies continue even though last year, America was the world’s largest crude oil producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas.

Rather than investing that money into their companies, the companies have been putting huge amounts toward M&A and stock buybacks, ultimately favoring executives and well-off shareholders.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

4. Britain to import energy from US under plan for transatlantic power cable — The Telegraph

Plans to install up to six power cables across 3,500 miles of the Atlantic Ocean could allow Britain to import energy from the U.S.

This takes us a step toward a global “intercontinental grid” which would take advantage of peak demand changes across time zones.

These cables could carry about as much power as several nuclear power stations, and could solve intermittency issues with renewables by shifting power to locations with little solar and wind.

The proposal from independent investors is being considered by Britain’s energy regulator.

5. Is It Better to Save Your Solar, or Sell It? — Heatmap

It’s been a tumultuous couple of years for the rooftop solar industry. For one, California, the market’s key driver, slashed the compensation homeowners receive for selling their excess solar power to the grid. Moreover, high interest rates have shuttered dozens of installers.

Heatmap’s Andrew Moseman takes a look at whether, now, it’s better for homeowners to self-consumer and store their solar power in batteries, as opposed to exporting.

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This Week in Cleantech is hosted by Renewable Energy World senior content director John Engel and Tigercomm president Mike Casey. The show is produced by Brian Mendes with research support from Alex Petersen and Clare Quirin.