By Stephen McBride, The Rational Optimist Substack, June 1, 2025
Imagine a nuclear reactor the size of a shipping container quietly powering your local hospital. It pumps out energy that’s cleaner than natural gas, more reliable than solar, and safer than any other energy source.… Read more
When a grid failure plunged 55 million people in Spain and Portugal into darkness at the end of April, 2025, it should have been a wake-up call on green energy. Climate activists promised that solar and wind power were the future of cheap, dependable electricity. The massive half-day blackout shows otherwise. The nature of solar and wind generation makes grids that rely on them more prone to collapse—an issue that’s particularly expensive to ameliorate.… Read more
On Monday, April 28, at noon, life changed for Spaniards. With the sun at its peak, the country’s largely solar-powered electrical grid shut down. … Read more
Can BC Hydro provide the electrical energy required to achieve the “reduced emissions” goals set in the provincial government’s Clean Energy Act 2010? The British Columbia government believes it can, now that the Site C Hydro project is completed.… Read more
To convert a restaurant from natural gas to electricity for cooking and patio heating would cost an average B.C. restaurant $800,000, according to a study released on Wednesday.
The study was commissioned after several municipalities, including Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Victoria and Nanaimo, have introduced bylaws banning natural gas in newly constructed buildings ahead of a zero-carbon provincial mandate that takes effect in 2030.
Phasing out natural gas in B.C. does not apply to existing buildings, but the B.C.… Read more