"...and it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire."

NEW: Cheaper batteries mean near-24/365 solar is now economic☀️

We analysed 18 years of hourly insolation data at 12 places, to see how close to 24/365 electricity it was possible to get.

The sunniest places get over 90% - and up to 99% - of the way... from just $100/MWh. 🧵

Good morning with good news: Average price of lithium ion battery packs plunged to $115 USD/kWh in 2024, a 20% cost reduction from 2023. and down 84% from a decade ago.

So, battery deployment skyrocketed 67%/year over the last decade to 69 GW in 2024.
#energysky ember-energy.org/app/uploads/...

This is why mooting 'ditching net-zero' as the solution to Labour's woes is so silly. It's a policy that is popular with their core voters, critical to progressive voters they need to woo back, and Reform voters are sceptical but it's way down their priority list.

Thanks @prospectmagazine.co.uk @aloner.bsky.social who let me write about Tony Blair's recent tribute act to the TB-GBs of New Labour, with some more serious consideration of where his NZ antipathy comes and the new politics if climate

mini 🧵

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/698...

This is just very good news. It's also not just about the solar and resulting energy bill and emissions savings. It is also an enabling move for more energy storage, more heat pumps, more dynamic energy management. There are huge potential benefits all round. www.businessgreen.com/news/4413004...

There is a difference between saying ‘power grids need to be adjusted and upgraded to unlock the full advantages of cleaner and more cost efficient renewable energy’ and ‘net zero caused the blackout!’. The former is instructive, the latter is fossil propaganda.

“Labour…pointed out that the Tony Blair Institute works for the government of Saudi Arabia”

Many politicians - Tony Blair just the latest - appear more sceptical about public support for net zero agenda than evidence suggests is warranted.

Most recent YouGov poll found 61% of UK voters support govt plans on this, with just 24% opposed…
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Can someone explain to our former prime minister Tony Blair that carbon capture and storage does not effing work. It’s the shoddiest bit of crap misinformation from the fossil lobby that Tony is clearly benefiting from . . . allegedly.

Extremely unclear how the climate policy 'reset' Tony Blair wants to see would actually accelerate real world emissions reductions. Seems like a plan for hopefully, maybe bringing down emissions at some point around 2040. Just hugely reckless on the face of it.

This "gas" stuff seems pretty dangerous and unreliable.