Paying for Roads After Fuel Tax Declines

Is the clean energy revolution happening faster than we think? In this episode of the Everything Electric Podcast, Robert Llewellyn sits down with Scott Cooney, co-founder of CleanTechnica, for a deep dive into the global shift towards a cleaner future.

From his home in Hawaii, Scott shares unique insights on why the US lost its early lead in clean tech to China, and why he remains incredibly optimistic about the future. They discuss the mind-boggling scale of Chinese manufacturing, the "inevitability" of technological solutions like solid-state batteries, and why your next stove might have a battery inside it.

Plus, we look at the incredible "human-centred" design of electric school buses that are solving more than just pollution, and why data centers might not be the energy disaster everyone fears.

00:00 - Intro: Hawaii, Sydney, and the CleanTechnica Connection

02:28 - Why Hawaii is the Perfect Lab for Clean Energy (High Gas Prices)

04:29 - The Shift: How Silicon Valley Started It, but China is Winning It

09:07 - California's Economic Boom: The 5th Largest Economy Run on Renewables

13:19 - The UK's Secret Success: How Offshore Wind Replaced Coal

15:55 - The "No-Brainer" of Solid State Batteries & Tech Evolution

20:00 - Robotaxis & Waymo: Why Autonomous Driving Feels "Inevitable"

28:39 - The "Zoom" Electric School Bus: Solving Pollution & Bullying?

36:04 - Data Centers & AI: Why Solar Will Solve the Energy Demand Crisis

40:40 - The Future of Road Tax: How Do We Pay for Roads Without Gas Tax?

46:02 - The BYD Explosion: From Unknown to 3rd Biggest Automaker

49:50 - Smart Homes: Fridges and Stoves with Batteries?!

55:40 - Electric Ships: Batteries are replacing massive diesel engines

58:30 - The Electric Home Show: Bill McKibben & Earth Day in Hawaii

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