Part 4/11:
This reliance on manufacturing and export is a strategic move by China, illustrating their forward-looking stance on renewable infrastructure. Kalcanis questioned whether U.S. policy is inadvertently helping China’s dominance by purchasing solar panels from them, thus potentially stifling domestic innovation and manufacturing.
The Reality and Limitations of Solar Power
Wright argued that solar and batteries are overhyped, with Elon Musk’s optimistic forecasts being exaggerated. He claimed that solar would unlikely surpass 10% of global energy use even 50 years from now, citing a linear extrapolation of current trends and dismissing the idea that solar could ever dominate the energy landscape.