Why Clean Energy Will Always Win (Eventually…) with Cleantechnica
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 centres might not be the energy disaster everyone fears.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro: Hawaii, Sydney, and the CleanTechnica Connection
2:28 Why Hawaii is the Perfect Lab for Clean Energy (High Gas Prices)
4:29 The Shift: How Silicon Valley Started It, but China is Winning It
9:07 California’s Economic Boom: The 5th Largest Economy Run on Renewables
13:19 The UK’s Secret Success: How Offshore Wind Replaced Coal
15:55Â 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
Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: www.everythingelectric.show
Get your tickets for our live events NOW!
- Everything Electric MELBOURNE – 14th, 15th & 16th of November 2025
- Everything Electric SYDNEY – 6th, 7th & 8th of March 2026
Fully Charged is 100% independent thanks to YouTube Memberships and Patreons. Without you this channel wouldn’t be possible! If you’d like to help support the Fully Charged channel and its mission:
- To keep current on Electric Vehicles, bookmark ElectricVehicles.
Expert - Visit our LIVE exhibitions in the UK, USA, Canada & Europe: everythingelectric.show
- Become a Patreon
- Subscribe to Fully Charged & the Everything Electric channels
- Subscribe for episode alerts and the Fully Charged newsletter
- Find us on X
- Follow us on Instagram
