Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations29 Mai 2025

They Blame it on the Sun

Get bonus content at wickedproblems.earth!

Why is it, every time the lights go out, anywhere in the world, there are ten influencers with pre-written posts about how it’s the fault of wind and solar on the grid?

Whether it’s Spain in 2025 or Texas in 2021 or the UK in 2019 or South Australia in 2016 - before the lights are even back on, never mind an investigation, there is a lightning-fast squad of people who pop up on social media, in TV interviews, in newspaper columns, who claim with absolutely certainty that it was renewables. It was too much wind. Or too little wind. Or not enough sun. Or too much sun. Or all of the above - often in the same interview.

It doesn’t need to make logical sense. It just needs to tickle your cortisol and dopamine receptors.

Even if it affects the public debate - does it prevent steel going into the ground to build out more solar and wind in these places? And if it hasn’t to date, is that what's about to happen in Texas?

Legendary climate and energy analyst Ketan Joshi returns to the show to hash out the whys and wherefores of it all. And what we might do about taking some of that pollution out of our information environment.

Plus an unscheduled special guest appearance from our dogs.

01:22 The 2016 Australian Blackout

02:17 Media's Role in Renewable Energy Perception

04:37 Technical Details of the Blackout

07:02 Public Reaction and Misunderstandings

11:24 Comparing Global Blackouts

13:27 The Role of Disinformation

18:16 Future of Renewable Energy and Grid Management

37:02 Meet the Dogs

37:59 Discussing Pre-Bunking

40:05 Wind Turbine Health Fears

45:03 Texas Renewable Energy Growth

52:23 Bluesky's Future

Read Ketan’s Stuff

His analysis in RenewEconomy.

Windfall

Quote by Akshat Rathi in Bloomberg

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