Renewable energy, when it comes to solar and wind power, has always had a caveat: it can only run when the wind blows or the sun shines. The idea of a battery was floated around to make renewables available 24/7. For years, it existed as an expensive, little-used technology. And then in 2021, it took off.
In California, there is now enough grid-scale battery storage to power millions of homes, at least for a few hours, and it's growing fast. How did that happen, and what does the newfound success mean for the grid?
This week, we dig into three stories about grid-scale battery storage. Today, we go on-the-ground to California, where batteries first took off in the U.S.
Related episodes:
Rooftop solar's dark side (Apple / Spotify)
How EV batteries tore apart Michigan (Update) (Apple / Spotify)
How China became solar royalty (Apple / Spotify)
Wind boom, wind bust (Two windicators) (Apple / Spotify)
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Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1313: Rotation
Episode: 1313 Rotation: of coins, racquetballs, ballet dancers, and more. Today, let's think about rotation.
Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1312: McDouall Stuart Expedition
Episode: 1312 Crossing Australia -- from nine months to six minutes. Today, we cross Australia.
Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1311: The Cistercians
Episode: 1311 The Cistercian order, power technology, and innovation. Today, let's talk about monks and waterwheels.
More or Less: Behind the Stats - Do 79% of Swedish asylum seekers go on holiday to the country they fled from?
The claim that 79% of asylum seekers in Sweden go on holiday in their home country has been repeated regularly on social media. It?s used to argue that recent refugees are being disingenuous about the danger they face in the country they have fled from. But when you look at the survey the claim is based on, you see the stat in a very different way. We speak to Hjalmar Strid, who ran the survey for polling company Novus, and Tino Sanandaji from Bulletin, the online news site which published it.
Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound Mix: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon
The Indicator from Planet Money - What’s going on with men’s labor force participation?
It's the first Jobs Friday of the new year, and there's good news!
The unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 4.1%, and the economy added 256,000 jobs. So, for the last month of 2024, the jobs market finished pretty strong.
Today on the show, we look at the indicators from this month's jobs report that give us a snapshot of where our economy's headed. We look at how men are potentially reversing a decades-long trend of declining labor force participation, how people who are unemployed are staying that way for longer and how a lot of Americans saw their wages rise in 2024.
PLUS ... we reveal the winner of our Indicator of 2024!
Related episodes:
Help us pick the indicator of the year!
Getting more men into so-called pink-collar jobs
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
The unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 4.1%, and the economy added 256,000 jobs. So, for the last month of 2024, the jobs market finished pretty strong.
Today on the show, we look at the indicators from this month's jobs report that give us a snapshot of where our economy's headed. We look at how men are potentially reversing a decades-long trend of declining labor force participation, how people who are unemployed are staying that way for longer and how a lot of Americans saw their wages rise in 2024.
PLUS ... we reveal the winner of our Indicator of 2024!
Related episodes:
Help us pick the indicator of the year!
Getting more men into so-called pink-collar jobs
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Audio Mises Wire - Critical Race Theory and Racial Polylogism
Long before the term "Critical Race Theory" was coined, Ludwig von Mises already was critiquing what he called "racial polylogism," which claims that what passes for truth depends upon racial identity. While people might hold different perspectives, truth still is truth.
Original article: Critical Race Theory and Racial Polylogism
Audio Mises Wire - Minimum Wage Laws Can’t Repeal the Laws of Economics
A new study at UC Berkeley claims that California‘s new $20 minimum wage has had no adverse economic effects. If only that were true.
Original article: Minimum Wage Laws Can’t Repeal the Laws of Economics
Audio Mises Wire - Book Review: The Age of Debt Bubbles
The world is awash in debt bubbles, but politicians continue to spend, which requires even more central bank intervention—and more bubbles. Max Rangeley has edited The Age of Debt Bubbles, which details the dangers we face and how to stop the current madness.
Original article: Book Review: The Age of Debt Bubbles
Audio Mises Wire - Paul Krugman Rides into the Sunset
After spending 25 years as a columnist for the New York Times, Paul Krugman is finally retiring from that position—25 years too late, if one wishes to be honest.
Original article: Paul Krugman Rides into the Sunset