Rogue Solar Bigger than the Grid

Rogue Solar Bigger than the Grid

From The Clean Energy Show by James Whittingham and Brian Stockton

May 20, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 312

About this episode

The episode discusses Pakistan's rooftop solar growth, the costs of aging coal plants in the U.S., and various energy transition topics.

Pakistan's booming rooftop solar "shadow grid" has quietly grown larger than the country's official grid, saving billions while slashing fossil fuel imports. They also look at the staggering costs of keeping aging coal plants alive in the U.S., including millions spent just to maintain shutdown-ready facilities. Plus: a groundbreaking Inuit-owned hydro project replacing diesel power in the Arctic, bats vs. wind turbines, EV sales exploding in Canada, China's battery charging buildout, and why hailstorms are becoming a major challenge for solar farms. Support The Clean Energy Show on Patreon for exciting perks including a monthly bonus podcast, early access to our content, behind the scenes looks, access to our members-only Discord community and thank-yous in the credits of videos and shoutouts on our podcast! Starting at just $1 per month! Topics this week include: Pakistan's massive solar "shadow grid" now bigger than the official grid - end of show! Trump-era coal plant extensions costing hundreds of millions Coal pollution reducing global solar output Inuit-owned hydro project cuts Arctic diesel use by 80% Researchers study how bats interact with wind turbines OPEC instability…

People in this episode

Hosts: James Whittingham, Brian Stockton

Topics covered

  • rooftop solar
  • coal plants
  • hydro project
  • wind turbines
  • EV sales
  • battery charging
  • solar farm challenges

Keywords

  • solar grid
  • coal pollution
  • Inuit hydro project
  • bats wind turbines
  • EV sales Canada
  • battery charging
  • renewable energy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: OPEC, BYD

Places: Pakistan, Arctic

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