Coal vs Solar: The $30B Decision No One Is Talking About

From teens taking on gas stoves to a massive cost breakdown showing why keeping coal alive in Saskatchewan could be far more expensive than switching to renewables. James runs the numbers and finds the province could spend over $30 billion to keep coal running to 2050—while solar, wind, and storage come in dramatically cheaper (and getting cheaper every year). Add in EV cost reality checks, listener mail, and a stacked Lightning Round.

Highlights:

• Brian brings up the Smell Vancouver app
  https://smell-vancouver.ca/
• Teens in Palo Alto push to ban gas stoves, citing health risks including a 42% higher asthma risk for kids
  https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electrification/palo-alto-kids-induction-stoves
• Even cold climates work: large-scale solar project near the Arctic Circle in Finland
  https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/pv_solar/sungrow-supplies-inverters-to-largescale-lapland-solar-20250620
• Global shift: renewables made up 85.6% of new energy capacity in 2025

Lightning Round:

• Google turns to gas for AI data centers
• OPEC output drops ~25%
  https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-07/opec-output-fell-most-in-decades-last-month-on-war-survey-shows?srnd=phx-markets
• Tesla expands globally; 80,000 Superchargers

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