Solar Might Save Communism in Cuba

A sixth-anniversary edition packed with clean energy wins, grid chaos, and a few absurd tech headlines. Brian and James start with a major electrification milestone: heat pumps outsold gas furnaces in the U.S. again in 2025, making it two years in a row. Even more telling, in September, heat pumps shipped more than central air conditioners for the first time.

The show then turns to Cuba, where aging oil-fired plants, failing infrastructure, and fuel shortages have led to frequent grid collapses and daily blackouts lasting over 20 hours. But Cuba also hit a solar milestone, generating over 800 MW at midday on Feb. 10, 2026, after adding more than 1 GW of solar in 2025.

In Australia, extreme heat is colliding with prepaid electricity meters, forcing families to top up power in advance or face automatic shutoffs. The episode also highlights solar-powered refrigerated semi-trailers that completed a brutal 1,600 km route with zero diesel burned.

The Lightning Round includes BYD passing Ford, geothermal investment surging, Waymo paying DoorDash to close robotaxi doors, and a drone charged by laser from a mile away.

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