ESG Cleantech review #4

Feature image:

3D printed home construction by 3Strands and ICON in Austin, Texas. Source: ICON

I am surprised and delighted to see enough ESG and Cleantech news to warrant a new post. Here are some cool stories we liked in the first two weeks of March.

• American Rescue Plan Act aims to cut child poverty by 33%
  • The landmark bill provides robust support to the lowest quintile of income earners
  • A big goal is to dramatically reduce child poverty in the USA
  • The 2017 tax law benefited the top quintile of income earners the most
  • The bill addresses the health and economic crisis caused by the COVID pandemic, and longer standing racial poverty issues
  • Yale School of Management – Congress Passes the $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan Act
• 3D printed homes are spreading fast
  • Builders are creating 3D printed communities in California and Texas
  • The homes are cheaper and faster to build, with excellent energy efficiency, sustainability and resilience
  • How fast can we ramp up this technology?
  • CNBC – 3D-printed housing developments suddenly take off – here’s what they look like
• Tesla proposes to build a grid scale battery in Texas
  • This is Tesla’s first move in large-scale energy storage outside California, inside the USA
  • Tesla is building a 100 MW battery in Angleton, TX, expected to go live in June 2021
  • Is the first of many more grid scale batteries to come in Texas? Probably
  • Texas got walloped by a Texas sized freeze a few weeks ago
  • Cleantechnica – A Tesla Big Battery Is Coming To Texas
• Volkswagen teases Power Day on March 15th, 2021
  • It’s not a car presentation!
  • Taking a page out of Tesla’s book, Volkswagen announces Power Day, where the focus will be on batteries
  • What secrets will VW share with us?
  • We can hope some mention of solid state batteries, charging, cost, and range, and production is revealed
  • Volkswagen – Volkswagen Power Day livestream link
• Not to be outdone, GM to reveal Hummer EV SUV on April 3rd, 2021
  • This is a vehicle presentation!
  • Continuing a follow Tesla theme, GM will show off the Hummer EV SUV before production starts
  • Deposits can made at the event for the SUV
  • With clever marketing, the event will be on 4.3.21 (countdown 4, 3, 2, 1)
  • Autoblog – GMC Hummer EV SUV to be fully revealed during Final Four in April
• Ford is testing an F-150 EV test mule
  • The world’s most popular vehicle undergoes testing as an EV
  • Expected launch is late 2022
  • Ford has seen early success with the Mustang Mach-E
  • Truck competition is coming in the EV space over the next 18 months
  • I expect the F-150 EV to do well, even with an initial high starting price
  • Dealerships and ability to service may provide a boost
  • Autoblog – Ford F-150 electric pickup in production bodywork caught in spy photos
  • I am happy that mainstream auto sites are covering EV news seriously
• Rolls-Royce working with Widerøe to launch a Norwegian short haul EV airplane by 2026
  • This would be the world’s first all-electric commuter plane
  • Norway wants to move to all-electric aviation by 2040
  • In separate news, Rolls-Royce is aiming to beat the electric speed record for an aviation craft
  • The future is coming, and it looks glorious
  • Forbes – Norway’s Widerøe Could Fly This Rolls-Royce Electric Plane By 2026
• View aims for $1 trillion smart glass market
  • Company recently went public via a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company)
  • Think of a world without blinds, smart windows that change tint based on the time of day, and how close you are to them
  • That’s the market View is targeting
  • It’s an interesting technology I want to follow more closely
  • MSN – View IPO debuts to lukewarm reception

One thing I have noticed is the price of oil has gone up since the beginning of the year. The more oil production is reduced, the higher prices will go. The better the economy does, the higher the price of oil. The higher oil prices go, the greater the incentive to switch to electric vehicles, batteries, energy efficiency and renewable energy. I can’t imagine a world, looking at the above links, where oil consumption isn’t greatly reduced over the next two decades. It’s better for people’s wallets, better for the environment, and better at job growth.

Note: I have investments in Tesla, GM, and Ford. Nothing written here is investment advice. Please do your own due diligence before investing your hard earned money.

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Thanks for reading!

Warmest regards,

smilingdad