With a US$3.6 billion fuel-import bill, abundant renewable electricity and most of its future vehicle fleet still unbuilt, Ethiopia is leapfrogging the petroleum-powered development path followed by wealthier nations. Ethiopia spends roughly US$3.6 billion a year importing fuel, almost as … Continued
6 questions about AI, energy and our future This essay is told largely from an Australian perspective, but the questions are global. Countries around the world are grappling with the same dilemma: how do we capture the enormous potential of … Continued
My wife is sick to death of hearing me talk about electric cars. A few of my friends probably are too. And I can’t really blame them. If you spend enough time around me, you’d be forgiven for thinking I’m … Continued
How technological revolutions create entirely new industrial ecosystems. The more I think about it, the more I believe we’ve been asking the wrong question. The challenge facing much of the West isn’t simply that China makes cheaper cars. Nor is … Continued
The term “baseload power” gets thrown around a lot in debates over the future of energy. But where did this concept come from, and does it still matter in an age defined by solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, artificial intelligence … Continued
Engineers have long followed one principle: KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Simpler systems are usually more reliable, cheaper to manufacture, easier to maintain and faster to improve. I think that same principle also explains why some technologies scale exponentially while … Continued
Why the world’s oldest energy industry still receives more support than its replacement This article began with a comment beneath a post I wrote about IKEA’s renewable energy investments. The post highlighted how IKEA has installed more than a million … Continued
Why lithium investors keep getting psychologically destroyed at both the top and the bottom of the cycle For those newer to the lithium space, the past few years probably looked completely insane. One minute lithium was being called the most … Continued
Updated May 2026 with refined visuals, clearer examples, and expanded analysis. The energy transition is easier than it looks Caption: Electrification reduces total energy demand by cutting systemic inefficiencies, not by replacing energy 1:1. We keep hearing the same argument. … Continued
Looking back at history, 1974 comes closest to today’s oil shock. It was the last time energy supply was suddenly constrained at a global level and economies felt it immediately. But even that falls short of the scale we are … Continued