Listen: Europe’s solar revival dream overshadowed by harsh new realities

This episode takes you into the German Solar Valley, which was once the world’s largest production hub but was abandoned in the 2010s as China became solar powerhouse Number One.

Now, companies like Meyer Burger Technology are ramping up the old factories, gunning for a revival of European production. But, CEO Gunter Erfurt tells the podcast, panels have evolved from commodity to geopolitical poker chip, and Europe risks losing the game without injecting more money into the sector.

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, solar expert Edurne Zoco of S&P Global Commodity Insights also sees more incentives for U.S. factories than European ones. Still, ESG considerations and shorter supply routes could increasingly make the case for home-grown products, too.

Energy Evolution co-hosts Dan Testa and Taylor Kuykendall are veteran journalists with broad expertise covering the energy and mining sectors. In addition, Camellia Moors and Camilla Naschert, reporters who write about mining and power issues, are correspondents for Energy Evolution and regularly contribute to the show. Subscribe to Energy Evolution on your favorite platform to catch our latest episodes!

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