Facts from Why Is This Happening? — “Here Comes The Sun” (with Bill McKibben)
- Show: Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast
- Episode Title: “Here Comes The Sun”
- Host: Chris Hayes
- Guest: Bill McKibben (founder of 350.org and Third Act)
- Release Date: August 26, 2025
- Duration: ~54 minutes
Core Facts & Themes
Clean Energy Transformation
- Solar and renewables are now the cheapest, fastest-growing sources of electricity.
- By 2024, 92.5% of new global electricity came from renewables (U.S. ~96%).
- By mid-2025, fossil fuels dropped to less than half of U.S. electricity generation.
Speed & Scale
- Since 2023, the world has been installing >1 GW of solar per day.
- First terawatt of solar took decades, the second just 2 years.
Global Examples
- China: Leading in scale, becoming the world’s first “electro-state.”
- California: Renewables sometimes exceed 100% demand; natural gas use fell 44% in 2 years.
- Pakistan: Solar installs equal to 1/3 of national grid in under a year; diesel use fell 30–35%.
Framing & Messaging
- Focusing on lower bills, convenience, and resilience persuades more than climate warnings alone.
- Renewables should be framed as “Costco energy” (affordable, abundant), not “Whole Foods energy.”
Land Use & Agrivoltaics
- Half of US corn is grown for ethanol production
- 1 acre of solar panels: generates ~700K miles for a Ford F-150 EV (vs ~25K miles from corn ethanol for a Ford F-150 with cumbustion engine).
- French vineyards saw 60% higher grape yields under solar arrays.
- Texas farmers benefit from wind leases; livestock graze comfortably around turbines.
- Balcony solar: millions in Germany, now legal in Utah.
Political & Structural Barriers
- Permitting & transmission lag behind technological growth.
- Fossil fuel industries spend hundreds of millions lobbying against renewables.
- Texas clean energy growth is being undermined by state policies.
Dual Narrative of Urgency
- June 2023: Earth hit hottest 12 months in 125,000 years.
- This coincided with humanity hitting gigawatt-per-day solar deployment.
- Message: warming can’t be reversed, but it can be halted before civilization suffers irreparable harm.
Mobilization
- “Sun Day” on Sept 21, 2025 (autumnal equinox) will be a national day of solar advocacy.
Decentralization & Power
- Clean energy is diffuse and decentralized, unlike fossil fuels.
- This shift could reshape geopolitics and empower communities globally.
Episode Metadata (for reference)
- Podcast: Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes
- Episode Link (Apple Podcasts): Listen here
- Episode ID: 1000723606174