The Energy Department's data arm is more favorable on renewables' long-term future than it was a year ago, but its central analysis might still be badly underestimating the tech's trajectory.
Driving the news: The Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook released yesterday shows power from renewables overtaking natural gas as the nation's largest electricity source in about 15 years.
That sharp spike you see in Tesla's already-high stock price is what happened Wednesday when the electric automaker reported a $105 million fourth-quarter profit and offered a rosy take on what's ahead.
Why it matters: Tesla and CEO Elon Musk kick up lots of dust, but the bottom line is that the trajectory of the world's largest electric vehicle seller matters a lot for the tech's wider adoption — even as competitors ramp, up too.
The death toll from New Zealand's Whakaari/White Island volcanic eruption has risen to 21. American man Pratap "Paul" Singh, 49, died of his injuries in an Auckland hospital, police confirmed in a statement Thursday.
The latest: Singh sustained burns to 55% of his body in the Dec. 9 eruption, his family said in a statement released by police. He was on the island with his American wife, Pratap "Mary" Singh, who suffered burns to 72% of her body and who died of her injuries Dec. 22. They're survived by an 11-year-old son and 6-year-old twin daughters.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg announced in an Instagram post Wednesday that she's applied to register her name and that of the Fridays For Future movement she founded in 2018.
The big picture: The 17-year-old is taking this action to protect their misuse. "I and the other school strikers have absolutely no interests in trademarks. But unfortunately it needs to be done," she said. "Fridays For Future is a global movement founded by me. It belongs to anyone taking part in it, above all the young people. It can — and must — not be used for individual or commercial purposes."
Tesla earned $105 million in net profit in the fourth quarter, ending the year on a positive note and declaring 2019 a turning point for the volatile electric car company.
Details: Record 2019 deliveries helped drive revenues up 19% over the prior quarter, but profit margins fell because Tesla sold more of the lower-priced Model 3. Shares jumped 7% in after-hours trading on Wednesday to $621.89.
2020 appears to be the year that Corporate America is serious about addressing climate change, but it remains unclear if venture capitalists plan to join the fight.
The big picture: Many VCs still have painful scars from the mid-to-late aughts, when they lost billions on investments in "cleantech" companies.
Senior House Democrats are on the cusp of unveiling a five-year, $760 billion infrastructure package that "places a major emphasis on climate change," Politico reported Tuesday night.
What's next: Democrats are slated to discuss the plan in their caucus meeting later this morning, per Politico and Roll Call.
The latest edition of the Energy Department's "transportation fact of the week" series shows that much of the freight moved by truck isn't traveling that far.
Why it matters: As medium and heavy-duty electric trucks enter the market, which is slowly starting to happen, there are many use cases that don't require massive range or far-flung charging networks.
Tesla's Q4 earnings report will come Wednesday as the volatile Silicon Valley electric automaker's stock is near all-time highs with a recent run of positive news, including record 2019 deliveries and the recent launch of its Chinese factory.
Why it matters: Tesla is arguably the most important corporate actor in the movement of electric vehicles toward the mainstream, even as new manufacturers emerge and legacy automakers roll out new models.
