Teens, Batteries And “Tookie” Angus
1. Bets on a clean economy - with taxpayer funds: in a perfect world, we’d let the markets decide the winners and losers in any sector and keep the government out of it, right?
Yep, except the feds can’t stop making big bets with taxpayer funds. They’ve earmarked $80 billion for the next ten years in a “clean growth” strategy. Will it work? Nobody knows, least of all the feds. But if we are making bets that big with our money, there’s on group of companies that deserves a look. And that is among the small-cap companies in the clean growth sector - the “teens” that still haven’t reached a mature stage but still need help.
Here’s an op-ed I wrote on this Our "teens" are in trouble. Let me know what you think.
2. Bets on batteries: I came across a compelling slide (below) in a chat the other day with Nick Blitterswyck, CEO of solar project developer UGE International. He highlighted for me how he felt that battery storage is going to be one of the key drivers of the successful move to alternative energy solutions. I’m hearing that a lot from a multitude of different sources in Canada and in Europe.
Here’s what Nick says this chart means: “Many don’t realize just how quickly solar and energy storage are growing, with solar already representing more than 50% of new energy capacity being built in the U.S. each year – and growing. That will only accelerate now that energy storage has reached scale. To drive that point home, more energy storage capacity was built in 2022 than new natural gas capacity. Take a look at this chart of interconnection queues and you can see that we will never look back – the only other energy source that comes close is wind. The energy transition is truly upon us.”
3. R. Stuart “Tookie” Angus - I will be in Vancouver on May 3rd to join in the celebration of life and tribute to a larger-than-life mentor of mine and legend in the mining industry who passed away on March 24th.
Please take a minute to read Tookie's obituary and you will see why this man defines “a life well-lived”. I crossed paths with Tookie so many times in the past three decades. I learned so much from him, enjoyed his company on so many occasions, and was the benefactor of ideas and people he sent my way. They don’t make ‘em like Tookie anymore. And I know there will be a large crowd of us thinking the same thing in Vancouver on May 3rd.
Here’s our roadshow schedule for next week: Jesse Douglas of Green Impact Partners launches our first client roadshow in London with Peter Cowan and Nicole Loghin, and then heads to Geneva to meet up with Robert Seguin and Muriel Pham. I’ll be with Safe Harbor Financial CEO Sundie Seefried as she comes back to Eastern Canada for a second tour.
Let me know if you’d like to join us in any of these days:
Thank you so much for your continued support and interest.
Rick Peterson,
Chair