Transportation, Lithium-Ion Battery Research and a Phone Call leads to This Blog Post

I recently retired and decided to start investing time and money into the lifestyle and companies that are venturing into where humankind is headed for sustainable living. The demand for energy will never cease. However, fossil fuel use must cease and make room for a new way to consume energy for a sustainable planet for generations to come. So, to be part of the solution and not part of the problem, I am spending some time soaking up information so I can capitalize and contribute to the solutions.

Electrification & Economics & Renewable Energy

Electrification is on the rise very fast and if you have a car, home, appliance, etc. that uses electricity, the source of energy can easily be switched to a cheaper, cleaner and renewable sources as they come online. Message: Prepare for the future, start electrifying.

Economics is everything. Right now, our public utilities are generating cheap electricity, and a small percentage of it is renewable. The economic investment and returns for renewables are getting better and we are moving toward the renewables fast. Here's an example of the investment in renewable energy. This Ellensburg, WA project is economically lucrative to the private owner, supports several jobs, restores the land, creates salmon habitat, in addition to creating renewable energy for approximately 1,250 average households. - I want to power my car and home with this type of energy instead of a barrel of oil.

Swauk Ranch leading by example in private energy supply

Closing the Gap: Transportation and Energy Storage

Storage of guilt-free renewable electricity in the transportation sector is an emerging global industry right now. Transportation is a major consumer of fossil fuel, and a switch to an electric car requires a battery to replace a fuel tank.

The most efficient, safest, mass produced batteries for the emerging transportation demand today are Lithium-Ion based. For the science, see the University of Washington Clean Energy Institute: Lithium-Ion Battery: https://www.cei.washington.edu/education/science-of-solar/battery-technology/

And this is where I circle back to the phone call leading to this post. I was called on a lazy winter morning. The call was from the Issaquah Kiwanis communications committee chair - and she asked me what I was doing at the moment. On that particular morning I was adequately fueled with coffee, and deep into researching Lithium ore companies for investment opportunities. She remarked that she had never heard someone respond they were researching lithium when asked what they were doing. I'm a little nerdy and you never know what bunny trail I'll send my brain down in any given day. We both agreed, that an article may be of interest to the club. I don't know a lot of detail about the science behind lithium's efficiency, I'll leave that to the battery experts, however I do know, it's the best commercially produced type of transportation battery we have at this time, and it's in demand.

Life will get better for the planet and for me.

For now, I've signed up for the PSE Green Power program, my bill was $3 last month - very doable. I've also invested a small sum in a few Lithium mines I've determined are worth betting on. The switch to electrification and the demand for Lithium will be high for some time to come. I know I'll enjoy a new electric car and all its features in the near future, and the growth and gains in the mining stocks just might pay for the car. I'll also be thrilled to count the barrels of oil I'm not burning (1 barrel of oil makes about 1 tank of gas).

Now… what's after that? Hydrogen? Electrified Rail Infrastructure? I sure hope so!

Sherry Dietz,
Issaquah Kiwanis Environmental Committee Chair

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