Going for the Green
What the 2022 Winter Olympics told us about renewable energy
Over the last two weeks, thousands of the world’s finest frosty athletes have been competing in the arid, mountainous hinterland of the People’s Republic of China.
The Winter Olympics are usually a special occasion. But this year’s event has been special for unusual reasons.
You are likely aware that the games have taken place during a time when relations between the PRC and many countries are especially tense. And you certainly know that the world is only now beginning to emerge from more than two years of a pandemic which sprung from central China, and possibly from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Tensions between major countries and low transparency in a censorship-loving authoritarian nation are ultimately to be expected however.
What isn’t expected is that Beijing’s claim—that the 2022 games are the first ever carbon neutral Olympics—might actually be true.
The Olympics are always an extremely costly event, and the price has only risen over time. In fact, every summer Olympics since 2000 has left its host city with a bill over USD 1 billion.
The environmental price tag has also grown rapidly over time. Whether it’s the energy required to construct new stadiums and facilities, to house and feed the contestants and spectators, or to transport everyone to the venue, fossil fuels have had to be burned to generate huge amounts of electricity.
Until now, we’re told.
China has touted its brand-new renewable energy grid system in the region, as well as snowmakers powered with wind turbines and some 60 million freshly-planted trees as the drivers of its coveted claim to a zero-impact Olympic games.
Of course, this rosy picture of complete carbon neutrality which the International Olympics Committee and Chinese government have painted deserves the healthy skepticism it has received.
Clever accounting and reliance on carbon offsets weaken the claim’s credibility. Plus, onlookers and investors who even remotely understand China know that the country burns coal for well over half of its energy needs, and that this episode of showboating conveniently distracts from the much bigger picture.
This skepticism may be justified, and the 2022 Winter Olympics are most likely not squeaky clean.
But the fact remains: unprecedented resources are being invested into developing and implementing renewable energy technology at massive scale.
And where there is investment, there is money to be made.
Of course, it would be premature and foolish to blindly leap into investing in renewable energy developments wherever they appear. Failed projects and unprofitable ventures will still vastly outnumber those that succeed and can generate profits for you.
That’s a good reason to steer clear of Nasdaq’s ubiquitous marketing of Chinese renewable energy ETFs, which are big baskets of both good and bad eggs.
But for those who have the patience and who know what to look for, the opportunities are ripening with each passing day.
That is precisely why I have created my new eBook: Wealth from the Wind and Sun: How to Harness the Gobal Energy Transition for Huge & Reliable Returns.
I have been following energy developments and making successful market picks in the energy and utility sectors for over 30 years.
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I hope you have been enjoying the Olympics and I strongly urge you to see the incredible investment opportunities it’s revealed.
Thanks for reading.
To your wealth!
Roger S. Conrad