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Peter Newman

Peter Newman

The Conversation

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Big batteries are now outcompeting gas in the grid – and gas-rich Western Australia is at the forefront

Big batteries are now outcompeting gas in the grid – and gas-rich Western Australia is at the forefront

Gas was long thought to be essential as a backup for a clean energy grid. But enormous growth in grid-scale batteries has changed the game.

12.12.2025 20

The Conversation

Peter Newman

Climate action can feel slow – but the fastest energy leap in history has begun

12.09.2025 10

Pearls and Irritations

Peter Newman

Climate action can feel slow – but the fastest energy leap in history has begun

Weaning ourselves off fossil fuels is glacially slow – isn’t it? This pessimistic narrative doesn’t stack up against evidence of very rapid...

10.09.2025 10

The Conversation

Peter Newman

Tragedy has struck Lisbon’s funicular railway. A transport expert explains how these old-fashioned trains work

The deadly derailment has shone a spotlight on this transport relic of the 19th century.

04.09.2025 4

The Conversation

Peter Newman