Solar power is the fastest growing part of the global energy industry. Inderpreet Wadhwa, CEO of Azure Power, one of the largest solar power producers in India, sat down with us to discuss why India is well positioned to capitalize on the trend.
Wadhwa emphasizes that over 200 million people in India do not have electricity. He says there is a lot of potential because solar radiation is available in most parts of the country, and India has over 300 days of sun. The fact that India is an emerging economy and has to build new infrastructure is another advantage, he says, because the country can "leapfrog" coal industry infrastructure.
For Azure Power, it is important to work closely with the government. Wadhwa says energy in India is highly regulated so they need favorable government policy. 90% of the company's contracts are with the government. With the price of solar much cheaper than energy consumed in many industries, Wadhwa says they are now doing more commercial contracts with industries such as the hotels.
In its pick of two small start-ups over Bird, Lime, Uber, and Lyft, San Francisco sent a signal that the most valuable mobility companies' "launch first, ask questions later" approach is catching up to them. Scoot Global and Skip were chosen because they said they would keep riders off the sidewalks and would provide services to low-income residents. Meanwhile, Santa Monica announced that it would open its shared mobility pilot program to e-scooters from Uber, Lyft, Bird, and Lime.
Paul Johnson, partner at Harbor Peak, said regulators are nervous about being interpreted as backing crypto investing. But Bitcoin and Ethereum continue to benefit from widespread user adoption, while other platforms will likely fade away.
The Endowment for Clean Oceans is holding a contest for anyone with an idea that could remove some of the plastic choking our oceans. Founder Daniel Perrin said there's emerging technology that could help the process, and he wants to jumpstart it.
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The red-hot cannabis market is not sustainable as is, according to industry analyst Matt Karnes. But that doesn't mean it isn't a great long-term story.
Gene Munster thinks so. The managing partner at Loup Ventures said Tim Cook could help rein in the ambitions of Elon Musk. But a merger won't be likely unless Tesla runs into real financial troubles.
Kathy Ireland, Chief Brand Strategist of Level Brands, spoke with Cheddar about her company's dive into the CBD market. Shares of cannabis companies have been soaring as momentum grows for wide marijuana legalization.
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AIEQ is the first ETF to apply artificial intelligence throughout the investment process, using social media and news trends in addition to taking information from the stock market. Art Amador of EquBot explains how A.I. can help investors make better decisions.
As Hurricane Lane churns toward the Hawaiian islands, Axios science editor Andrew Freedman said the state needs to get used to a future where it sees more storms.
