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The vast majority of newly built stations in Indonesia relied on export credits agencies or development banks, says study by Market Forces

The much-discussed boom in coal-fired power in south-east Asia is being bankrolled by foreign governments and banks, with the vast majority of projects apparently too risky for the private sector.

Environmental analysts at activist group Market Forces examined 22 deals involving 13.1 gigawatts of coal-fired power in Indonesia and found that 91% of the projects had the backing of foreign governments through export credit agencies or development banks.

Related: Plans for coal-fired power in Asia are 'disaster for planet' warns World Bank

Related: Energy economics group says export market for Australian coal will decline

The wall of Republican climate denial is starting to crack; who will be the Neo that accelerates the process?

Trump’s EPA administrator Scott Pruitt wants to hold televised ‘Red Team/Blue Team’ climate science ‘debates.’ The idea is that a ‘Red Team’ of scientists will challenge the mainstream findings of ‘Blue Team’ scientists. That may sound familiar, because it’s exactly how the peer-review process works. But climate deniers have lost the debate in the peer-reviewed literature, with over 97% of peer-reviewed studies endorsing the consensus on human-caused global warming, and the few contrarian papers being flawed and failing to withstand scientific scrutiny.

So Scott Pruitt is trying to put his thumb on the scale, giving the less than 3% of contrarian scientists equal footing on a ‘Red Team.’ John Oliver showed how to do a statistically representative televised climate debate (so brilliantly that it’s been viewed 7.4m times), but it’s probably not what Pruitt had in mind:

Most of the common metrics for grid reliability suggest that the grid is in good shape despite the retirement of many baseload power plants … The power system is more reliable today due to better planning, market discipline, and better operating rules and standards

renewable electricity generation from technologies that are commercially available today, in combination with a more flexible electric system, is more than adequate to supply 80% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2050 while meeting electricity demand on an hourly basis in every region of the United States

I’m concerned that a hastily developed study, which appears to pre-determine that variable, renewable sources such as wind have undermined grid reliability, will not be viewed as credible, relevant or worthy of valuable taxpayer resources

Car companies are committing to an electric future, but the success of the sector depends on better batteries

All around the world, countries are sounding the death knell for the internal combustion engine. Earlier this month, France announced that it wanted to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, joining India (2030) and Norway (2025) in envisioning an all-electric future.

Car-makers are racing to meet demand, with Volvo promising that from 2019, all of its new models will feature an electric motor.

Related: Huge profits in store for firm that can make a great leap in battery technology

Thirty-five councils pledge to switch renewable energy, maximise public transport use and develop more climate-resilient communities

Local councils across Australia are taking climate action into their own hands as climate policy paralysis plagues the federal government.

Thirty-five have pledged to switch to renewable energy, build sustainable transport, and develop greener, efficient and more climate-resilient communities.

Related: States may go it alone on clean energy target, says Victoria's energy minister