European public funding has kicked off the first generation of âsmart cityâ projects, a recent concept in sustainable urban development aimed at integrated planning for energy, mobility and ICT. But successful smart city development does not come easily: above all, it requires engagement from citizens, say several experts Energy Post spoke with. âForget technology. The smart city is about identifying solutions that are part of everyday lifeâ. … [Read more...]
China restarts coal plant construction after two-year freeze
Satellite imagery reveals that many coal-fired power projects that were halted by the Chinese government have quietly restarted, writes Feng Hao of China Dialogue. The reason is probably that Chinaâs power demand is rebounding. However, according to Hao, many coal power plants are running at a loss and there is still substantial overcapacity. Courtesy Climate Home. … [Read more...]
Ukraine has made great progress in reforming the gas sector â but its fate still hangs in the balance
Natural gas still plays an outsized role in Ukraineâs energy mix â and it will continue to do so for many decades to come, writes Jakub Kucera, economic analyst at RSJ, a Prague-based investment company. Kucera explains the many formidable challenges Ukraine is facing in the gas sector and their profound impact on the European energy market. He concludes that Ukraine has made admirable progress in cleaning up the gas sector. Unfortunately, … [Read more...]
Energiewende enters a new phase â how is it performing?
The Energiewende is proceeding ahead of schedule with high grid reliability, writes researcher Schalk Cloete. However, costs are much higher than originally planned, while CO2emissions are stagnating. According to Cloete, wind/solar market shares have now reached the point where large grid expansion projects become critical. One problem is that the net value of new wind/solar is approaching zero as market value declines and integration costs … [Read more...]
Un-SAFE: Trump clean cars rollback could cost $450 billion, increase emissions 11%
Trumpâs fuel economy standard rollback will be a disaster for the United States, write Jeffrey Rissman and Robbie Orvis of California-based think tank Energy Innovation. It will harm American consumers and the transport sector and sharply drive up emissions. The only winners will be oil companies. … [Read more...]
Trump is wrecking the climate and free trade. Here is one solution for both
Instead of tit-for-tat retaliation to US tariffs, trade partners should link their response to climate goals and kill two birds with one stone, write four researchers. Courtesy Climate Home News. … [Read more...]
EU wants new climate policy to be âpopulism-proofâ [EPW]
No new targets, gas is in, jobs and growth are key: the EU is designing a new climate and energy strategy for the coming decades that must reflect a new EU identity post-Brexit â and must drive economic opportunity to ensure it is âpopulism-proofâ. … [Read more...]
No plans to phase out coal in Romania, despite diverse energy mix
Coal accounts for about a quarter of energy produced in Romania, which is a net electricity exporter. Compared to countries like Poland where coal dependency is much higher, discussions about a coal phaseout could be more advanced. Why arenât they? asks Claudia Ciobanu. Article courtesy of Just Transition. … [Read more...]
The carbon floor price â a hammer in need of a toolbox
Carbon pricing is often regarded as the Holy Grail of climate policy. But according to Richard Cowart, Principal at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), carbon prices cannot be a stand-alone solution. They have limited reach and â especially in electricity -- can be expensive for consumers. Nor are high carbon floor prices a magical solution: they donât reduce the surplus of allowances and may not even reduce emissions. According to Cowart, … [Read more...]
The Electric Power Struggle
The world is undergoing a dramatic electricity transition, and the global struggle for power over this transformed electric system is set to profoundly shape our future, argues Walt Patterson, Associate Fellow in the Energy, Environment and Resource Department of Chatham House in London. According to Patterson, politics, not economics, will determine the outcome of this struggle. Article courtesy Hoffmann Centre for Sustainable Resource Economy. … [Read more...]
Energy Community sets stage for clean energy transition in South-East Europe
While the European Union has been busy with the new Clean Energy Package and discussing full decarbonisation by 2050, some important developments are also taking place in its closest neighborhood - in South-East Europe, where the Energy Community Treaty operates. Journalist and energy expert Oleg Savitsky attended the  Energy Community Sustainability Forum in June and explains how policymakers are trying to transform the energy markets of the … [Read more...]
How rapidly can we transition to 100% renewable electricity?
Science tells us that, to avoid devastating climate change, we must rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero. How fast is possible, asks Mark Diesendorf  of the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia. He believes the sceptics may be wrong. … [Read more...]
The ice beneath the EU-China climate bonhomie
When it comes to clean technology, German chancellor Angela Merkel views China no longer as a developing country but a competitor, writes Karl Mathiesen of Climate Home News. From a European perspective, China is joining the club of industrialised countries, competing for their markets, and should be treated as such. Courtesy Climate Home News. … [Read more...]
Trying to make sense of the RWE/EON utility dealâŠ
There is economic and financial market rationale behind the recent deal between E.ON. and RWE, writes financial energy specialist Gerard Reid. From a strategic perspective, however, the decision will impact customers negatively, and will be bad for the long-term sustainability of both companies, Reid argues. Courtesy Energy and Carbon blog. … [Read more...]
Sanctions or self-sabotage? The story of Iranâs oil industry
In the 2.5 years between the end of international sanctions and the reimposition of US sanctions this May, Iran accomplished very little in terms of revitalizing its oil industry, writes Ellen Wald of Jacksonville University. Fighting between pro- and anti-western groups prevented all attempts to attract foreign investment. Courtesy: the EnergySource blog of the Atlantic Council. … [Read more...]
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