A consortium of six major car manufacturers and oil companies in Europe - Volkswagen, Daimler, Honda, Neste Oil, OMV and Shell – has today published a “biofuel roadmap” for the EU to 2030. The roadmap, prepared by technical consultancy E4tech, may be seen as an atttempt by industry  to transcend the current deadlock between the European Parliament and EU Member States over new biofuels legislation, which is crippling biofuel investment. The … [Read more...]
The battle over the world’s largest wealth fund – and what it means for the energy sector
A broad movement has emerged in Norway to get the country’s $720 billion sovereign wealth fund to invest in renewable energy. According to Terje Osmundsen, blogger and Senior Vice President of Scatec Solar, a globally leading solar power provider, such a change in strategy would have far-reaching effects on the global energy market. Not only directly, but also indirectly as Norway’s fund is seen as a model by other SWF’s. Meanwhile, pressure is … [Read more...]
International Renewable Energy Agency confirms first permanent diplomatic representatives
Abu Dhabi, 21 November 2013 – The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) this week received its first two permanent representatives – a key step to build up the diplomatic functions of the young organisation’s headquarters in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Representatives of the UAE and Germany – the countries home to IRENA’s permanent headquarters in Abu Dhabi and Innovation and Technology Centre in Bonn – presented their … [Read more...]
Interview Ambassador Wu: “An energy revolution is very much needed”
In a speech in Groningen at the Energy Convention 2013, Wu Jianmin, Executive Vice-Chairman of the influential China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, a government-aligned think tank in Beijing, declared that China “very much needs an energy revolution”. China “depends too much on coal”, said Wu. But in an interview with Energy Post he added we should not expect miracles. “We can't get rid of the coal yet.” … [Read more...]
Global electricity producers: credible carbon pricing essential
Electricity utilities see having a credible price level for CO2 and long-term, predictable policies as the crucial factors for driving change in their fuel and technology mix, according to the latest insights from the Global Electricity Initiative (GEI), presented today. Despite important efforts to increase investments in renewables, the GEI utilities expect fossil fuels to continue to be the basis of generation capacity from 2015 to 2035. … [Read more...]
The Mad Scientists at the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories
What energy innovation can we expect to come out of the United States in the coming years? Matthew Stepp, Senior Policy Analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington DC, takes us on a whirlwind tour of some of the most advanced American energy research going on. He visits five of the 17 National Laboratories of the US Department of Energy, where research is carried out on materials (e.g. for better … [Read more...]
Why a carbon tax is a bad idea
With the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) struggling and “carbon credit frauds” in the news, many analysts argue we should get rid of carbon trading and opt for carbon taxes instead. But according to Alex Trembath and Matthew Step, carbon taxes will do nothing to cut emissions because they don’t lead to innovation. “Steve Jobs didn’t develop the PC because the price of typewriters went up.” … [Read more...]
The future of the large German utilities: it’s already here
Energy Post reported recently that German utility RWE is “shedding its old business model and embracing the energy transition”. This is not surprising, writes solar industry pioneer Peter F. Varadi. In fact, says Varadi, the new strategy merely formalizes what is already happening in practice. (Photo: Tim Fuller) … [Read more...]
VIDEO: 2030 Climate & Energy – Will Europe have the courage to fix its climate & energy tools?
Sonja van Renssen, leading environment journalist at viEUws.eu, gives an insight into the EU’s progress on reducing green house gas emissions in order to tackle climate change and an outlook on the debate on reduction targets for 2030 coming up next year. … [Read more...]
How renewables will transform commercial and (geo)political relations
The role that renewable energy could play in changing the balance of power in the world is often overlooked. Rick Bosman of the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) in Rotterdam and Daniel Scholten, Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology, undertake a thought experiment with stunning implications for future consumer-producer relations. Must reading for energy market and political strategists. (Illustration Tjebbe van … [Read more...]
Crowdfunding renewables: game-changer for the energy sector?
Crowdfunding of renewable energy projects is growing fast in Europe. If this grassroots movement gets organized in time to access the big money available in the next round of cohesion funding, it could have far reaching effects on the European energy sector. … [Read more...]
EU renewables sector fears for future subsidies
Brussels wants both a single European energy market and 20% renewables in the energy mix by 2020. The latter goal, however, Â risks disrupting the former. The Commission must resolve this tension in new state aid guidelines for energy for 2014-2020. Â The renewables sector warns that the conditions the Commission is currently considering threaten the renewable energy sector. (Photo: uSwitch) … [Read more...]
Getting electric cars on the road: it’s the price, stupid!
 A lot of arguments are put foward of why consumers would not want to buy electric vehicles, such as “range anxiety” or worries about lack of infrastruture. But according to Eduardo Avendaño of cleantech startup Ozone Drive, there is only one thing that really matters in the end: the price. Both policymakers and industry should focus on bringing down the sales price of electric cars. This is all the more important as government subsidies for … [Read more...]
Exclusive: RWE sheds old business model, embraces transition
RWE, Germany’s largest power producer, has decided to radically depart from its traditional business model based on large-scale thermal power production. Henceforth, the company will “create value by leading the transition to the future energy world”.  This is shown by confidential strategy documents that were discussed at a recent meeting of RWE’s Supervisory Board in Warsaw which Energy Post has seen. Photo: RWE power plant in Hamm-Uentrop … [Read more...]