At the end of July, the US slapped new import duties on solar products from China coming on top of earlier “anti-dumping” levies. These measures are damaging for US consumers, the US economy and the renewable energy sector, writes solar power entrepreneur Peter F. Varadi, author of a new book on the history of the PV industry. Indeed, it now turns out that even the vast majority of the US solar industry is opposed to them! So why does the … [Read more...]
The EU’s drive for free energy trade in the TTIP endangers action on climate change
With the EU seeking to  diversify its energy sources and US companies eager to export their "unconventional” oil and gas riches, energy has become a major focus of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), about which the two blocs are negotiating. The EU is eager for the US to remove any barriers to the export of its natural gas and crude oil, as is clear from a leaked EU proposal. However, this drive for unrestrained fossil … [Read more...]
Poles want to be energy independent – with nuclear (and renewables)
Two-thirds of Polish people support the plans to construct a new nuclear power plant in Poland, above all because this would increase Polish energy independence. The Polish public wants their country to be less reliant on Russia and other suppliers and believes renewable energy and nuclear energy are the best options for this. They appear to have less enthusiasm for shale gas and coal. These results appear from a poll conducted by PISM, the … [Read more...]
IEA: Utilities should change business model – not count on capacity mechanisms
Utilities in Europe and North America “have to change their business model, whether they like it or not”, says the International Energy Agency (IEA). At the same time, the IEA is very critical about the plans of several European countries to set up capacity schemes which the large European enegy companies are pleading for. “We should try energy-only solutions first before we try capacity schemes”, says Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director of … [Read more...]
Global renewable energy at the cross-roads
Is the renewables glass half-full or half-empty? That’s the central question that appears to run through the International Energy Agency (IEA’s) new comprehensive market report on the state of renewable energy in the world. The answer is complex. Renewables have made “tremendous progress”, notes the IEA, but growth “falls short of global climate change objectives”. Karel Beckman reports. … [Read more...]
UK Power Reserve adds three more plants to portfolio
UK Power Reserve (UKPR) announces the acquisition of a 30MW portfolio of gas-fired power stations from Scottish Power (SP). The acquisition brings the company's portfolio to 13 plants situated across England and Wales. The three SP power stations are Watson Street, Greengate and Cowley Hill and are located in Merseyside. Each site comprises three embedded packages totaling 10MW of generating capacity. UKPR will manage the operation and … [Read more...]
US Energy Information Administration: Energy reform could increase Mexico’s long-term oil production by 75%
On August 11, Mexico's president signed into law legislation that will open its oil and natural gas markets to foreign direct investment, effectively ending the 75-year-old monopoly of state-owned PetrĂłleos Mexicanos (Pemex). These laws, which follow previously adopted changes in Mexico's constitution to eliminate provisions that prohibited direct foreign investment in that nation's oil and natural gas sector, are likely to have major … [Read more...]
Why Ukraine’s dependence on Russia in nuclear is worse than in gas – and what to do about it
While discussions around Ukrainian energy dependence on Russia usually focus on gas, the Ukrainian nuclear sector is even more dominated by Russia. And more strategic: it supplies half of the country’s electricity. And whereas Ukraine wants to use less gas, the government intends to expand the country’s nuclear power production significantly. The good news for Ukraine is that it has plenty of its own uranium. With Western support the country … [Read more...]
Professor Henrik Lund: Denmark proves complete fossil fuel independence is possible
Complete independence from energy generated from fossil fuels is possible. Professor Henrik Lund, of Aalborg University, believes that a system based 100 per cent on renewable energy is a viable option and could be achieved by 2050 in Denmark. Renewable energy systems (RES) planning can also be successfully applied to other countries worldwide. During his extremely well attended plenary lecture at CHISA, the 21st International Congress of … [Read more...]
MeyGen tidal energy project in Scotland gets another boost
Atlantis, owner of the world’s largest planned tidal stream energy project, MeyGen, has been awarded a ÂŁ7.5 million two year contract with the UK’s Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) to deliver a multi-turbine foundation structure which will support a further two turbines at the Atlantis-owned MeyGen tidal stream array in the Pentland Firth, Scotland. The agreement with ETI marks the start of Phase 2 of the ETI Tidal Energy Converter … [Read more...]
Let’s start a European tidal lagoon industry
A unique, ÂŁ1 billion plan to build the world’s first tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay in Wales has won strong local support. Stephen Tindale, associate fellow at the Centre for European Reform in the UK, who is involved in the project, argues that the EU should support it  and help create a new European tidal lagoon industry. … [Read more...]
UBS and Citigroup expect massive solar-EV revolution
Analysts from UBS and Citigroup, two of the world’s largest investment banks, believe the growth of solar power, in combination with advances in batteries and electric cars, will cause a huge disruption in the energy industry. UBS believes centralised fossil fuel generation  will become “extinct” sooner than most people realise. Citigroup predicts renewables will replace coal and gas in power generation, which will free up the use of gas as a … [Read more...]
France announces $13.4 billion energy plan
Tax credits and low-interest loans will be used to generate about €10 billion ($13.4 billion) for a new energy plan in France. About half the money will be loaned by Caisse des Depots et Consignations, a government-owned lender, and some will also come from non-state banks. French President Francois Hollande wants France to reduce its reliance on atomic power from 75% to 50% by 2025. Such an investment is necessary to help with … [Read more...]
New report Carbon Tracker: Top 20 high-cost oil projects risk wasting $91 bln of investor cash
The Carbon Tracker Initiative (CTI) has come out with a new report highlighting some of the world’s most expensive future oil projects, which the biggest publicly listed oil companies are considering for development. Some of these projects require prices far exceeding today’s levels, and risk wasting $91 billion of investor cash over the next decade if taken into production. The projects are suggested as prime candidates for … [Read more...]
SkyNRG, Boeing and South African Airways aim to turn tobacco into sustainable jet fuelÂ
SkyNRG announces its first major feedstock project in South Africa based on the Solaris technology. Solaris is a nicotine-free energy tobacco crop that has been developed by the Italian company Sunchem. SkyNRG and Sunchem SA have teamed up to roll out Solaris in Southern Africa at large scale to help power local sustainable jet fuel production. Both South African Airways (SAA) and Boeing will provide active support in securing further project … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 168
- 169
- 170
- 171
- 172
- …
- 194
- Next Page »