Polandâs proposal to reduce the EUâs energy dependence on Russia by collective buying of gas and maximising domestic production of coal shows a reactive, âsecurity-as-usualâ approach that is totally behind the times, writes Luca Bergamaschi of think tank E3G. According to Bergamaschi, the EU should instead improve its energy security by radically reforming its energy system, above all by improving energy efficiency. Studies show that Germany … [Read more...]
South Stream âLiteâ shows it’s business as usual between EU and Russia
The agreement last week between Gazprom and OMV of Austria on South Stream shows that the EU and Russia will continue their long-standing energy partnership regardless of the crisis around Ukraine, writes Friedbert PflĂŒger, Director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS) at Kingâs College London. According to PflĂŒger, the mutual energy dependence between the EU and Russia should be regarded as a largely positive … [Read more...]
Leaked doc: David Cameronâs plans to make the EU fit UK energy policy
After Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, itâs David Cameronâs turn to seize the moment and promote a vision for EU energy security that neatly fits the UKâs own energy objectives. In a leaked ânon-paperâ seen by Energy Post the UK Prime Minister sets out what he wants EU leaders to agree at their next summit in Brussels in June. Cameron calls for energy security to be embedded in the EUâs 2030 climate and energy package, full freedom to develop … [Read more...]
You cannot compare apples with climate policies: why there is no Modelgate in Brussels
The European Commission has recently suggested a new greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030 that is perceived as too low by many NGOs. Moreover, some claim that the Commission has hidden the fact that higher emission reductions than proposed would lead to GDP gains. Brigitte Knopf from the Potsdam-Institute for Climate Impact Research argues that GDP gains are a very specific finding with a non-standard model and that emission targets can only … [Read more...]
Experts warn: the “Great European Energy Transition” can still go wrong
The EUâs great power transition â the liberalisation and integration of its energy markets and the expansion of renewables â has reached a crucial stage. According to three seasoned energy experts, the EU's energy project - one of the greatest missions ever to be undertaken by the European Union - has delivered some positive results, but it is also faced with mounting challenges - political uncertainty being the most prominent one. The … [Read more...]
Samuele Furfari: âIf Russia cuts the gas tap, it can forget its dream of selling gas to China one dayâ
The EU has made remarkable progress in improving its security of supply over the last decade and should not worry that Russia will cut off its gas supplies, says Professor Samuele Furfari in an interview with Energy Post Brussels Correspondent Hughes Belin. A long-time senior advisor at the European Commission, Professor Furfari, author of a brandnew provocative book in French - "Vive les Ă©nergies fossiles!" - says the world has entered a new … [Read more...]
How competition works in the electricity sector? This is how!
The EU has set itself a deadline to âcompleteâ the internal energy market by 2014. However,  many EU member states have not yet adequately implemented the EUâs energy directives. There is still a lot of scepticsm in Europe about the blessings of a competitive, integrated  energy market. One of the countries that has done most to liberalise its energy market is the Netherlands. So what has been the result for energy consumers? Energy Postâs editor … [Read more...]
Welcome to Modelgate: Brusselsâ justification for a small climate target is based on a big lie
The European Commission has recommended a low greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030, because it says that higher targets would hurt the European economy. But according to its own impact assessment, the opposite is true, writes Brook Riley of Friends of the Earth Europe. According to Riley, the Commissionâs impact assessment shows that a more ambitious target has a more positive impact on GDP than a less ambitious one. … [Read more...]
Trouble in oil paradise: domestic challenges in Saudi Arabia and their global implications
Saudi Arabia, the mainstay of the worldâs oil system, is faced with mounting problems in its domestic energy market which affect its ability to function as the global swing producer, warns Eckart Woertz in a policy brief written for the Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre (NOREF). The country is faced with such a severe natural gas shortage that half of its electricity production now comes from oil. As a result, its ability to export oil may … [Read more...]
Mr Tusk, on what planet do you live (and in which century)?
The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposes to counter the EUâs dependency on Russian gas by forming an âenergy unionâ â a âsingle European body charged with buying its gasâ. According to Energy Postâs editor-in-chief Karel Beckman, this implies that we should fight the Russians by imitating the Russian command-and-control system. Apparently Mr Tusk has not understood what the EU â or EU energy policy â is about. … [Read more...]
A story of ice and fire: how methane hydrates could change the world
A recent technological breakthrough in Japan might soon render economically viable the large-scale exploitation of methane hydrates. The potential of this new (and global) form of unconventional natural gas is mind-blowing. Although a number of countries have already displayed strong interest in exploring their reserves, Japan is most likely to lead this new âdash for gasâ. It has already made the development of methane hydrates an important … [Read more...]
Fracking in the UK: engineers say they can do it safely
The UK is rapidly coming to a pivotal point in its engineering policies. Will it exploit its massive potential of shale gas or will it let itself be steered away from a new gas revolution out of environmental fears? At a recent special summit organised by the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), engineers explained why the fears are overblown. They argued strongly that fracking can be done safely and with minimal impact on the … [Read more...]
Professor Ye Qiâs inside view on Chinese climate policy: âThere is no way we can peak in 2015â
Although China is tackling climate change and air pollution in a serious way, there is no way the countryâs greenhouse gas emissions will peak anytime soon, says the influential Chinese climate scientist Professor Ye Qi in an interview with Energy Post. Professor Qi, who is Director of Chinaâs Climate Policy Institute School of Public Policy and Management â part  of Tsinghua University â and responsible for the publication of an important annual … [Read more...]
State aid: Commission adopts new rules on public support for environmental protection and energy
The European Commission has adopted new rules on public support for projects in the field of environmental protection and energy. The guidelines will support Member States in reaching their 2020 climate targets, while addressing the market distortions that may result from subsidies granted to renewable energy sources. To this end, the guidelines promote a gradual move to market-based support for renewable energy. They also provide criteria on how … [Read more...]
Carbon Delirium: the hazardous impact of fossil-fuel addiction on American foreign policy
The elites in the U.S. and other âpetro-statesâ have become so addicted to the power and riches brought by fossil fuels, they are blind to their ill effects, argues Michael Klare. As an example he notes the âdelusionalâ idea that increased gas and oil production in North America could somehow influence Vladimir Putinâs behavior towards Ukraine. This addiction, says Klare, must be cured, as it poses a âdirect danger to humanityâ. … [Read more...]
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