Career diplomat Maroš Ĺ efÄŤoviÄŤ from Slovakia gave the first glimpse of what the EU's "Energy Union" may look like during his hearing at the European Parliament on Monday night for the post of Europe’s Vice President Energy Union. Ĺ efÄŤoviÄŤ believes in common purchasing of gas and the Southern Corridor (but opposes South Stream), regards the internal market as the backbone of the Energy Union, supports the UK’s state aid to the nuclear power plant … [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...]
Do we need capacity markets? Do we need Russia?
There are two major issues on which the future of the energy sector hangs, notes EP editor Karel Beckman: 1) Â how far will the renewables revolution go in combination with climate policy; 2) how will growing geopolitical tensions, especially relations with Russia, affect markets? Karel asks whether we need capacity schemes, indicates how utilities could get back on a growth path and how (not) to deal with Russia. … [Read more...]
Interview Shell strategist Jeremy Bentham: “Future organisations will have to cross boundaries”
What will Shell’s role be in an increasingly carbon-constrained, and increasingly electrified world? Clearly the company sees its natural gas business as becoming central to its operations, gradually overtaking its oil business. But beyond that, the future is uncertain. Jeremy Bentham, Vice-President of Global Business Environment and head of the Shell Scenarios team, sees Shell evolving into a company that provides flexibility and resilience and … [Read more...]
Interview Fatih Birol, IEA: “Gradual change will not save us”
The latest major report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Energy Technology Perspectives 2014, states that “radical action is needed to actively transform energy supply and end use”. In an interview with Energy Post, the IEA’s renowned Chief Economist Fatih Birol notes that governments in particular have to take action. “You cannot change trends by giving some lectures or speeches. Policymakers should put in place real economic … [Read more...]
WWF: Action required now to ensure supply of critical materials for renewable energy infrastructure
The growing demand for renewable energy could put pressure on the supply of critical materials required in the production of renewable energy infrastructure, says WWF in new report released on 18 February. The report, Critical Materials for the transition to a 100% sustainable energy future, says supply chain bottlenecks can be overcome by applying the right technologies. It is possible for renewable energy to fuel the world reliably while … [Read more...]
Why utilities should embrace electric cars
Navigant Research has recently published an interesting article by Scott Shepard on what the growth of electric vehicles in the US means for utiltiies. Shepard concludes that they represent more opportunities to utilities than problems. Schepard notes that "according to the Energy Information Administration’s latest Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), the average U.S. household consumed 11,321 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in … [Read more...]
Masdar, Abu Dhabi and the future of our global energy system
Abu Dhabi likes to see itself as a global capital of renewable energy – but its ventures into sustainability are built on oil riches, which the country is not prepared to give up. Hypocritical? Perhaps, but it’s a hypocrisy shared by the rest of the world. Most countries and companies are pursuing an energy transformation which at the same time they are kicking down the road. And yet, writes Energy Post editor Karel Beckman in a reflective essay … [Read more...]
Smart grid and smart city predictions for 2020 (part 2)
Last week, Silicon Valley-based boardroom consultant and smart grid expert Christine Hertzog made five predictions for trends likely to occur in the smart energy sector, including the prediction that “Consumer intermediation threats would abound for utilities”. And wouldn’t you know it, on Tuesday Google announced it is expanding into “smart homes” with the acquisition of Nest Labs for $3.2 billion. One down for Christine! This week she follows … [Read more...]
The greatest business opportunity of our time
Amory Lovins, the founder of the famous Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, has written a book in which he presents an energy future without coal, oil or nuclear power. Yet he insists his is not a green or left-wing vision. On the contrary, it will save money and create wealth. “The energy transformation is the greatest business opportunity of our time.” … [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...]
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...]
How solar and EVs will kill the fossil fuel dinosaurs
Stanford University energy expert Tony Seba predicts that by 2030, solar power will make the fossil fuel-based utilities redundant while electric vehicles will put the oil companies out of business. “Utilities as we know them are over. They are the land line telephone companies of 20, 30 years ago”, he says in an interview with Giles Parkinson, founder and editor of the path-breaking Australian website RenewEconomy. Photo: dinosaur footprints by … [Read more...]
The new Dutch disease (and a cure)
The Dutch government has presented a National Energy Accord for Sustainable Growth that seemingly represents a new national consensus on energy and climate policy. However, the Accord, which was negotiated by a wide range of civil society groups, environmental organisations, business lobbies and trade unions, has not been signed yet, and is still quite vague. Perhaps more important for “sustainable growth” prospects in the Netherlands is the news … [Read more...]
The new energy world according to the IEA
The International Energy Agency has given us a lot to think about recently. The IEA has produced one major report after the other – on renewables, gas, oil and climate change. How do these outlooks stack up and what do they impy for our energy future? Editor Karel Beckman provides a handy summary – so you won’t have to worry about this anymore over the summer. Or maybe you do… Photo: Audi A3 Sportback g-tron … [Read more...]