EnergyPost.eu

independent - international - incisive

The fall and rise of nuclear power

by

The United States has allowed itself to fall behind in nuclear power technology and market development, writes author and thorium expert Robert Hargraves. Regulations have unnecessarily driven up costs of nuclear power and scared the public. According to Hargraves, to revive the nuclear sector, the first steps that needs to be taken are to fight historical fear-creating radiation regulations with science, and to replace the federal regulator, the … [Read more...]

Interview bio-energy expert André Faaij: “So much nonsense has been told – high time for the real story”

by

“An enormous amount of nonsense” has been told about bio-energy, says André Faaij, scientific director of Energy Academy Europe and professor Energy Systems Analysis at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. According to Faaij, it is high time for the real – scientifically validated – story. “The bio-based economy is indispensable for our climate policy and can mean huge progress for agriculture and nature in developing countries”. … [Read more...]

European Council set to wipe out energy efficiency progress, leading to a decade of higher costs

by and

Shockingly, the European Council is on the point of making decisions that will obliterate progress in energy efficiency in the EU, write Jan Rosenow and Richard Cowart of the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). This will raise energy bills for consumers and companies, lead to worse health, comfort, air quality, and public housing, reduce job opportunities, and make it harder and more expensive to reach EU climate targets. All for the sake of … [Read more...]

To slow climate change, India joins the renewable energy revolution

by

India has embarked on a remarkable renewables revolution, made possible by falling prices of solar power, writes Arun Agrawal, Professor of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. According to Agrawal, what is needed above all to make the energy transition succeed, is robust grids and careful land use planning. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]

Interview David Hone, Chief Climate Change Advisor Shell: “Net zero emissions are achievable. The timing is challenging”

by

EU climate and energy policy is “reasonably effective”, but it could achieve more for the climate if it focused purely on reducing CO2-emissions, says David Hone, Chief Climate Change Advisor at Shell, in an interview with Energy Post. “There are too many goals and too many targets.” Hone also argues that first generation biofuels are needed to make advanced biofuels work and that a “new approach” towards CCS is urgently needed. Globally, Hone … [Read more...]

Brussels should stick with its proposal to remove barriers to demand response schemes: the U.S. is doing the same

by

Energy suppliers are lobbying against a proposal from the European Commission to remove barriers to demand response schemes, writes Philip Baker, Senior Adviser at the Regulatory Assistance Project, an independent consultancy. According to Baker, the Commission should stick with its proposal. Demand response, he argues, will bring great savings to energy consumers. What is more, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the United States … [Read more...]

A revolution: The Netherlands kisses gas goodbye – but will it help the climate?

by

Revolution in gas country the Netherlands: the Dutch government wants all residential buildings to be off gas in 2050. The objective is to reduce CO2 emissions from the built environment. But does phasing out gas deliver the expected results? Eline van den Ende spoke to experts and concludes that a ‘gas-less’ society makes sense only if additional measures are taken. … [Read more...]