Powerful lobbying has ensured that energy efficiency is high on the political agenda. With up to €23 billion available in a new round of EU funding, there is ample capital at the disposal of Member States to undertake energy efficiency retrofit programs. The question is: will countries be able to spend this money wisely? In a previous round of funding, energy efficiency programs were deemed ineffective. This time Brussels has imposed new … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2014
M&A activity in renewables keeps growing
M&A activity in the global power and renewables sectors is expected to pick up this year, after the value of deals fell by 10 percent in 2013, according to a new research report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Total worldwide power and renewables 2013 deal value was down 10% year on year, reported PWC. But the Asia Pacific region and the renewables sector bucked the trend. Renewables deal value rose 25% the value of Asia Pacific deals was up … [Read more...]
How the Iraqi oil surge will change the global energy landscape
Iraq is returning to an energy market which is radically different than the one it was forced to leave years ago, and its OPEC partners now also have a different view on Iraq’s participation. A new paper by Sammy Six and Lucia van Geuns of the Clingendael International Energy Programme (CIEP) assesses how current market developments impact the strategic position of Iraq - and vice versa: how Iraq is likely to impact the global oil market. The … [Read more...]
VIDEO: “Special rules needed for energy intensive industries”, argues E.ON CEO
Sonja van Renssen, leading environment and climate journalist at viEUws.eu, is joined by Dr. Johannes Teyssen, CEO of E.ON and President of Eurelectric to discuss the potential for competitivenesswithin the 2030 Energy and Climate Framework. Dr. Johannes Teyssen argues that competitiveness and the 2030 climate and energy strategy are not contradicting each other: “If climate policy is implemented efficiently, it can go alongside … [Read more...]
Water shortages slow energy production worldwide
The World Bank has launched a new initiative that will help developing countries better plan and manage scaling-up energy capacity to meet rising demand, in tandem with water resource management. Producing energy requires a lot of water. Yet, the availability of and access to water is negatively impacting energy production around the world. Last year alone, water shortages shut down thermal power plants in India, decreased energy production … [Read more...]
Exclusive report – Boeing reveals “the biggest breakthrough in biofuels ever”
Oil companies watch out. Biofuels are on the verge of a breakthrough that will transform the oil market. Not only that: it will also green the planet. In an exclusive interview with CleanTechnica.com and Energy Post, Darrin L. Morgan, Director Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Environmental Strategy at Boeing, reveals that researchers at the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, funded by Boeing, Honeywell and Etihad Airways, may have achieved "the biggest … [Read more...]
How IT startups can improve energy efficiency
The latest progress in big data analysis has enabled the remarkable development of a group of internet startups which can dramatically change the energy efficiency sector. This group mainly consists of web-based platforms that can track and analyse energy consumption data in real-time. These platforms give the possibility to quantify the results of the implementation of energy efficient technologies. The ability to model and evaluate various … [Read more...]
How warm is it really?
NASA and the NOAA in the US have just released their official 2013 global temperature records. You can find them by clicking on this link. The critics of the global warming theory will note that the "pause" in global warming continues. Defenders of the theory will note that 2013 was among the ten warmest years on record. Again, the critics will note that the extent of Antarctic ice was considerably higher than average. The defenders will … [Read more...]
Brussels confines climate policy to emission reduction and emission trading
The European Commission’s 2030 climate and energy package unveiled on 22January confines itself to two main proposals: a 40% binding greenhouse gas emission reduction target and legislative reform of the EU Emission Trading Scheme. Significantly, it does not include post-2020 national renewable energy targets or new energy efficiency targets. It also drops the fuel quality directive which underpins the use of biofuels in the transport sector. The … [Read more...]
VIDEO: 2030 Climate and Energy Framework “will foster innovation”, claims Climate Commissioner Hedegaard
Sonja van Renssen, leading environment and climate journalist at viEUws.eu, is joined by Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard for an exclusive interview on the interaction between competitiveness and the 2030 Energy and Climate Framework. Hedegaard explains why climate policy should not be blamed for de-industrialisation and hampering competitiveness. “Energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, were among the sectors that created more jobs … [Read more...]
Worldwatch Institute report reveals extent of global energy subsidies
Efforts by a variety of organizations to quantify global support for fossil fuels have generated estimates that range from $523 billion to over $1.9 trillion, depending on the calculation and what measures are included. What is clear is that the level of support has rebounded to 2008 levels following a dip in 2009-10 during the global financial crisis, writes Worldwatch Research Fellow Philipp Tagwerker in the Institute's latest Vital Signs … [Read more...]
Brussels: ocean energy could fulfill all our energy needs
The European Commission published an ambitious  Action Plan for “Blue Energy” on 20 January that should pave the way to a vibrant European ocean energy industry. Ocean Energy Europe, a consortium that includes Eon, Alstom and EDF, takes tidal and wave energy very seriously. It has a goal of 100,000 MW installed in European waters by 2050. … [Read more...]
VIDEO: “If Europe had one voice, energy prices could be reduced”, claims IEA’s Fatih Birol
Hughes Belin, leading energy journalist at viEUws.eu, is joined by Fatih Birol, chief economist at the International Energy Agency, to discuss the World Energy Outlook 2013. In this interview, Birol looks at global energy prices and analyses the big price difference between the US and Europe. “Energy markets are going through very dynamic times. Today gas prices in Europe are 3 times higher than those in the US and electricity in Europe istwice … [Read more...]
The French disconnection – How to reduce the nuclear share in France’s energy mix
In a paper  written for the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, David Buchan takes stock of the debate that has been going on in France on the future of nuclear power. He concludes that it makes sense for France to prolong the lives of its existing reactors, but that replacing them at some point in the future will be a huge challenge. He argues that the country will not be able to do this in the same way and the same timeframe that it built … [Read more...]
Irena and Abu Dhabi invest in renewable energy projects
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) have announced approximately $41 million in concessional loans for renewable energy projects in developing countries. The financed projects have a combined total capacity of 35 MW and will bring reliable and sustainable power to rural communities that are currently lacking access to modern energy services. The loans go to a geographically diverse set … [Read more...]