Sonja van Renssen, leading environment journalist at viEUws.eu, provides an overview of the latest developments in the field of European Environment Policy. Topics discussed include: - The 2030 Climate & Energy Framework (greenhouse gas emissions, renewables & energy efficiency) - Green light for first reform to the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) - The proposal for market stability reserve - Member states negotiating over how … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2014
Interview IEA Director Maria van der Hoeven: “Expansion of gas use no panacea for climate change”
Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that unconventional gas can be produced in an environmentally acceptable way, but warns that an expansion of gas alone “is no panacea for climate change”. In an interview with James Stafford, editor of Oilprice.com, Van der Hoeven discusses a wide range of important energy issues, ranging from the role of gas, renewables and nuclear power to the necessity … [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...]
India’s quest for energy: nuclear power & other greener options
India has been among the world's fastest growing economies for the past two decades. The country continues to lead not only in growth but also in energy demand growth. India wants to meet its growing energy demands first of all through expanding its nuclear sector and secondly by the development of other “greener” options. Ritwik Mukherjee, editor of the Indian energy journal Energy Ensemble, discusses the challenges faced by India and the … [Read more...]
Cost of “zero carbon building” drops by half in UK
New analysis produced by Sweett Group for the Zero Carbon Hub, a non-profit association in the UK, shows that “the additional costs associated with building to the proposed Zero Carbon Standard in the UK have declined significantly since 2011, and are expected to continue to fall as we approach 2020.” In a press release the Zero Carbon Hub states that the key findings of the new research are that: At today’s prices, the typical additional … [Read more...]
Ukraine turns to EU in energy
The Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Eduard Stavytskyi and Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez KopaÄŤ have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on “Establishing an Implementation Partnership between the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine and the Secretariat of the Energy Community”. By signing the Memorandum, “Ukraine confirms its commitment to transpose into its national legal framework and fully … [Read more...]
The four “gamechangers” of the energy sector
Are we headed for a Solar Power Revolution, as many investment analysts are claiming? According to Energy Post editor Karel Beckman, we undoubtedly are. Just as we are headed for a Coal Revolution. And a Nuclear Revolution. And a Shale Revolution. Welcome to the world of energy “gamechangers”. … [Read more...]
EU delivers scathing verdict on UK for state aid to new Hinkley C nuclear reactors
The European Commission (EC) has delivered what can only be called a scathing initial verdict on the UK Government’s deal with French state owned EDF to build the first new nuclear reactors in the UK for a generation, according to a blog post from Greenpeace UK. The Commission announced on 18 December that it would investigate the proposed deal. It has now published a 70-page initial analysis on its website, which suggests that, as Greenpeace … [Read more...]
Wind power will keep growing despite poor infrastructure
With wind power technology gaining increased popularity and institutional support from across the world, the wind turbine towers market is expected to increase from $12.1 billion in 2013 to $19.3 billion by 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.9%, says a new report from research and consulting firm GlobalData. According to the company’s report*, China had the largest amount of wind turbine towers installed in 2013, reaching a … [Read more...]
Interview: David Walker, CEO DNV GL-Energy : “Renewable industry should drive down costs”
Renewable energy has the future, but the industry has to do all it can to drive down costs. Technologies like offshore wind and energy storage, but also smaller scale renewables, are still “quite expensive”, says David Walker, CEO of DNV GL-Energy, one of the four business units of DNV GL, the new certification and consultancy giant that emerged last year out of the merger between DNV of Norway, GL of Germany and KEMA of the Netherlands. Walker, … [Read more...]
European Parliament votes for three targets, calls Commission short-sighted
MEPs called on Wednesday for a 40% cut in CO2 emissions, a 30% target for renewable energy and a 40% target for energy efficiency by 2030, under the EU's new long-term climate-change policy. These targets should be binding, they say. MEPs also criticised the European Commission's recent proposals as short-sighted and unambitious. Parliament calls on the Commission and EU countries, in its resolution adopted on Wednesday by 341 votes to 263, … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Brussels Briefing on Energy – All you need to know for the month of February 2014
Hughes Belin, leading journalist at viEUws.eu, provides an overview of the European Union’s most pressing energy issues: - The 2030 Climate & Energy Framework (emission reduction and renewables target) - Postponed measures on energy efficiency - Coming up: the European Council will discuss the Commission’s proposals on the 2030 Climate & Energy Framework on March 20 and 21 - Outcome of the reports on the drivers of energy costs and … [Read more...]
European power markets coupled from Finland to France
In a "landmark move for the future of Europe’s power markets", the four Power Exchanges and 13 Transmission System Operators (TSOs) in the North-Western Europe (NWE) day-ahead price coupling project have today successfully launched NWE Price Coupling. For the first time, the NWE region, stretching from France to Finland, operates under a common day-ahead power price calculation using the Price Coupling of Regions (PCR) solution. The same solution … [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...]
How to integrate PV into the grid
The Europe-wide PV GRID consortium has released a consultation document containing key recommendations for the adoption of technical solutions to ease the integration of photovoltaics (PV) into the distribution grid. Over the next three months, fifteen national workshops will take place throughout Europe presenting and discussing the project's findings. Since May 2012, the PV GRID project consortium has been working on identifying and … [Read more...]