Slowly but surely the global energy oil tanker is changing course. The long journey to a low-carbon energy future has finally gotten underway – and there is no turning back anymore. That’s the central message that can be deduced from the 2015 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO), released today by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Fatih Birol, the new Executive Director of the IEA, tells Energy Post he is “more optimistic” for the … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2015
The biggest sticking point in Paris: money
In the run-up to the Paris climate change conference, there is much focus on countries’ voluntary commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (their so-called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions). But much less attention is paid to a part of the negotiations that is just as important, writes Henrik Selin of Boston University: how to finance the efforts of developing countries at mitigation and adaptation. … [Read more...]
Why Paris will be a Peace Conference – before the wars begin
A failure to cap greenhouse gas emissions will not just bring on climate shocks, but also worldwide instability, insurrection, and resource wars, writes Michael T. Klare In this sense, COP21 in Paris should be considered not just a climate summit but a peace conference as well – one taking place before the wars begin. … [Read more...]
Interview Marko Delimar, IEEE: “Technologists need to demystify energy”
“Right now renewable energy is still in the single digits in Europe. That’s a disaster”, says Marko Delimar, Professor at the University of Zagreb and Chair of the European Public Policy Group of the engineers association IEEE, the largest professional association in the world. According to Delimar, the energy transition is still at a very early stage. Technologists, he says, in an interview with Energy Post, have an important task: “We need to … [Read more...]
Bottlenecks for energy storage in Europe – and how to address them
Energy storage is important for achieving Energy Union goals such as the expansion of renewable energy, decarbonisation, energy security, energy market integration and increased competitiveness. But its deployment is hindered by existing regulations that do not provide a level playing field, write Vincent Swinkels, Bart van der Ree and Sergio Ugarte of SQ Consult. They note that the European electricity system was not designed with energy storage … [Read more...]
Anil Srivastava, CEO LeclanchĂ©, Europe’s battery leader: “Public transport should take the lead in electrification”
LeclanchĂ©, the oldest battery company in the world and the largest lithium battery manufacturer in Europe, has embarked on a special strategy to drive the electrification of transport forward. “We are giving priority to the electrification of buses, ferries, and other mass transport systems”, says CEO Anil Srivastava. “Electrification is much easier to manage for buses that follow regular routes than for passenger cars. And once a standardised … [Read more...]
The coal conundrum
What do we do with coal? It provides cheap and reliable energy around the world, but is also the main cause of the most serious problem facing the world, writes Allan Hoffman. According to Hoffman, there are no easy answers, but we have no choice but to move to a clean energy society as quickly as possible. … [Read more...]
Klaus Schäfer, future CEO of E.ON spin-off Uniper: “EU should set a target for gas”
The EU should define how much gas it wants by when, and recognise that Nord Stream 2 can provide additional security of supply, argues Klaus Schäfer, the incoming CEO of E.ON spin-off Uniper in this exclusive interview with Energy Post. Schäfer, who is currently Board member of the E.ON Group, says Europe is further away than ever from a single market for electricity and calls on policymakers to recognise that security of supply has a cost. He … [Read more...]
How cheap can energy storage get? Pretty darn cheap
If current trends hold, the world is on a trajectory to achieving energy storage that will be cheap enough to allow 24/7 clean energy in the next 15-20 years, writes famous author and thinker Ramez Naam. … [Read more...]