Energy Post and Shell introduce: the EUenergy App. When it comes to EU energy policy, no one needs to waste time anymore arguing about the facts. With this app, you will have them at your fingertips. … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2015
The End of the Oil Age and other great stories
We reveal our most popular stories of 2015. They reveal what is preoccupying our readers the most. Yes, itâs all about the End of the Age of Oil â and the beginning of something new. … [Read more...]
Gas galore â Europe to become âdumpingâ market for global gas supplies
From Australia to the US, from the Middle East to the Mediterranean, new projects are being planned to bring natural gas to the European market. This supports the EUâs goal to create a competitive integrated European gas market. But will there be enough demand for all that gas, Energy Postâs editor-in-chief Karel Beckman wonders? And what role do our policymakers want gas to play in the low-carbon economy? … [Read more...]
A presidential campaign speech from 2052
70% of electricity in the US now is generated by renewables, and natural gas from fracking is on the decline, says a presidential hopeful in a campaign speech in 2052. He promises voters that if elected he âwill ensure completion of the energy transitionâ. … [Read more...]
What the EU did in Paris – and what it should do next
A âlifelineâ for the planet that âwill steer the world towards a global clean energy transitionâ, was how European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker hailed the Paris agreement. He also claimed it to be âa success for the European Unionâ itself. But the EU must now demonstrate that aspiration can be turned into achievement through action rather than words, writes Professor Sam Adelman of the University of Warwick. … [Read more...]
Paris climate deal: not a simple end to fossil fuels
The historic agreement on climate change reached in Paris a week ago is not a simple death knell for fossil fuels. Rather, it puts renewed focus on carbon capture and storage, throws a gauntlet down to the transport sector, and raises formidable governance as well as cost challenges for developing and developed countries alike. This is in addition to necessitating changes to electricity market design and grid infrastructure to accommodate more … [Read more...]
Vieuws Briefing on COP21: what Paris means for Europe
The EU is unlikely to change its commitment to 40% CO2-reduction by 2030, notes journalist Hughes Belin in this Vieuws video, in which he discusses the implications of the Paris climate agreement for the European energy sector. … [Read more...]
Buying Vattenfallâs lignite business could be a risky bet
Vattenfall is currently looking for a buyer for its German lignite assets. However, any potential investor faces a high risk that they will find themselves forced to wind down the business before earning back their investment, write Julian Schwartzkopff and Sabrina Schulz of international environmental organisation E3G. In this article, a shortened version of their new report Vattenfallâs Lignite Business â a Risky Bet for Investors, they explain … [Read more...]
Twilight of the Gods of Oil
For most of the past 40 years OPEC, the association of Big Oil exporters, and the Big International Oil Companies  controlled our lives, but they have started on an inevitable decline, writes solar pioneer Peter F. Varadi. Competition from renewables and smaller players as well as tighter climate polices will make their business model obsolete. According to Varadi, their corporate culture makes it unlikely they will be able to adapt. … [Read more...]
Why the Paris climate deal is a win for energy companies
The historic climate deal signed in Paris on 12 December 2015 has been embraced by many campaigners as a turning point in the fight against climate change. But energy companies should also be rejoicing. The unanimously adopted agreement provides the certainty of a long-term goal with the flexibility of carbon markets, takes a significant step towards creating a global level playing field, and promises billions in new subsidies to drive business … [Read more...]
Paris emission cuts aren’t enough – we’ll have to put carbon back in the ground
With the Paris climate deal, the world has created the mother of all take-back schemes, writes Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem Science at the University of Oxford. According to Allen, fossil fuel companies donât necessarily have to stop producing CO2 â they just need to be required to ensure it doesnât end up in the atmosphere. #takebackCO2 â start tweeting it now! Courtesy of The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Historic Paris climate pact – experts react
After two weeks of negotiations in Paris, the worldâs nations have reached a global deal to tackle climate change (read the text here). The agreement commits 196 countries to help limit global warming to âwell below 2â above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5ââ. In this article, experts associated with The Conversation react to the agreement. … [Read more...]
What Paris means for the energy sector: start of a whole new clean economy
As the UN climate talks in Paris are nearing completion, the implications for the energy sector are becoming clear. The 186 national action plans that will form the basis of an agreement really amount to clean energy investment plans, observers say. âA whole new economy will be created.â What this means for fossil fuels is uncertain. Although the term decarbonisation has been replaced by a much vaguer âemissions neutralityâ, Â few believe that a 2 … [Read more...]
The electricity network is changing fast â here is where Australia is heading
The Australian electricity sector is changing extremely fast, writes Paul Graham, Chief Economist CSIRO Energy at CSIRO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in Australia. CSIRO Energy sees solar and storage costs still dropping rapidly. According to Graham, scenarios under which a third of people may be leaving the grid and 25-45% of electricity will be generated on-site are âplausibleâ. … [Read more...]
German grid operator can handle 70% wind, solar before storage needed
Reneweconomy.com The company responsible for more than one-third of Germanyâs electricity grid says there is no issue absorbing high levels of variable renewable energy such as wind and solar, and grids could absorb up to 70 per cent penetration without the need for storage, writes Giles Parkinson of Reneweconomy.com. … [Read more...]