"The IEA is no longer the conservative bastion of oil it once was" writes Fereidoon Sioshansi. Distilling all 650 pages of their latest Outlook, he summarises how the pressing need to address climate change means the dwindling supremacy of oil is giving way to a growing role for electricity that will, amongst other things, cater for 1 billion EVs by 2040. Courtesy EEnergy Informer … [Read more...]
The risks related to onshore wind power investment
Bans on subsidies (in some countries) and reduced costs have hit total investment in onshore wind. Meanwhile, market share continues to grow across the EU28. Wind energy now accounts for almost 20% of installed capacity for power generation which makes researcher Schalk Cloete's sobering analysis of risks for onshore wind well worth reading. Following up on his previous article, he examines current assumptions and argues that the discount rate … [Read more...]
EU should target carbon dioxide removal as part of net zero emissions strategy
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies are still in their infancy. However, they are an essential part of limiting global temperature increases to 1.5-2°C to meet the Paris Agreementâs objectives. So what is the best way to ensure CDR is ramped up at the right speed to hit those targets, and avoid the âmoral hazardâ of the promise of future CDR giving others an excuse to fail with their straightforward carbon reduction? Oliver Geden, Glen … [Read more...]
A Just Transition – or a transition, but only just?
At COP24 the Polish Presidency has issued a declaration for a "Just Transition". Jennifer Tollman of climate think-tank E3G says a Just Transition must make allies of those working in and dependent on the high-carbon economy by supporting them in the transition. They must not be left behind. But they warn that this support should not be an excuse for a âgo slowâ on the transition, as missing our global climate targets is a clear disaster. … [Read more...]
Investment risk: nuclear high, new load-following fossil fuel plants low
In the current policy environment many energy technologies can appear attractive with the right set of assumptions: discounted clean energy technologies (wind, solar and nuclear) where the discount rate is heavily influenced by risk (see graph) and, perhaps surprisingly, new load-following fossil fuel plants (especially natural gas) where continued wind/solar technology forcing actually provides substantial upside potential. CCS researcher Schalk … [Read more...]
Can Teresa Ribera transform Spain into a green champion?
In a draft bill released on 13 November, the Spanish government is proposing to ban fossil fuel subsidies and fracking, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030 (37% compared to current levels) and 90% by 2050, boost the share of renewables to 35% (70% of power generation) in 2030 and discourage diesel and petrol cars. Natalie Sauer of Climate Home News portrays the woman behind the plan, ecological transition minister Teresa Ribera, and … [Read more...]
We have a decade to prevent dangerous climate change: these 10 policies can save us
The climate change challenge is not technical nor even economic, but a matter of enacting the right policies, writes Silvio Marcacci, Communications Director at San Francisco-based think tank Energy Innovation. Based on new research, Marcacci outlines the the types of policies that are the most effective. … [Read more...]
The IEA comes up short on climate (again)
The release of the World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2018 marks another missed opportunity for the International Energy Agency (IEA) to provide a roadmap to Paris, writes Greg Muttitt of NGO Oil Change International. According to Muttitt, even the WEOâs âsustainable development scenarioâ falls well short of the Paris goals. Policymakers and investors cannot rely on the WEO to guide their decisions in energy. … [Read more...]
Coal can’t compete – and its true costs are even higher than they appear
In Texas, income from electricity sales does not even cover the direct costs of coal power plants. But their hidden costs are much higher, explains Daniel Cohen of Rice University in Houston. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Taxing carbon may sound like a good idea but does it work?
Exxon Mobil is financing lobbying for a US plan to tax oil, gas and coal companies for the carbon they emit. But do carbon taxes work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? The evidence is underwhelming and support for the proposal is not down to altruism, says Paul Griffin of the University of California, Davis. In his view, what would impact climate change is for energy companies to disclose their carbon risks and footprints. … [Read more...]
Europe prepares a net zero emissions plan for 2050: use the EUenergy App to understand it
The European Commission is drafting a new 2050 climate and energy strategy that will set out a vision for net-zero emissions in Europe by 2050, to be unveiled before the next round of UN climate talks, in Katowice, Poland this December. Energy Post reports on the latest internal reflections on the new strategy, using the EUenergy App, jointly developed by Energy Post and Shell, to put the ideas in context. … [Read more...]
Bioenergy carbon capture: Climate snake oil or 1.5C panacea?
Most models for meeting 1.5â or 2â climate change targets suggest we will be using bioenergy carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS) to mop up the worldâs total annual CO2 emissions by around 2070 (for 2â). This means moving from todayâs three BECCS power plants to 16,000 by 2060. But, explains Paul Behrens of Leiden University, large-scale BECCS is a âmonumentally tricky idea,â and, while aiming to fix climate disruption, it makes many things … [Read more...]
Why we canât reverse climate change with negative emissions technologies
The United Nationâs panel on climate change said that technologies to remove CO2 will be necessary to limit global temperature rise to only 1.5oC. But these techniques are largely unproven, and the technical, economic and environmental barriers of negative emissions technologies (NETs) are very real, states Howard J. Herzog, Senior Research Engineer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a leading expert in CO2 capture and storage. … [Read more...]
How can gas contribute to the achievement of EU climate targets
What role is there for gas in the European energy system over the next decades? Some believe the EU must give priority to coal-to-gas switching. Others see no role for natural gas at all in the long run and argue that EU policy must promote only ârenewableâ gas. An Energy Post panel debate in Brussels, sponsored by Nord Stream 2, saw conflicting views sound off against each other. Meanwhile, a new âGas for Climateâ initiative proposes a 10% … [Read more...]
UK homes need âdeep efficiency retrofitâ to meet climate goals
The British governmentâs policy of incrementally upgrading energy efficiency in UK homes is not enough to meet the countryâs 2050 climate targets. Instead, virtually every UK house needs a one-off retrofit, says a new report. It calls for government and cities to commit to pilot schemes for retrofitting whole houses using models such as the Dutch âEnergiesprongâ, which achieves a near net-zero energy home, typically by adding external insulation … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 31
- Next Page »