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Energy Post

The best thinkers on energy

An independent Global Energy Forecast to 2050 v the IEA’s WEO 2019

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Schalk Cloete has completed his own 5-part independent Global Energy Forecast to 2050 to compare with this year’s IEA World Energy Outlook, published mid-November. Underpinning all his predictions is his bet that the world will adopt tech-neutral policies (i.e. not backing any one technology over another, like a very high carbon tax) in 2030: in his opinion it will be the best way to accelerate the transition to meet the Paris goals as the 1.5°C … [Read more...]

IEA’s WEO 2019 scenarios won’t hit the Paris targets, again. It must start telling us what will

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As always, the energy world is abuzz with reactions to the IEA’s annual World Energy Outlook, published yesterday. As always, it’s getting plenty of criticism from those who say it lacks ambition, and in doing so will again get quoted to justify support for continued reliance on fossil fuels, explains Kelly Trout at Oil Change International. The IEA’s most ambitious pathway, the Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS), gives a 66% chance of … [Read more...]

EU energy sector set for crucial state aid decisions in 2019

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2018 was a watershed year for state aid regulations in the EU energy sector. A number of landmark rulings by the European Commission towards different member states have challenged the legality of various state aid measures and prompted governments to reconsider mechanisms for supporting domestic energy sectors. In particular, early-stage capacity mechanism procedures for many member states have been scrutinised, albeit favourably, and … [Read more...]

Renewables for remote mines power supply in Africa gaining momentum

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In the last few years, more and more mining companies have adopted wind and solar systems to reduce their energy costs at remote off-grid mines. In this first phase, the initial focus was on the integration capabilities as miners were afraid that adding intermittent renewables such as solar and wind could affect the reliability of power supply and even lead to production losses. In various microgrid applications, renewables combined with … [Read more...]

Cañete: CCS will play a vital role in delivering a net-zero emissions economy

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Commissioner Cañete confirmed this week that natural gas and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) will be central to achieving a competitive and climate-neutral economy, notably in closing the circle for the energy intensive sectors for which other solutions for decarbonisation do not exist. Moreover, combined with renewable biomass, CCS could create negative emissions compensating for remaining CO2. Eurogas Secretary General, James Watson, … [Read more...]

Too “low-hanging fruit” is not sweet enough (and eventually neither clean nor cheap)!

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At a lunch debate organised by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) on “The costs of a low level of ambition in greening the heating and cooling sector” and hosted by EUFORES President MEP Jeppe Kofod on 30 January, representatives from industry, civil society, the European Commission (EC) and MEPs from several countries and political groups (Jeppe Kofod, Bendt Bendtsen, Theresa Griffin, Jo Leinen, Gesine Meissner and Paul Rübig) … [Read more...]

IEA: Future is electric and increasingly renewable

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"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 IEA comes up short on climate (again)

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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 WEO’s “sustainable development scenario” falls well short of the Paris goals. Policymakers and investors cannot rely on the WEO to guide their decisions in energy. … [Read more...]

Study says no way to decarbonise the gas sector by 2050

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Gas industry advocates argue that expansion of gas infrastructure is justified because it will be possible to switch to low-carbon gases such as hydrogen and biomethane in future. But research by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) predicts that biomethane production will remain modest, even with massive subsidies. … [Read more...]

$100 oil is a distinct possibility

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It wasn't long ago that blistering U.S. shale growth was thought to have given rise to lower oil prices for the foreseeable future. But there are signs this could soon change, Nick Cunningham writes. Various factors are set to result in the potential disappearance of 2 million barrels of oil a day in the fourth quarter of this year, driving prices up into the three-figure range. Courtesy of Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]

DNV GL’s Energy Transition Outlook shows massive shift of investment from oil and gas into power lines

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The global energy transition will lead to a massive expansion of power lines at all voltage levels as well as a steep growth in the number of transformers and substations in the electricity system. This is one of the major new findings of the second edition of the Energy Transition Outlook, the annual flagship publication of global technical consultancy DNV GL. As a result, grid costs will triple, yet this cost explosion is offset by cost … [Read more...]

Interview Ditlev Engel, CEO DNV GL Energy: “We have to rethink the mechanisms of the electricity market”

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DNV GL’s new 2018 Energy Transition Outlook projects a massive investment shift from fossil fuels to renewables and grids – and this is based mainly on cost considerations. Yet,  notes Ditlev Engel, CEO of DNV GL Energy, in an interview with Energy Post, this won’t be enough to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. He says policymakers will have to take additional actions. “Doing just a little more won’t be enough.” (See here for main … [Read more...]

European utilities have increased their activity in energy cloud platforms

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The energy industry is experiencing a profound transformation as the sector moves towards a more intelligent, more distributed, and cleaner use of electricity, referred to as the Energy Cloud. According to digital innovation expert Alex Metz of Navigant, European utilities are increasingly recognising the value of integrated distributed energy resources (DER) and the potential of the Energy Cloud. In this article he looks at the activities of … [Read more...]

Exclusive – top energy influencer Jan Vrins, Navigant: “Europe not looking enough behind-the-meter”

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Europe is focused too much on expanding renewable energy generation, and is threatening to miss out on the huge opportunities in the energy market that are emerging behind-the-meter, says top influencer Jan Vrins, Managing Director at the U.S.-based global consultancy Navigant, in an exclusive interview with Energy Post. According to Vrins, who is leading a practice of 600 energy experts, North America is forging ahead of Europe. “We are seeing a … [Read more...]