District Heating policies need urgent attention according to the IEA so here in Europe it's a good moment to examine what the "Fit for 55" package means for the sector's future development. On February 10 Energy Post is hosting an online roundtable alongside MEP Pernille Weiss, MEP Morten Petersen, and MEP Grzegorz Tobiszowski - all (senior) members of the ITRE committee - to take in the viewpoints of key Member States and stakeholders (COGEN … [Read more...]
New York City to stop new buildings connecting to the Gas network
New York City is the U.S.âs largest metropolis, over twice the size of second spot Los Angeles, and is still growing. It has just passed a bill that effectively stops new buildings from hooking up to the gas network. The significance is not simply because of NYCâs global prominence, but because it gets very cold in winter with average temperatures just above freezing point. The move is a major win for the electrification of buildings. The … [Read more...]
Replacing centralised power with Distributed Energy Systems needs new policies and coordination
We need integrated resilient smart grids that can accommodate the rapid growth of intermittent renewables as well as the rise of âprosumersâ who both buy and sell electricity into the grid. This is the focus of three online discussion sessions on February 8th, 9th and 10th organised and hosted by power management company Eaton. The proliferation of multiple generation sources (solar, wind, batteries and other clean, flexible technologies) means … [Read more...]
U.S. shale production is rising. But by how much more, and how fast?
The dramatic increase in gas and electricity prices worldwide has raised concerns about energy security. It why U.S. shale production is rising. But by how much more, and how fast? Ben Cahill at CSIS looks at lessons learned over the last ten years by the sector to understand the drivers. Previously, shale firms grew so fast that many investors lost a lot of money. Then, the 2020 oil shock imposed discipline and firms preserved cash, but that … [Read more...]
Gas Crunch: time to factor in volatility and externalities to reveal its true costs
The current gas price shock (and any future ones) raises the question: if we had invested more in renewables, efficiency, buildings renovation, and green gases, would we be actually saving money instead of losing it? Looking at the EU, Dolf Gielen, Michael Taylor and Barbara Jinks at IRENA urge governments to do something theyâve not done before and factor in the negative impacts of volatile fossil fuel prices. Moreover, they should calculate the … [Read more...]
Buildings: France and Flanders lead on decarbonising new builds
Buildings are responsible for 36% of total EU carbon emissions. So, since the start of 2021 European legislation requires all new buildings to be ânearly zero energyâ. The frontrunners are France and Flanders in Belgium, according to a new report from the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), writes Clare Taylor. Both jurisdictions have plans for phasing out fossil fuels in new buildings within five years. Taylor explains how Flanders … [Read more...]
What do German households pay for power? Costs, surcharges, taxes, grid fees
Power prices in Germany are among the highest in Europe. Though the high costs are in large part due to the mandatory support for renewable energy sources, most customers continue to support the country's energy transition. That might be because German households only pay a little over 9% of their average monthly income on energy, similar to France and the Netherlands. In contrast, Bulgarian households spend more than 25% percent on electricity, … [Read more...]
Imagine itâs 2030 and net-zero is on track. How did we do it?
Imagine itâs 2030. The energy transition is on track and net-zero goals are entrenched across the global economy. How did we get there? Tim Buckley at IEEFA imagines it for us and sends us a postcard from the future. Writing in the past tense, he flags actual events and policies happening today to ârememberâ the major changes that took place to achieve it. Weather-related disasters compelled governments to act, recognising â apart from the … [Read more...]
Using ENTSO-Eâs modelling for Chinaâs grid expansion
The EU and China have similar challenges when expanding their complex grid network. Both have large populations and multiple borders (China has 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities and two administrative regions). Both must rapidly add clean power whilst ensuring energy security at the lowest cost. Helen Farrell at ECECP describes their project to use European ENTSO-E modelling tools to assess scenarios for China. One key … [Read more...]
The Gas Crunch: EU and China can share lessons on Energy Security and Renewables Integration
With adversity comes opportunity. The global gas crunch has hurt countries around the world but has also made them appreciate their common concerns. That has provoked policy-makers to take a serious look at current and future energy security policies. In the EU the competitive gas markets, enabled by short-term spot markets, has reminded us of the value of long-term contracts when prices are volatile and rising. Meanwhile, Chinaâs … [Read more...]
HBr Flow Batteries: long term storage for grids, compatible with hydrogen
The growth of intermittent wind and solar and the search for replacements for coal and gas points at storage solutions that can ensure a reliable supply of electricity at all times. Standard lithium-ion batteries have limitations. Put simply, the future demand for batteries (including for transport) is expected to far outstrip the supply of lithium. But hydrogen and bromine are abundantly available on a global scale. Helena Uhde and Veronika … [Read more...]
Turkey: when electricity price ceilings amplify the pain of gas spikes and currency falls
Turkeyâs rules for an electricity price ceiling may be well intentioned, but they are creating a price ladder that is causing those prices to rise too fast and too much, say Fuat OÄuz at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazit University and ĂaÄrı Peker at the Energy Market Regulatory Authority, Turkey. When market participants are allowed to sell and buy electricity at distorted prices the effects of external shocks are amplified artificially. The main shocks … [Read more...]
Yamal-Europe gas pipeline shows how EU competition rules backfire during a shortage
Europeâs gas deficit has concentrated minds on the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline which runs from Russia to Germany via Belarus and Poland, built in the 1990s. Andrei Belyi at the University of Eastern Finland explains how the rules for booking capacity worked well during times when gas was in plentiful supply, but now works against Europeâs gas security since the shortages emerged in September. The rules are designed to maximise competition between … [Read more...]
Critical Raw Materials for the energy transition: Europe must start mining again
A ramp up of the supply of critical raw materials (CRMs) is essential for the worldâs energy transition. Wind and solar, batteries, digitalisation, transport and hydrogen cannot meet their targets without it. The EU defines 30 minerals as critical. To give one example, the global deficits in lithium supplies could surge more than 60-fold to 950,000 tons by 2030. Frank Umbach at EUCERS takes a thorough look at the issue. Europe represented just 5% … [Read more...]
Energy Post Quiz 2021: ANSWERS
Hope you all had fun with the Energy Post Quiz, published before the Christmas break. Here are the answers. There are ten questions, both entertaining and insightful. The answers could all be found in articles that appeared here during 2021, and we give you the links to them. During 2021 Energy Post had another strong year in terms of number of debates hosted, event attendance, and readership for our articles: our readership grew by … [Read more...]
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