The bad news is that upcoming climate and energy legislation in the EU will almost certainly be postponed as a result of Brexit, writes Brook Riley of Friends of the Earth Europe. But the good news is that Brexit will provide an opportunity to make it clear to EU citizens that ambitious climate and energy policies are key to a better future. … [Read more...]
How to support renewables in Europe
The development of green energy in the EU is taking place in a highly inefficient way, with much of the renewable energy sources built in the least productive locations, writes Jakub Kucera, economic analyst at RSJ, a Prague-based investment company. To address this problem, an EU-wide support scheme could be envisaged, but that also has many drawbacks, notes Kucera. He suggests that a combination of an EU-wide scheme with national support … [Read more...]
“Paris Climate Agreement requires huge economic turnaround in Europe”
The targets agreed to at the Paris climate summit in late 2015 imply a radical change to our economies, a new report by consultancy CE Delft shows. CO2-prices will need to rise to €250/ton in 2050 (compared to some €6 per ton now) and most of the existing industrial installations and infrastructure will need to be replaced. CE Delft compares the scale and impact of the transformation to the one that occurred in Eastern Europe post-1989. … [Read more...]
Energy sector is one of the largest consumers of water in a drought-threatened world
The implications of the global water footprint of energy generation are phenomenal, writes Gary Bilotta of the University of Brighton. He warns that if policy makers fail to take into account the links between energy and water, we may come to a point in many parts of the world where it is water availability that is the main determinant of the energy sources available for use. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
A practical solution to windfall profits in the EU carbon market
This is a rare moment for climate policy making in the EU, writes Emil Dimantchev, senior carbon market analyst at Thomson Reuters. Lawmakers in Europe have begun a process to redesign the EU carbon market with new rules that will take effect after 2020. According to Dimantchev, they should follow the example of California and introduce a dynamic allocation system of CO2 permits. It is the most practical and politically feasible way to end … [Read more...]
Uranium prices “set to double” on the back of new nuclear renaissance
The negative sentiment around uranium is starting to change, writes James Stafford of Oilprice.com, as the world is starting to build more nuclear reactors. He notes that “billionaire investors” are already placing heavy bets on a uranium recovery. Analysts expect prices to double by 2018. … [Read more...]
“Sustainable energy for all” transforms not only how energy is generated but also how it is perceived
The Paris Climate Agreement and the inclusion of energy in the Millennium Development Goals were two key moments in 2015, writes Marie-JosĂ© Nadeau, Chair of the World Energy Council and member of the Advisory Board of the SE4all initiative of the United Nations, which presented a new five-year strategy in Brussels last week. According to Nadeau, this new strategy has the potential to impact the way energy is perceived across the world, in … [Read more...]
How fast could the market for electric vehicles grow?
Various policy driven scenarios show electric vehicles (EVs) gaining market share over the next few decades but the question is by how much. According to Adam Whitmore, independent energy advisor, there are reasons to assume that annual sales of EVs will account for 7-22% of the vehicle stock by 2030. By 2050 they will account for a majority of light vehicles on the road. … [Read more...]
Is the EPR nuclear reactor fit for the current market?
Areva’s third-generation EPR nuclear reactor has had a troublesome start, with heavy delays and cost overruns in the two units under construction in Finland and France. Two other units that are being built in China are doing better. But is it a wise decision for the UK to let EDF build an EPR at Hinkley Point C? Quentin Philippe, investor at London-based private equity fund Actis, takes a critical look at the EPR. He concludes that not all its … [Read more...]
Why hydrogen fuel cell cars are not competitive — from a hydrogen fuel cell expert
The widespread introduction of hydrogen fuel cell cars is a bad idea, writes Zachary Shahan, editor of Cleantechnica.com. According to Shahan, hydrogen fuel cell cars will never be able to compete with battery-electric cars. Policymakers should focus on stimulating electric transportation. Courtesy Cleantechnica.com. … [Read more...]
How to build a wind turbine
In case you thought that building a wind turbine is a fairly simple matter, this video from Siemens USA gives you an idea of what is involved. A lot of concrete, for one thing. We wanted to share this with our readers. We hope you like it. … [Read more...]
Dutch research project shows costs offshore wind can be reduced 40% in ten years
The Dutch research programme FLOW (Far and Large Offshore Wind energy) shows that a well-coordinated approach between industry, knowledge institutes and government can achieve 40% cost reduction in ten years in the offshore wind sector. In about ten to fifteen years, offshore wind should be able to manage without subsidies. … [Read more...]
A fundamental transformation: “renewables win race on costs”
The cost of wind and solar power will continue to fall massively over the next 25 years, bringing about a fundamental transformation of the global electricity sector, according to new reports from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Electric cars will boom, cheap batteries will be everywhere and there will no Golden Age of Gas, despite continued low gas prices, BNEF predicts. … [Read more...]
Energy crops have been a major flop with farmers – here’s why
In only a few years, biomass has become a major UK power source, supplying 3% of the total electricity supply. However, despite government incentives, UK farmers are largely unwilling to grow the feedstock for the biomass plants. Most of it has to be imported. Charles Warren, Senior Lecturer Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of St. Andrews, tried to find out why – and came to some very instructive conclusions. Courtesy The … [Read more...]
Europe can retrieve its lost clean energy leadership by moving away from subsidizing renewables
Europe can win back its lost clean energy leadership by moving away from subsidy-powered renewables, writes Christopher Burghardt, Vice-President Business Development Europe at First Solar and a member of the Board of Directors of Solar Power Europe. Rather than subsidizing renewables, Burghardt argues, Europe should stimulate utility-scale energy production by independent power producers, just as other markets around the world are … [Read more...]
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