European transmission system operators are building the network for the gas flows of the future – but will there be any gas flowing in Europe ten years from now? At a workshop in Riga in March 2013 organised by ENTSOG (the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas), representatives from the gas industry discussed the implications of ENTSOG’s Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP), which was adopted in February. The participants … [Read more...]
Interview Marcin Korolec, Polish Minister: “We will fight for climate agreement”
Last year at the UN Climate Conference in Doha, Poland surprised everyone by proposing to host the next Conference of the Parties (COP). As president of COP19 in Warsaw in November of this year, Polish Environment Minister Marcin Korolec will play a key role in paving the way for a worldwide agreement on climate action. A sharp contrast to the Polish position in Brussels, where the country is often perceived as “sabotaging” EU climate policy. How … [Read more...]
EU gets powerful mandate to regulate shale gas
The EU has received its strongest endorsement yet to push ahead and issue legislative proposals to control the extraction of shale gas: an official 3-month public consultation shows that “a large majority” of citizens believe Europe lacks adequate legislation on this front and that the EU should do something about it. The surprisingly strong support for enhanced EU oversight comes despite the fact that half the respondents come from Europe’s … [Read more...]
Why solar power means the end of the world (for some of us)
After having deep-searched the internet for three months, our editor Karel Beckman has come to the conclusion that the solar power revolution is upon us – and will have devastatingly disruptive effects on established energy markets. The energy world is about to change radically. Photo: sun emits mid-level flare (NASA) … [Read more...]
CCS: why the high hopes cannot be fulfilled
The only way to stimulate investment in industry while staying in line with CO2 reduction targets is to end coal plant construction in favour of renewable energies, argues independent energy consultant Jeffrey Michel. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is just not going to deliver the goods. It is too costly and too risky. Photo: carbon dioxide sequestered in basalt (PNNL) … [Read more...]
Reflections on a ravaged EU energy sector (plus some boardroom tips)
The CEO’s of Europe’s major energy companies seem to be in an unenviable position. They complain that they are facing a ‘perfect storm’ and warn policymakers that policies need to be drastically reformed or European security of supply might go under. In his first post for Energy Post, our chief editor Karel Beckman wonders if things are really that bad – and has some tips to offer to our beleaguered energy executives how they might withstand the … [Read more...]
What is behind France’s call for a “European energy community”
France’s sudden interest in a common EU “energy community” signals an important policy change that has everything to do with the country’s troubled domestic energy outlook. The French government seems to be pursuing more European cooperation to make it possible to push through unpopular reforms at home and to prepare France for a less nuclear future, writes Iana Dreyer, a Paris-based energy and trade economist. Photo: Cattenom Nuclear Power … [Read more...]
Energy Harvesting: the Next Big Thing
Devices and materials that harvest lost energy have the potential of transforming our society, argues Silicon Valley-based consultant Christine Hertzog, author of the Smart Grid Library. “There’s a growing number of companies that are developing ways to capture the enormous amounts of energy that are currently wasted. But it’s going to take basic R&D to realise the full potential of energy harvesting.” Photo: Singularity Utopia Solar … [Read more...]
How to compete with China in renewables
Professor John Mathews of LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, argues that, ultimately, there is only one effective response to the serious competitive threat posed by China’s strong support for renewables — and that is equally strong support for innovation and market expansion by Western countries. Photo: Solar hot water in Beijing (Photo: Popolon) … [Read more...]
Nuclear terror in the Middle East: lethality beyond the pale
An Israeli nuclear attack on Iran would result in unimaginable disaster, according to a new study. Nick Turse, managing editor of TomDispatch.com, points out that the risk of a nuclear war is still the gravest danger the world is facing today. “It’s a freight train coming down the tracks”. "In those first minutes, they’ll be stunned. Eyes fixed in a thousand-yard stare, nerve endings numbed. They’ll just stand there. Soon, you’ll notice that … [Read more...]
