Renewable energy generation is still on the rise in Germany, though at a much lower pace than in the years around 2010, writes Marius Buchmann of Jacobs University in a detailed overview of the German electricity market in 2017. Costs of the feed-in tariff are stagnating, notes Buchmann, but redispatch costs which grid operators incur to keep the system stable, reached a new record far above €1 billion. Courtesy of Buchmann’s blog Enerquire. … [Read more...]
The secret of the great American fracking bubble
While politicians and the mainstream media trumpet fracking as a great American energy revolution, it has in fact been a financial disaster, writes Justin Mikulka of DeSmog blog. The American shale oil and gas boom, he writes, may be "one of the largest money-losing endeavors in the nation's history". Courtesy DeSmog blog. … [Read more...]
How Volkswagen’s Dieselgate billions are helping to jump-start EV charging
Interstate high-speed charging corridors have emerged as popular options for spending the Volkswagen settlement fund in American states affected by the automaker’s emission scandal, writes Mike O’Boyle of think tank Energy Innovation. Coupled with public education and interstate planning, these corridors are a good use of these funds to decarbonize transportation, the author argues. … [Read more...]
India slashes plans for new nuclear reactors by two-thirds
India has decided to cut its planned nuclear power plant construction by two-thirds. This will further expand the country’s use of coal for electrical power generation, writes Dan Yurman, nuclear energy specialist and author of the Neutron Bytes blog. … [Read more...]
The Bosch solar complex: European companies should not give up on batteries just because they failed in solar
The decision of Bosch not to enter battery production may prove to be a historic mistake, writes Gerard Reid. Bosch was no doubt motivated by its failure in the solar power market, but according to Reid the battery market is very different. It is much more complex, involves much more technology and will be a critical pillar of the new economy. If Bosch and others don’t get over their solar complex, European industry may get seriously hurt. … [Read more...]
How to ensure resilience in the grid of the future
A low-carbon world is an electrified world. But electricity has an Achilles heel: it is vulnerable. And will become more so as digitalization progresses and extreme weather increases, notes Mark Byrne of the Total Environment Centre in Australia. To reduce vulnerability, Byrne believes we need to create a system of enmeshed micro-grids. Keywords: “mutual interdependence”. … [Read more...]
Poland’s love affair with coal: can the EU do anything about it?
The Polish government’s strong commitment to coal goes against EU policy direction and against market conditions, write Anna Mikulska of the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies and Eryk Kosinski of Adam Mickiewicz University. But coal has a special place in the nation’s collective heart. To wean Poland off coal will require EU support to coal-dependent regions and for alternative energy sources, the authors argue. … [Read more...]
Europe’s coming gigafactory boom
By 2020, at least seven new gigawatt-size battery factories are scheduled to start operating in Europe, writes Zak Derler of Climate Home News. European companies, such as car manufacturer Daimler, invest in their own regionally-based gigafactories to meet the battery demand for electric vehicles in the continent and the world. Article courtesy Climate Home News. … [Read more...]
How energy storage is starting to rewire the electricity industry
A world of low-cost batteries will transform the way the electricity and automotive industries operate and how homeowners, businesses and utilities produce and use power, write Eric Hittinger and Eric Williams of the University of Rochester. What is more, their research shows that storage is "future-proof" - it works no matter how the energy system evolves. Article courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Can the U.S. break Russia’s gas monopoly In Europe?
The U.S. government has said it considers "sending energy supplies" to Eastern Europe to contain Russian influence. But challenging Russia’s dominance in European gas markets won't be easy, writes Tim Daiss of Oilprice.com. Russia already supplies nearly 40 percent of the continent’s gas, and its position may further be secured when the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is completed. … [Read more...]
Prospects of fuel-cell electric vehicles boosted with Chinese backing
Who believes in the future of fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)? Many experts feel they are too expensive and can’t compete with battery EVs. But now the Chinese government is throwing its weight behind FCEVs. Ankit Mishra spoke with Daniel Teichmann, CEO of Hydrogenious Technologies, about the brightening prospects of fuel cell cars. … [Read more...]
Charging an electric vehicle is far cleaner than driving on gasoline
Contrary to what many critics claim, research shows that driving an EV produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than cars powered only by gasoline, writes Silvio Marcacci of think tank Energy Innovation in San Francisco. And much less pollution. This will only get better as the electricity mix becomes cleaner. … [Read more...]
EU electricity distributors should not be allowed to police themselves
The European Commission has proposed new European legislation that could put Europe’s distribution system operators in a powerful position to bend market rules to their own advantage, writes Julie Finkler of NGO ClientEarth. According to Finkler, this could seriously hamper other market players, like community energy initiatives, renewable energy producers and aggregators. She calls on the European Parliament and the Member States to ensure this … [Read more...]
What energy utilities can learn from Kodak when it comes to digitalization
Utilities can learn from Kodak’s past of failing to exploit digitalization, writes Marius Buchmann of Jacobs University in Bremen. Kodak was ahead in digital technology - it just failed to identify a new business model to exploit it. Utilities face the same challenge today. Article courtesy of Buchmann’s blog Enerquire. … [Read more...]
What’s behind Gazprom’s decision to cut off supply to Ukraine
Gazprom’s announcement that it would terminate gas supply to Ukraine has been a shock to many observers, but it is not as radical nor as surprising as it may seem, writes Anna Mikulska of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. It will only become effective in 2019 and is consistent with the company’s earlier announcements and long-term plans. Nevertheless, Mikulska adds, there is reason for the EU to … [Read more...]
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