Rapid cost declines made renewable energy the United States’ cheapest available source of new electricity, without subsidies, in 2017, writes Silvio Marcacci of think tank Energy Innovation. In many parts of the U.S., building new wind is cheaper than running existing coal, while nuclear and natural gas aren’t far behind, notes Marcacci. As renewable energy costs continue their relentless decline, they keep pushing fossil fuels further from … [Read more...]
Eon chief puts carbon tax back on the agenda [Energy Post Weekly]
As the EU institutions wrap up a climate policy framework for 2030, the CEO of one of Europe’s biggest energy companies has issued a fresh call for a carbon tax for the transport and heating sectors as well as a carbon floor price for the industry and power sectors. What is more, Johannes Teyssen, CEO of German utility Eon, says the European Commission has done all it can to push climate policy – now it’s the turn of the Member States – Germany … [Read more...]
Spain’s energy regulator rejects government plan to prop up coal
Spain’s energy regulator has rejected an attempt by the government to prop up the nation’s oldest and most polluting coal power plants, stating that Spain’s massive overcapacity means it can safely close a “significant part of the existing coal fleet” without undermining security of supply, write Gerard Wynn of IEEFA (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis), Paolo Coghe of Paris-based indepdent consultancy Acousmatics, and Carlota … [Read more...]
Russia starts LNG exports from Yamal – what it means for Europe
Russian company Novatek has started exporting LNG from Yamal in the Arctic. It is in many ways a game-changing project, writes Anna Mikulska of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies. It puts Russia on the map as LNG exporter, it provides a challenge to Gazprom, is a significant step in the development of the Arctic region, and it expands energy relations between … [Read more...]
New NASA study underscores urgency of solving the global methane problem
A new NASA study suggests methane emissions from fossil fuels may be responsible for half of the recent rise in global atmospheric methane concentrations, writes David Lyon of EDF Energy Exchange. He adds that reducing worldwide emissions of methane by the oil and gas industry would have no net cost and would have the same impact as closing all coal plants in China. … [Read more...]
Can the U.S. compete in the electric car war?
The U.S. needs a coherent, unified energy policy with respect to vehicle electrification and automation if it wants to keep up with China, write Leonard Hyman and William Tilles. U.S. and European auto manufacturers have equal or greater resources than their Chinese counterparts. But they don’t have the same level of government support – and therefore cannot rely on their domestic markets. Courtesy Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
Will China’s Belt and Road Initiative help or hinder clean energy?
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the broad infrastructure and market-building initiative of the world’s second-largest economy, has a different feel than trade agreements initiated in the West – and it could have major implications for the future of energy across many parts of the world, writes Sonia Aggarwal, Vice President of think tank Energy Innovation, and Director of America’s Power Plan. … [Read more...]
Trump’s “America First” energy policy puts China ahead in energy
China has indicated it is set to launch a crude oil futures contract in yuan, which could be a significant step towards the de-dollarization of the global economy. It is a sign of China’s growing confidence – and the U.S.’s declining influence, writes Friedbert PflĂĽger, Director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS). According to PflĂĽger, President Trump’s “America First” policy is having the opposite effect: it is … [Read more...]
Video debate: what impact will Nord Stream 2 have on European energy security?
Is Nord Stream 2 good or bad for Europe? Is the European Commission right to try to change the EU Gas Directive apparently to halt Nord Stream 2? On 28 November Energy Post held a conference in Brussels, sponsored by Nord Stream 2, and moderated by our EU correspondent Sonja van Renssen, where Gazprom's pipeline project was debated. The video shows the highlights of the debate. … [Read more...]
Renewables in Africa are losing ground: a proposal for a practical climate finance instrument
If the One Planet Summit in Paris on 12 December is to meet its expectations, it must lead to a new cost- and carbon-efficient instrument to support decentralised renewable electricity generation across Africa, writes Terje Osmundsen, Courtesy Energi og Klima blog. … [Read more...]
Trump’s tax bill: big win for oil and gas, profound threat to renewables and environment
The Republican Party (GOP) tax proposal, if it is adopted unchanged, would slash tax credits for solar and wind power, slap a big tax on projects of “multinational” renewable developers, while leaving tax credits for oil and gas unchanged or even lowering them. It would also open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas exploration. Courtesy Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
Poland may be ready for energy turnaround
The Polish conservative government has been trying (and failing) to bail out coal, and maintain energy independence, writes journalist MichaĹ‚ Olszewski. But according to Olszewski, these expensive and polluting practices could be coming to an end. Slowly but surely, the energy transition emerges in Poland. Courtesy Energy Transition – the Global Energiewende. … [Read more...]
Jet fuel from sugarcane? It’s not a flight of fancy
Through genetic engineering, researchers from the University of Illinois have produced a new form of sugarcane, called lipidcane, whose leaves contain 12 percent oil, instead of the natural level of 0.05 percent. They are working to produce a variety they call energycane, with 20 percent oil. The new plant variety could produce enough oil to produce biodiesel and jet-fuel economically, they write. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Will Donald Trump take down the Arctic Refuge?Â
The U.S. Department of the Interior is preparing a five-year strategic plan that never once mentions climate change, but is likely to open up the Arctic Refuge for oil and gas exploration. U.S. Interior Secretary has already told the Alaska Gas and Oil Association that “Alaska is open for business”. According to author and professor of ecology Subhankar Banerjee, the plans of the Trump Administration are the beginning of a war against … [Read more...]
Keeping coal plants open: the Spanish government’s costly intervention in the power market
After power producer Iberdrola announced the closure of their last coal plants, on 10 November, the Spanish government has said it might intervene to keep them open. Such an intervention, write energy experts Gerard Wynn and Paolo Coghe, is taking a page out of Donald Trump's book. It is costly, bad for the investment climate, and for the planet’s climate. … [Read more...]
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