The EU is discussing how far and how fast it can take regional cooperation among Transmission System Operators (TSOs). The European Commission and Parliament want to give entities for regional cooperation more independence and power, while Member States and TSOs want ultimate power to remain at national level. An upcoming conference on 16 October led by ENTSO-E (representing European TSOs) and Coreso (a regional entity) â and supported by Energy … [Read more...]
What is the future of coal?
It fired up the industrial age but is now condemned as a toxic pollutant. Most countries are cutting back on coal usage, but not all. Donald Trump wants to buck the trend and create jobs for miners, and Asiaâs appetite for the black stuff continues to grow. Siân Bradley, from the independent policy institute Chatham House, asks if there is a future for old King Coal. … [Read more...]
8 things you need to know about the IPCC 1.5ËC report
In its landmark report released today on global warming, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to stop global temperatures from rising by over 1.5ËC â but it is possible. The report makes it clear to governments and businesses that limiting warming to 1.5ËC is imperative, says Kelly Levin of World Resources Institute: âNow itâs time for them to step up to the challenge.â … [Read more...]
Methane is a potent pollutant â letâs keep it out of the atmosphere
The USâs intended relaxation of rules for the oil and gas industry on methane emissions could to lead to more being released. Since the countryâs fracking boom began, evidence of a significant increase of methane in the atmosphere has already been seen as far away as Switzerland. As well as impacting climate change, this policy change may increase pollution, and damage the health of both humans and crops, say Alastair Lewis and Lucy Carpenter. … [Read more...]
Tesla big battery defies sceptics, sends industry bananas over performance
Itâs less than a year since the Tesla big battery was installed at Hornsdale in Australia and the worldâs largest lithium-ion battery has exceeded all expectations, says Giles Parkinson of Reneweconomy.com. Quicker, cheaper and with greater reliability, versatility, accuracy and efficiency than predicted, the storage system also looks set to provide a fast return on investment â results that have led to a rash of new battery projects in the … [Read more...]
Chinaâs Belt and Road as a conduit for clean power projects
Chinaâs Belt and Road Initiative is arguably the biggest regional connectivity and cooperation programme in operation today. But with China being a major polluter, there are also concerns the Initiative could just be adding to global environmental stress. Not so, argue John A Mathews and Carol X Huang of Macquarie University, Sydney: itâs actually a magnet for renewable energy investments. Courtesy of The Asia-Pacific Journal. … [Read more...]
Post-Brexit carbon tax would set Scotland against UK
The UK is weighing up future carbon pricing options in a post-EU world, but Scotland will not abide a London plan for a national tax because that would impinge on devolved powers. Resolving the issue will not be easy, particularly in the event of a no-deal Brexit, writes Sara Stefanini, Climate Home News. Courtesy of Climate Home News. … [Read more...]
How do ambitious climate pledges impact economic growth?
At the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, delegates from all over the world made ambitious commitments to tackle climate change. But how will their actions impact economic growth? Chris Busch of think-tank Energy Innovation compares manufacturing and employment data from climate leader California to laggard Texas and the US as a whole. His findings suggest that climate actions are affordable and even provide a boost to economies. … [Read more...]
Why decarbonising gas might be harder than you think
Decarbonising the European energy system by 2050 will require a fundamental shift for the way the gas industry operates, away from business-as-usual in network planning and market design. Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, leaves no room for fossil gas consumption where CO2 is not captured and stored. But turning the gas industry into a zero-carbon industry is no simple task. … [Read more...]
What role for gas in Europeâs 2050 energy system?
The European Commission sees natural gas play a critical role in the energy transition to 2035, but beyond that its views on the role of gas are much less clear. Simon Blakey, analyst at IHS Markit, does not believe that renewables can be ramped up quickly enough to replace coal generation. Jonathan Gaventa of think tank E3G argues gas has no place in the energy mix by then, unless it is decarbonized. Energy Post editor Jason Deign spoke to both … [Read more...]
UK offers green assurances for no-deal Brexit
The UK government says its environment and energy rules will remain in step with the EUâs even if it makes a hard, no-deal exit next year. Time, however, is running short, writes Sara Stefanini. Courtesy Climate Home News. … [Read more...]
Hydrogen is heading up the European policy agenda
Hydrogenâs momentum is building, as European ministers consider approving a new âHydrogen Initiativeâ this week that aims to âmaximise the great potential of sustainable hydrogen technology.â With funding from the EUâs Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a consortium of industrial heavyweights in the H2FUTURE project is already ramping up production of hydrogen from renewable sources. But, as the International Renewable Energy Agency notes … [Read more...]
Smart cities: not enough projects make the grade
Despite the hype about smart cities, and the availability of EU funding, there are very few projects out there that qualify for funding, according to Lada Strelnikova, lead fund manager at the European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEEF). An exception: Belgian bank Belfius has, with the support of the European Investment Bank (EIB), provided âŹ1 billion to smart city projects involving more than 100 municipalities in Belgium. According to Joost Declerck … [Read more...]
Polandâs PGE should accelerate its coal diversification plans
Polandâs biggest utility, PGE, should accelerate plans to diversify away from coal, as surging carbon prices underscore risks gathering around its present PLN 21 billion ($5.6 billion) coal power investment programme, write Gerard Wynn of IEEFA (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis) and Paolo Coghe of the Paris-based independent consultancy Acousmatics. Courtesy Energy and Carbon Blog. … [Read more...]
Replacing copper with negawattsâhow the UKâs RIIO-2 could revolutionise network regulation
Ofgemâs recent framework decision on improving its performance-based regulation scheme, RIIO, indicates that it may be ready to take a much-needed step toward levelling the playing field between supply-side and customer-side resources. However, it is not yet clear what the details will look like. According to Jan Rosenow of the Regulatory Assistance Project, a global group of regulatory experts, Ofgem should put a network regulation scheme in … [Read more...]
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