For the first time ever, the EU Commission has mapped out how much public money flows to the energy sector in Europe and where it goes. According to a new report prepared by consultancy Ecofys, Europe spent €113 billion on energy subsidies in 2012. Remarkably, public support for coal is equal to that of onshore wind and total support for renewables is not much higher than for non-renewables. Also remarkably, the estimated “levelised costs” for … [Read more...]
EU Commission issues interim report on energy subsidies and costs
The functioning of energy markets and the size and effect of government interventions has been the subject of debate for years. To date however, a consolidated dataset for government interventions in the power market of the European Union has been missing. This is why the European Commission has commissioned a study that aims at helping to close the knowledge gap by quantifying the extent of public interventions in energy markets in all 28 Member … [Read more...]
Hinkley Point C: the EU energy market will not be the same after this
The European Commission has, to the outrage of many, given a historic green light to an unprecedented ÂŁ34 billion (€43 billion) state aid package for nuclear power in the UK, the first case of its kind in Europe. Energy Post’s Brussels correspondent Sonja van Renssen discusses the case .- and the many questions that it raises about the EU’s energy policy and the internal market. … [Read more...]
VIDEO: European Commission enhances energy security through its Covenant of Mayors
Hughes Belin is joined by Marie Donnelly - Director for Energy Transition at the European Commission - on viEUws.eu, to discuss how local communities can secure a sustainable energy future. … [Read more...]
Italian EU Presidency falls down on energy policy
With a final decision on the 2030 framework for EU climate and energy policy approaching, and a highly unstable international energy situation, the Italian Presidency of the EU should focus squarely on energy. However, the Italian energy effort is vague, focused on the short term and fails to initiate the measures the EU and Italy need to solve the energy and climate crisis, writes energy journalist and economist Lorenzo Colantoni. … [Read more...]
Europe’s new VP for Energy Union shows little knowledge of energy
Slovenia’s Alenka Bratušek was condemned as vague, bland and ignorant of key energy issues at her hearing at the European Parliament on Monday afternoon. Bratušek, who from November is meant to lead Europe’s energy negotiations with Russia and take on a global climate deal, failed to convince MEPs she had the skills or integrity to become the EU’s new “Vice President for Energy Union”. … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Latest news on Environment and Energy from Brussels
In this latest Brussels Briefing on Environment from viEUws.eu, Sonja van Renssen provides an overview of the latest developments in the field of European environment policy. … [Read more...]
VIDEO: 5 toughest questions faced by Miguel Arias Cañete – Hearings of Juncker Commission
Miguel Arias Cañete – European Commissioner-designate for Climate Action and Energy (nominated by Spain) – had to answer a number of difficult questions during his hearing by the European Parliament’s Committees on Industry, Research & Energy (ITRE) and Environment, Public Health & Food Safety (ENVI) on 1 October. viEUws.eu produced a comprehensive video summary of the hearing, Cañete’s answers to these 5 toughest questions reveal best … [Read more...]
Carefully prepared Cañete dogged by conflict of interest
The candidate for EU Climate and Energy Commissioner, Miguel Arias Cañete from Spain, demonstrated an impressive grasp of his subject matter at his hearing at the European Parliament on Wednesday night in Brussels. But he failed to answer repeated questions about his brother-in-law’s involvement in two oil-related companies. Today, his future hangs in the balance as he becomes a hostage in a fight between the Parliament’s different political … [Read more...]
Winter gas supply crunch in Europe unlikely, experts say
Major investment in European gas storage, transmission and emergency planning make a repeat of the 2009 gas shock unlikely this winter, market observers say, even if Russia trims exports to retaliate against western sanctions. That should be comforting news to EU Energy Commissioner GĂĽnther Oettinger, who is meeting with energy ministers from Ukraine and Russia (Yuriy Prodan and Alexander Novak) on Friday in Berlin. But analysts do caution that … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Jerzy Buzek, “Europe can enhance security of supply by opening gas market to US”
Jerzy Buzek - Chair of the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE) - discusses the energy priorities for the new parliamentary term with Hughes Belin for viEUws.eu. … [Read more...]
In defence of TTIP: Good for the economy – and for the climate
The Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) currently being negotiated between the European Union and the United States may deliver significant benefits not just in terms of greater economic competitiveness, but also as regards energy security and even environmental sustainability, writes Carlo Stagnaro, senior fellow at the Italian think tank Istituto Bruno Leoni and advisor to Italy’s Minister for Economic Development. According … [Read more...]
NGO’s call for reform of Energy Community, Energy Community calls for reform by its members
A group of leading NGOs active in the Balkan region are calling for urgent reform of the Energy Community Treaty, as its Ministerial Council prepares to meet in Kiev on September 23rd . The groups are calling for both the expansion of the environmental and climate component of the Treaty and measures to ensure that existing obligations are better enforced. “Energy Community Treaty reform is a once in a decade opportunity to garner support for … [Read more...]
King Coal dethroned: future looks black
New research by the Carbon Tracker Initiative (CTI), the London-based NGO that invented the concept of “stranded assets” (aka the “carbon bubble”), claims that “the tide is turning against coal exporters”. After taking on the oil and gas industry, CTI has for the first time calculated the risks faced by the coal sector from slowing demand in combination with climate change policies. It concludes that most new coal mines will not be economic. … [Read more...]
World’s leading institutional investors call for carbon pricing, ambitious global climate deal
Days before UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convenes the Climate Summit at the United Nations to spur climate action and facilitate a global climate agreement in 2015, nearly 350 global institutional investors representing over $24 trillion in assets have called on government leaders to provide stable, reliable and economically meaningful carbon pricing that helps redirect investment commensurate with the scale of the climate change challenge, … [Read more...]
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