Stock divestment strategies have been widely proposed to undercut financial support for fossil fuels. The German lignite industry, however, cannot be tackled in this way, writes independent energy expert Jeffrey Michel in a highly informative analysis. Lignite stations and mines are owned by regional communities in the west and a Czech consortium in the east. Although some power plants are being phased out against government-arranged subsidies, … [Read more...]
Tobacco and climate change liability: there are more similarities than you might think
While there are some important differences between liability for the damage of smoking and the damage caused by climate change, from a legal perspective there are also many significant similarities, write Martin Olszynski, Sharon Mascher (both at the University of Calgary) and Meinhard Doelle (Dalhousie University). Automakers and fossil fuel energy companies may want to start warning the public more explicitly about the risks of fossil fuel … [Read more...]
Big Oil: growth of electric vehicles will lead to oil demand peak
Following Shell, oil major Total has now also indicated it is expecting increasingly tough competition from electric vehicles (EVs), writes John LeSage of Oilprice.com. One significant trend is the wide range of EVs that will be available in a few years. Courtesy Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
The drivers behind flattening CO2 emissions
CO2 emissions have stopped growing – thanks to renewable energy, some say, but according to David Hone, Chief Climate Change Advisor of Shell, there are other factors at play as well, such as coal-to-gas substitution and limited demand growth. … [Read more...]
Climate change is not democratic: inaction equals annihilation of the poor
There’s a tendency to believe that the effects of climate change will be felt more or less democratically around the globe. In reality, writes energy and foreign policy specialist Michael Klare, the harshest effects will fall on the poorest and most marginalized people. They will suffer mass annihilation – unless we take action. Courtesy of Tomdispatch. … [Read more...]
Large-scale fracking comes to the Arctic in a new Alaska oil boom
Largely unnoticed, international oil companies have been making discoveries of very large oil reserves in the Arctic region over the past year, writes author and lecturer Scott L. Montgomery.  According to Montgomery, the Trump Administration is likely to give permission to drill these new wells, a number of which will be fracked. He believes “the discoveries will write a new chapter in the U.S. oil industry’s dramatic ascent.” Courtesy The … [Read more...]
Oil market (II): Is another bust looming over the oil industry?
Royal Dutch Shell broke ranks from other industry players last fall when its chief executive officer opined that global demand could reach a maximum in the next five to fifteen years. Given the nature of the demand plateau and the historical failure of authorities to predict its advent, it is time for the oil industry to begin planning and watching for the turn, writes Dwayne Purvis for Oilprice.com. Courtesy Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
The coal-free 2°C scenario: within reach and cheaper than told by IEA
Scrapping of planned coal power and accelerated investment in wind and solar are essential if we are to reach the Paris climate goals. The good news: It can be done significantly cheaper than the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, writes Terje Osmundsen, Senior Vice President of the Norwegian-based international solar power company Scatec Solar. Courtesy of EnergiogKlima. … [Read more...]
It is time to tax carbon
Low-carbon technologies will transform the energy system, but not fast enough to limit global warming, writes Gerard Reid, founding partner of Alexa Capital, financial analyst and co-founder of the Energy and Carbon blog. According to Reid, what is needed is to shift the still massive investment in oil and gas onto alternative energy sources. That can only be done through a carbon tax. … [Read more...]
The big Dutch coal mistake (part Two)
Uniper and Engie have made further write-downs on their still very new Dutch coal power plants, writes independent consultant Gerard Wynn, confirming the bleak prospects for coal power production in Europe. Yet Uniper is pressing on with plans to build another new coal plant in Germany. Courtesy IEEFA. … [Read more...]
Alternative numbers: 6 ways Trump’s energy plan doesn’t add up
The Trump administration claims that its America First Energy Plan will generate $50 trillion in revenues for American society. According to Jeremy Proville and Jonathan Camuzeaux of EDF Energy Exchange this is an “alternative fact” for which the evidence is totally lacking. … [Read more...]
Why the International Energy Agency still gets it wrong on fossil fuels
The IEA (International Energy Agency) has produced a remarkable and alarming report, together with IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), warning that “unprecedented” and “unparalleled” efforts are necessary “immediately” and “across all countries” to stave off climate disaster. Yet it still sees a significant role for fossil fuels in 2050. How is this possible? Greg Muttitt, Senior Advisor at NGO Oil Change International, argues that the … [Read more...]
Western Balkans are massively expanding coal power – but the new plants may have to be closed again soon
At least 9 new lignite power plants are being planned in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, but according to a new report from CEE Bankwatch Network their feasibility studies do not take into account the effect of CO2 prices. As a result, when these countries join the EU, the plants will not be competitive anymore and will need to be closed down, writes Pippa Gallop, research coordinator at CEE Bankwatch Network – just … [Read more...]
Why oil price forecasting is so difficult now
Analysts have rarely been so divided on their views of where the oil price is going, writes Geoffrey Styles, Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group. This is because the market is in the grip of a number of contradictory trends. Styles takes a closer look at what they are and how they might play out. … [Read more...]
Peak oil? Sooner than you think
The London-based investment advisory firm Redburn thinks that global demand for oil could peak around 2026, writes Fereidoon Sioshansi, President of Menlo Energy Economics and publisher of the newsletter EEnergy Informer. The implications for oil majors are ominous. … [Read more...]
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