Energy Post

Daily reports on the European and Global energy transition

Exclusive: RWE sheds old business model, embraces transition

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RWE, Germany’s largest power producer, has decided to radically depart from its traditional business model based on large-scale thermal power production. Henceforth, the company will “create value by leading the transition to the future energy world”.  This is shown by confidential strategy documents that were discussed at a recent meeting of RWE’s Supervisory Board in Warsaw which Energy Post has seen. Photo: RWE power plant in Hamm-Uentrop … [Read more...]

How to turn Bulgaria into Eastern Europe’s energy hub and gateway

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Bulgaria has become notorious for the failure of many big energy projects in recent years. Yet there is more going on in the Bulgarian energy sector than meets the eye, writes independent energy consultant Valentin Stoyanov. According to Stoyanov, Bulgaria could even become one of Europe’s main energy hubs. The country has strong and diverse energy assets to start with, ranging from coal and nuclear power to hydropower and renewable energies. It … [Read more...]

Darwin, Dylan and the future of utilities

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Australian journalist Giles Parkinson has published a must-read series of articles on his website Reneweconomy about how renewable energy is upsetting the business model of incumbent network operators and generators in Queensland, Australia. His insights provide crucial lessons for utilities elsewhere, most certainly in Europe.  As a recent report from Citi notes: “If we look at the situation facing European utilities, the future looks … [Read more...]

The Dutch Energiewende

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With the National Energy Accord, signed on 6 September, the Netherlands has its own version of the Energiewende. Or has it? Energy Post editor Karel Beckman explains the ins and outs of the Accord and discusses its implications for the future of Dutch energy policy. His verdict: despite the hype that has surrounded the Accord, it does not come anywhere near an “energy transition” in the German style. … [Read more...]

Seven Steps to Energy Policy Heaven

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Now that a new political year has started, it may be useful to ask what exactly are the most important parameters that should go into any energy policy mix. I have identified seven – which I have dubbed the Seven Steps to Energy Policy Heaven. The nice thing about my “energy policy model” is that it may come in handy – even if you totally disagree with my ideas. Photo: Heaven visited me by Kevin Dooley … [Read more...]

Fracking? It will happen – so let’s at least do it very, very carefully

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To frack or not to frack? That is the question being asked now in many European countries. The US has over a decade of experience with fracking. Allan Hoffman, long-time energy expert at the US Department of Energy who started his own blog upon his retirement last year, has mixed feelings about the blessings of shale gas and shale oil. Weighing the pros and cons, he concludes that fracking is probably too lucrative to be stopped, but at least it … [Read more...]

How solar and EVs will kill the fossil fuel dinosaurs

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Stanford University energy expert Tony Seba predicts that by 2030, solar power will make the fossil fuel-based utilities redundant while electric vehicles will put the oil companies out of business. “Utilities as we know them are over. They are the land line telephone companies of 20, 30 years ago”, he says in an interview with Giles Parkinson, founder and editor of the path-breaking Australian website RenewEconomy. Photo: dinosaur footprints by … [Read more...]

The new Dutch disease (and a cure)

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The Dutch government has presented a National Energy Accord for Sustainable Growth that seemingly represents a new national consensus on energy and climate policy. However, the Accord, which was negotiated by a wide range of civil society groups, environmental organisations, business lobbies and trade unions, has not been signed yet, and is still quite vague. Perhaps more important for “sustainable growth” prospects in the Netherlands is the news … [Read more...]

The new energy world according to the IEA

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The International Energy Agency has given us a lot to think about recently. The IEA has produced one major report after the other – on renewables, gas, oil and climate change. How do these outlooks stack up and what do they impy for our energy future? Editor Karel Beckman provides a handy summary – so you won’t have to worry about this anymore over the summer. Or maybe you do… Photo: Audi A3 Sportback g-tron … [Read more...]

Report: Poland can handle higher carbon prices

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A new report from Oliver Sartor of CDC Climat Research and Thomas Spencer of IDDRI (Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations) shows that the impact of higher carbon prices will not drive the energy-intensive industry out of Poland.  Photo: Patnow coal power station (photo: Ecotist) … [Read more...]

EIB cleans up its energy lending policy

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The European Investment Bank (EIB) intends to place stricter CO2 emission standards on coal power plants that it finances, but not as strict as the standards president Obama recently proposed in the US. The EIB is also considering investing in shale gas projects, according to a draft of its new energy lending policy. NGOs accuse the EIB of a “missed opportunity to politically reject coal”. With the EBRD and World Bank also mulling new investment … [Read more...]

CCS: why the high hopes cannot be fulfilled

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The only way to stimulate investment in industry while staying in line with CO2 reduction targets is to end coal plant construction in favour of renewable energies, argues independent energy consultant Jeffrey Michel. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is just not going to deliver the goods. It is too costly and too risky. Photo: carbon dioxide sequestered in basalt (PNNL) … [Read more...]