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...]
Winds of change: Britain now generates twice as much electricity from wind as coal
Just six years ago, more than 40% of Britain’s electricity was generated by burning coal. Today, that figure is just 7%. Yet if the story of 2016 was the dramatic demise of coal and its replacement by natural gas, then 2017 was most definitely about the growth of wind power, write Grant Wilson and Iain Staffell. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Roadmap to nowhere: the myth of powering the nation 100% with renewable energy
Renewables have captured the public’s imagination,but can they actually be scaled up to power the entire nation, ask Mike Conley and Tim Maloney? In their new ebook, available at RoadmapToNowhere.com, they present their reasons why they are convinced 100% renewables is a myth - and why we should rely primarily on nuclear power. … [Read more...]
Exclusive interview Maros Šefčovič: Energy Union is “deepest transformation of energy systems since Industrial Revolution”
Before the next European elections in 2019, Maroš Šefčovič , the European Commission’s Vice-President for the Energy Union, wants to have a new legal framework in place which will “bring in the most comprehensive and deepest transformation of energy systems in Europe, since the [industrial revolution] one hundred and fifty years ago.” In an exclusive interview with Energy Post, he says that the success of the Energy Union project “will decide the … [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...]
Ukraine: energy transition could work wonders, but policies are “the least ambitious in the world”
Ukraine can reduce its energy dependence and build a strong economy on clean and safe renewable energy, a new study shows. Unfortunately, the latest Energy Strategy adopted by the government in August shows a complete lack of ambition to pursue a low-carbon transition. Ukraine’s “nationally determined contribution” under the Paris Agreement is the least ambitious in the world, according to an independent analysis. … [Read more...]
Trump’s coal and nuclear subsidy could cost U.S. economy over $10 billion a year
The U.S. Department of Energy's new initiative to subsidize coal and nuclear generation could cost U.S. businesses and households up to $10.6 billion annually, writes Silvio Marcacci, Communications Director at think tank Energy Innovation. This money would go to about 10 companies. … [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 Michał 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...]
The Polish energy problem – the Ukrainian nuclear solution
Poland can’t continue to rely on coal, because it’s dirty, inefficient and increasingly has to be imported from Russia. But is there an alternative? Yes, there is, writes Mike Parr of consultancy PWR: Poland could import excess nuclear power from Ukraine. In fact, the interconnections for this have been in place for years. But Polish politicians have not taken action. … [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...]
Lost in regulation: the EU and Nord Stream 2
The European Commission has proposed changing the Gas Market Directive to include import pipelines from third countries. This would make EU regulations, such as unbundling and third-party access rules, applicable to Nord Stream 2. According to Severin Fischer, Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich, the Commission’s approach to Gazprom’s pipeline project risks getting lost in legal inconsistencies. Fischer … [Read more...]
The uncertain future of fusion energy
With costs of solar and wind power dropping, investors may start to wonder whether putting money into fusion energy still makes sense. Independent energy consultant Daniel Kauffman discusses the uncertain future of fusion energy, in particular of the ITER project in France, but concludes that "putting more chips on the fusion table seems like a sensible hedge". … [Read more...]
EU must take regionalisation of electricity markets a step further
The European Commission has proposed to set up Regional Operational Centers (ROCs), which is a welcome step in the further integration of the EU internal electricity market, writes Philip Baker of the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). However, according to Baker, the proposal does not go far enough: more regional coordination is needed if consumers are to reap the benefits of market integration. … [Read more...]
Brussels opponents of Nord Stream 2, why do we hear so little about Ukraine?
One reason why Nord Stream 2 is opposed in EU circles is because it undermines the position of Ukraine as gas transit country. The problem is that Ukraine’s gas sector is notoriously corrupt – and recent news indicates the government is making no progress at all on “reform”. Meanwhile, the European Commission’s attempt to get a “mandate” from the European Council (the Member States) to negotiate with Russia about the pipeline, seems bound to … [Read more...]
Interview Claude Fischer Herzog: “EU needs a nuclear industrial policy”
Europe is in danger of losing its leading position in nuclear power, warns Claude Fischer Herzog, Director of ASCPE-Les Entretiens Européens et Eurafricains, a prominent Paris-based pro-nuclear civil society organisation. Fischer calls on the EU to develop an industrial policy of which nuclear power will form an integral part. … [Read more...]
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