Energy Post

Daily reports on the European and Global energy transition

2014: the year of energy storage

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Energy storage: it’s no longer a problem, it’s become a huge business opportunity. As one market watcher recently put it: “The energy storage industry is in the early stages of what will become a giant global market”. As with any new market, however, it is difficult for participants to find reliable information. Fortunately, there is now the interactive International Energy Storage Database (IESDB) of the US Department of Energy (DoE), which … [Read more...]

The Mad Scientists at the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories

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What energy innovation can we expect to come out of the United States in the coming years? Matthew Stepp, Senior Policy Analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington DC, takes us on a whirlwind tour of some of the most advanced American energy research going on. He visits five of the 17 National Laboratories of the US Department of Energy, where research is carried out on materials (e.g. for better … [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...]

Christoph Frei, World Energy Council: “Resilience will rise to top of agenda”

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The chances that we will be able to meet our climate targets are becoming increasingly slim, notes Christoph Frei, Secretary-General of the World Energy Council (WEC) in an interview with Energy Post. The main reason for this is that CCS (carbon capture and storage), a crucial element in any emission reduction strategy, “is not happening”. This means, says Frei, that “if no radical policy shift takes place, concerns will shift from mitigation to … [Read more...]