In the western world renewables are burdened by the idea that they are a moral imperative, essential to fight global warming, writes professor John Mathews. By contrast China is building renewables systems as an economic imperative. Unless Western countries follow the Chinese model and intervene in their economies to build green energy and resource systems, they will continue to be defeated by China. … [Read more...]
The mixed outlook for new nuclear power plants
Nuclear power has had a makeover. What was once seen as a futuristic source of limitless energy has been reframed as a response to global warming, an ideal solution for countries looking for a continuous source of low-carbon power. Nuclear advocates claim that nuclear power capacity is expanding, but according to Paul Dorfman, Honorary Senior Research Associate at the Energy Institute at University College London, in reality the global picture is … [Read more...]
EU still struggling to agree energy R&D priorities
R&D in energy is about to get a fresh push from Brussels through a new EU-wide Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan that is supposed to harness the combined power of public and private research in different Member States. But to what extent will Member States agree to align their national research agendas? And around what common goals? The Commission believes energy R&D should be structured around “the consumer” and “the energy system … [Read more...]
Exclusive – Jérôme Ferrier, President International Gas Union: “You cannot equate gas with coal or oil. You have to discriminate!”
Natural gas can help safeguard the planet: it can become the world’s major energy source, be a factor for peace and help save the climate, says Jérôme Ferrier, President of the International Gas Union (IGU) and the French Gas Association in an interview with Energy Post. But, he adds, to enable gas to fulfill these roles, policymakers will have to make a clear choice in favour of gas over oil and coal. “They have to discriminate!” … [Read more...]
World’s largest investment fund from Norway set to divest from coal
The Finance Committee of the Norwegian Parliament has issued a unanimous recommendation to divest the country’s sovereign wealth fund from the coal industry. The Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (NGPFG) is the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund and one of the top ten investors in the global coal industry. Environmental organisations are elated. They expect that many billions of euros will be withdrawn from the coal sector. … [Read more...]
Energy subsidies probe is the kind of competition policy the EU needs
Capacity problems can best be tackled by letting prices fluctuate and making energy providers responsible for intermittent supply. To the extent that support schemes are used, they should be technology-neutral and driven by market forces to ensure efficiency, argues Diego Zuluaga, Deputy Director of the Epicenter (European Policy Information Center), a coalition of six free-market think tanks in Europe. For this reason, writes Zuluaga, the sector … [Read more...]
The IMF just destroyed the main argument against clean energy
A new report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finds that energy (fossil fuel) subsidies are “big and rising”. At the presentation of the report, Vitor Gaspar, Director Fiscal Affairs Department at the IMF, noted that most subsidies go to coal and said the numbers were “shocking”. He added that “eliminating energy subsidies can generate substantial environmental, fiscal and welfare benefits”. Elias Hinckley, strategic adviser at the US law … [Read more...]
Why Shell can’t quit the Arctic
Despite the damage to its reputation, Shell insists on continuing its controversial Arctic campaign. The company says that the world needs the oil and gas resources of the Arctic. But according to Energy Post’s editor-in-chief Karel Beckman, it’s really Shell itself that needs those resources. … [Read more...]
“Nuon has no vision of the future of the energy system”
In this instalment of the Power Talk series written by Ph. D. researcher Hendrik Steringa, a staff member who worked for Nuon, the Dutch subsidiary of Vattenfall, tells about the struggle inside the company to develop new business models. "To come up with new business models in sustainable energy is not so difficult. But to come up with financially attractive models is a lot more difficult." … [Read more...]
Demand response markets in Europe begin to blossom
Demand response markets are taking off in Europe, writes Jeff St John of the US energy website Greentech Media. For example, Belgian demand response specialist REstore, with more than 1 GW of peak load under management from large industrial customers, is set to expand into the UK and France. Pieter-Jan Mermans of REstore explains his strategy and tells why Germany is such a difficult market. Article courtesy of Greentech Media. … [Read more...]
Hydropower’s big splash – Word Energy Council projects decades of strong growth
The global hydroelectric power market, which already represents 76% of all renewable global energy, has the potential to double to 2,000GW capacity by 2050 according to a new report from the World Energy Council, ‘Charting The Upsurge In Hydropower Development’, presented today in Beijing. This doubling could be achieved even earlier, if governments and multilateral banks give help to emerging economies where hydropower resources are … [Read more...]
Investigation into capacity mechanisms: a test case for the Energy Union
The sector inquiry into the use of capacity mechanisms announced by the EU’s Competition Commissioner Magrethe Vestager on 29 April has important implications for the creation of a single market for energy, writes Matthew Duhan, Adviser at the UK-based consultancy Global Counsel. According to Duhan, the willingness of DG Competition to take on Member States in this key area of energy policy will be a crucial test case for the success of the … [Read more...]
Rising sun, sinking influence? Japan’s self-marginalisation from global climate politics
As other countries including the US, China, UK, Germany and Mexico lead on climate action, the lack of effort from the world’s third largest economy and fifth largest emitter has left Japan isolated in a debate that is increasingly central to trade, investment, security and foreign policy, write Taylor Dimsale, Liz Gallagher and Camilla Born in a new report from the London-based consultancy E3G. The authors explain the reasons behind Japan's … [Read more...]
China can cut out most coal generation by 2050
A new study from the China National Renewable Energy Centre shows that China can rely on renewables for more than 60 percent of its total energy needs, including transportation, by 2050. Electricity could be supplied 85% from renewables and just 7 per cent from coal, writes Bobby Magill of Climate Central. But to achieve these targets, China needs to deregulate its electricity markets. … [Read more...]
Asia at the crossroads: will it choose old energy – or turn to the new?
Asia is at a critical moment in its energy development. Hundreds of millions of people across Asia will be gaining access to modern electricity systems for the first time in the coming years. The question is: will they be supplied with power from traditional central plants, or by low-carbon, distributed power systems? According to David Fullbrook, senior consultant with DNV GL Energy’s Clean Technology Centre in Singapore, people in Asia would … [Read more...]
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