Europe’s climate policy proposals reflect the lowest level of ambition required to keep global warming at 2°C, while its goals on renewable energy are “disappointing” and bad news for the industry, according to a new report by banking giant HSBC. The report also sees “increasing downside risks” for offshore wind. Sophie Vorrath of Reneweconomy.com.au has the story. … [Read more...]
EU’s global cleantech leadership at risk
The EU still leads the world in clean energy technologies, but for how long? In 2012, 70% of new wind power capacity and 40% of new photovoltaic panels were installed outside Europe. Brussels has shied away from new national renewables targets in its 2030 climate and energy proposals. It is preparing fresh rules on state aid that will disadvantage less mature technologies such as offshore wind and solar PV. And the EU internal energy market … [Read more...]
Interview IEA Director Maria van der Hoeven: “Expansion of gas use no panacea for climate change”
Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that unconventional gas can be produced in an environmentally acceptable way, but warns that an expansion of gas alone “is no panacea for climate change”. In an interview with James Stafford, editor of Oilprice.com, Van der Hoeven discusses a wide range of important energy issues, ranging from the role of gas, renewables and nuclear power to the necessity … [Read more...]
Ukraine turns to EU in energy
The Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Eduard Stavytskyi and Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez KopaÄŤ have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on “Establishing an Implementation Partnership between the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine and the Secretariat of the Energy Community”. By signing the Memorandum, “Ukraine confirms its commitment to transpose into its national legal framework and fully … [Read more...]
EU delivers scathing verdict on UK for state aid to new Hinkley C nuclear reactors
The European Commission (EC) has delivered what can only be called a scathing initial verdict on the UK Government’s deal with French state owned EDF to build the first new nuclear reactors in the UK for a generation, according to a blog post from Greenpeace UK. The Commission announced on 18 December that it would investigate the proposed deal. It has now published a 70-page initial analysis on its website, which suggests that, as Greenpeace … [Read more...]
European Parliament votes for three targets, calls Commission short-sighted
MEPs called on Wednesday for a 40% cut in CO2 emissions, a 30% target for renewable energy and a 40% target for energy efficiency by 2030, under the EU's new long-term climate-change policy. These targets should be binding, they say. MEPs also criticised the European Commission's recent proposals as short-sighted and unambitious. Parliament calls on the Commission and EU countries, in its resolution adopted on Wednesday by 341 votes to 263, … [Read more...]
European power markets coupled from Finland to France
In a "landmark move for the future of Europe’s power markets", the four Power Exchanges and 13 Transmission System Operators (TSOs) in the North-Western Europe (NWE) day-ahead price coupling project have today successfully launched NWE Price Coupling. For the first time, the NWE region, stretching from France to Finland, operates under a common day-ahead power price calculation using the Price Coupling of Regions (PCR) solution. The same solution … [Read more...]
How to integrate PV into the grid
The Europe-wide PV GRID consortium has released a consultation document containing key recommendations for the adoption of technical solutions to ease the integration of photovoltaics (PV) into the distribution grid. Over the next three months, fifteen national workshops will take place throughout Europe presenting and discussing the project's findings. Since May 2012, the PV GRID project consortium has been working on identifying and … [Read more...]
The energy efficiency credibility gap: does EU funding really pay off?
Powerful lobbying has ensured that energy efficiency is high on the political agenda. With up to €23 billion available in a new round of EU funding, there is ample capital at the disposal of Member States to undertake energy efficiency retrofit programs. The question is: will countries be able to spend this money wisely? In a previous round of funding, energy efficiency programs were deemed ineffective. This time Brussels has imposed new … [Read more...]
Brussels confines climate policy to emission reduction and emission trading
The European Commission’s 2030 climate and energy package unveiled on 22January confines itself to two main proposals: a 40% binding greenhouse gas emission reduction target and legislative reform of the EU Emission Trading Scheme. Significantly, it does not include post-2020 national renewable energy targets or new energy efficiency targets. It also drops the fuel quality directive which underpins the use of biofuels in the transport sector. The … [Read more...]
Brussels: ocean energy could fulfill all our energy needs
The European Commission published an ambitious  Action Plan for “Blue Energy” on 20 January that should pave the way to a vibrant European ocean energy industry. Ocean Energy Europe, a consortium that includes Eon, Alstom and EDF, takes tidal and wave energy very seriously. It has a goal of 100,000 MW installed in European waters by 2050. … [Read more...]
The French disconnection – How to reduce the nuclear share in France’s energy mix
In a paper  written for the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, David Buchan takes stock of the debate that has been going on in France on the future of nuclear power. He concludes that it makes sense for France to prolong the lives of its existing reactors, but that replacing them at some point in the future will be a huge challenge. He argues that the country will not be able to do this in the same way and the same timeframe that it built … [Read more...]
European Commission reveals: EU governments push up energy prices dramatically
Retail energy prices are rising dramatically across Europe even as wholesale prices and consumption are coming down. Taxes and levies – set by national governments – are the main culprit, says the European Commission. Energy Post offers a sneak preview of an analysis of energy prices and costs expected from the European Commission on 22nd January. … [Read more...]
Climate policy bumps into competitiveness in Europe
Behind the heated debate in Brussels about climate and renewable energy targets, what is really happening is that concern over high energy prices has taken precedence over climate concerns in Europe. Competitiveness has caught up with climate policy. Indeed, the two issues have become so intertwined that when the European Commission will present its new climate and energy policy on 22 January, it will at the same time launch a new industrial … [Read more...]
Dear Connie, dear GĂĽnther
Germany, the UK, France and Italy have sent letters to Connie Hedegaard, Climate Commissioner and GĂĽnther Oettinger, Energy Commissioner on 6 January urging the European Commission to adopt a 40% greenhouse gas emission reduction target for 2030. The European Commission will unveil a climate and energy package on 22 January in which it will announce new targets for 2030 to extend the currently existing 20-20-20 targets for 2020. These targets … [Read more...]
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