An âEnergy Unionâ in Europe means that an EU-level organisation will balance the flows of electricity, not national transmission system operators. And it means the EU will ensure security of supply - not the national member states. That is the vision of Jean-Arnold Vinois, until recently Director in charge of the internal energy market at the European Commission and co-author of a groundbreaking report from Notre Europe (Jacques Delors Institute) … [Read more...]
Arctic oil put on ice
Low oil prices have prompted Chevron and Statoil to suspend their drilling plans in the Arctic. Sanctions against Russia have forced Rosneft to delay its Arctic campaign. Only Shell still seems to be bent on drilling in the North Pole region, reports Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
Bulgaria â the EUâs next gasless gas hub (Or: is Bulgaria trying to become the new Ukraine?)
In response to the cancellation of South Stream, the Bulgarian government has launched a programme to turn Bulgaria into a âgas hubâ for the region â an initiative welcomed by the European Commission and the United States. Â Anca Elena Mihalache, Senior Analyst at the Romanian think tank Energy Policy Group, notes that Bulgaria has few sources of gas other than Russia and does not have a good record in creating liberalized energy markets. … [Read more...]
Russiaâs oil and gas tax policies look increasingly eastward
Recent changes in the taxation of Russiaâs oil and gas sector reflect both the countryâs pivot eastward and the special treatment afforded to its state-controlled energy companies, says an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData. … [Read more...]
The vulnerability of our electric utility system to cyber attacks
As our electric utility system is moving from dumb and centralized to smart and decentralized, it is becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks. Are utility executives paying sufficient attention to these serious new risks? Energy expert Allan Hoffman, a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Energy, says the SONY hacking case should serve as a wake-up call to the energy industry. … [Read more...]
Crushing the US energy export dream
Petroleum geologist Arthur Berman argues that itâs foolish to believe the US could become an energy exporter. âThe US will never be self-sufficient in oilâ, he writes in an article for Oilprice.com. âExporting crude oil and natural gas from the United States are among the dumbest energy ideas of all time.â … [Read more...]
Oil price decline: no room for conspirators
Some observers claim the US and Saudi Arabia have made a secret deal to bring down oil prices. They are supposed to be doing this in particular to hurt Iran and Russia. But Friedbert PflĂźger, Director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS), Kingâs College London, finds their arguments unconvincing. The oil market is too big to be manipulated by conspirators. … [Read more...]
Europe does not need the Southern Gas Corridor
The Southern Gas Corridor, the EUâs major energy diversification project, is not only unnecessary in light of gas demand projections, but also falls short on the goal of bringing energy independence from Russia. It involves large subsidies to Russian company Lukoil and it strengthens another authoritarian regime, that of Azerbaijan. Those are the main conclusions of a new study, âPipe Dreamsâ, written by a group of NGO's: CEE Bankwatch Network, … [Read more...]
Historic moment: Saudi Arabia sees End of Oil Age coming and opens valves on the carbon bubble
Most analysts believe Saudi Arabia refuses to cut production because it wants to shake out its higher-cost competitors or because it wants to punish Iran and Russia. There may be some truth in those theories, writes Elias Hinckley, strategic advisor and head of the energy practice with international law firm Sullivan and Worcester, but they miss the deeper motivation of the Saudis. Saudi Arabia, he says, sees the end of the Oil Age on the horizon … [Read more...]
Why cheap oil will not wreck the prospects for renewable energy â this time around
When oil prices collapsed in the 1980s, most large renewable energy programs were dismantled. But that wonât happen this time, writes John Mathews, Professor of Strategic Management at Macquarie University's Graduate School of Management in Sydney, and author of a brand new book âThe Greening of Capitalismâ. The reason is that China has made a strategic commitment to renewables. Donât forget, Mathews writes: coal prices have also been falling, … [Read more...]
Christoph Frei, World Energy Council: âThe real hope for âParisâ is to see a connected carbon market started by the big players”
On 20 January, the World Energy Council (WEC) will publish its World Energy Issues Monitor â an annual survey of over 1,000 energy leaders in over 80 countries. WECâs Secretary-General Christoph Frei notes the biggest changes compared to last year are that energy leaders have become more concerned with security of supply (Russia) and cyber-security. Price volatility and climate framework remain at the top of the worries list. In an in-depth … [Read more...]
The implications of $50-a-barrel oil for the worldâs energy mix
Oil prices keep sliding, sending economic shockwaves around the world. Analysts are scrambling to try and understand what it means for the world's future energy mix and efforts to cut emissions. But the relationship between oil prices and energy investments is complex, writes Mat Hope for The Carbon Brief. Much depends on how low the price goes as, beyond a certain point, lots of projects are no longer economically viable. … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: Top 5 energy issues for the Latvian EU Presidency
In this special briefing for viEUws.eu, energy journalist Hughes Belin picks out the top 5 energy issues that will be discussed by the European institutions under the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. … [Read more...]
South Stream Is Dead. Long Live South Stream
South Stream is not dead â rather it has morphed into a new project which is part of a complex commercial power play on the part of Russia and Turkey, writes Anca Elena Mihalache, Senior Analyst with the Romanian think tank Energy Policy Group. According to Mihalache, the new South Stream, if it happens, will offer new opportunities to Europe, but also new threats. In particular, the EU will see its diversification strategy come under pressure … [Read more...]
What is the ideal oil price for the energy transition?
Does the energy transition benefit from low or high oil prices? Proponents of a swift energy transition have debated this question for a long time. Most believe high oil prices are beneficial, because they make alternatives more competitive. But high oil prices also lead to huge profits for fossil fuel businesses, while low prices make the more costly (and often dirtiest) projects unprofitable. According to Rick Bosman and Derk Loorbach of the … [Read more...]
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