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...]
Failure to liberalise energy retail markets jeopardizes Energy Union
The liberalisation and integration of European energy retail markets is still far from complete, conclude Simona Benedettini of Italian consulting firm Lear and Carlo Stagnaro of the Italian think tank Bruno Leoni Institute on the basis of extensive research. According to Benedettini and Stagnaro retail competition is still weak in many EU member states. Moreover, there are still large regulatory differences between countries which prevent the … [Read more...]
Measuring the CO2 impact of big infrastructure projects: the case of Keystone XL
Major energy infrastructure projects will be more and more put to a climate test. In the US, for example, draft environmental legislation adopted last year stipulates that climate analysis of federal projects should include âdownstreamâ emissions. In future it will not be so easy for companies to say âif we donât do it, somebody else willâ. But how do you measure indirect climate effects? The Stockholm Environment Institute is one place where … [Read more...]
Governments can reshape the energy business: they are the biggest users
In our energy system we treat electricity as a commodity, which is sold by the unit, writes Walt Patterson, Associate Fellow at Chatham House. This provides an incentive to suppliers to maximise consumption â which is why our user-technology is so wasteful. But according to Patterson, electricity is not a commodity, itâs a process in infrastructure. What matters is not the functioning of some âelectricity marketâ but long-term investment in this … [Read more...]
Putin’s gas gambit: what’s next after South Stream
The Russian cancellation of South Stream is not an end, but a beginning: a new start of Russian gas games in Europe and beyond, writes Agata Ćoskot-Strachota of the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) in Poland. She discusses three likely scenarios for what will happen after South Stream and notes that this is a chance for Russia and Europe to look afresh at their bilateral gas relations and new pipeline options. But, she adds, it also makes it … [Read more...]
To cut carbon emissions and keep the lights on, it has got to be nuclear power
Crunch time is here: energy security and affordability concerns are colliding with the need to reduce CO2 emissions, writes Malcolm Grimston of Imperial College London. That's why the UK government is right to want to get new nuclear power plants built, argues Grimston. (See the previous article, by Peter Strachan and Alex Russell of Robert Gordon University. for a different viewpoint.) … [Read more...]
UK nuclear policy takes another step in the wrong direction
In its annual National Infrastructure Plan, published on 2 December, the UK government announced it has signed a cooperation agreement with Toshiba, GDF Suez and NuGen toward the financing of a new 3.4 GW nuclear power plant at Moorside. This is one of three new nuclear megaprojects being planned in the UK, next to Hinkley Point C (3.3GW) and Wylfa Newydd (3GW). The UK plans to spend ÂŁ45 billion on these projects until 2021 and hopes to raise … [Read more...]
Eon’s new strategy: focus on renewables, distribution, customer solutions, get out of old power generation
Eon, the largest German energy company, will henceforth âfocus on renewables, distribution networks, and customer solutions and combine its conventional generation, global energy trading, and exploration and production businesses in a new, independent company, a majority of which will be spun off to Eon SEâs shareholders. … [Read more...]
EU power system largely ready for winter, but only thanks to interconnections: ENTSO-E report
The Winter Outlook Report from ENTSO-E, Europe's electricity transmission system operators, shows that overall generation will be sufficient to cover demand this winter, even under severe conditions. However, the report notes that many countries will need imports to meet their demand. Risks due to generation shortages are identified for some countries, such as Belgium, and to a lesser extent Great Britain. The report also looks at the possibility … [Read more...]
Junckerâs âŹ300bn investment gamble â and what it might mean for energy
The EU and European Investment Bank (EIB) have teamed up to launch a new investment programme for Europe â with energy, as well as transport, research, innovation and education, its key objects. A modest âŹ21bn in public money is set to be multiplied up to a whopping âŹ315bn in total investments over the next three years, pushing Europe toward that long-hoped for economic recovery. There is no dedicated share of the money for individual sectors or … [Read more...]
The Five Energy Labours of Juncker
The new team heading the European Commission in Brussels is lucky. Its predecessors closed two sensitive deals before the reshuffle: a European energy and climate strategy for 2030 and a gas winter package between Ukraine and Russia. On top of that, outgoing Energy Commissioner GĂŒnther Oettinger finished off a thick report on the way forward for a European energy market. The new Commission will follow up on these three dossiers, plus two more … [Read more...]
Where battery storage will take over from backup power plants
Although the growth in renewables has led to the shutdown of many gas- and coal-fired power plants, power producers believe their plants will still be needed to provide backup capacity. But grid storage batteries are becoming increasingly competitive with âpeaker plantsâ, says Paul Siblerud of US storage company ViZn Energy Systems in an interview with Roy L. Hales of The EcoReport, citing a new study by Energy Strategies Group. … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: Brussels Briefing on Energy – All you need to know for November 2014
In this latest Brussels Briefing on Energy viEUws.eu, leading energy journalist Hughes Belin provides anoverview of the latest EU energy policy developments: … [Read more...]
Everything you always wanted to know about Russian gas supplies to Europe
There are various ways for Europe to reduce its âdependenceâ on Russian gas, but they all have their drawbacks, concludes a new report from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES). The report makes it clear that the Russian-EU gas relationship has many intricacies that policymakers should be aware of when they develop new gas policies. … [Read more...]
The EU's great 2030 energy and climate compromise
European leaders agreed new climate and energy targets for 2030 of âat leastâ 40% greenhouse gas emission reductions, 27% renewables and 27% energy efficiency at a summit in Brussels on 23 October. Central and Eastern European countries led by Poland succeeded in getting substantial financial concessions in return for signing up to the package. Stakeholder reaction ranged from bitter disappointment among NGOs and energy efficiency advocates to … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- Next Page »