Gazprom is blocking reverse gas flow from Slovakia to Ukraine in violation of EU law, says Andriy Kobolev, the CEO of Ukraine’s state-owned gas monopoly Naftogaz, in an exclusive interview with Slovakian energy analyst Jozef Badida. As a result European companies are not able to meet the demand from gas in Ukraine and Ukraine is left at the mercy of Gazprom. Kobolev calls on the EU to take action against the Russian company. But he also notes … [Read more...]
Italian market coupling launched, Europe closer to one copper plate
A further significant step towards an integrated European power market was taken recently as the Italian Borders Market Coupling was successfully launched. The Italian-Austrian, Italian-French and Italian-Slovenian borders have now been coupled with the Multi-Regional Coupling (MRC) instrument. Thanks to this coupling, 19 EU power markets - from Finland to Portugal and Slovenia – are now integrated into a single market platform. … [Read more...]
Highlights from the Energy Union package – and responses
The European Commission announced its plans for a far-reaching Energy Union for Europe on 25 February, with a work package full of legislative and non-legislative actions for the next two years. Brussels also presented a strategy for the UN climate talks in Paris in December and a paper on how to meet electricity interconnection targets inside the EU. We present the highlights plus some responses. For a detailed analysis, see the accompanying … [Read more...]
Interview Jean-Michel Glachant: “To get an Energy Union, you need new institutions”
The “Energy Union” for Europe is a dream that the European Commission will find hard to realise with its existing powers limited to the internal market and competition law, says Jean-Michel Glachant, Robert Schuman Chair, Director of the Florence School of Regulation and Director of the Loyola de Palacio Energy Policy Programme at the European University Institute. In an interview with Energy Post, he applauds the ambition behind this creative … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: Energy Union – A serious test for European integration
Journalist Hughes Belin investigates the prospects of the Energy Union strategy and its governance structure, for viEUws.eu, ahead of the European Commission’s official presentation on 25 February. … [Read more...]
Georg Zachmann, Bruegel Institute: “The EU must go for an Energy Union – or renationalise energy markets”
“We can either go for a European market or a renationalisation of energy policy. Trying to incentivise investment with volatile national schemes and have a European market at the same time is the worst option.” That’s the opinion of influential German energy expert Georg Zachmann, Research Fellow at the Brussels-based think tank the Bruegel Institute. In an interview with Energy Post, Zachmann, who has published widely about EU energy policy, … [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...]
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...]
In the new energy security war, Europe has the upper hand over Russia, say top US officials Â
Concerns about energy security have shot to the top of the political agenda in Europe. But the US has no intention of letting the EU down. “The United States will be working with the EU to develop a plan for the mid- to long-term evolution of a more energy-secure future”, said US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz at a conference of the Atlantic Council in Istanbul. At this summit, top US officials and energy experts showed themselves surprisingly … [Read more...]
Juncker’s €300bn investment gamble – 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 – with energy, as well as transport, research, innovation and education, its key objects. A modest €21bn in public money is set to be multiplied up to a whopping €315bn 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 GĂĽnther 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...]
Europe’s nuclear future may hinge on UK’s Hinkley deal
The fate of future nuclear power projects in Europe could hinge on whether government-backed guarantees for Britain’s Hinkley Point C power station survive an expected challenge from Austria in Europe’s highest court. Analysts agree that large nuclear undertakings have become too costly and risky for private investors alone. For this reason many EU countries are backing the UK’s support for nuclear power. Timothy Spence reports from Vienna. … [Read more...]
Everything you always wanted to know about Russian gas supplies to Europe
There are various ways for Europe to reduce its “dependence” 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...]
Brussels gives first glimpse of what it means by “Energy Union”
Career diplomat Maroš Ĺ efÄŤoviÄŤ from Slovakia gave the first glimpse of what the EU's "Energy Union" may look like during his hearing at the European Parliament on Monday night for the post of Europe’s Vice President Energy Union. Ĺ efÄŤoviÄŤ believes in common purchasing of gas and the Southern Corridor (but opposes South Stream), regards the internal market as the backbone of the Energy Union, supports the UK’s state aid to the nuclear power plant … [Read more...]
Analysis: “EU can cut natural gas imports by half, achieve 49% carbon reductions”
By ramping up cost-effective investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency the European Union can cut its dependency on natural gas imports in half, according to a new analysis. Carbon reductions of 49% or more could be achieved below the 1990 level by 2030 – far more than currently proposed. The study Increasing the EU’s Energy Independence: A No-Regrets Strategy for Energy Security and Climate Change was written by international … [Read more...]
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