The proposal made by the US Environmental Protection Agency to reduce CO2 emissions from power stations in the US by 30% has been hailed by many as a historic breakthrough in US climate policy. Others, however, argue that the proposal is quite moderate. Some even say the plan will do nothing for the climate at all. Supporters say the main benefits of the plan is the precedent it sets and the message it sends. Energy Post editor Karel Beckman … [Read more...]
US Environmental Protection Agency EPA proposes first guidelines to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants
At the direction of President Obama and after an unprecedented outreach effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has on June 2 released the Clean Power Plan proposal, which for the first time cuts carbon pollution from existing power plants, the single largest source of carbon pollution in the United States.Today’s proposal will protect public health, move the United States toward a cleaner environment and fight climate change while … [Read more...]
Heat pumps: waiting for the final push
As gas faces a reputational challenge from Ukraine, electric heat pumps are emerging as a promising alternative source of heating. Heat pumps can also make an important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Oddly enough, although heating and cooling accounts for 45% of the EU’s final energy consumption there is no EU-wide heating and cooling strategy. Some countries such as UK and Italy are introducing support for individual … [Read more...]
What a difference a decade makes: an updated reality check on the global energy system
Robert Wilson takes a very hard-headed look at the state of the global energy system, in particular at the US and China. He comes up with some stunning conclusions. America’s per-capita energy consumption, he argues, is excessive and could easily be halved without any negative impact on the standard of living. But no matter what the US does, China is already by far the largest energy consumer in the world. And unfortunately, despite taking some … [Read more...]
“World needs $48 trillion in investment to meet its energy needs to 2035”
Meeting the world's growing need for energy will require more than $48 trillion in investment over the period to 2035, according to a special report on investment released today by the International Energy Agency (IEA) as part of the World Energy Outlook series. Today's annual investment in energy supply of $1.6 trillion needs to rise steadily over the coming decades towards $2 trillion. Annual spending on energy efficiency, measured against a … [Read more...]
More than a fifth of global power production now comes from renewables
Global renewable electricity energy capacity rose to a new record level last year — more than 1,560 gigawatts (GW), up 8% from 2012. More than 22 % of the world’s power production now comes from renewable sources. Renewables currently meet almost one-fifth of world final energy consumption. That is one of the conclusion of the new Renewables Global Status Report published by REN21, "the global renewable energy policy multi-stakeholder … [Read more...]
Interview Fatih Birol, IEA: “Gradual change will not save us”
The latest major report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Energy Technology Perspectives 2014, states that “radical action is needed to actively transform energy supply and end use”. In an interview with Energy Post, the IEA’s renowned Chief Economist Fatih Birol notes that governments in particular have to take action. “You cannot change trends by giving some lectures or speeches. Policymakers should put in place real economic … [Read more...]
Ten take-home messages from the new European Energy Security Strategy
On 28 May the European Commission published a new energy security strategy for the EU that sets out a long list of short-, medium- and long-term actions to reduce dependence on Russian gas. These range from regional “stress tests” for supply disruptions to new priority gas infrastructure projects to serious examination of centralised gas purchases. For many however, it is energy efficiency that will make or break this strategy. Sonja van Renssen … [Read more...]
The case for allowing negative electricity prices
Negative electricity prices have become an increasingly frequent occurrence on the power exchanges that allow them. However, there are still many power exchanges, both within and outside of the EU, that do not allow negative prices. Simona Benedettini and Carlo Stagnaro of the Italian think tank Istituto Bruno Leoni argue that, with a booming renewable sector and a weak demand outlook, negative prices are an important tool for the market to … [Read more...]
How to design a successful auction for renewable energy projects
In its new State Aid guidelines, the European Commission presents auctioning as the standard procedure for allocating support for renewable energy. Member States may deviate from this rule, but only for very good reasons. Although auctioning can in theory be a useful instrument, experience all over the world shows mixed results. It is crucial that auctions are adapted to the specific market context. If not, they will deliver sub-optimal results … [Read more...]
Policy failures have turned Belgium into high-price electricity island in Europe
Wholesale power prices in Belgium are now considerably higher than in its big neighbour Germany. In addition, Belgium is the only country in North West Europe to be faced with an electricity supply shortage. This situation is caused by a long series of policy failures on the part of the Belgian government, which has failed to create stable investment conditions, a competitive market and adequate interconnections, argues Benedict de Meulemeester, … [Read more...]
IEA review of Dutch energy policy: the real work still lies ahead
The Dutch energy sector is proud of the broad National Energy Agreement which was signed on to last year by representatives of the energy industry, consumer and trade associations and NGO’s, and which is now being implemented. But concluding an agreement is one thing, implementing it is another, notes the International Energy Agency (IEA) in an instructive review of Dutch energy policy. The Netherlands still relies heavily on fossil fuels and is … [Read more...]
The stolen fruit of the Energiewende: German suppliers are not passing on lower wholesale prices to consumers
Complaints about the high costs of the Energiewende are misguided. The primary reason German users pay high electricity prices is not the government’s support scheme for renewable energy. It is rather the fact that energy suppliers are not passing on to consumers the large drop in wholesale prices that results from the rapidly expanding wind and solar generation capacity. This is evident from an analysis of German prices. A similar situation … [Read more...]
Biomass: the hidden face of the Energiewende
When people think about the “energy transition” in Germany and elsewhere, they tend to think of the success of solar and wind power. However, of all forms of renewable energy it is biomass that has seen the largest absolute growth and supplies by far the most renewable energy, writes Robert Wilson. In Germany biomass has grown three times as much as wind and solar combined. 17% of the country’s arable land (6% of total land) is now devoted to … [Read more...]
Experts warn: the “Great European Energy Transition” can still go wrong
The EU’s great power transition – the liberalisation and integration of its energy markets and the expansion of renewables – has reached a crucial stage. According to three seasoned energy experts, the EU's energy project - one of the greatest missions ever to be undertaken by the European Union - has delivered some positive results, but it is also faced with mounting challenges - political uncertainty being the most prominent one. The … [Read more...]
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