The isolated Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic has an ambitious goal to become the worldâs greenest group of islands. That means by 2030, SEV, the islandsâ power utility, will be using 100% green electricity from hydropower, solar and wind and potentially tidal streams. As well as being an important climate change initiative, this will bring economic benefits as the Faroes will no longer rely on expensive fossil-fuel imports. However, … [Read more...]
District Heating: policies for cutting emissions need work says IEA
District Heating policies need urgent attention according to the IEA so here in Europe it's a good moment to examine what the "Fit for 55" package means for the sector's future development. On February 10 Energy Post is hosting an online roundtable alongside MEP Pernille Weiss, MEP Morten Petersen, and MEP Grzegorz Tobiszowski - all (senior) members of the ITRE committee - to take in the viewpoints of key Member States and stakeholders (COGEN … [Read more...]
Replacing centralised power with Distributed Energy Systems needs new policies and coordination
We need integrated resilient smart grids that can accommodate the rapid growth of intermittent renewables as well as the rise of âprosumersâ who both buy and sell electricity into the grid. This is the focus of three online discussion sessions on February 8th, 9th and 10th organised and hosted by power management company Eaton. The proliferation of multiple generation sources (solar, wind, batteries and other clean, flexible technologies) means … [Read more...]
Gas Crunch: time to factor in volatility and externalities to reveal its true costs
The current gas price shock (and any future ones) raises the question: if we had invested more in renewables, efficiency, buildings renovation, and green gases, would we be actually saving money instead of losing it? Looking at the EU, Dolf Gielen, Michael Taylor and Barbara Jinks at IRENA urge governments to do something theyâve not done before and factor in the negative impacts of volatile fossil fuel prices. Moreover, they should calculate the … [Read more...]
Buildings: France and Flanders lead on decarbonising new builds
Buildings are responsible for 36% of total EU carbon emissions. So, since the start of 2021 European legislation requires all new buildings to be ânearly zero energyâ. The frontrunners are France and Flanders in Belgium, according to a new report from the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), writes Clare Taylor. Both jurisdictions have plans for phasing out fossil fuels in new buildings within five years. Taylor explains how Flanders … [Read more...]
What do German households pay for power? Costs, surcharges, taxes, grid fees
Power prices in Germany are among the highest in Europe. Though the high costs are in large part due to the mandatory support for renewable energy sources, most customers continue to support the country's energy transition. That might be because German households only pay a little over 9% of their average monthly income on energy, similar to France and the Netherlands. In contrast, Bulgarian households spend more than 25% percent on electricity, … [Read more...]
Using ENTSO-Eâs modelling for Chinaâs grid expansion
The EU and China have similar challenges when expanding their complex grid network. Both have large populations and multiple borders (China has 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities and two administrative regions). Both must rapidly add clean power whilst ensuring energy security at the lowest cost. Helen Farrell at ECECP describes their project to use European ENTSO-E modelling tools to assess scenarios for China. One key … [Read more...]
The Gas Crunch: EU and China can share lessons on Energy Security and Renewables Integration
With adversity comes opportunity. The global gas crunch has hurt countries around the world but has also made them appreciate their common concerns. That has provoked policy-makers to take a serious look at current and future energy security policies. In the EU the competitive gas markets, enabled by short-term spot markets, has reminded us of the value of long-term contracts when prices are volatile and rising. Meanwhile, Chinaâs … [Read more...]
Turkey: when electricity price ceilings amplify the pain of gas spikes and currency falls
Turkeyâs rules for an electricity price ceiling may be well intentioned, but they are creating a price ladder that is causing those prices to rise too fast and too much, say Fuat OÄuz at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazit University and ĂaÄrı Peker at the Energy Market Regulatory Authority, Turkey. When market participants are allowed to sell and buy electricity at distorted prices the effects of external shocks are amplified artificially. The main shocks … [Read more...]
Avoiding renewables bottlenecks needs long term planning of electricity transmission infrastructure
As more renewables are rapidly added to grids, network operators must plan new transmission lines to integrate them immediately, avoiding wasteful bottlenecks. Itâs a puzzle thatâs getting bigger and more complex as the energy transition gains pace, which means transmission policy and planning must improve, and fast. Rather than making lots of small incremental steps, planning ahead will prove less costly and capture efficiencies and economies of … [Read more...]
Electricity Market Reform: ACER must empower consumers, not just network operators
ACER, the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, has delivered to the EC its preliminary assessment of Europe's high energy prices and the current wholesale electricity market design. Simon Skillings and Lisa Fischer at E3G interpret ACERâs assessment as showing it wants to maintain the status quo. However, long-term changes in market design are inevitable. The authors want ACER to accept this reality and ensure the changes are … [Read more...]
Surging U.S. renewables on track to take 30% market share by 2026
While the U.S. Congress debates whether backing the transition is a winning strategy, the energy sector is clearly showing the nationâs direction of travel. Dennis Wamsted and Seth Feaster at IEEFA look at the impressive growth of the clean energy champions, wind and solar. Since 2019, wind and utility-scale solar generation has risen by 76 TWh â a 31% increase â while coal and gas has fallen by 1.6%. By 2026, wind and utility-scale solar will … [Read more...]
Energy professionals: do you understand how the media works?
We energy professionals spend most of our time talking to each other. But, more than ever, climate change and the energy transition are headline news. Thatâs not just in the mainstream media but also within our industry journals and the policy-maker press. So, we need to understand how the media works. More specifically for many, we need to know how to handle our PR providers. Sean Crowley says itâs up to us to work more effectively with the … [Read more...]
CEPP incentives and penalties: current design could undermine U.S. clean energy growth
The Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) is a key part of President Bidenâs energy and climate plans. It will steer utilities towards clean energy with incentives and penalties, and is still being designed. Severin Borenstein and James Bushnell at the Energy Institute at Haas, Steve Cicala at Tufts University and Ryan Kellogg at the University of Chicago warn that current proposals will allow utilities to game the system, resulting in … [Read more...]
Next German governmentâs climate and energy plans: what will Olaf Scholz do?
Olaf Scholz led Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) to an unexpected win in the 2021 elections held in September. He now needs to finalise a coalition with the Green Party and the pro-business FDP before forming a government and becoming chancellor. Like his predecessor Angela Merkel, Scholz has said he wants to become a "climate chancellor". Kerstine Appunn and Benjamin Wehrmann at Clean Energy Wire try to understand what his climate and energy … [Read more...]
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