Katie Treadwell at the WWF European Policy Office says to successfully transition to a green and sustainable economy, the EU and its Member States must heed warning signs given by their constituents, such as at the Yellow Vests protest in France. They must ensure their approach to the transformation is ambitious, inclusive and facilitates a just and local transition. Just Transition policies are typically referred to in the context of coal … [Read more...]
Will Toyota’s new battery design solve the looming shortage of vital metals for renewables?
We all know the important part played by lithium in battery manufacture. But there is a longer list of metals - including copper, cobalt and neodymium – that must ramp up supply for the continued rapid growth of EVs, solar, wind and other renewables technologies. EVs alone will increase the consumption of copper nine-fold by 2027. Cobalt prices already doubled in 2017. Neodymium use will rise by 700% in the next few decades to satisfy our need … [Read more...]
IEA: Battery storage races to keep up with solar and wind’s demand-matching challenges
Yesterday’s article from the IEA posed the question: will solar’s inherent intermittency slow its rise as a major power supply. For variable renewables like solar and wind to grow to over 50% of global capacity additions by 2040, storage technology must keep up with this pace. For this to happen, “flexibility” – the ability of the power system to quickly adapt to changes in power supply and demand – needs to grow by some 80% in the next decade … [Read more...]
IEA: solar’s exponential growth could make it less competitive, not more
Solar’s current growth trajectory means a doubling of annual deployment every three years. But despite further expected reductions in some cost areas (e.g. cheaper tech and economies of scale), the IEA’s new VALCOE (value-adjusted levelised costs of electricity) metric calculates that solar’s relative competitiveness per unit added will actually decline as its inherent demand-matching issues scale up with the growth. Brent Wanner, WEO Energy … [Read more...]
Special report: South East and Eastern Europe PART I – Subsidised fossil-fuel power blocking the way for renewables
Right on the border with Western Europe, countries in South East and Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia have enormous potential for renewable energy, but it remains largely untapped. A stark contrast to the situation a few kilometres further North and West. The region’s fossil-fuel and nuclear subsidies are among the highest in the world. The subsidies and accompanying low electricity prices translate to an unrealistic cost of … [Read more...]
UK nuclear plans are in tatters. But current incentives help gas, not wind and solar, step into the gap
The scrapping of plans for a new nuclear power station in Cumbria and the suspension of work on another in Anglesey have put the brakes on the UK’s nuclear future. But the government appears more keen to fill the gap with gas rather than renewables. David Toke of Aderdeen University criticises the current incentives and regulations and makes the case for wind and solar. … [Read more...]
Energy Efficiency gains must reduce our consumption, not just our bills
Energy Efficiency’s role in the mix of tools we use to reduce carbon emissions is crucial. But Energy Efficiency gains can have a rebound effect: as your bills reduce, you have more money to spend on more energy. We need incentives and policies to reduce actual consumption, otherwise we’re making it harder to cut emissions, argues Parakram Pyakurel of Southampton Solent University, UK. … [Read more...]
Transition will change economic winners and losers. It’s not just technical, it’s political
On Wednesday 23rd January the ITRE committee vote on the agreement on the Electricity Market Design Directive and Regulation that was reached in December 2018. The day before, climate think tank E3G will publish a report on what still needs to be done by the next Commission, above and beyond the existing Clean Energy Package. In an interview with RAW Talks, E3G’s Chairman, Tom Burke, talks about both the practical and political … [Read more...]
Nuclear power at the mercy of government subsidies while costs remain high
What affects the profitability of an investment in nuclear energy? What are the risks? Energy researcher and analyst Schalk Cloete presents his latest paper on the matter. He looks at the various effects on nuclear power investment, including the rise of other competing renewable energy sources, and the changing price of energy. *This article is brought to you via our new author platform. If you have an article you want to submit to us for … [Read more...]
Report maps out the new geopolitical power dynamics created by renewables
A new report by the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation says the new energy age will profoundly reshape relations between states and regions. It will bring “A New World” of power, security, energy independence and prosperity. It will also reshape the geopolitical map, just as fossil-fuels have done over the last 200 years. No nation will be unaffected. … [Read more...]
Britain has shifted 30% of its electricity away from fossil fuels in just nine years
Britain’s extraordinary energy transition is in part down to increased energy efficiency: put simply, less electricity was needed, whatever the source. But coal is still essential during spikes in demand. Given coal generation is due to be phased out by 2025, the country will need to find alternative power sources to cope during extreme weather events. And that overall decline in electricity demand is sure to be reversed as more vehicles and … [Read more...]
Billions in private investment waiting for clearer action and guarantees from governments on pathway to 2050
Last month we reported how weak commitments by some EU states were putting a successful transition at risk. Marcela Scarpellini of right. based on science focuses on how this confusion impacts the funding of the transition, and the essential role of private investment. $16.5 trillion needs to be put into energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies by 2030 to hold the temperature increase below 2°C by 2050, says the IEA. Governments alone cannot … [Read more...]
Renewables losing market share in Africa
Alarming new data shows that coal, liquid fuels and gas are strengthening their grip on Africa’s power sector. Investments in renewables are too slow to keep pace with demand growth. With the ink still drying on Katowice's COP24 agreement, Terje Osmundsen's latest blog post makes for urgent reading... … [Read more...]
The risks related to onshore wind power investment
Bans on subsidies (in some countries) and reduced costs have hit total investment in onshore wind. Meanwhile, market share continues to grow across the EU28. Wind energy now accounts for almost 20% of installed capacity for power generation which makes researcher Schalk Cloete's sobering analysis of risks for onshore wind well worth reading. Following up on his previous article, he examines current assumptions and argues that the discount rate … [Read more...]
Investment risk: nuclear high, new load-following fossil fuel plants low
In the current policy environment many energy technologies can appear attractive with the right set of assumptions: discounted clean energy technologies (wind, solar and nuclear) where the discount rate is heavily influenced by risk (see graph) and, perhaps surprisingly, new load-following fossil fuel plants (especially natural gas) where continued wind/solar technology forcing actually provides substantial upside potential. CCS researcher Schalk … [Read more...]
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