The number of new offshore wind installations in Europe went down sharply in the first half of 2016, but investment grew to a record €14 billion, promising higher growth in the coming years. Siemens installed all 114 new turbines in Europe in 2016 and has a global market share of 64%, according to new reports from WindEurope and PlanetOS. … [Read more...]
Interview Professor Han Wenke: “China’s energy sector is opening up”
Less coal. Less bureaucracy. More renewables. More market. Those are four key elements in the “new balance” China is seeking in its energy sector, after years of huge growth in fossil fuel consumption. Professor Han Wenke, Director-General of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s largest ministry, explains the ramifications of the new Five-Year Plan for the energy sector in an interview … [Read more...]
American way of financing energy efficiency projects could lead to breakthrough in Europe
A retrofit project of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is the first in Europe to sign up to a new energy efficiency accreditation scheme, imported from the United States. This Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) certification gives investors and financial institutions guarantees that a project is environmentally and financially sound. It could pave the way for a huge expansion of energy efficiency projects across Europe: “the IREE … [Read more...]
We need a lorry-load of energy savings – the UK government delivers a hatchback
The UK government has published a proposal for the new phase of its flagship energy savings policy, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). According to Jan Rosenow and Richard Cowart of the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), the plan falls far short of what is needed to meet the UK’s targets both on fuel proverty and carbon reduction. “The government has its reasoning backward.” … [Read more...]
The US’s multi-trillion-dollar bridge to nowhere in the Greater Middle EastÂ
The US finds itself fighting multiple wars across the Greater Middle East, but no one in Washington asks the questions that really matter, writes historian Andrew Bacevich: do these wars make sense? What is their goal? When will they end? Are they even winnable? This article was first published on TomDispatch.com and is republished here with permission. It is more than about energy - it's about the future of our planet - which defines much of the … [Read more...]
Offshore wind: a revolution is on the horizon
The Netherlands has shown how to drive the cost of offshore wind down to previously unimagined levels: by "taking the risk out of projects", they managed to achieve a historically low price. This paves the way to turning the European North Seas into a giant power generating region, writes freelance journalist Eric Marx for World Energy Focus. The European offshore wind model could be an example to the rest of the world. … [Read more...]
Hinkley Point C delay: how to exploit this attack of common sense in energy policy
Without Hinkley Point C, the potential to have a real and considered debate about the future shape of the electricity system has loomed into view, writes Bridget Woodman, Course Director, MSc Energy Policy, at the University of Exeter. According to Woodman, the UK government’s decision to delay a final go-ahead on the project makes it possible to start debating the sorts of options being considered widely around the world, with measures to … [Read more...]
As Hinkley Point C put on ice: the UK needs to get over energy megaprojects
The UK needs to get over the idea that megaprojects are the solution to everything, writes David Elmes, Head of Warwick Business School Global Energy Research Network. As the traditional investors in British oil, gas and electricity look smaller and less able to take on large projects, the UK needs an industrial energy strategy centred on a mix of smaller and larger projects. Courtesy of The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Oil price downturn sets markets up for dramatic price spike
Another oil price downturn threatens to deepen the plunging levels of investment in upstream oil and gas production, which could create a more acute price spike in the years ahead, writes Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com. Analysts are not expecting a rebalancing of the market until 2018, but according to Cunningham, the swing from surplus to deficit could be more dramatic than many think. … [Read more...]
Higher natural gas prices ahead in US after record demand and lower production
Gas production in the US is falling for the first time in years. At the same time, the US power sector is burning more natural gas than ever. This means gas prices are likely to rise this coming winter, writes Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
Iraq: what happened to the oil after the war?
Oil accounts for 99% of Iraq’s government revenue – and the country has the largest unexplored oil reserves in the world. But the future of the Iraqi oil sector is uncertain, with a National Hydrocarbon Law still awaiting parliamentary approval nine years after it was drawn up, writes Robert Smith, Lecturer in International Relations at Coventry University. According to Smith, the chaos in the sector mirrors the chaos in the new state that the US … [Read more...]
Hooked! Our addiction to fossil fuels must be fought in the way we tackled smoking and drugsÂ
Analysts such as those from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) see no signs of a determined move away from fossil fuels, writes energy expert and author Michael Klare. According to Klare, success in any global drive to avert climate catastrophe will involve tackling addictive behavior at its roots and promoting lasting changes in lifestyle. To do that, it will be necessary to learn from the anti-drug and anti-tobacco communities about … [Read more...]
The days of separately managed generation, transmission and distribution are over
The days of separately managed generation, transmission and distribution are over, writes Lisa Davis, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. According to Davis, the energy systems of the future will need to integrate the entire value chain from generation to consumption. The key to managing these increasingly complex systems is balance and flexibility. … [Read more...]
Energy efficiency in the UK: why are we walking away from it?
For the first time in more than two decades, the UK has no energy efficiency programme for the bulk of the market, write Jan Rosenow and Richard Cowart of the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). The authors note that the pace of reduction in energy demand is already slowing down and this will only get worse in the coming years. They call on the UK government tot take action: the market won’t deliver energy efficiency without incentives or … [Read more...]
The secret behind the sensational Dutch offshore wind record
Dong Energy has set a record low price for an offshore wind farm in the Netherlands. According to energy expert Mike Parr, the Dutch achieved this result thanks to their tendering model – following the Danes – offering a shovel-ready project to operators. UK wind farms are much more expensive because the UK lets operators carry out preparatory work by themselves. In any case, the future for offshore wind now looks bright. … [Read more...]
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