EU insurance, pensions and financial regulators have called for the creation of a €10bn to €65bn pool to close the insurance gap for disaster, the Financial Times reports. “As risks continue to grow, insurance coverage for natural catastrophes remains insufficient, leaving individuals, businesses and governments increasingly exposed to financial losses, undermining resilience and recovery efforts,”said a report by the EU insurance regulator and the bloc’s main bailout fund.“By offering predictable and affordable funding, the backstop reduces the reliance on ad hoc government interventions and stabilises reinsurance costs for insurers,” the regulators said. The amount of funding a European risk-sharing mechanism would require ranged from €10bn to €65bn “depending on the risk appetite of the facility providing the loan and climate change dynamics”. The report is available here.
In a Financial Times newsletter discussing the impact of the war in Iran, one paragraph stood out: “there are signs that the current energy market turmoil may further speed the shift away from fossil fuels, with governments of major economies pledging to respond by strengthening investment in alternative energy. China’s electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid exports last month were 140 per cent higher than a year earlier.” Those are impressive export figures.
Turkey is making progress in battery storage, according to a Guardian article. More than 33GW of battery capacity has been approved for the Turkish grid since 2022 compared with 12-13GW in Germany. “Turkey’s large number of projects is the result of a 2022 mandate that gives preferential grid access to renewables that are paired with an equal amount of storage. Of 221GW of battery storage in submitted applications, Turkey has approved 33GW, equivalent to 83% of its current wind and solar capacity,” the report says. Romania is the only EU country with a greater ratio.
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced plans to weaken existing federal requirements over how power companies store and use the toxic waste produced by burning coal. The Washington Post says this is the latest chapter in a fight that has spanned more than a decade and multiple presidential administrations.
The Financial Times reports that the Chinese group, CATL, “the world’s biggest battery maker, has vowed to “spare no effort” to electrify parts of the global shipping fleet as it tries to replicate its success with electric vehicles on the high seas. . . . CATL is seeking to collaborate with ports and governments to create a new marine battery industry from scratch. . . . The company began exploring the marine battery sector in 2017 and has a dedicated subsidiary for marine powertrains and shore-side facilities. It is working to expand its nascent battery-swap model for vessel operators, similar to its highway network in China, where commercial trucks can change batteries on long-haul trips.” Is this a market opportunity that is being left to China?
The European Commission has launched a 12-week open public consultation and a 4-week call for evidence to help shape EU energy efficiency rules for the decade ahead. The Commission would like to hear our views. This call for evidence is open for feedback. Your input will be taken into account as the Commission further develops and fine-tunes this initiative. Here’s your chance. The feedback period ends April 16th. The public consultation ends June 12th.
Many relevant events are coming up – you can see the latest list here. Please note that there is still some space for attending the June eceee summer study. If you know of an upcoming event that EiD readers should know about, please contact us. Let us know your experience.
The eceee wants to hear from you, whether you’re a member or not. In this energy transition (and, yes, now in an energy crisis) we need to address energy demand more than ever. Remember that eceee is Europe’s largest and oldest NGO dedicated to energy efficiency. Fill out its survey on its role and future direction. eceee needs to hear from everyone.
In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here are some useful ideas to help you along:
- Check out the Good Night Train website for the unique way to travel through Europe while you sleep. Check out this video: Sleeper trains — the future of travel? A Berlin startup is developing compact sleeper cabins, designed to make night trains cheaper and greener. Check out this week’s post on night sleepers.
- World Walks provides us with walking holidays in Europe.
- Cycling for Softies provides us with the 15 best cycling holidays in Europe in 2026.
Charles-Pierre Baudelaire (1821-1867), a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic, offers a thought on coping with life: We are weighed down, every moment, by the conception and the sensation of Time. And there are but two means of escaping and forgetting this nightmare: pleasure and work. Pleasure consumes us. Work strengthens us. Let us choose.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- New E3G briefing on key opportunities and political choices for the next phase of decarbonisation in the EU
- AI regulation has a climate blind spot: why sustainability is being overlooked
- Europe escaped Russian gas — but not energy price shocks
- Why batteries may save the world
- Germany’s climate and energy transition: new climate plan, old problems for Germany
- “A failure of translating that data into a message that resonates”
- Is there a more innovative way to finance solar power?
- Is Canada ready for an AI-driven energy alliance with China?
- France’s energy transition: wanting to fast-track its electrification
Please send your comments on any of the posts. Please recommend EiD to your friends and colleagues.
If you know anyone who would like to receive this weekly notice, please invite them to contact EiD at news@energyindemand.com. It is not available on the WordPress website.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 