Britain’s energy transition: while the government’s priority is energy savings for larger businesses, SMEs typically pay the highest rates for their energy

Sam Hampton, Researcher, Environmental Geography, University of Oxford and Jan Rosenow, Leader of the Energy Programme, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, University of Oxford, write on The Conversation website about plans to cut energy bills for large industry but SMEs are getting no relief. One worries that this could seriously affect the overall economy. … Continue reading Britain’s energy transition: while the government’s priority is energy savings for larger businesses, SMEs typically pay the highest rates for their energy

“Rain is taking the world by storm as a renewable resource”

Rose Morrison writes on the Renewable Energy Magazine website about the potential for rain to produce electricity and become another important source of renewable energy.   Harnessing the Power of Rain: A New Frontier in Renewable Energy Generation Rain is taking the world by storm as a renewable resource. Falling water’s kinetic energy is at … Continue reading “Rain is taking the world by storm as a renewable resource”

The diseconomies of scale: study

Big power plants are more likely to face cost overruns than smaller plants, according to a new study by the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability.The researchers found that the average power plant project costs 40% more to build than expected and misses its target completion date by nearly two years. In an article on the … Continue reading The diseconomies of scale: study

Energy in Demand News, May 18-19, 2025

In an article about the paradox of climate adaptation spending, a Financial Times newsletter says that many global companies recognise the seriousness of climate-related risks to their business, with 66% of the EU businesses polled confirming that they face threats from the physical impacts of climate change. But,  according to the survey last year by … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 18-19, 2025

EU transmission network risks being ‘systemic handbrake’ in clean energy transition

Over 1,700 gigawatts of renewable energy projects across 16 countries are stuck in the queue to be connected to the electricity grid. Rosie Frost writes on the Euronews website about a new report that analyses many of the challenges facing Europe to maintain the momentum for its clean energy transition.   Europe’s electricity grid is … Continue reading EU transmission network risks being ‘systemic handbrake’ in clean energy transition

Blog by Ellie Gabel: How virtual power plants Are revolutionizing grid management

Virtual power plants — VPPs — are emerging solutions to meet the world’s growing energy needs. Products such as electric cars have increased demand, while frequent temperature extremes strain the grid as people try to keep their homes and businesses comfortable. VPPs are decentralized small-to-medium-sized energy sources that are aggregated and managed to keep existing … Continue reading Blog by Ellie Gabel: How virtual power plants Are revolutionizing grid management

Energy in Demand News, May 4-5, 2025

What a way to start the week. Shortly after noon on Monday April 28th, Spain’s electricity grid suddenly and unexpectedly lost 15 GW of power—equivalent to 60% of its national demand. The massive drop caused most of the country’s electricity system to shut down, followed by much of neighbouring Portugal’s. There has been much comment … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 4-5, 2025

Understanding the recent Iberian blackout

In an article on The Conversation website, J. Guillermo Sánchez León, Instituto Universitario de Física Fundamental y Matemáticas (IUFFyM), Universidad de Salamanca tries to explain what actually happened and the lessons that need to be learned from this blackout.   Unsurprisingly, there has been much written on this blackout. You may want to read the … Continue reading Understanding the recent Iberian blackout

Energy in Demand News, April 27-28, 2025

This is the week that many of the world’s institutions received a lecture from the new US administration on changes that should be made. The Financial Times reports: “US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has accused the IMF and World Bank of “mission creep”, calling for them to step back from “their sprawling and unfocused agendas” … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 27-28, 2025

America’s energy transition: “nothing in the energy world is easy these days”

Though early Trump policies have been broadly unfavorable to utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage, experts are bullish on distributed generation and flexible loads. Brian Martucci writes on the Utility Dive website about recent developments.   As Trump targets clean energy, will utilities embrace DERs and VPPs? Amid stiff headwinds for utility-scale renewables and gas, … Continue reading America’s energy transition: “nothing in the energy world is easy these days”