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 →

Hydro-Québec is launching a new $10 billion plan this week to help Quebecers save electricity

Hélène Baril writes on the La Presse website about the new energy efficiency drive led by Hydro-Québec, the provincial utility. The plan includes free smart thermostats for residential customers but there are also measures for commercial and industrial customers. Free smart thermostats for everyone The plan, presented as the most ambitious in Hydro-Québec's history, … Continue reading Hydro-Québec is launching a new $10 billion plan this week to help Quebecers save electricity →

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” →

New insights from US utility programme leaders on disruption and opportunity

Justin Mackovyak writes on the ICF website about a new survey it has undertaken that provides insights on the current state of utility programmes and offers actionable recommendations to help ensure programmes are both flexible and predictable in the face of disruption. Are these results of global significance? New survey: Utility leaders prioritize energy … Continue reading New insights from US utility programme leaders on disruption and opportunity →

Canada’s energy transition: Ontario’s new eDSM framework significantly expands electricity demand-side management

James Gaede writes on the Efficiency Canada website about a new electricity demand-side management framework in the province of Ontario. Ontario’s new electricity DSM plan: How does it stack up? On January 7, 2025, Ontario announced a new electricity demand-side management framework (‘eDSM framework’). It includes a total budget of $10.9 billion (roughly $900 … Continue reading Canada’s energy transition: Ontario’s new eDSM framework significantly expands electricity demand-side management →

An important threat to the EU’s ecological and energy transition comes from the alarming number of Chinese and US companies moving into the EU power sector

In an article on The Conversation website, Carine Sebi, Professeure associée et coordinatrice de la chaire « Energy for Society », Grenoble École de Management (GEM) and Patrick Criqui, Directeur de recherche émérite au CNRS, économiste de l’énergie, Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) write about the influence American and Chinese companies are having in the EU. … Continue reading An important threat to the EU’s ecological and energy transition comes from the alarming number of Chinese and US companies moving into the EU power sector →

Energy in Demand News, March 10, 2024

The World Trade Organization's Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13) recently took place in Abu Dhabi (February 26-March 2). In its energy update, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) wrote that “fossil fuel subsidy reform conversations have made marked progress at the WTO. Last week, the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform initiative—comprised of 48 members—delivered a new … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, March 10, 2024 →

The world is off track to meet its climate goals and the public is to blame, claims chief executive of oil giant ExxonMobil

Dharna Noor and Oliver Milman write on the Guardian website about Darren Woods telling Fortune consumers not willing to pay for clean-energy transition. This has prompted a backlash from climate experts unsurprisingly. Fury after Exxon chief says public to blame for climate failures The world is off track to meet its climate goals and … Continue reading The world is off track to meet its climate goals and the public is to blame, claims chief executive of oil giant ExxonMobil →

State-owned energy firms that search for, produce and refine fossil fuels are among the most polluting organisations in the world

In an article on The Conversation website, Anna Grosman, Reader in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Loughborough University; Aldo Musacchio, Professor of Management and Economics, Brandeis University; and Gerhard Schnyder, Professor of International Management & Political Economy, Loughborough University write about the poor environmental track record of state-owned energy companies. State-owned energy companies are among the … Continue reading State-owned energy firms that search for, produce and refine fossil fuels are among the most polluting organisations in the world →