Energy in Demand News, July 12-13, 2026

Eurostar, the international high-speed rail service in Western Europe, will now be building its new generation of trains to withstand 55C summers. The new trains, to be built by Alstom, were originally designed to cope with conditions of up to 45C. But the UK Times website quotes Gwendoline Cazenave, chief executive of Eurostar, saying: “We … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, July 12-13, 2026 →

The oil crisis isn’t over—the safety net is gone

Dmitry Zhdannikov, Robert Harvey and Ahmad Ghaddar write on the Reuters News website about the global economy weathered the Iran-related supply shock by drawing down strategic reserves, but those depleted buffers leave the world more exposed to future disruptions. We definitely need a more sustainable approach to our energy future. World absorbs historic Iran … Continue reading The oil crisis isn’t over—the safety net is gone →

Clean energy means security: The European Commission’s energy priorities

In this interview on the Open Access Government website, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, the European Commission’s Spokesperson for Climate, Energy, Environment, Transport, and Housing, discusses the European Commission’s strategic vision for Europe’s energy future. The European Commission’s energy priorities Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, the Spokesperson for Climate, Energy, Environment, Transport, and Housing, outlines the European Commission’s energy priorities … Continue reading Clean energy means security: The European Commission’s energy priorities →

Reflections on the IEA’s 11th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency was definitely front and centre for many this week, starting with the International Energy Agency’s 11th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Montreal, June 29-30th. There were around 600 attendees from 60 countries. There were 40 ministers or heads of delegations, with about 25 at the ministerial level. There were about 70 … Continue reading Reflections on the IEA’s 11th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency →

China’s new five-year plan accelerates the energy transition

Anika Patel writes on the Carbon Brief website about China's new five-year energy strategy, which strengthens its commitment to renewable energy while retaining coal as a backup, introduces mandatory clean energy consumption targets, and reinforces its position in global clean-energy competition. China Briefing 25 June 2026: Five-year plans passed | Critical-mineral tensions | Industrial … Continue reading China’s new five-year plan accelerates the energy transition →

The petrostate meets the electrostate

In an article on The Conversation website, Philippe Le Billon, Professor, Geography Department and School of Public Policy & Global Affairs, University of British Columbia and Suzanne Duroy, a full-time journalist based in Taiwan, discuss the contrast between America's fossil fuel-based "energy dominance" strategy and China's growing leadership in clean energy, viewed through Taiwan's energy … Continue reading The petrostate meets the electrostate →

Energy in Demand News, May 17-18, 2026

The Financial Times reports that one of the largest US pension funds “is re-evaluating its stake in TotalEnergies following the French oil major’s decision to accept $1bn from Donald Trump’s administration to exit offshore wind power in the US. . . . The New York State Common Retirement Fund, which owns a $1.6mn stake in … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 17-18, 2026 →

Energy in Demand News, May 10-11, 2026

It is encouraging that the OECD has published a Data Explainer that details the need for governments to step up policies promoting more efficient energy use. It focuses on 13 energy efficiency policies, including minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), public financing mechanisms for buildings and industry (e.g. green mortgages, vendor credits), fuel economy standards and … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 10-11, 2026 →

Countries unite to ditch fossil fuels — now comes the hard part

The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, held this past week, aimed to solidify a coalition of the willing and provide a political platform for countries ready for an orderly, equitable transition away from fossil fuels. As Tim Schauenberg writes on the Deutsche Welle website, the message from inaugural talks on exiting fossil … Continue reading Countries unite to ditch fossil fuels — now comes the hard part →

Energy in Demand News, April 26-27, 2026

“The vase is broken, the damage is done – it will be very difficult to put the pieces back together. This will have permanent consequences for the global energy markets for years to come.” Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency expressed his concerns about the current state of the world in an … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 26-27, 2026 →