Category: energy policy

Being irrational and “religious” in opposing fossil fuel development

The heat is being turned up in Britain to ensure that the country becomes a world leader in fossil fuel production from fracking.  Now, in an article by Patrick Wintour in the Guardian, the Prime Minister is saying that those opposing are irrational.  There can be a NIMBY attitude but it hardly seems to me … Continue reading Being irrational and “religious” in opposing fossil fuel development →

Agreeing on 2030 climate and energy goals proving illusive within European Commission

Reuters news service provided an article in The Guardian about the controversy within the European Commission itself in agreeing on climate and energy goals for 2030. Undoubtedly, the EU wants to be a global leader but there is also the cold reality of trying to re-build momentum in the lagging economy.  Can the two be … Continue reading Agreeing on 2030 climate and energy goals proving illusive within European Commission →

Coal use in Germany increases even though the low carbon transition is underway

No one said the transition to a low carbon economy would be high and everyone is watching Germany’s effort with great interest. Stefan Wagstyl writes in the Financial Times that electricity production from brown coal actually rose last year and now it is at the highest level since 1990. The new coalition government envisages the … Continue reading Coal use in Germany increases even though the low carbon transition is underway →

Will there be a new approach to Germany’s energy transition?

Jeanette Seiffert writes on the Deutsche Welle website about the views from the new economics minister on what it will take to reform Germany’s energy transition.  Now that Germany has a new coalition government, it will be interesting to watch how the country’s energy policies evolve.   Germany's economics minister Gabriel seeks reform for renewable … Continue reading Will there be a new approach to Germany’s energy transition? →

New energy strategy for the EBRD

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has played a key role in the transition to market-based economies for countries that were formerly planned economies, primarily under the influence of the former Soviet Union. It was created in 1991 and is now the largest financial investor in its region of operations which now stretches from … Continue reading New energy strategy for the EBRD →

Coal on the move?

Sustainable coal?  Ignoring reality?  The fundamentals on energy policy?  Sophie Yeo writes for the Guardian Environment Network about the pressure the world coal industry is putting on global climate negotiations to face reality about the real importance of coal.  We have seen the World Bank and many other financial institutions stop funding coal-fired power plants … Continue reading Coal on the move? →

Energy prices in Europe will stay high

Barbara Lewis writes for the Reuter’s news service about the IEA’s chief economist, Fatih Birol, speaking in Brussels recently about a range of energy policy concerns.  There are no signs of energy prices coming down as they did in the US. If Europe is to remain competitive, there will have to be other measures put … Continue reading Energy prices in Europe will stay high →

The latest balancing act in energy policy

The UK government has recently agreed to have two new nuclear power plants built with the agreement to subsidise the costs for decades.  At the same time, Britain is steeped in controversy over the effectiveness of their two flagship energy efficiency programmes, the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation. Frances Lamberts provides an excellent … Continue reading The latest balancing act in energy policy →

Jobs are what count

The Social Democrat Premier of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany has come out strong to support in favour of job protection before expansion of renewables according to a report from the German Energy Blog. SPD Premier of NRW: Jobs Protection in Energy and Energy-Intensive Industry More Important Than Speedy Expansion of Renewables Job protection in the … Continue reading Jobs are what count →