In Canada this week, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen urged decisive action by quoting a famous hockey credo: "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take." The Trump administration is moving to gut energy efficiency rules for home appliances that are proven to cut demand for power and lower utility bills. The Washington Post … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, July 5-6, 2026
Category: energy transition
46% of EU’s electricity came from renewables in Q1 2026
In the first quarter of 2026, 45.5% of the electricity generated in the EU came from renewable energy sources. This represents an increase from the same quarter of 2025, when the share was 42.7%. Wind was the primary source of renewable electricity in the EU, accounting for 44.9% of the total renewable electricity, against 42.3% in the first … Continue reading 46% of EU’s electricity came from renewables in Q1 2026
New EEA report on role of renewables in Europe to reduce vulnerability to fossil fuel supply shocks
Boosting the use of homegrown renewable electricity is Europe’s best way to reduce its vulnerability to volatile international energy supplies and rising energy prices according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment published this week. Renewables lower energy prices and play key role to reduce vulnerability to fossil fuel supply shocks Global gas price … Continue reading New EEA report on role of renewables in Europe to reduce vulnerability to fossil fuel supply shocks
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
Energy in Demand News, June 28-29, 2026
The Financial Times reports that Elon Musk’s SpaceX “was awarded the lowest possible environmental, social and governance rating by index provider MSCI [Morgan Stanley Capital International] ahead of the company’s record $75bn public float this month. The triple C assessment means SpaceX has the same score as that awarded to the Russian state on MSCI’s … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, June 28-29, 2026
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
Urban heat Is the new climate frontline
Much of Europe has suffered recently from a record breaking heatwave. As heat waves grow more frequent and fierce, cities worldwide are racing to cool streets and reshape urban life, as Martin Kuebler discusses in an article on the Deutsche Welle website. He discusses how cities around the world are adapting to increasingly dangerous urban … Continue reading Urban heat Is the new climate frontline
The legacy of climate misinformation and corporate responsibility
Joe Árvai, Professor of Psychology, Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences writes on The Conversation website writes about Lee Raymond's legacy in shaping climate misinformation and how corporate leadership can influence public understanding—and misunderstanding—of climate science. While it begins with the Exxon Valdez spill and Lee Raymond's career, … Continue reading The legacy of climate misinformation and corporate responsibility
Energy in Demand News, June 21-22, 2026
At the recent Bonn Climate Change Conference, climate negotiators met to discuss a range of issues – from mitigation to adaptation, finance to technology and capacity-building – and prepare decisions for adoption at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye in November. Fiona Harvey wrote in the Guardian that for “decades, electrification has been a nerdish backwater of … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, June 21-22, 2026
