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
Category: energy transition
Energy in Demand News, June 1-2, 2025
Austria and Slovenia are the only European countries whose defence ministries have committed to reaching net zero military emissions, according to an analysis of 30 European countries (EU 27 plus Norway, Switzerland and UK). An article in the Guardian on the analysis added that only about one-third have worked out the size of their carbon … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, June 1-2, 2025
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, passed by the US House of Representatives last week, would slow efforts to green the energy system as climate change accelerated
Benjamin Storrow and E&E News write on the Scientific American website about the potential impact of the latest legislation that is going through the approval process in Washington. Republican Megabill Called a ‘Nightmare Scenario’ for Clean Energy The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" passed last week by the House would effectively end most clean … Continue reading The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, passed by the US House of Representatives last week, would slow efforts to green the energy system as climate change accelerated
There are mounting calls for international cooperation to ensure production of “critical” minerals is sustainable and equitable
As countries rush to secure supplies of the materials needed to ramp up clean energy, a push for stronger governance rules is gathering momentum. Chloé Farand writes on the Climate Home News website about the plans for an international treaty. Does the world need a global treaty on energy transition minerals? Electric vehicles, batteries, … Continue reading There are mounting calls for international cooperation to ensure production of “critical” minerals is sustainable and equitable
Energy in Demand News, May 25-26, 2025
While there has been more environmental reporting, there have also been more academic studies that prove that there are serious grounds for doubt about the published environmental results. A Financial Times newsletter refers to one draft paper from King’s College London that uses data from Climate Trace, an open-access initiative that takes inputs from more … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 25-26, 2025
Spotlight on EU funded project: Innovative energy (efficiency) service models for sector integration via blockchain (InEExS)
The core concept of the EU-funded LIFE project InEExS is the deployment of integrated energy services across sectors and carriers, and the tokenisation of energy saving data in a public blockchain to facilitate cooperation among market segments and actors. The InEExS project recently released five innovative business models aimed at deploying integrated energy services across various sectors. The … Continue reading Spotlight on EU funded project: Innovative energy (efficiency) service models for sector integration via blockchain (InEExS)
Social Climate Fund could subsidise up to 20 million heat pumps across Europe, new study finds
A new study finds that investing just one-third of the Social Climate Fund, the EU could subsidise up to 20 million heat pumps across the EU by 2032. This would be enough to reach all energy-poor households in nine EU countries and slash EU gas demand by 11% — nearly as much as the EU imported from Russia in 2024. The EU Social … Continue reading Social Climate Fund could subsidise up to 20 million heat pumps across Europe, new study finds
Builders are harnessing the power of AI to make the construction industry more efficient and sustainable
We are reading about how artificial intelligence is having a major impact on our economies and virtually everything these days. Sara Harowitz writes on the National Observer website how AI is being used in the Canadian construction industry. She adds that AI brings its own challenges. What is your experience with AI? How robots … Continue reading Builders are harnessing the power of AI to make the construction industry more efficient and sustainable
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
Spotlight on EU funded project to provide home renovation roadmaps to address energy poverty in vulnerable rural districts
The EU-funded project RENOVERTY fosters energy efficiency building upgrades in the energy poor households of Central and Eastern Europe, South-eastern Europe and Southern European countries. The project aims to deliver tools and resources to support local and regional actors to build and execute operational single or multi-household roadmaps for rural areas. It has been underway … Continue reading Spotlight on EU funded project to provide home renovation roadmaps to address energy poverty in vulnerable rural districts
