Energy in Demand News, February 2, 2025

Who would have guessed? Norway’s coalition government has collapsed because of the EU’s energy efficiency directive, energy performance of buildings directive and renewable energy directive! The Eurosceptic junior coalition partner quit after the Prime Minister pushed to implement the energy directives.  Norway (which is not a member of the European Union) adopts most of the … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, February 2, 2025

Data centres and the energy storage solution

In an article on the Clean Technica website, Tina Casey discusses the on-going issue of growing energy consumption for data centres and the possible energy storage solution. The concern is that by some estimates, data centre energy demands are projected to consume as much as 9% of US annual electricity generation by the year 2030. … Continue reading Data centres and the energy storage solution

“While Donald Trump is singing from the Republican Party songbook when it comes to climate change, the music was written long before he came along”

In an article on The Conversation website, Joe Árvai, Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability | Professor of Psychology, Biological Sciences, and Environmental Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, discusses how the oil industry over many decades has used a combination of large donations to politicians and misinformation to … Continue reading “While Donald Trump is singing from the Republican Party songbook when it comes to climate change, the music was written long before he came along”

New US energy secretary opposes saving energy

Fracking firm CEO Chris Wright has been nominated to lead the US Department of Energy, and his climate sceptic views do not augur well, writes Andrew Warren, chair of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, in an article on the Business Green website. More about the role of the Department of Energy is available here.   … Continue reading New US energy secretary opposes saving energy

Energy in Demand News, January 5, 2025

The Italian energy giant Eni has just fired up the world’s most powerful supercomputer outside the US as it races rivals to build the technology infrastructure needed to better explore for new sources of oil and gas. The supercomputer cost €100 million, reports the Financial Times (behind a paywall). The supercomputer took fifth place in … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 5, 2025

Shell had been caught out using “what in essence are fake carbon offsets”

Shell used rice-farming offsets for “carbon neutral” LNG campaign – but farmers and local authorities said no project activities took place. Matteo Civillini writes on the Climate Home News website about a rather serious form of greenwashing.   How Shell greenwashed gas with sham Chinese carbon credits Since 2022, Shell has sold more than 20 … Continue reading Shell had been caught out using “what in essence are fake carbon offsets”

Coal use still increasing

The spike in fossil fuel use a result of global gas crisis is triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the most part. Jillian Ambrose writes on the Guardian website about latest developments. Separately, the Guardian also wrote that Australia has just announced the expansion of four new coal mines. The approvals have angered climate … Continue reading Coal use still increasing

Energy in Demand News, December 15, 2024

BP and Shell are scaling back electricity ambitions to escape the ‘valley of death,’ according to the Financial Times website (behind a paywall). Over the past five years, the two companies had spent a combined US$18 billion to be major players in electricity. But now Shell has sold its retail electricity business in Germany, the … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, December 15, 2024

Canada had some good words to say at COP29 but its actions don’t back them up

Bruce Campbell writes on the Policy Alternatives about Canada at the Baku summit. While it takes a positive attitude to the COP process, it has to be admitted that Canada is the world’s the fourth largest oil producing country and sixth largest producer of natural gas.  It also had many lobbyists there representing the tar … Continue reading Canada had some good words to say at COP29 but its actions don’t back them up

Energy in Demand News, November 24, 2024

The talks at COP29 ran 33 hours late, and came close to collapse. In the end richer countries pledged a record $300bn to help the developing world fight climate change, but the deal is facing recrimination that it comes nowhere near addressing poorer countries' challenges from global warming. The New York Times (behind a paywall) … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, November 24, 2024