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 →

New report by the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO)

urope’s climate transition is showing signs of acceleration – but progress remains too uneven and too slow to strengthen resilience at the pace needed. ECNO's 2026 Flagship Report finds that more than half of the indicators they track have improved their rate of progress compared to last year and that nearly a quarter are now … Continue reading New report by the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO) →

Energy in Demand News, July 5-6, 2026

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 →

New report from the IEA on demand flexibility

The IEA has published Scaling Up Demand Flexibility: From peak management to efficient system operation. This report has been developed as part of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Digital Demand-Driven Electricity Networks (3DEN) initiative to examine the growing importance of demand flexibility in electricity systems amid rising demand, increased renewable energy integration and the electrification … Continue reading New report from the IEA on demand flexibility →

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 →

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 →

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 →