New energy law adopted in France — major shift in strategy

Forrest Crellin and America Hernandez write on the Reuter’s website about the shift in energy policy in France. Renewable energy targets (wind and solar) have been cut or loosened compared with previous ambitions while nuclear power is now central to the government’s decarbonisation strategy. France aims to boost decarbonised power production by 20% over … Continue reading New energy law adopted in France — major shift in strategy →

Energy in Demand News, February 8-9, 2026

There is mixed news on climate-related philanthropy this week. Michael Bloomberg’s donations on climate action have topped $3 billion over a decade, “including a recent boost to contributions to the UN’s climate body, as broader financial support slides in the Trump era,” reports the Financial Times. “The 83-year-old pledged nearly $270mn to two climate initiatives … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, February 8-9, 2026 →

Renewables continued to grow in 2025 and set records, while fossil fuel consumption for electricity generation stagnated

Manuel Planelles and Ignacio Fariza write on the EL PAÍS website how wind and solar power are expanding across the world’s major economies, as fossil-fuel consumption stagnates. Meanwhile, the US president derides wind turbines as ‘those damn things.’ What Trump can’t stop: Renewable energy is growing and setting world records In his disjointed speech … Continue reading Renewables continued to grow in 2025 and set records, while fossil fuel consumption for electricity generation stagnated →

Energy in Demand News, February 1-2, 2026

Prof. Steve Thomas, Emeritus Professor of Energy Policy, University of Greenwich wrote in a letter to the editor published in the Financial Times this week about the impact small modular reactors (SMRs) to be a major source of low-carbon energy. He questions the length of time to build SMRs. Even new ones in Russia have … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, February 1-2, 2026 →

Energy Highways: Germany and Denmark agree on joint development of the Bornholm Energy Island offshore wind project

At the North Sea Summit in Hamburg January 26th, Germany and Denmark reached an agreement on the Bornholm Energy Island project to develop offshore wind energy. This marks a first key delivery of the Energy Highways initiative set out as part of the European Grids Package published in December 2025. A first-of-its kind project, the wind farm links 3 GW … Continue reading Energy Highways: Germany and Denmark agree on joint development of the Bornholm Energy Island offshore wind project →

Energy in Demand News, January 25-26, 2026

The Financial Times reported this week that Norway’s oil fund wants companies to be allowed to water down their climate goals, arguing the alternative was for a major net zero initiative to fall apart. “The $2tn oil fund told the FT it feared companies could back away from the idea of science-backed climate targets unless … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 25-26, 2026 →

While AI uses a lot of energy, it can also make systems cleaner and smarter

Nir Kshetri, Professor of Management, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, writes on The Conversation website that the positive benefits from AI almost certainly will be much more important than the negative ones when it comes to improving the environment. Despite its steep environmental costs, AI might also help save the planet The rapid growth … Continue reading While AI uses a lot of energy, it can also make systems cleaner and smarter →

Energy in Demand News, January 18-19, 2025

This week, the Washington Post reported that the US Environmental Protection Agency will no longer consider health costs in pollution regulations. “The EPA can effectively manage the balance between protecting the environment and spurring economic growth without misleading the public and assigning arbitrary dollar amounts to human health,” said West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 18-19, 2025 →

Renewable energy making good gains in the EU

Eurostat has put out the following article this week on the generation of electricity from renewables in 2024. 2024: nearly 50% of EU electricity came from renewablesIn 2024, renewable energy sources accounted for 47.5% of gross electricity consumption in the EU, indicating a 2.1 percentage points (pp) increase from 2023. It has almost tripled (+30 pp) since the time series began … Continue reading Renewable energy making good gains in the EU →

Energy in Demand News, January 11-12, 2026

The Trump Administration has walked away from any effort to address climate change or clean energy technologies, at the national and international levels. Most recently the US announced its withdrawal from virtually all the relevant international organisations (see the first two posts below). Yet, the impact of climate change is being felt in the US. … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 11-12, 2026 →