Blog from Jane Marsh: Can solar energy become a regular part of the grid?

The idea of off-grid living — free of failing public utilities and exorbitant bills — is a lifestyle many have only dreamed of. However, decentralizing the electric grid isn't as unfeasible as some may have thought with the advanced renewable energy options now available. Regardless of the legal implications and stringent safety requirements of tapping … Continue reading Blog from Jane Marsh: Can solar energy become a regular part of the grid? →

Not just a question of doing more with less, sufficiency requires paradigm shift towards ‘enoughness’

Sufficiency is a field of action that seeks to enhance the material wellbeing of the world’s poorest but simultaneously supports a more just distribution of the scarce resources provided by the Earth. Sadhbh O'Neill, a lecturer in climate policy and member of Dublin City University Centre for Climate and Society, in an article on the … Continue reading Not just a question of doing more with less, sufficiency requires paradigm shift towards ‘enoughness’ →

A giant ‘water battery’ has been switched on in Switzerland

A giant Swiss plant, under construction for 14 years, has recently been switched on. It has power output large enough to power as many as 900,000 homes. Anthony Cuthbertson discusses latest developments in an article on The Independent website. €2 billion underground ‘water battery’ turns on in Switzerland A giant ‘water battery’ capable of … Continue reading A giant ‘water battery’ has been switched on in Switzerland →

“No matter how many supply-side resources we pour into the mix, the perfect blend will elude us until we stop treating demand-side flexibility as a final flourish of glitter”

With REPowerEU underway, Europe’s energy and climate strategy demands a rapid change of scenery. We must utilise the full palette of solutions available, including household flexibility, says Sophie Yule-Bennett from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) in an article on the FORESIGHT Climate & Energy website. House power: the hidden powerhouse of the new energy … Continue reading “No matter how many supply-side resources we pour into the mix, the perfect blend will elude us until we stop treating demand-side flexibility as a final flourish of glitter” →

New JRC report – Empowering vulnerable consumers in the energy transition

A new JRC paper examines ways to empower the energy poor and vulnerable consumers as active informed citizens and actors in the energy system, looking at exemplary practices from around Europe. Promising initiatives include energy advisors, trusted intermediaries, locally embedded innovative business models (like one-stop shops), trainings of energy actors, energy ombudsmen, energy cafés and … Continue reading New JRC report – Empowering vulnerable consumers in the energy transition →

The options in Germany’s accelerated energy transitions

Without Russian natural gas, Germany will be facing an energy crisis. In an article on the Deutsche Welle website, Jeannette Cwienk discusses what the most realistic and climate-friendly options are. How can Germany realistically replace gas? As Germany scrambles to find a way to lower its reliance on Russian natural gas, the country has announced a … Continue reading The options in Germany’s accelerated energy transitions →

While spending on renewables is going up globally, the increase is due to rising prices rather than investments in new clean energy capacity

The International Energy Agency projects that spending on renewables in 2022 will exceed the record $440 billion invested last year. Despite the accelerated spending on green technologies, the world still is not on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, IEA said. Benjamin Storrow from E&E News discusses latest developments in an article on the … Continue reading While spending on renewables is going up globally, the increase is due to rising prices rather than investments in new clean energy capacity →

Clean energy funding to surge 12% in 2022, remains insufficient

Global energy investment is set to increase by 8% this year, the energy forum has estimated. Dimitris Mavrokefalidis discusses the IEA report on the Energy Live News website. The report is available here. IEA: “Capital spending is insufficient to tackle the energy and climate crises” The current level of global capital spending is still … Continue reading Clean energy funding to surge 12% in 2022, remains insufficient →

The pace of the transition is inadequate compared to the level necessary to address the worst risks of climate change

Today’s disruptive world, resulting from Covid-19 and the Ukraine-Russia war, presents the option to us – to gear up concrete actions on the ground to increase clean energy capacity and reshape end-use energy demand to phase down conventional energy sources and reduce external price shocks. Shafiqul Alam, an environmental economist, provides his views in an … Continue reading The pace of the transition is inadequate compared to the level necessary to address the worst risks of climate change →

“The energy transition is not happening” writes REN21

Fossil fuels continue to dominate the energy sector by a wide margin, despite the unprecedented increase in wind and solar energy generation capacity. Perrine Mouterde writes on the Le Monde website about the new global status report from REN21. Despite record growth in renewables, 'the energy transition is not happening,' says new report With … Continue reading “The energy transition is not happening” writes REN21 →