Utilities are starting to wince

Diane Cardwell provides an excellent article in the New York Times about how electric utilities are starting to be concerned about the growing number of solar panels and what it means for their business. It will be important to watch how this evolves and whether this same backlash will come to Europe. On Rooftops, a … Continue reading Utilities are starting to wince →

Quote of the week

This quote is from the German embassy website in UK concerning the country’s “Energiewende” (energy transition) “Germany aims to generate its energy supply primarily from renewables by 2050. This requires the fundamental restructuring of the energy supply system. This process is a fundamental ethical and cultural decision that offers the unique opportunity to show the world how competitiveness … Continue reading Quote of the week →

UK promotes heat from renewable energy

Jasveer Matharu, who has recently started an MSc in Consumer Psychology, provided a short summary of the proposal to raise the tariffs under the Renewable Heat Incentive. This is an important financial measure that could encourage other EU countries to do the same. UK Government’s proposal to raise the Renewable Heat Incentive Tariffs The UK’s … Continue reading UK promotes heat from renewable energy →

Kenya doing much to promote renewables

Ray Obiero writes for the Thomson Reuters Foundation about the efforts underway in Kenya to promote renewable energy. Kenya is attracting funding for its renewable energy sector because of green policy changes in recent years. Kenya shifts renewable energy funding The recent announcement by the Kenya electricity generating company (Kengen) inviting bids for joint development … Continue reading Kenya doing much to promote renewables →

New OECD report on renewable energy

There is an important new report entitled, "Domestic Incentive Measures for Renewable Energy With Possible Trade Implications" by Heymi Bahar, Jagoda Egeland, and Ronald Steenblik. It is OECD Trade and Environment Working Paper, 2013/01. The OECD has come out with an excellent new report on renewable energy, looking at the possible implications this means for … Continue reading New OECD report on renewable energy →

Producing biofuels from the sea: a solution?

Damian Carrington in The Guardian provides an excellent blog explaining that producing biofuels in the sea removes at a stroke many of the serious problems with conventional biofuels. Seaweed biofuels: a green alternative that might just save the planet "It's best to get it out of the water now or it'll start getting grazed … Continue reading Producing biofuels from the sea: a solution? →

Concern about emissions trading scheme affecting the impact of renewables

Damian Carrington writes in the Guardian about the effects of an oversupply of carbon permits in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) on other efforts to cut carbon emissions. EU emissions trading scheme 'set to cancel out renewable energy gains' Deep problems in Europe’s carbon trading scheme – its flagship climate change policy … Continue reading Concern about emissions trading scheme affecting the impact of renewables →

Paying to save through your property tax

We cannot hear enough about innovative ways to finance sustainable energy. Diane Cardwell writes in the New York Times about paying for sustainable energy investments through property taxes in the US. Tax Programs to Finance Clean Energy Catch On Over the years, as Rick Murphy helped expand his family’s auto business in Edina, Minn., … Continue reading Paying to save through your property tax →

Doctors get their views across on renewable energy

The Canadian Association of Doctors for the Environment has come out strongly in support for renewable energy in order to mitigate the harmful health effects from conventional energy. This article from the Toronto Star was written by three association members: Dr. David Colby, Dr. Rosana Pellizzari and Gideon Forman. It would be interesting if there … Continue reading Doctors get their views across on renewable energy →

Matthew Ulterino: View from the Renewable Energy World/Power-Gen Europe Conference (Vienna, 4-6 June 2013)

Matthew Ulterino attended the Renewable Energy World/Power-Gen Europe Conference that was held recently. These are his impressions from the plenary session followed by a summary and abstract of the paper he delivered. Plenary Session – Liberalisation and Decarbonisation: Roadmap or Roadblock? One of the main conference highlights was a plenary panel that was assembled … Continue reading Matthew Ulterino: View from the Renewable Energy World/Power-Gen Europe Conference (Vienna, 4-6 June 2013) →