Quote of the week

“Sometimes politicians are looking for simple quick fixes and, when they say ‘natural gas is half the price in the US, why can’t we do that in Europe?’ the rational response would be that in that case, we should use less gas,” Hans Nilsson, board member of eceee (European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy) … Continue reading Quote of the week →

Clean energy in Europe faces the market

Stanley Reed wrote in the New York Times about some of the pressing market issues facing the clean energy transition in Europe. As the article ends, “Sounding the alarm about greenhouse gases and global warming is fine, but money is required to do something about the problem. And it is not likely to be forthcoming … Continue reading Clean energy in Europe faces the market →

New considerations of shale gas

Nick Butler wrote an excellent blog in the Financial Times that brings some start messages. He firmly believes that the shale “revolution” is real and not going away. He warns the climate change lobby will have to adapt. Is he right? He certainly puts a good case forward for starting from a point of reality. … Continue reading New considerations of shale gas →

Reflecting on bitumen oil in Canada

Jeffrey Simpson, one of Canada’s foremost columnists, writes in the Globe and Mail about the politics and sad state of affairs the government has got itself in over promoting its tar sands. While this is a Canadian perspective, it is important for those outside Canada to see the “sea of troubles” as Simpson aptly writes. … Continue reading Reflecting on bitumen oil in Canada →

EBRD considers keeping coal option open

Terry Macalister writes in The Guardian about the efforts of senior management at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to keep coal from being caught in the ideological energy and climate change battles. Affordability is one of the main arguments. European energy chief puts forward case for funding coal EBRD chief Riccardo Puliti … Continue reading EBRD considers keeping coal option open →

Rethinking our carbon emissions

Pilita Clark writes in the Financial Times that countries may have to start taxing imported goods if those countries are to serious come to grips with their “true” GHG emissions. While this is not a new thought, it is important that it is discuss again. It will be important to see how much attention it … Continue reading Rethinking our carbon emissions →

Activity on grid big data

Katie Fehrenbacher writes in the Washington Post about actions that are supporting the building of smart grids. This article is about a partnership in Sweden that could provide some valuable experience about managing data. European power giant E.ON partners with Ericsson on grid big data European power giant E.ON is building out a smarter … Continue reading Activity on grid big data →

Is importing waste the solution?

John Tagliabue writes in the New York Times about the efforts underway to ensure there is sufficient waste for Oslo’s cogeneration plants. A City That Turns Garbage Into Energy Copes With a Shortage This is a city that imports garbage. Some comes from England, some from Ireland. Some is from neighboring Sweden. It even has … Continue reading Is importing waste the solution? →

CHP in Spain suffering by lack of adequate policy framework

The Gas to Power Journal has recently reported that the Spanish Cogeneration Association (Acogen) is quite concerned that cogeneration will suffer unless there are new energy efficiency measures in place to ensure that the full potential for cogeneration capacity is achieved. It also states that the current Emissions Trading System is “harmful for CHP.” … Continue reading CHP in Spain suffering by lack of adequate policy framework →

Hydrogen moves closer towards centre stage

Emily Dugan writes in The Independent about new scientific breakthroughs that make the use of hydrogen as a clean and cheap power source much more feasible. Interestingly, DG Energy of the European Commission is now getting more active in considering hydrogen as a strong option. These are positive steps forward. Science moves step closer to … Continue reading Hydrogen moves closer towards centre stage →