Energy transition
Claude Turmes: ‘We won the Energy Transition Fund’
The Energy Transition Fund called for by the European Parliament is more than just a pot of money to support coal-dependent regions, says Claude Turmes, Luxembourg’s minister for energy and spatial planning.
The EU needs a ‘Green New Deal’
Europe needs its own ‘Green New Deal’ to stave off the perfect storm of populism, climate change and economic crisis. Instead, the EU has adopted confused energy and environment policies which could be self-defeating in the long run, writes Vincente Lopez.
Price of energy saving certificates causes friction in France
Energy saving certificates, or white certificates, were meant to be the answer to France’s slow progress in reducing energy consumption. However, there is far more demand than supply, resulting in a surge in prices of certificates, which have more than doubled in a year. EURACTIV France reports.
Three things to know as Germany opens massive ocean wind park
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be joined by French and Norwegian ministers Tuesday (16 April) to officially open a massive wind farm in the Baltic Sea, a key project for her country's "energy transition".
Solar CEO: ‘Heating electrification is one of the biggest mistakes of the energy transition’
Wind and solar photovoltaic are way too small to cope with Europe's massive demand for heating, especially in winter, says Christian Holter who calls for allocating scarce renewable energy resources to economic sectors where they can bring the most in terms of carbon reduction.
UK breaks coal-free power generation record by huge margin
Coal has historically been at the cornerstone of the UK's electricity mix, but the first three months of 2019 saw the electricity grid clock up 650 hours of coal-free generation – more than was achieved during the entirety of 2017. EURACTIV's media partner edie.net reports.
Walking the walk on capacity mechanisms
The European Commission’s review of Britain’s capacity market for electricity will reveal whether the EU executive really believes the recast regulation on the internal electricity market is ever likely to be fully enforced, write Philip Baker and Michael Hogan.
Time for Germany to seize the opportunities of the EV transition
The German auto manufacturing industry is at a perilous moment in its long and illustrious history and it needs the help of the country’s policymakers to ensure its long-term success, writes Nigel Topping.
Exxon lobbyists allowed to keep EU access badges
The heads of political groups in the European Parliament have failed to reach a decision on whether to strip ExxonMobil lobbyists from their EU access badges, leaving some activists bitterly disappointed and others reflecting about future engagement with the oil and gas industry.
Transforming the energy system: How to finance a just transition?
Whilst the energy sector is key to the European economy, it also represents two thirds of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. It therefore plays a central role in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Clean energy transition ‘is a social policy issue’, Poles insist
The social policy dimension was largely overlooked when the European Union decided energy and climate change objectives for 2030, Poles have warned, calling on policymakers to endorse a “just transition fund” to support the country's coal phase-out.
Energy Union ‘completed’, as Commission’s final stocktake debuts
EU officials are satisfied with how the bloc’s internal energy market has taken shape over the last five years, but will acknowledge in a final stocktake due later on Tuesday (9 April) that energy efficiency and renewables targets still need work.
An Energy Union 2.0?
Four years into the Energy Union project, it is worth taking stock of one of the flagship policies of the Juncker Commission and look into future challenges, writes Piotr Arak.
ExxonMobil misled the public. Now they’re trying to mislead the European Parliament
Last month, US oil giant ExxonMobil was invited by the European Parliament to testify publicly about the history of climate change denial. But instead of responding transparently, they tried behind the scenes to discredit the peer-reviewed research conducted by Harvard University researchers, writes Geoffrey Supran.
‘Historic breakthrough’: Norway’s giant oil fund dives into renewables
Norway’s $1tn oil fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, is to plunge billions of dollars into wind and solar power projects. The decision follows Saudi Arabia’s oil fund selling off its last oil and gas assets. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
Diverting fossil fuel investments to renewables is not enough
Debate over the cost merits of fossil fuels against renewable power generation has traditionally focused on the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE), which has dropped dramatically in the case of wind and solar power. But that ignores the upfront capital costs, which are still up to seven times higher for renewables, writes Mike Parr.
Eickhout: Next step for Europe is a ‘Green New Deal’ for industry
Europe must adopt an ambitious industrial policy aligned with its climate agenda by investing in clean technologies, and introducing a carbon tariff at the EU’s external border in order to protect industries against environmental dumping, says Bas Eickhout, the lead candidate for the Greens in the European elections.
‘No future’ for fossil gas in Europe, Greens insist
Natural gas of fossil origin has “no future” in Europe, Greens have warned as EU energy ministers prepared to sign a declaration on Tuesday (2 April) promoting “smart gas infrastructure” as part of a low-carbon energy mix for 2050.
A new European agenda for climate resilience
As the 2019 EU elections loom and a new European Commission takes office, climate action can become a key driver of a reformed EU project for more solidarity, protection and innovation, writes Luca Bergamaschi.
Nuclear power excluded from EU’s green investment label
The European Parliament voted on a proposed classification for sustainable assets on Thursday (28 March), voting to exclude nuclear power from receiving a green stamp of approval on financial markets.
Feeling the heat: Why EU climate targets depend on ditching fossil fuel boilers
The European Union has set a target of increasing renewables in heating and cooling by 1.3% every year starting in 2021. Given the pervasiveness of gas heat, it may be a struggle.OpinionPromoted content
How to finance just energy transition in less wealthy Member States
The EU proposes to partly finance its ambitious climate goals in less wealthy Member States through the cohesion and regional development policy. But how much of this funding can really be dedicated to the transition of the power sector in a country like Poland?
Gas network chief: ‘By 2050, we assume CO2 emissions from energy will be zero’
Europe’s electricity and gas operators are currently working on a joint network plan based on a carbon budget which includes zero-emission scenarios for 2050. “And that automatically means there will be no fossil gas in the mix by then,” Jan Ingwersen told EURACTIV in an interview.
Big oil’s ‘double speak’ on climate exposed in new report
The world’s five largest listed oil and gas companies have spent more than $1 billion touting their climate credentials since the Paris Agreement was signed, whilst lobbying to protect and expand their fossil fuel operations, according to new analysis published on Friday (22 March).