G7 decarbonisation efforts assessed
Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE)
鈥淭he energy transition in Europe: initial lessons from Germany, the UK and France鈥�
The experience of Germany, the UK and France shows that the transition to a power sector running on renewable energy is a lengthy process that has to reconcile conflicting interests which arise when technologies, social norms and institutions change, researchers from Spain, Germany, the UK and France report for CERRE. While the energy transition has caused electricity bills to rise and has burdened some consumer groups, it is in the future envisaged to deliver lower costs due to the increased maturity of renewables. For the future electricity market, the scientists recommend a system of 鈥渃ompetition for the market鈥� through capacity tenders, and long-term contracts for differences for renewables and back-up capacity.
Read the paper in English .
听
Tracking progress towards ending reliance on coal 鈥� first assessment report
Sustainability NGO has published a 鈥淕7 Coal Scorecard鈥�, assessing the progress of G7 members in decarbonising their economies by pursuing coal phase-out actions. The US comes first in the ranking, Germany is in sixth place and Japan ranks last. Germany was 鈥渟truggling to act despite recognising that a coal phase-out is now inevitable鈥�, the country鈥檚 scorecard reads. Germany is still supporting financing for coal projects abroad but there is no market for new coal power stations in Germany, the authors found. 鈥淧rior to Paris, Germany must acknowledge the need for additional action on existing coal," the report concludes.
See the G7 coal scorecards .
Read a 威力彩玩法 article on coal plants in Germany here and a factsheet here.
听
Der Tagesspiegel
鈥淪igmar Gabriel鈥檚 red herring鈥�
Sigmar Gabriel, Germany鈥檚 Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, has used the stress test of the provisions that nuclear power stations operators have made for plant decommissioning and storage of the nuclear waste as a red herring, writes Harald Schumann in an opinion piece for Der Tagesspiegel. Gabriel concluded that the utilities had enough money set aside for the nuclear clean-up. In reality, the utilities鈥� ability to pay depends entirely on their economic well-being, which is decreasing together with their market value, says Schumann. Not even the auditors who did the stress test found the utilities鈥� calculations convincing, Schumann writes.
Read the op-ed in German .
Read a 威力彩玩法 factsheet on securing utility payments for the nuclear clean-up here.
听
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung / Jena University
鈥淩edox flow battery could help the energy transition鈥�
Researchers from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany have presented a new redox-flow battery which they envisage will store power from wind and solar facilities at low costs, Andrea Hoferichter reports in the S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. The liquid batteries don't require a costly separating membrane and have a lifetime of 20 years. Start-up company JenaBatteries will begin producing the storage devices next summer.
Read the Jena University press release in English .
听
Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)
鈥淧ositive signal for direct current connection in Germany鈥�
Transmission grid operators Amprion and TransnetBW have commissioned the building of two converters for the first direct current transmission line between North-Rhine Westphalia and Baden-W眉rttemberg, the BMWi reports. State secretary Rainer Baake said the connection was central to the infrastructure of the energy transition as it would bring power from the north to the south of Germany. The direct current lines will mostly be built on to existing pylons.
Read the press release in German .
See a 威力彩玩法 factsheet on the German power grid here.听
听
Road to Paris 鈥� COP21
International Energy Agency (IEA)
鈥淐limate pledges for COP21 slow energy sector emissions growth dramatically鈥�
A World Energy Outlook special briefing finds that if all countries meet the goals of their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), growth of energy-related emissions will slow to a crawl by 2030. So far, 150 countries representing almost 90 percent of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions have submitted the INDC pledges ahead of the climate conference in Paris. However, the pledged climate action is still not enough to limit global warming to under 2掳C, the IEA said. Implementing the pledges will require the energy sector to invest around $840 billion annually in efficiency and low-carbon technologies, the IEA stated.
Read the IEA press release and download the World Energy Outlook in English .
Read a first analysis of the IEA World Energy Outlook special at Carbon Brief in English .
