An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews.

This week’s feature story returns us to the UK, which despite previous failures is once more looking into carbon capture & storage. But this time it will be done with a “profoundly large scale sequestration system” big enough to ” arrest the progression of climate change”. This is a hard act to follow, but we do our best with stories on OPEC; renewables, solar subsidies, coal and Rosatom in China; Germany finally sets up a coal phaseout commission; Sweden approves Nordstream 2; too much solar in California and Australia; not enough wind in UK; Drax plans more biomass; Swansea tidal lagoon numbers are “awful”; another way of extracting CO2 from air; liquid air energy storage and why we haven’t found aliens yet – climate change killed them.

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Earlier in the week:

3 Billion will die from global warming

An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews.

Topping the list this week is Germany, which has again delayed setting up the committee that will decide how to phase out its coal plants. Could it be that Germany is finally coming to realize that it can’t phase out its coal (and nuclear) plants and keep the lights on? We follow up with stories on OPEC; Venezuela and Russia; the North Sea makes a comeback; the “Bulgarian Stream” pipeline; the US-led international alliance to push nuclear power; cheap coal edging out gas generation in Europe; India running out of coal; the UK to pay to stay in Euratom; synchronous condensers instead of batteries in South Australia; solar panels that generate energy from raindrops and a renewed search for the Loch Ness Monster.

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An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews.

The big news this week is Trump’s re-imposition of sanctions on Iran, which will cut Iran’s oil production to the point where, combined with cratering oil production from Venezuela, it could cause another oil price spike. We follow with our usual mix – more on Iran, Venezuela and OPEC; oil in Norway; gas pipeline constraints in Europe; Japan moves to coal; British Columbia misses its renewables target; stalemate at the Bonn Climate Conference; California to mandate rooftop solar on new houses; Tesla’s 1GW battery; hydrogen storage in UK; the Swansea Bay tidal standoff; more cracks at Hunterston and how the ravages of climate change threaten historical records.

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An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews.

This week’s lead story features media hysteria over the alleged dangers of nuclear power. Russia’s first floating nuclear plant has begun its journey from St. Petersburg to Murmansk and is already being described as a “floating Chernobyl” even though it doesn’t have any fuel loaded. We follow up with a mix of hopefully more educational stories on OPEC and Angola; oil company profits rise; Nord Stream; US nuclear plant closures;  Allianz to stop insuring coal miners; coal miners making money because of the “war on coal”; Denmark’s EV debacle; Mercedes exits the US home battery market; the enormous pumped hydro potential of Indonesia; frustration at the Bonn Climate Conference; Ireland faces EU emissions fines; energy efficiency rollouts in the UK and how you can now earn UN carbon credits by riding your bicycle:

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An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews.

This week we feature the impact of renewable energy on electricity prices. The question is, if renewables are so cheap why are electricity rates increasing? To follow: OPEC achieves 150% production cut compliance; 2018 oil price to average $65; US gas pipelines under threat; Gazprom pumps record gas to Europe; more US nuclear plant shutdowns; more gas plants for sale in UK; US EPA agrees biomass is carbon neutral; Taiwan’s energy shortage, hydro and geothermal in Kenya; Australia’s NEG to kill renewables; South Africa explores energy storage; Brexit won’t change UK’s “climate ambition”; cracks in Hunterston reactor; the UK’s first blockchain energy transfer (all of 1kWh), and how climate change shrinks birds.

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An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews:

For our lead story this week we return to the UK, which is reviewing the question of whether its 80%-by-2050 emissions reduction target will be enough to meet its Paris commitments and whether it shouldn’t target 100% instead. We follow with our usual mix of stories from the energy and climate patch: Trump slams OPEC; fracking in China; Canada’s oil pipeline crisis; rising world demand for Russian nuclear power stations; Germany confirms LNG plans; Australia’s clean coal plan collapses; EU denounces the “Belt & Road” initiative; hydro in Indonesia; biomass at Drax; electricity price hikes in Scotland; gravity-based energy storage and California Governor Jerry Brown says global warming will kill 3 billion people.

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An eclectic mix of energy and climate news from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews. A bit delayed this week because I have a job 🙂 Finding it difficult to keep all the strands running.

This week we again feature Tesla’s Big South Australian Battery (BSAB), which Tesla claims is not getting paid for 30-40% of the energy it delivers to the grid. Stories to follow include: OPEC and Russia to stick together: Gazprom can’t do without Ukraine’s pipelines; Germany to convert to LNG; the Cyprus gas field conflict; blackout warnings in NSW; the Gulf’s first hydro plant; the EU’s “stupid” climate targets; the Europe-China interconnector; climate concerns can a UK coal mine; more climate change lawsuits on the cards in the US; thermal energy storage in crushed rock; global CO2 emissions rise in 2017 and palm trees in Canada.

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An ecelctic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews.

This week we feature the one technology that could solve all the world’s energy problems – nuclear fusion – which MIT scientists claim can be supplying grid power within 15 years. We follow with OPEC and Venezuela; Europe’s oil future; the UK/Russia standoff; Canada to go nuclear; Ireland to ban coal; South African coal miners put renewables on hold; Russia hacks US power plants; New York commits $1.4 billion to renewables; Czech tycoon commits $1.2 billion to buying old coal plants; Europe’s hydropower drying up; smart grids in UK; an Even Bigger South Australian Battery; electricity from raindrops and how the Permo-Triassic mass extinction was caused by burning coal.

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An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world compiled by Roger Andrews.

This week’s lead story picks itself. Finally we have a study from a respected academic institution which concludes that 100% – or even 77% – renewable energy won’t keep the lights on. We follow with OPEC’s nightmare scenario; Saudi Arabia gets into fracking; oil majors and climate change; another Ukraine-Russia gas dispute; Germany’s coal phase-out stalls again; Canada’s climate targets; cheap power from Snowy 2.0; competition for Tesla; Theresa May seeks energy cooperation with EU; Labour backs Mersey tidal; Scotland’s world-beating wind farm and how Serbia and Kosovo made you late for work.

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An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world.

This weeks’ lead story inevitably features the Beast from the East. Was it caused by climate change? Of course it was. Stories to follow include OPEC meets the US shale producers; the plight of Venezuela’s oil workers; North Sea oil & gas; Australia buys Snowy Hydro; Fukushima nuclear releases; the Arab World’s first nuclear plant; coal in China; yet another 100% renewable study; surplus solar and cryptocurrency mining in Japan; UK zero-CO2 ad banned; a diesel car ban in Germany; GE’s gigantic new wind turbine and airdrops for starving polar bears.

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And eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around The World

This week’s lead article features the “imminent end of cheap finance” – does this mean disaster for the renewable energy sector? We follow up with our usual mix of stories from around the world – OPEC; oil in California; Europe’s gas supplies and the “Beast from the East”; India needs 300 more nuclear reactors; Trump wants to sell off BPA; South Australia ramps up its renewable target; CCS in South Dakota; Elon Musk’s virtual power plant; a new offer on Swansea Tidal; Jacobson withdraws his defamation lawsuit; solar-powered rail for the UK and how CO2 dissolves Scottish starfish.

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Also last week:
Is Volatility in Oil Price on the Way, Again?

Oil price volatility exhibits periodic characteristics which correlate to that of general stock market volatility.

Britain’s free market approach to green energy is not going to save humanity from climate change, claims Labour’s Jeremy Corbin in this week’s feature story. So let’s nationalize the UK energy industry. Stories to follow include OPEC vs. shale; Venezuela’s collapse; Gazprom and Europe’s gas; nuclear in India, Taiwan, France and the Middle East; carbon capture & storage in the US and Norway; Bitcoin mining in Iceland; a Puerto Rico school goes solar; Elon Musk to shake up the Oz grid; CCGTs lose out to batteries and interconnectors in US and UK capacity auctions, blockchain grid balancing in Germany; Lord Deben questions Swansea Bay; the coming mini-ice age and the solution to climate change – more women.

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This week’s lead story highlights the perils of basing policy decisions on speculative computer models. It seems that the ozone layer isn’t healing as predicted after all, so the dangers of man-made CFC radiation are still with us. And if radiation doesn’t do the job other computer models now tell us that melting permafrost threatens us with death from mercury poisoning. And if neither happens the forthcoming magnetic pole reversal spells the demise of civilization as we know it. Lots more energy and climate-related stories in this bumper Blowout, too numerous to synthesize, but read on and enjoy anyway. They’re not all bad.

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An eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world:

This week’s feature story raises the intriguing question of whether Russia, already a de facto OPEC member, shouldn’t become a de jure one. We follow up with a series of unusually optimistic stories on the future of oil and gas; France’s load-following nuclear plants; China’s new nuclear mega-company; Fukushima as a tourist destination; the EU acts to keep coal and gas plants afloat; a climate skeptic in charge of EU environmental policy; cuts in US clean energy spending; Maine’s wind moratorium; the UK’s recent capacity market auction; Australia’s heatwave inflates power costs; Ex-Obama adviser rejects battery storage; a 500-year solar cycle and how climate change turns big beetles into little ones.

Our usual eclectic mix of energy and climate news stories from around the world assembled by Roger Andrews

Donald Trump’s imposition of solar tariffs gets the nod as this week’s feature story. Does it signal a dismal future for solar in the US or is it just a bump in the road? In other news we have US shale spoiling the oil price rally; Austria on the nuclear warpath (again); Toshiba spins off Westinghouse; a nuclear reactor that won’t melt down; Canadians back renewables; Australia will meet its 2020 emissions target but Germany won’t; Macron’s tainted climate charm offensive; the “Tesla of the canals”; battery storage in the UK – yes or no? Budweiser beer is now 100% renewable and how bacon, egg and sausage sandwiches are to blame for global warming.

An eclectic mix of energy and climate news from around the world.

Without urgent action the UK will miss its climate targets, says this week’s feature story. What will it take to meet them? Carbon capture and storage and lots of electric cars. We follow with the US the world’s energy leader; Russian gas in Europe; NASA tests its mini-nuke; New York sues Shell & BP over climate change; the solar lobby files to stop construction of a Michigan gas plant; the EU ups its renewables targets; bitcoin miners flock to Canada; France to double wind capacity; Tesla’s Hornsdale battery gets paid for charging; UK wind and solar investment craters; Nike goes 100% renewable and how a warming Arctic is entombing musk oxen in ice and shrinking their babies.

This week we return to the Big South Australian Battery (BSAB), the alleged success of which – the “Tesla effect” – is spawning a raft of similar projects elsewhere in the country. Coming after we have Frydenberg on Snowy River; the usual dose of OPEC; Russia sells gas to the US; less gas to come from Groningen; California to close Diablo Canyon; coal in Finland, Poland, Bulgaria and Japan, hydro in Colombia; Germany’s Energiewende problems; renewables in Denmark and Colorado; less gas capacity planned for UK; Ineos to challenge Scotland’s fracking ban; a contingency plan needed for cold winter nights when the wind doesn’t blow; Trump reconsiders Paris and how climate change makes turtles female.

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Earlier in the week:
The 2018 Oil Production Forecast Explained

Is the US about to become the world’s largest oil producer? Our feature story says yes. To follow we have Trump’s offshore leasing program; record Russian gas production; Saudi Arabia’s gasoline price hike; Germany shuts down a nuclear reactor; Australia’s industry to power down during heatwave; Coal growth in Asia; the Snowy hydro project a “write off”; UK releases plans for coal phase-out; North America’s largest lithium battery; the wind (almost) always blows somewhere in Europe; fossil-fuel burning without the CO2; Scotland’s plans to combat coastal erosion and the struggle to save chocolate from climate change extinction.
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This week’s lead story features the imminent return of the Ice Age to UK – good news for those looking forward to a White Christmas. After that the usual mix: record production from the Permian, Putin replaces petroleum with natural gas; New England replaces natural gas with petroleum; nuclear plant restarts and shutdowns in Japan; German factories paid for using electricity; batteries and the California Duck Curve, solar in the Canadian Arctic; renewables in South Korea; the Scotland-Wales transmission link, UK frackers running out of time; the brutal US-Canada cold snap; Santa relocates to the South Pole and a Happy New Year to all.

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