The REPowerEU plan to end Europe’s dependence on Russian gas would still leave it in hock to fossil-fuel companies. Pascoe Sabido has the story. A longer version originally appeared in Social Europe.
Author: Energiewende Team
How treaties protecting fossil fuel investors could jeopardize global efforts to save the climate – and cost countries billions
Fossil fuel companies have access to an obscure legal tool that could jeopardize worldwide efforts to protect the climate, and they’re starting to use it. The result could cost countries that press ahead with those efforts billions of dollars. Rachel Thrasher, Blake Alexander Simmons and Dr. Kyla Tienhaara discuss the issue. This article was originally published in The Conversation.
LNG: The liquid path to climate chaos
Europe wonders how quickly and safely it can end its dependency on Russian gas. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) is being promoted as a solution. The new report “LNG: The liquid path to climate chaos” raises a number of reasons to be sceptical about LNG as a choice for Europe. Eilidh Robb and Frida Kieninger have the details.
Energy in Southeast Asia Series V: Community Power – A Renewable Energy Solution for Conflict-Affected Myanmar
Since the 2021 military coup, daily electricity blackouts across Myanmar have dented people’s livelihoods and wellbeing. Some rural villagers have taken an independent route to tackling energy insecurity: developing community hydropower systems. If designed properly, these decentralized energy solutions can be affordable, reliable, and even environmentally sustainable. Kyungmee Kim takes a closer look at the trend as fifth part of our Southeast Asia Series.
Energy in Southeast Asia Series IV: How COVID-19 Stimulus Finance could boost the Energy Transition in Malaysia
In the fourth part of our South East Asia Series, Julian Theseira is looking at the opportunity for public and civil society organizations to encourage their governments’ to change how energy is generated, distributed, and accessed. How can energy systems become more democratic, giving people and communities access to sufficient, affordable, reliable, and renewable energy?
Energy in Southeast Asia Series III: Community Renewable Energy – A Tool to Accelerate Cambodia’s Energy Transition
Cambodia is ranked to be one of the top thirteen poorest countries in Asia with its Gross National Income Per Capita of US$ 1,490 in 2020. Of the country’s total population of 17 million, 76% are living in rural areas where electricity is often unreliable, unaffordable and from unsustainable sources. Just over two thirds of grid-connected households face frequent unpredictable power shortages. Oudom Ham takes a closer look as third part of our Southeast Asia Series.
Energy in Southeast Asia Series II: Sustainability from the Start – The Origin of Raw Materials for Renewable Energy
All too often, discussions on sustainability focus on the end products, overlooking the supply chain. A recent IEA report underlined the need for sustainability criteria for minerals used in renewable energies. Bernadinus Steni has the details. This blog post sheds light on manganese mining as second part of our South East Asia Series.
Energy in Southeast Asia Series I: Pursuing Energiewende in the region
Southeast Asia’s Energiewende is already underway, albeit it needs to be sped up and its ambitions increased. There is a regional understanding that the transition to renewables must occur but serious work to translate this vision into reality remains missing. Policy, however, is not attuned to this need to accelerate. Energy generation is still with the hands of energy elites. Laurence L. Delina explores the potential for a just and accelerated Energiewende in this world region as first part of our Southeast Asia Series. What could Southeast Asia as a regional grouping do to facilitate this grand vision?
Repost: Ukraine and Moldova’s synchronisation with the Continental European Electricity Grid
On 16 March 2022, following a request by Ukrenergo and Moldelectrica (the electricity transmission system operators in Ukraine and Moldova) for emergency synchronisation, ENTSO-E (the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity) began the trial synchronisation of the Continental European Power System with the power systems of Ukraine and Moldova. This article is a repost, originally published by the European University Institute (EUI) on 17th of March 2022.
Poland’s Energy Dilemma
Recent events have thrown the debate as to whether fossil gas remains required to ensure the security of Europe’s energy supplies completely on its head. The threat that gas supplies can be either weaponised or placed under international sanctions at any point has never been clearer and has highlighted the urgent requirement for accelerated low carbon energy capacity deployment for Europe to reduce its reliance upon the fossil fuel. Jonathan Sims, Senior Analyst at the think tank Carbon Tracker Initiative, has the details.