Instead of dealing with more pressing issues, Europe’s new energy commissioner Cañete wants to eradicate differences in power prices across Europe. In reality, equal prices are not only impossible to achieve, but make no economic sense, says Jan Ondřich.
Author: Jan Ondřich
Christmas comes early for Central and Eastern Europe in the form of free carbon credits from Brussels
The EU’s 2030 climate package contains free emissions trading allowances for Central and Eastern Europe’s carbon-intensive industries. Thereby, Brussels not only conceded to the environmental damage and long overdue changes to the market, but also to the possibility of corruption. Jan Ondrich explains.
CEE nuclear folly
Politicians from Central and Eastern Europe use wrong assumptions to justify new nuclear power in their region. They base their pro nuclear stance on an expected significant increase in domestic power demand and increasing wholesale prices. Jan Ondrich reports.
Will market coupling lead to one European power market?
Market coupling is a good way to allocate cross-border transmission capacity, better for example than explicit auctions. But it is not the same as a single power market. Nor does it inevitably lead to one. Jan Ondrich takes a look.
What price for carbon?
Will the EU 2030 carbon target revive the ETS market? The ETS scheme has been dismissed for its failure to generate a carbon price high enough to stimulate investment in low carbon technologies. Today, guest authors Jan Ondrich and Martin Bebiak discuss whether the EC’s new climate proposal will remedy this perceived failure. They say that a switch from coal to natural gas will require a carbon price of 36 euros per ton.