The Trump administration has claimed that renewables threaten grid stability. Then why, ask David Hochschild and David Olsen, has the US military an early adapter of renewables? And why does Germany have a more reliable grid than the US?
Word is out that Taiwan has attracted $60 billion in foreign capital commitments to renewable-energy projects, adding to the fast-gathering momentum around the electricity sector transition taking deep root across Asia. Tim Buckley takes a look at the impact on coal.
What can be done when it is dark (no solar power) and there is no wind either, but power demand is high? German analysts took a look at the worst combination in recent history – from 2006 – and found a way to bridge the gap. But is it affordable? Craig Morris’ main takeaway: The Germans know the Energiewende’s weak spot, and they have modeled it, modeled it, modeled it.
East European EU states are mounting a behind-the-scenes revolt against the Paris Agreement, blocking key measures needed to deliver the pledge that they signed up to 18 months ago. Poland and the Czech Republic led the charge, Arthur Nelsen of Climate Home explains.
The results are in, courtesy of the Fossil Fuel Finance Report Card, on how the world’s biggest private banks are tooling up (or not) to tackle climate change. While there are clear signs of improvement in many of the banks’ policy coverage, most notably on coal, overall the picture remains bleak and highly concerning. Yann Louvel and Greig Aitken dig into the numbers.
London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has announced an ambitious new goal of a zero-emissions transport network by 2050. And not a moment too soon – London has been facing emergency air quality alerts and high pollution this past month. James Murray investigates.
Successful oversight of trade group membership dues has faded away in many states across the United States, a new report says. Mark Hand of Think Progress explains how American utilities use their customers’ money to fight renewables, and subside fracking and nuclear.
Germany’s G20 presidency dramatically weakened a climate action plan, gutting it of ambitious language and defining gas, and potentially even some coal power, as “clean technologies”, in an attempt to appeal to US president Donald Trump. Arthur Nelsen of Climate Home Europe takes a look.
One of the main goals of energy transition is energy democracy and social justice: communities should be able to make and consume their own energy. Today, Andrew Burger of Microgrid Media describes the Blue Lake Ranchiera’s movement towards energy independence.
German parliamentary elections are coming up this fall, and the German Green Party has adopted a plan for 100% electric vehicles by 2030 for new car sales. But one leader of the party remains skeptical. His criticism showed that we have to get our heads around how fundamentally different electric cars will be. Craig Morris looks at the debate.
