As the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, how much coal China is burning is of global interest. According to the country’s National Bureau of Statistics, the tonnage of coal has fallen for the second year in the row. Nevertheless, there is one scenario in which coal use could easily go back up again: high oil and natural gas prices. Valeria J. Karplus explains.
All posts tagged: Electricity
German legislators fight over policy rollback on renewables
This month, the German government met with state representatives but failed to reach an agreement. The second meeting is scheduled for May 31. At the moment, both sides have simply agreed to disagree. Berlin wants to dramatically slow down the energy transition, and some states will have none of it. Craig Morris explains.
Germany nearly reached 100 percent renewable power on Sunday
After surpassing 80 percent renewable electricity for a few hours last year, Germany may have briefly reached around 95 percent on May 8. But the news is not only cause for celebration – a boundary has also been crossed. We are now entering the hard territory. Craig Morris explains.
Battery powered: supporting South Africa’s renewables
With more and more renewable plants feeding South Africa’s electricity grid, battery storage may hold the key to bridging over those moments when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. But for now, batteries are imported, and expensive, writes Leonie Joubert.
Global coal power: capacity keeps going up, utilisation goes down
While the amount of electricity generated from coal has declined for two years in a row and utilisation rates of coal power plants have been going down, energy companies continue to build new coal-fired generating plants at a rapid pace. Worldwide the equivalent of 1500 coal plants is under construction or in various stages of planning, Karel Beckmann writes.
Financing South Africa’s new-build renewables: a game-changer
South Africa’s utility-scale renewable energy programme has opened up the local energy sector to international markets. The success of this funding and procurement model is now tweaking interest in other areas in the local energy sector, and shaping how neighbouring countries might tackle big green-energy projects, writes Leonie Joubert.
Can Germany reach its renewables target for the energy sector for 2020?
Last week, we discussed changes in the German power sector in 2015, particularly how Germany is scheduled to overshoot its target for green electricity. Today, we focus on all energy (power, heat, and motor fuels). To our surprise, the target of 18 percent renewable energy by 2020 is not out of reach. Craig Morris explains.
Germany is 20 years away from 100 percent renewable power – not!
In 2015, Germany added more renewable electricity than ever before in a single year, bringing the share of green power in total supply up to 33 percent. But the government seems keen on slowing down this growth. What is really happening? Craig Morris investigates.
The Bulgarian energy transition – no decarbonization without diversification and liberalization
Bulgarian energy policy has suffered a lot in the past 20 years from the interdependence between state and private interests in the energy sector and bad governance practices at national level. Radostina Primova gives a summary of the current situation and explains why an improvement in the regulatory framework is urgently needed.
Coal, Renewables Battle for Power in Germany
Germany’s Energiewende has been driven first and foremost by citizens and communities. Steve Baragona visited a small community threatened by an open-pit coal mine in Eastern Germany and found that the local struggles reflect the broader battle that is currently underway for the future of the German power system.