by Jürgen

The WWSIS report creates hope for the wind and solar industry, especially because it shows that developing the green industry can be done at a lesser cost than initially assumed. But making a grid of 200.000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines, 5 million miles of local distribution lines and thousands of generating plants work in an integrated way on green and traditional energy for more than 20.000 companies requires more than a single study, even it completes the eastern picture by the western input.

by Jürgen

Yesterday, the merger of two European power exchanges offered an extra step towards a unified European market. The integration of Belpex into APX-ENDEX offers greater potential on European market coupling, but also and especially for spot and derivatives activities in the Benelux and the UK, and for cross-border intra-day trading powered by the ELBAS technology provided by Nord Pool Spot, at the end of 2010.

by Jürgen

There is a growing positive sentiment in the air about financial markets. Those interested in big energy should be cautious: currently there is no such thing as Best Investment. It depends on a set of important variables, even and especially because of the growing attractiveness of green.

by Jürgen

Only bad news for energy? No. For once, positive evolutions can be found on the infrastructural level. Changes on the energy grid are finally in progress, at least verbally.

by Jürgen

“Any guidance for us on what Green stimulation (in place of subsidies) looks like? Some countries are just starting to roll out subsidies now, has anyone done a good critical analysis of the policies – like fee-in tariffs – now being copied and pasted into legislation?” A short reply on one the questions asked on the Jan 15 post ‘Energy: end of the World’.

by Jürgen

The past years, the Kyoto discussions have unfolded into a year-round soap opera. After the initial agreement, discussions never really stopped: convincing this, that and the other country to join, talks about reference numbers, or requests to postpone actions due to disagreements, tense collaboration… or, more recently, due to the impacts of the economic breakdown.

On the other hand, leaders have also expressed their concern about climate change and stressed the importance to really put effort into concrete actions: Ban Ki-Moon during the last UN conference in Geneva, Hatoyama just before taking office… A political show case on its best? Partially. A G8 lead pyramid again? No, rather a triangle of international collaboration – one with output in its center and developing, emerging and industrialized countries on the corners. And some work ahead to make them sound uni sono.

by Jürgen

One of the recurring reflections about (green) energy is: should we boost the sector by increasing subsidies or should companies stand up and use their cash reserves to move on? The former protects jobs, develops potential and leads to higher corporate income (and tax revenues) in the long run. The latter saves governments from expenses that could be used in other areas and will make sure that companies surviving the crisis will be long term players, hence reducing the risk of repeated governmental backing.
Quite a chicken and egg question? Not so much. Rather an issue that needs a down to earth Columbus egg approach.

by Jürgen

US, Canada or China. Egypt, Hong Kong or the Isle of Man. France. Belgium. July hosting a series of national holidays and independence day celebrations is the perfect excuse to have a short review of another type of freedom and independence: the liberalisation of the European utilities landscape.

Although initially intended to push prices down by opening up the markets, recent moves of the democratic-altruistic ideology of governments are quite questionable in the battle against the autocratic strive of the corporate world.