Generation of electricity and heat worldwide relies heavily on coal, the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. Except for the 1920s and 1990s, coal use in the world has been continuously increasing since the start of the Industrial Revolution. With the rapid and energy-intensive economic growth in developing countries such as China and India, since the 2000s read more…
Category: Energy
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EU electricity companies to cut investment in coal plants after 2020
The European Union of the Electricity Industry (EURELECTRIC) on Wednesday (April 5) announced the sector does not intend to invest in new-build coal-fired power plants after 2020. EURELECTRIC is the sector association representing 3500 companies across Europe (including 28 EU Member States, current EU accession countries and other European OECD countries) with an aggregate turnover of read more…
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Trump issues executive order wiping out Obama’s climate regulation
US President Trump on Tuesday (March 28) signed an executive order to dismantle most of the climate policies and environmental regulations of his predecessor Barack Obama. According to the so-called “Energy Independence” executive order, government departments and agencies will “immediately review existing regulations that potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources and appropriately read more…
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IN-DEPTH: Energy efficiency to tackle energy poverty – The E.U. takes a small step
At the end of November 2016, the European Commission released a “winter package” of measures to boost clean energy transition and keep the European Union’s economy competitive. The “Clean Energy for All Europeans” aims at prioritizing energy efficiency measures, achieving global leadership in renewables and protecting consumers. In particular, the EU Commission puts great emphasis read more…
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IN-DEPTH: Biogas energy in Europe – from great promise to uncertain future
Biogas production in Europe has experienced an upsurge since 2000, reaching 14,9 Mtoe in 2014, as a result of national and EU policies to promote renewable energy sources. In Europe, biogas is principally used to generate electricity, contributing to 6.1% of power generation from renewable sources. First subject to strongly supportive policies, the biogas sector read more…
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FOCUS AFRICA – Ethiopian Great Run: will green energy sustain growth?
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is among Africa’s largest states, and the second in terms of population. The 101 million Ethiopians are experiencing a sharp increase in their per capita GDP since 2002, according to the World Bank. Ethiopia’s “Great run” in terms of economic growth during the years 1992-2004 and, even more incisively, read more…
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FOCUS AFRICA – Energy made to export: the case of Algeria
A rentier state with a national GDP almost entirely dependent on hydrocarbons revenues, Algeria is a strategic geopolitical actor for the Mediterranean and Northern African area, and also a likely green energy exports leader in the near future, if policy pledges are to be fulfilled. The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria is today the largest read more…