Energy

Oil prices reach 114 USD a barrel

Oops, we did it again. Oil prices are again on the rise and reached recently $114 a barrel. This is their highest levels since 2008. Fears of current events in Iraq are explaining this. As Bloomberg noted : ” The international benchmark surged above $114 on June 13 for the first time in nine months […]

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US renewables are pursuing their rise

To a new study quoted in Cleantechies, renewable energy sources should represent 16 percent of the electricity consumption in the United States in 2018, much earlier than previously thought. The US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) projections believed such levels would be reach only in 2040 (!) Currently renewables represent already 13 percent of the total electricity consumed

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Australian emissions decreased in 2013

According to Enerdata, Australian greenhouse gases emissions decreased by 0.8% last year. While this seems tiny and not really reason to rejoice, there is some data worth mentioning as emissions from the power sector fell by 5%. Last year alone, there was a 4.1% decrease in power generation from black coal, -6.9% from brown coal

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European Union needs to get moving on energy efficiency

For my May article for Cleantechies, I wanted to write about a topic that is crucial to the future of European energy and climate policies, yet is little covered : energy efficiency. Here is the introduction : ” If the European Union is on its way to reach or go over its renewables or emissions

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Germany sets new record on renewables

According to Think Progress : ” On Sunday, Germany’s impressive streak of renewable energy milestones continued, with renewable energy generation surging to a record portion — nearly 75 percent — of the country’s overall energy demand.” ” With wind and solar in particular filling such a huge portion of the country’s power demand, electricity prices actually

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China to close hundreds of coal mines

Good news for China and the entire planet : As Reuters reports, ” China will close 1,725 small-scale mines with a total capacity of 117.48 million tonnes in 2014 as part of its programme to phase out low-quality coal production “ This is done to increase the efficiency and the safety of the sector as

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Portugal shows leadership in renewable energy

Cleantechies recently changed hands and got a new design. This makeover is the occasion for them to focus a bit more on contributors. I thus have a brand new author page. It looks great so go and check it out ! Now here is my latest article there, this time focusing on another success story

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Energy efficiency brings huge returns on investment

You must know if if you have been reading this blog : albeit it is not as ” sexy “ as renewables, energy efficiency is simply a must as we embark our societies and economies on a journey towards sustainability. Here is further proof as Cleantechnica notes : ” Energy efficiency retrofits (…) created a

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The energy transition has reached the French countryside

While I was away for a few days in the Lorraine village where my mom’s family comes from, I noticed a few hints that the energy transition is already taking place and has reached even this quite secluded place. The first one was both solar thermal and photovoltaic panels sprouting on roofs. While I counted

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Energy, the European Union and Russia

The ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia is an excellent occasion for the European Union to assess its dependence from foreign fossil fuels, especially oil and natural gas from the Russian Federation. As Kees van der Leun noted on his Twitter last week, the EU buys to Russia over half a billion euros of oil

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